The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-01 00:00:00

the createst imperial quest.,.. that - engage t.._
Parliament. While the Catholics were denied redress, they always
remained liable to be made the instrument of an artful leader. He
himself considered Government pledged to the Catholics. The

Union could never have been carried but with their COMent.
They supposed that there could be no longer the same difficulties
in their way, when they had to appeal to the Imperial Parliament.
The virtual pledge given by Mr. Pitt at that period was confirmed
on the occasion of the late Royal visit to Ireland ; when, though I
his Majesty had given no express pledge in words, yet from his
royal lips, and under the advice of hit Ministers, he had made an
unqualified declaration that the object of his visit was to unite all
classes of Irishmen. • He (Mr. Hutchinson) would appeal to the
Attorney-General, whether that visit had produced that effect? He
would ask the Right Honourable Gentleman whether he could go
I into the Royal presence, and tell his Majesty that all parties in
Inland were united ? While the Catholics were excluded front
I the pale of the Constitution, there could be no strength or Ma-
-1 bility in the empire.
I Colonel TRENCH said, that the people of Ireland looked to the
I Catholic Association with more confidence than to Parliament.
I(Hear, hear.) One resolution passed by that body was to circulate
information with a view to give every facility to collect tithes in
I kind. He could interpret the object of this resolution only to be,
to excite and prolong animosity between the clergy and people, by
preventing compositions. He sincerely wished the Catholic Clergy
had a settled provision assigned to them by Parliament, but he
could not therefore tolerate the designs of the Catholic Association.
Some injudicious and intemperate nien who belonged to that body
had shewn too early what were their ultimate objects. The aim of
this Catholic Parliament was to establish Catholic equality, and
on that subsequent Catholic supremacy • and indeed he was sorry
to say that he had heard it avowed in that House that the religious
establishment of a country ought to fiillow the opinions otthF ma-

