The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-25 00:00:00

IR

Mr. PEE!. appeared 11tthelinrv;ith the Royal assent to the
address on the commission of inquiry into the state of education in
Ireland.

IRISIIINSURRECTfON ACT.

......--. .. ,
Mr. HIITC II INSO 4 N was unwilling to occupy the time of the
Mouse in delaying it Eton the interesting motion of which his ,
llonourabk 1 rienel (Sir F. Burdett) had given notice. The ion- ,
portance of the subject would be an excuse for his taking preee- I
dents:of hint. Ile coal nut anticipate any reasonable objection ,
to accede to his motion—it was for the production of the evidence
taken before the Committee on the Irish Insurrection Aet. This
evidence did not contain any reflection on the Government of bad
Wellesley. If refused in a correct shape it would appear in •
mutilated tom, as each witness hail taken an abstract of his own
evidence; and some had even published it. A stronger res.
son still for its production was, that the withholding of it '
would be the via dot of a promise, expressed or implied, at
' the period of the appointment of the Committee, which it -
' should be remembered was a select, and not a secret Committee.
In the case of the London Police Bill the l'imintittee bad not closed
their labours during the Session in which they were appointed.
lI thrive that Session terminated they made • report, and the evi-
deuce' they had taken was published. It was not the following
Session that they finished the Investigation out which Parliament
tool proceeded in passing that Act. Tile sante course was followed
with respect to the Dublin Taxation Hill, and the Bankrupt lams
.Imendittent Bill. There were also several other instances in which
tic Committees hail reported the evidence as far as they had gone
heron: the Session closed When this Committee was formed, per-
mission wan granted to it to report from time to time as it might
judge expedient ; but he had a right to complain, that when in
contormity with this privilege the Committee had reported, it had
only dime so partially an to the renewal of the Insurrection .I,et.
Instead of laying before the House all the evidence given as to the
state of Ireland, only so munch was selected as would warrant the
renewal of that measure. Front what he had heanl, the quality
aril character of the witnesses were perfectly unexceptionable. They
were most respectable, and he believed utterly incapable of giving
testimony unfavourabletothecountry. Among them wcreseveial Ru.
man Catholic magis rates. Protestant gentlemen of fortune, Roman
Catholic priests,and mike magistrates. What reason could there he
why the Must:should not be put in possession of the evidence which
such persons an theme would give before the l'imunince ? (In the
part of Ireland, he lamented any concealment of her real condition,
her evils could be prolonged only by Parliament being kept in ig.
norance of diem: l'he evident.: therefore could not be too speedily
made public, for by that publicity, and by that publicity alone,
had she the smallest chance of obtaining justice and being relieved
front • system of loath and opmension unparalleled in any well-
governed country. Ile wan surprised that Mere could have been
any hesitation in the Ciimmittet as to the propriety of publishing
the evidence. He considered it an essential part of their duty.
and, in his opinion. the House would not discharge thin if they
modems% the prorogation to take place without the production of this
evidence. He supposed from the supineness that characterised
their late conduct, that the Ministry hail given up all the great
questions connected with the best tnterests of Ireland. But still
he was at a lii..• to guess what objection the Minister for Ireland
(Mr. Gotilbuni) could have to the printing of this evidence.
Ile understood the Committee had been most laboriously art-
ployed, and had received most important intelligenc,. He
could not conceive wily this infatuation was withheld. If he did
not know how the Committee was composed. he should be inclined
to say of it, that it had refused to make public the evidence it had
collected, in order to prolong the abominable system by which Ire-
land was oppressed. It was his conviction, that if the Committee
continued its labours, and gave the evidence to the Moose and to
the public, it was inipomible that things could remain as they were
I at prmet. Fur the sake of the Coutuitte: itself, ha should be

