The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-27 00:00:00

„,, dangerous frankness, more perilous boldness, than was
manifested on this question. No Monarch
laxly w” eyes
thet‘ten,,,i with such alarming resistance on behalf of the
wig as was now brewing against the Catholic—(C! eers).
Cat
l believe that soli thing but powerful inajori.
:w.awiae did not
of that House could preserve i e country from a convulsion the
t petrifying. To set the troubles of Ireland at rest, there must
oot
be a
„akority nut of treaty-seven, but large majorities of the House,
end sow was the time for such majorities. (Hear, hear.) During
• "nem the time for tbe Parliament and the country to inter-
nals to
tear hear.) Yet a little while and it would be tno tat teire, (t)..
anti . c—a
faun (delay, the opportunity will have passed away tor ever.
mbering, a little sleep, a little folding of the hands to
A lltile
(aetre House had done on this question for every Session of
:isment during the last twenty years), and we should find in.
of
despotism coming upon us like an armed man, and
the whom of saving England would then have departed from our
(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. B.) was no lover of discord. (A
.409' hi He repeated he was not a lover of discord ; they who
preferred to what they called discord and confusion,
1°134 igedufim" so,
the
solitude which arises from passive and unthinking obedience to
ueraitigited despotism. He respected all men's conscientious ad.
brew; to opinion, however that opinion might be opposed to his
..„ GA forbid that he should deny to others that conscientious
auhetttes en opinion which he demanded for himself. He hal said
` 0,11 of tee fionse, and would repeat it within,that want of candour,
e:,w,y, and felertheness, was the last charge that could be brought
go
•ut ts e opponents of liberal measures ; but lie had lived long
tough in the world to that those frank and honest antagonists
when naemoktened wee !he most perverse and obstinate. AR hope
of rdaiming them from cunt was fallacious; they could all say,
.• So help them God ;" it was impossible they could ever change.
Coder Mae circumstances it bscame those he had the honour of
addressing, to set their House in order betimes There was now a
tenfold necessity for the House of Commons to come forward, and
by decidedly declaring its opinions, Put an end for ever to the
question of Catholic Emancipation, and . avert an event which they
happen sooner or later, but which God forbad should ever happen.
If the present opportunity, should be neglects:l, the House and the
country have been warned of the consequences. arf this occasion be
permitted to pass away, although the measure might Toss, not by a
maiority of nineteen or a majority of twenty-seven, bat by the
unanimous vote of the whole House, and supported by tins =ani-
mus opinion of the whole country—nay, even though that et;untry
streamed with blood—yet the measure cannot be culled mein
operation without an irreparable breach with the Crown. In con.
dawn, he would recommend the House to strip the measure of
conciliation of this unpopular adjunct, which was only calculated
to distract public opinion, to strengthen the enemies of Emancipa-
tion, and weigh down its friends. Let Parliament give the Irish
people the substance of concession, without destroying the boon
by the disfranchisement of the peassetry,and by so doing the House
would pacify Ireland without invoking England in the least peril
cr ermulsion.
Sir J. NEWPORT would not just then trouble the House,
were it not that being in bad health, he a ished at as early as hour
as convenient to offer to the House the few remarks which from him
the occasion might require. Before he said any thing further on
the particular subject then under consideration, be must declare,
that with regard to the main question of which this was the adjunct,
there existed no man who was more attached to it—none who more
earnestly desired to see it carried ; and he therefore felt it his duty,
so long as he had a seat in that House, to express clearly and man.
fully his deliberate opinion. It was an opinion to which he could
give no adventitious weight—which he could not lay before the
House with force or with eloquence. It had nothing to recommend
it but its sincerity. The Bill benne them embraced a great public
object, not merely for Ireland, but for England. It wars a mea-
sure which he looked to as the only means of averting a convulsion,
from which otherwise it wan scarcely to be hoped that the country
could ever expect quie', or that tranquillity could be established OD
any firm basis. In the Committee on the state of Ireland, where
Members were to be formed of every shade of political opinion, and
where all present were free to put any question on any subject which
he might conceive likely to throw a light upon the circumstances of
the country ; yet, in the whole of the evidence, what do they find
but the unveried, unqualified declaration of every person examined
against the wretched system which the present Bill is intended to
remedy? His HOl2. and Learned Friend near him (Mr. Brougham)
vas quite mistaken in calling the measure a measure of disfran.
clisement. It disfranchises no one—it interferes with no existing
erivilege. It leaves every thing that now in exactly on its press •t
facing—it merely legislates for the future. The Hon. and Learned
Ginleman, the Member for Louth (Mr. Foster) admitted in his
ethence that the system required alteration • yet in his speech
wand to hold an opposite opinion. As to what had fallen from
his Hon. and Learned Friend near him (Mr. Brougham) he would
.ay, that if he wished to carry the great object which they all had
in view, he could not have taken a course better calculated to de-
feat his own wishes. He was, for his own evert, quite unable to
understand how his Hon. and Learned Friend could scruple to for.
ward the great measure by refusing his sid to the present Bill. He
thought, certainly, that it ought to stand alone, and in this he (Sir
J. Newport) fully agreed with him; but if it be impossible for
them to accomplish this substantive existence, let them do the next
best thing, namely, to take it even as they can get it ; and in their
accepting it, they should recollect that it trenches on no existing
nghta. It was a novel, and he thought a bad system on which
his HOD. and Leerncd Friend acted—that of rejecting an acknow.
i
merely because he could not obtain it standing alone,
ntitriliFeapt
dently of other measures. With regard to the com-
tliments which had been paid to himself personally, he begged
lave altogether to disdsim them.