jar/Woldt' inhabitants. " He regarded the Catholic Association as
the wane end mating ef every species of disorder and imitation in
Inlaid He conscientiously believed 'hat there were shenamongst
them who, for the secomplishment of their own ambitious views,
I wished to keep 'lreland disturbed, and as he felt this sentiment
deeply, he felt himself hosed to express it boldly.
Mr. HOLME SUMNER begged to offer his tribute of applause
Its the Hoe. Member who had brought forward this petition. lie
wished the Attorney-Oenersl for Ireland to express himself mare
frilly. Was it the dirty of the Attorney-General to wait till this
Association had paned the bounds of the law ? (('heen from the
Opposition Benches.) He could not help expressing his disappro-
bation *idle conduct of the Attorney-General, who, in his opinion,
had fallen short of the discharge of his official duty. (Hear,
bear, hear.)
. Mr. WARRE said, it had often been asserted in that House
I that the Catholic population. were indifferent to Catholic Emaneipa-
tion. He trusted whni the question next came under discussion,
the declarations of the Hon. Members opposite would be borne in
mind. He would say nothing of the Catholic Association. How-
ever, he did not wish his silence to be construed into an approval
of its proceedings s far from it ; he desired to see the Catholic
cause in the hands of other leaders. lie would be glad to act those
whose rank and fortune entitled them to the station assume it, and
drive away the persons who now improperly occupied it.
The petition wos then ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. BROWN lOW then rose to move that it be printed. The
Association of which the petition complained was an Association in
which every Protestant was abused, from the Heir Presumptive to
the Throne, downwards to the meanest man who professed the re-
formed religion. Vet his Majesty's Ministers had not said a word
whether in their opinion it was a legal or an illegal Association.
The Attorney-Genetal bad declared that he would not give an
opinion whether this Association was illegal, but he had stated
that if he (Mr. Brownlow) would furnish him with the necessary
information, he would use his powers against him, and the Asso-
ciation to which he belonged. Now, he (Mr. Browniow) as as ready
togire the Attorney-General and the House, and the country, all
the information he possessed respecting the Orange Associations.
(Cheers.) He was convinced that the more those associations were
known, the more their principles were understood, and their ser-
vices to Ireland laid before the country, the more would they be
removed from under the cloud of prejudice, which en every occasion
was thrown over them in that !louse. (Hear, hear, hear.) The
Attorney-General had been called upon for his opinion as to the
Catholic AlSKilltion. The Orange Associations at once, and with.
out being asked, he pronounced to be illegal ; but respecting the
Catholic Association, neither he nor Ministers would give an opi-
nion. lie (Mr. Brownlow) believed that such an Association would
not be allowed to exist for a moment in England. (Hear, hear.)
But though the Attorney-Goneral would give no opinion on the
subj.vt, he (Mr. Proemial believed that the Association might be
got at, and that it did fall within the enactments of the law. The
Attomey-fieneral had said he would use no left-handed justice.
Vet he had nnhesitatingly declared the Orange Associations to be
11190, while he would not utter a word against the Catholic As.
wxlcition• (Rear: hear.) Was not that left-handed justice ? It
'looted, in feet, riff- be Vet dit.posel to favour this Association,
which had certainly transgressed the spirit of the Constitution, though
it might cheat the letter of the law. Under these circumstances, he
(Mr. linsentlow) felt that he and every Protestant in Ireland had
great cause of complaint both against his 31ajesty's Ministers and
the Attorney .
.General for Ireland.
• Mr. PLUNKETT aid, that after the animadversions on his
conduct from the lion. Member (Mr. Bros. n'ow ) behind him, and
the lion. Member for Scary. he felt it necessary to throw himself
on the candour 11:141 fairness of the House, and on the discretion of
the lion. 3letubers themselves, whether it was right to press him
in the manner in which he bad been pressed, and considering the
situation he hilt as public prosecutor in Ireland. The sentence
with which the lion. Member for Armagh hail chiliad his address
to the House, 'Mewed that he was not quite sure whether the Ca..
tholie Association, however improperly or dangerously it might be
acting, was not cheating the letter of the law, though it might be
violating the spiritof the Constitution. Suppose that he (Mr.
I Plunkett) had arrived at the same conclusion, was he hound to get
up in his place and state, that in his opinion the Association did
not come within the letter of the law, but that whether it did or
not, he would do his best to prosecute it ? (Hear, bear, hear.) He
did not think the House would consider this a very wise course.
The lion. Member for Surrey was of opinion that the Catholic
Association required to be narrowly watched. He (Mr. Plunkett),
had no Ilesit:tlitel to pledge himself to the House, to what, indeed,
was already hit sworn duty, namely, that if he saw clearly tit.. state
of the law, and that in prudence he ought to proceed against the,
Association, lie would not shrink from the prosecution of his duty.
He looked upon it as highly calculated to endanger the public
peace, and what in his opinion was even of more value than the
public peace—the cause of the Catholics. He believed that the
folly and violence of that Association were more likely to produce
an indefinite postponement of that great ob)ett, than all the efforts
of those .Ito openly opposed it. Hut though he would gladly get
rid of them as dangerous auxiliaries, he was not compelled in his
place in that If nun, on the requisition of the Hon. Member far
Armagh, to say whether in his opinion the Association was illegal
or not but he should reserve to himself the full exercise of
his discretion.
Mr. Secretary CA-NNING said, that as his Majesty's
ten had been called upon so pointedly by the Hon. Member for
Armagh, though he (31r. C.) did not consider that as the pre-
cise count that should have been followed by the lion. Gentleman,
and though it was altogether unusual and unprecedented, he would
address a few observations 4; the House. The Hon. Member had
Raid, that he was pireluded, by not knowing the opinions of his
Majesty's Ministers, from making any other than the ordinary
motion, that the petition should be printed. Ile (Mr. C.) bad
come down to the House, expecting the Hon. Member to hare