ilgery if the House Wok: up without having the whole of due evi-
•enee taken before it made public. What road hitherto been the
keels el this Committee's lahmant ? Nettling but the renews' of
the Insurrection Act, which het:meld not better dvseribc than in the
language of the Right Hon. Secretary of State file the Home lk-
pertinent, who had said the other night that the Act vas le' soch
character that he should regret that its peraltiew slenthl hr kesuierl,
or that it should take any shape which might refuter it likely to re.,
main on the statute brook. Yet the only result of the labeled, of the
Committee hitherto haul been the re-enactment of this high-
ly unconstitutional, greatly oppressive. and in every point 01
of view hateful measure- If the evidence was primed, Ire-
land would see that the Committee had obtained a great deal of
useful information as to all the interesting topics relative to that
country ; via. the education of the poor. the absentee system, and
the tithe question. If any evidence had been given erroneously,
time and opportuni'y *mild he affiurded to correct it. Every
statement would be contrudtcurd or confirmed by the parties in-
terested, who would either call on the Right lion. Gentleman
(Mr. Goulburn) in Dublin, or attend and give their testimony be.
fore the Coutimittee next Session. Put as long as the Committee
concealed the evidence, the House could order expect to have gar-
bled statements wenn/slicited, and the public in Ireland would
ottly regard the Committee as an instrument for obtaining the in.
surrection Act. Ile would be glad to know front the Right Hon.
Gentleman whether there had been any evidence relating to the
means of eniployetient for the labouring poor? whether there had
been any calculation submitted to the Committee, in which the ex-
cessive population of the country had been contrasted with the
ability of f ievernment to find occupation for then, ? \i'llether it
had not been before the Committee that in the South of Ireland
there were nearly two millions of peasantry, while there was
employment only for one million; whether nearly half a ,
million of' thm class of person* were not supported by the heads
of their families, who themselves earned only about 91. a-year, or
about ad. or lid. a-day ; sothat deducting St for the rent of their
acre of nutmeat', and 30s. for their house, supoosinl they enjoyed
uninterrupted health throughout the year, they had littlemore
than ills. left beyond the expense of their food, for clothing and
for the education of their children. If the labouring poor of
Yorkshire co lAncashire or any other county in England, Wales,
or Scotland, were for a time only in that state of distress and
privation which millions in Ireland constantly endured, all the
power of the Entree would not keep them quiet, anti the in-
ference be drew was, however he might deplore the outrages
that °centred in Ireland, disgraceful to the perpeteators and afflict-
ing to humanity, that it was not in human nature to remain in
tranquillity and contentment smiler such circumstances as pressed
upon the Irish peasantry. They laboured under a state of
misery inconceivable to those who heel not beheld mate which
tt trumpet tongued " called on his 3lajesty's Government to apply
an effectual remedy. Government alone, he knew, could not effect
all that was to be desired ; but if the landlords of Ireland were
indifferent to the suffering of their tenantry, they ought to be
shamed by public exposure, and compelled to do justice. Ile
was sorry to detain the !louse longer than they were disposed to
listen to him with attention, but the disregard of no leilibet of
that [louse, in whatever part he might be vested, should prevent
I • front discharging his duty to the utmost of his ability. It was
to him a painful duty, and perhaps to the House nut an agreeable
one to listen to him, as he was aware how inadequate his powers
were to treat the question according to its merits. He should con-
clude as lie had begun, with expressing the difficulty he felt to inns.
eine any notional objection to the production of this evidence. The
House had several instances in which the evidence had been pub-
lished before the labours of the l'ortimittee had dosed ; nor did he
think that there was any reasonable ground for refusing to give the
names of the parties examined. If he believed it would excite any
sensation. he would be the last man to propose it. Such were the
misery, suffering, and want sow prevailingin Ireland, the condi-
tion of that country could not be concealed long, whatever might be
the disposition in some quarters to portent the truth from transpir-
ing. On the Education Coinuaiseion, the same feeling had ope-
rated. If, instead of that Commission. there had been a Commit.
tee up stairs, such a body of evidence would have been obtained as
would have forced redress (hear, hear), and, in his opinion, the
same principle was applicable to all the questions connected with
Ireland: the more public correct information can be made, the
more certain was redress. The Hon. Gentleman concluded with
moving, That that be laid before the House a copy of the evidence
taken before" the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the
disturbances in lreleland.
Mr. GRATTAN seconded the motion. He complained of the
course pursued by the Coma/Wee. I.ln going one day to the mum
where it sat, he found a notice affixed on the dour, that none but
Member* of the Committee could be admitud, so that in effect it
was nut only select, but seem, which was never intended
to have been. Ile considered it a hardship that Irishmen
should not be suffered to know the evidence given before the Com.
make, particularly as it would come out partially in the Irish
l'apers. This course would aggravate the irritation tenfold, and
induce every conclusion unfavourable to due interests of the country
and the reputation of the Committee itself.
Lord PALM ERSTON said, that as the Chairman of the Coal-
mine', he felt it his duty to make a few observations on the charges
preferred against it. Ile would appeal to every Member of due
l'ommittee, whether there was the slightest ground for suspecting
them of suffering garbled evidence to find its way to the public.
The Conintittee had laid before the House all that bore on that ques-
tion (the Insurrection Act), on which they were prepared to report.
For that purpose two Members had been appointed to go through
the whole of the evidence, one Gentleman front each side of the
House. By them the selection was made with the entire concur-
rence of the rest of the Coinntittee. Nothing could be fairer than
this mode of selection. All that related to the operation of the
Insurrection Act was laid before the House, to enable them to
font' an opinion as to the propriety of renewing that measure. lint
nothing could be so injurious to the welfare ed Ireland, as that sort
of partial and garbled report which the Committee must make, if
they were now compelled to lay before the House all the evidence
they had collected, without accompanying it with those remarks
and amsiderations which had suggested themselves to the Com.
mltee in the discharge of their duty. In the report respecting the
renewal of the Insurrection Act, the Committee had distinctly stated,
that they were going into a wider range of inquiry, which they had
no expectation of being able to finish this Session, but they looked
forward to be reappointed nest year. If this Session were pro-
longed two or three months further, the Committee would not be in
a condition to report; and considering the general, various, and
complicated subject., on which they were employed, he was appre-
hensive that a premature report would only tend greatly to sgitatel
the public mind in Ireland, while it could by no possibility mast
the English public in funning a correct judgment as to Irish affairs.
ll'hh respect to what had fallen from the Ilonnurable Member for
Wicklow (Mr. Grattan), he would state that nothing was so
foreign to the feelings of the Committee as to make their proceed-
ing" a secret or mystery. They wished the utmost latitude of ex-
amination to be given on all topics important to Ireland. A great
deal of valuable information had certainly been obtained. When-
ever the Committee were ready to make a final report, they would
lay before the House all the evidence that could be useful in form-
ing a true judgment on the state of Ireland.
Mr. J. SM (Tit observed that the Noble Lord had not satisfac-
torily explained why this Co 'ee had departed from the usual
course of making a short report before the prorogation. All pre-
vious effiwts fur inquiry into the state of Ireland had heretofore
proved aburtive, and he was apprehensive that this would also. If
the evidence had been printed, the House would have had an oppor-
tunity of considering it before they met again.