Mr. PLCNKETT (being very generally called on) rose, saying
that he never addressed the House under stronger feelings of pain-
ful anxiety and distress than on the present occasion. He was glad
'het in consequence of his having given way, his Right Hon.
Friend, whose indisposition every one must regret, had an oppor.
utility of stating his sentiments to the House. He was rejoiced to
Were a confirmation of his own opinions from that just weight and
the high character of one of the best —one of the most tried and sin-
cere friends of the country ; and he felt it the more necessary when
he was called upon, is he then was, to answer the speech if his
lion. and Learned, and he might add, eingularly.gifted opponent.
lie would begin by stating, honestly and sincerely, the grounds on
which he had shortly before called his Hon. and Learned Friend
INT. Brougham) to order ; and he thought the best justification
would be found in what had fallen from the Chair on the subject, in
which, with the utmost delicacy, his lion. and Learned Freind had
placed before his view the tendency and effect of the course which
he then was obviously about to pursue. It bad been placed before
les riot, with all possible delicacy, but with sallicient distinctness to
unction the opinion which he (Mr. Plunkett) had previously given,
and by which, from the decision of the Chair, the disorderly course
tithe lion. and Learned Member had been fully established. If
he awe without this justification, he would appeal to Hon. Gen-
tlemen who beard him, whether his Hon. and learned Friend did
rot most dearly and evidently appear to be on the point—nay, had
usually entered upon, that lime which the rules of order prohibited ;
it, therefore, was nut justified in saying that lie (Mr. Plunkett)
Ind risen Inies rimer, when the fact was, that he had risen, not on
grounds of anticipation, but in consequence of what had actually
occurred, from the very rature of which he had reason to fear the
mischief that as matter of course was to be expected. He did not
effect to be blind to what was passing before him in the world. lie '
van aware that what occurred in another place was frequently
alluded to there, but from the distinct and unequivocal terms in
shah his lion. and Learned Friend had spoken, it was impossible
for one moment to entertain the slightest doubt as to the meaning
of the language he used, the indecorum of using it, and the evident
Loch of order which it actually constituted. Haying nothing
note to say then on the point of order, he would proceed to consi.
do the view which his Hon. and Learned Friend took of the sub-
ject. He (Mr. Plunkett) entirely sympathised with him in feeling
not only the necessity of the measure, but also the necessity of its
being carried without the delay of an hour. If ever there was a
time at which it was peculiarly incumbent on them to make an
effort, and an united effort, for the accomplid.ment of the great
measure, that tine was the present ; and in this hr was happy to
think that his Hon. and Learned Friend agreed with him, that a
large majority was necessary s—nay, he (Mr. Brougham) thought
almost unanimity itself was indispensable, or at least something
approaching to unanimity—he said that this was the time to make
a vigorous and combined effort; and he (Mr. P)unkett) called up.
ea all who heard his Hon. and Learned Frirend, to say whether the
whole of his speech was not calculated to prevent that very unani.
wny of which he himself seemed so earnestly desirous The Hon.
sed Learned Member for Louth (Mr. Foster) had given evidence
upon his oath before the Lords' Committee, which was directly
I,PPoicd to the tendency of his argument that night in the
House. In saying that he had given evidence on his oath, be
did not mean to say that that Hon. and Learned Member
could have the regard to truth which his sense of honour and in.
tegrity would impart, enhanced in any degree by the religious Bo-
hm:my of an oath ; but this he would say, without imputing the
slightest insincerity to that Hon. and Learned Gentleman, that
Feuer inconsistency never existed than between his evidence and
ills arguments, for his speech that night went completely in the
teeth of all that he had elated before the Committee of the Upper
Hot e—that the existing state of things produced a system—an
I even :1 system, of perjury, and an unceasing conflict between the
t asid the priest. That Hon. Member objects to the pre-
`, :lid, because It does not affect the tenant in fee. If it did, it
would have the effect of real disfranchisement—of disfran.
thaing the whole yeomanry of England—a result which, of course,
sue would be found to advocate. It should never be lost sight of,
that here they were dealing, not with tenants in fee, but with lease-
ht?l',ker. The Hon. and Learned Member (Mr. Foster) had coin-
Pater! that many persons had taken possession of waste lands, and
in length of possession, or other means. had come to be seised in
lee of them, and then he demanded that these should be disfran.
He was shocked that travelling tinkers and others of such
a Cass should have possessed themselves of lands in Louth, and
ilet.rout enjoy a vote, but that could never in his (Mr. P.'s) opi.
Lion torn) a sufficient ground for disfranchising the whole yeo-
l'uly ef England; yet he (Mr. F.) thinks himself justified in
w.,H.clding his vote, unless the travelling tinkers were disfran-
ed•—iLarighter.)—lle could not but regret that the great ta.
C7s and eloi,uenee of his Honourable and Learned Friend (Mr.
"Ln'-',:ian,) had not been better employed than in opposing the
‘,7y measure of which he professed himself, no doubt sincerely,
4 must strenuous anti warm advocate. He lamented that those vast
Pest of exposure, that those amazing talents for ridicule, had
Letn exerted rather against what he really was adverse to, than
f:c in the same breath so warmly, and he might say so int-
' mulled. He (Mr. P.) had a right to complain of the hos-
-•*), which, in his friendly support of the great measure, he be-
"'l• in the unequalled rapidity of his mental operations, and
is..-metlinary facility which he enjoyed of giving them expres-
•4 might be found the cause of a weakness which often led t.'sat
plished in the fervour of argument hurried sway by
strong current dins thought, to say much that in his cooler mo.