The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-18 00:00:00

Tflg un

r With these terms he must comply, for he has no longer
any revenue wherewith to feed and pamper his obakitsacy
h •
be must shortly surrender at discretion. Those who have
held Spanish Bonds " through good report and through evil
report," will at last, arid, we think, at no very remote pe-
iriod, enjoy the reward of their just and enlightened reso-
,hition ; for, as to the dismemberment of S;sain, the full par-
ticulars of which the Chronicle has receiv tel from its cor-
respondent at Paris, ' who sent the see!..et instructions
given to the Duke de Rat; z.me," we really had thought
the Chronicle would never again, of itself, have said ano-
ther word respecting that clumsy fabrication], or as to the
sage reflections of the Times on this matter lately, we
think they may be quite safely laid aside, as unworthy of
a single observation in the way of serious refutation.

Mr. BROUGHAM last night presented the Petition of the
Catholic Association, praying to be heard by Counsel
against tlie Hill for its suppression, which Bill will be
found at lertgth in another part of this day's Paper. It is
perfectly natural that the Catholic leaders, who have raised
themselves to ephemeral importance by their vehement
orations at the meetings of the Association, should dislike
the extinction of that medium through which they agitated
their country, and drew down upon themselves to so large
an extent the notice of the whole kingdom. The Hon. and
Learned nentkman was extremely anxious to obtain the con-
sent of the House to postpone the ordtrs of the day for' this
evening, to give him an early opportunity of moving that
the prayer of the Petition may be granted. We under-
stand that Mr. O'CoN NELL and Mr. SIT En. have arrived
in town, and that it numerous deputation from the Catholic
Association are on the roast. For all this we are of course
fully prepares!. No measure that can give effect to the
death of this self-coristit*ltted body will be omitted. They
have ample funds, and they will expend them freely to
cover their fall with an air of beeotning dignity. What
is of more importance, however, to Ireland, is, that on the
motion of Mr.tiocrooav, the Committee of last Session,
to inquire into the state of Ireland, was renewed, with an
addition of Members from each province, in order that the
inquiry may be rendered as Complete and comprehensive
as possible. In this way, by our " old-fashioned Par-
liament," the grievances of Ireland will be ascertained and
redressed, and not by the mischievous and impertinent
interposition of self-constituted Associations.

Mr. Sergeant Osstow's Bill for the repeal of the
Usury Laws was last night, on the second reading, lost
by a majority of five. The whole number of Members
in the Nous.; was at the time only ninety. The mea-
sore is thus, we regret to find, thrown back for another
Session, for there can be no douLt that it must be passed,
sooner or later. •

An article about to appear in the next Number of the
Edinbirre Review, on the subject of IRELAND, was yes-
' terday put into private circulation, par arance. Why this
solitary extract has travelled Up Se hastily from North Bri-
tain, without waiting for its companions, we cannot con-
jecture. Whether the next Number is likely to be so
heavy, that it was deemed expedient to lighten it, in this
way, of a part of its ponderous load, c!or to whatever other
cause this premature delivery is to be ascribed, it is vain to
inquire ; it is enough that we have it before us. We shall
proceed, without preface, to bestow upon it the attention it
deserves.

The article itself is certainly not written with any pa-
culiar force of talent, which should enti&nt to be ushered
into the world with such formal despatch. The Ediubitegh
Review has fairly earned the reputation it has acquired ;
but this article, " on the State of Ireland," is no way re-
markable, except for that gentlemanly contempt for matter
of fact which is apt to distinguish this Journal, when po-
litical party-questions come tinder its critical disquisition.
In the present instance, the writer by no tneans brings to
his subject that cool reflective judgment which it requires;
on the contrary, he is completely carried away with his
zeal, and courageously disdains either the aid of reason, or
the support of argument. If his object is to befriend the
Catholic cause, he is certainly a very danger9us advocate.
He labours seemingly

" To roll the stone of Faction up the hill ;"
but, under his hands, it will only toll down again with
accelerated force. If his aim is—as one should think,
in fairness as well as in friendship to the Catholics, it
ought-to be—to remove the opinion unjustly entertained of
them, that they are influenced by a disloyal and refractory
spirit, which requires to be forcibly kept down, he should
have done justice to that spirit of loyalty, and to those
sentiments of genuine patriotism, which, in those trying
emergencies which have put their inet'.lc to the proof, have
distinguished the Irish peasantry, perhaps beyond all ex-
ample in a people having so much real ground fur discon-
tent. Who would not conceive, from the following lan-
guage, that the Reviewer was their declared enemy?—
" If we do not totally change our conduct, it is certain that, when-
ever we are involved in war, either with France, or any of the other
Continental Powers, or with the United States, wc shall tind our
bitterest fuss, and our foreign enemies their most zealous and de-
voted allies, in the people of Ireland. No efforts will be necessary
to seduce the peasantry from their allegiance—no intrigues, no sub-
sidies will be required to tempt them to the field—but the tint foreign standard that is erected on the Irish suA will be ate signal I
for a rising en inane of a whole population, ital.:olnel of oppressionand birrniwz fir revenge I The system of It hiteboy association,
so unceasingly acted upon for the last thirty years, has trained and
prepared the peasantry for the most desperate purposes; nor do
we think that it is possible to point out another instance, in the his-
tory of the world, of a people so cornpktely estranged from Meer
rulers, and so thoroughly ripe for rebellion."
Now all this highly-coloured description of the hatred
and revenge which is described as the governing feelings
of the Catholic population, can have no other effect—if it
is received as true on this side the water—titan to alarm ,
and alienate all those who, bsing under a different impres-
sion, would willingly admit them to such a share of poli-
tical power, as they might derive front the removal of those
disabilities to which they considered them as unjustly sut;-
jected. The Edinburgh Reviewer asks—

" And are not these things enough to give us pause ? Are they
not enough to make even bigots abashed and ashamed ?—and to
stimulate the wise and good, of all parties and denominations, to
lay aside their petty differences, and to cu-operate for the adoption
of measure: calculated to guard against such tremendous con-
segue:tees ?"

" Lay aside their petty differences!" Why, if " a whole
population" are made "impatient of oppression, and burn-
ing fur revenge," on account of ptqty ililAreners, it is
surely not the best means of " guarding against the tre-
mendous consequences" of such mutinous and vindictive
feelings, to Increase the power of those who are represented
as so readily yielding to them. Those who are already
opposed to the Catholic claims are not likely, *e should
think, to be brought round by the picture here exhibited
of the condition and character of the claimants. No class
of subjects ought to be exclud.l from any civil office, or