Sir J. NEW PORT begged most explicitly to state that it was
his impression that the evidence wits is have been printed at the close
of the Si:salon, accompanied, if necessary, by a short Report, pray-
ing for the renewal tit their powers next Session. Ills surprise was
never greater than when he found this course was not to be fol-
lowed. Infinitely more dissatisfaction would result front the sup.
pression of the evidence, than from its publication. Ireland would,
if the evidence were not printed, be left in ignorance to what point
the labour of the Committee had been directld. On the proroga-
tion the Committee would be at an end, and next Session it would
be a question whether it should he reappointed.
Mr. 61)1'1.1%CliN said that the selection made from the evi-
dence in the Report respecting the Insurrection Act, was a proof
that in the opinion of the Committee only such parts of the evidence
.were to be published, as were applicable to the subject on which
they had agreed to report. The object of the Committee was to draw
a true picture of the country. The premature publication of the
evidence would only furnish materials on which ill.n.tture and party
feeling might operate during the recess.
- -

Volt TRENCH then rme to ()Nee to the continuance of so im-
portant a. thacuaiion, with ao few members in the lionae. tie
thetrtbre moved that the Howie be counted.

Strangers were then tinkled to withlraw, and the 'louse was
coutitesi. when there being only Al MentLers present, the !lane
adjourned.

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Veitentay being a Holiday, oo I.lstaineas done to the Public Offices.

NAHA
Du C-1 Gottenburgh, 1 Ilumburgh, 1 Flanders, 1 French.

Letters were received yesterday by the Jamaica mail
from Santa Martha to the 12th May. The only piece of
contained in them is the arrival there from
Ilayti of Commissioners to the Colombian Government,
who, anteing otherohjects, were authorised by the Govern-
ment of Hayti to offer a loan of five millions of dollars to
the Government of Colombia.

L tiers from La Guayra to the 1.51 h May contain not
one word of the Intelligence said to have been received at
St. Thomas's on the 13th 'May, from that place, of llolivar
having been defeated in Pau.