The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-21 00:00:00

IRISH ALIENS.

Lord CLONCURRY said that he had a petition to pre-
sent from a large parish in the county Westmeath, in
Ireland, and as it alluded to a Noble Lord who was now
'in his place, he considered it to be his duty to read it. The
, petition was very respectfully worded, but it alluded with
considerable feeling—with hurt feelings—to a speech made
by that Noble Lord in that House.—( Hear.) The petition
was from the householders and landholders of the parish of
Ballymore, in the county of Westmeath, and prayed
that their Lordships would take the Municipal Corporations
of Ireland into their consideration, with a view to a reforn,
of them as extensively and as fully as had been extended
to those in England and Scotland. The petitioners ex-
pressed their regret that a majority of their Lordships'
House had thought fit to refuse their assent to the measure
to this effect, which hail been sent to them fi-om the House
of Commons, thereby inferring that the Irish people were not
capable of managing their own affairs.—( Cries of " Hear.?)
In respect to the enormous abuses which existed 1,1
these Corporations, and the injury which resulted from them,
arising from the want of a e. holesome popular control, they
had been so frequently detailed, that the petitioners did not
think it necessary to state them ; hut they could not avoid r:c-
ferring to certain expressions which had been used by an:n-
fluential Member of their Lordships' house, in which lie eatied
the Irish people aliens in blood—
Lord L YNDII UR ST ruse to order. He considered that
no petitioners could allude to any expressions which had been
used in their Lordships' House.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE stated it was his opi-
nion that the petition ought to be received. The terms of the
petition did not state that the exprcssidts used were used in
that House ; it did refer to expressions which might, or might
not, have been used there. The terms of the petition were—
" the petitioners cannot avoid referring to expressions which
had been used by an influential Member of your Lordships'
House." Non he did not mean to say that they did
not refer to expressions used in that House, for he thought
they did ; but it was only from inference that this opinion could
be formed, and he thought it would be wide indeed if they
were not to receive petitions in which allusion was made to ex-
pressions which had been used by a Member of that House,
but which did not state that they were used in the House—this
would be taking a wide range indeed. It was for their Lord-
ships' consideration, however, whether they would receive it
or net; he, however, thought the petition should be received.
Lord CLONCURRY said that as the petition had been
confided to him, he would feel grateful to their Lordships if
they would decide if it were to be received, for he had a number
of petitions to present, in which the same unfortunate expres-
sion was alluded to.—( Hear.) He was not, however, suffi-
ciently acquainted with the forms of their Lordships' House
to give an opinion ; but he could only say in respect
to the expressions, that wherever they had been used
they had created a strong impression on the minds of the peo-
ple of Ireland, and it was their opinion that the person using
it must be an alien to the feelings which should result from
the Christion religion, who could offend so many millions of
people. (Hear, hear.) Whether the petitioners were aliens
in blood, in language, and feeling, from the person who had
used the expressions, he ( Lor4 Cloncurry) could not judge;
nor could he judge whether or not the person who
used them belonged to the country or not ; but lie wished
respectfully to say, that he coincided in the opinion of
his countrymen, that they should have the relief they sought,
end that justice should be done to them, and he therefore
left the petition to the mercy and good will of their Lordships,
as to whether he could bring it forward or not.—( Hear, hear.)
Lord HOLLAND said, that although the petitioners did
not directly assert that the words to which they referred had
been used in that House, yet if it was their Lordships' opinion
that it was meant to imply that such expressions had been used
there, he thought that the petition could hardly be received.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said, that it often oc-
curred that petitioners were obliged to allude directly to what
had been said in that House, and yet their petitions could not
in some cases be objected to. For instance, when judicial de-
cisions were alluded to in the petitions—
Lord LYNDHURST—Aye, in judicial cases.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE certainly spoke of ju-
dicial cases; but he thought their Lordships would find it very
difficult to draw a line of distinction, and to say in what cases
petitioners should be absolutely precluded from attending,
even by inference to expressions used, or supposed to hare
been used in that House.

Lord L YNDHURST had only offered a suggestion to
the Noble Lord who presented the petition, that if the peti-
tion referred to any thing that had been said in that House,
the Noble Lord would see the propriety of withdrawing it.
Lord CLONCURRY was certainly not disposed to with-
draw the numerous petitions which be had to present, all
complaining of the language which was quoted in that one
which he had now offered to present, unless the House refused
to receive them. In presenting those petitions, he was the re-
presentative of a large body of his fellow-countrymen, with
whom he sensibly participated in the indignation which they
expressed at the terms in which they had been designated.
Lord MELBOURNE suggested that the petition should
be read, in order that the House might judge whether it could
be received.

The petition was accordingly read. Having complained
that " an influential Member of their Lordships' House had
.designated the people of Ireland as aliens in language, aliens
in religion, and aliens in blood," the petitioners asserted that
they spoke the same language as was spoken by their British
fellow-subjects, that they believed in the same Christian faith,
and that they had shed their blood in the same battles, and
had equally contributed to the glory of the British arms. It
concluded by calling on the Honse to pass the Bill for reform-
ing the Municipal Corporations of Ireland, which they last
session rejected, and to confer on the people of Ireland the
same popular control over local taxation and expenditure as
was possessed by the people of England and Scotland.
Lord MELBOURNE thought it could not be douLted that
the petitioners referred to words which had been used in their
Lordships' House in the course of debate. For his part be
felt that it was really to be regretted that language should be
used in debate which was calculated to give rise to so much
ill-feeling amongst a large portion of the people. But under
the circumstances, be would recommend his Noble Friend to
withdraw the petition.
Lord CLONCURRY accordingly withdrew the petition,
after a few observations, which were wholly inaudible in the
Gallery.