The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-16 00:00:00

E 1.%
I\ INC EDITION. -L T

the exercise of h that presogs.tiva. is to be guided. I believe
ttat it is utterly irnin;ssilee to (31itaii, in a Select Commit-
ee su 'I, a Isho a lc:iffe of the eircurnstancea o each case as
noulslenahla that Committee to determine whether the pre-
riieseatis e had been exercised in a proper or improper manner.
I, volt pave of mercy was one of those prerogatives
concerning n 'deb those who had to exercise it had always
decided un the subject, without question or discussion, on
their own responsibility. When the Right Hon. Gentle-
m toan opposite in the year 18‘)7 was questioned with respect
the manner in which the prerogative of mercy had been
exercised by his Government, he very properly refused to
give any explanation, contenting himself with stating that it
bad been exercised on his own responsibility. I know myself
that very shortly after I was appointed to the office which
I have at preser.t the honour of holding, when the Hon.
1 _Gentleman the Member for Finsbury moved in this House
for an address to the Crown, praying for a remission of
the sentence on the Dorchester labourers, I declared in
this House that although I did not deny the competency of
the House to interfere, yet if the House chose so to in.
terfere I could no longer consent to hold the seals
ofG office, and I was supported by the Right Honourable
rentlernan opposite in his opposition to any inter-
ererfce with the prerogative. 1 therefore do say, Sir,
that for the sake of this prerogative, which is one of the
meeto important and sacred belonging to the Crown, and in
exercise of which the greatest delicacy and circum-
spection is requisite, I see, with considerable alarm, the
appointment of a Committee for the purpose of invest,gat-
lIY the manner in which that prerogative has been exer-
cised, and which is entitled to interfere in all these cases ;
and as long as that Committee lasts, it must eventually
determine the circumstances relative to a particular exer-
cise of this prerogative by the Government.—( Loud cheers,
which drowned the concluchig words of the sentence.) This
is one great argument which makes it necessary that this
House should come to some opinion on the subject, because
if__ no opinion is expressed by this House, and the other
House determines on these cases, the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland will not be able to come to a decision with regard
to any cases which may come before him, for the exer-
cise of the prerogative of mercy. I shall be told
ton may decide according to the peculiar circumstances
which may be laid before you, but we care not for your
decision, we have another tribunal. We have a Com-
mittee which has been moved for by Lord Roden, in
which we have a majority of 2 for one—we have a Jury
to try this c:-se again—( Loud cheers)—in which we have
a majority in a pisiportion of somewhere about 13 to 5.
Something of this sort would be said to the Lord Lieute-
nant, and the prerogative of the Crown would be con-
sequently transferred to the House of Lords —( Hear. )
State what you wilt with regard to Lord Normanby—say
he has exercised this prerogative improperly—pass a vote
of censure on the Government which trusted him ; but do
not, if
prrerog you value the prerogatives of the Crown, suffer
this--one of the most sacred and important of those
atives—to be submitted to the party decision
(Hma Committee of one House of Parliament.—
ear, hear, and loud cheers.) Another ground on
which the Government has been censured is their conduct
With respect to Societies and Associations. One of those
Societies—l mean the Orange Society—was, on a former
occasion, the subject of discussion in this House, which bad
decided that it would be for the general interest that that
Society should be dissolved; and shortly after I had the
honour of being appointed to the office I now hold, I wrote
a letter which was honoured by the approval of his late
Majesty, to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, directing him
not to appoint any person to any place, office, or authority
under the Crown, who had belonged to this Society, un-
less he declared that he had resigned all connexion with it,
and had determined no longer to consider himself a mem-
ber of such Society. In consequence of the decision of
this House the Orange Society determined to dissolve itself,
and 1 rejoice in this decision, because I believe that the state
and condition of Ireland has been greatly improved by it, for
in 1834, shortly before Lo d Normanby assumed the
Government of Ireland O.ango ribbons and Insignia had
been assumed, and openly worn by several magistrates
in that country, thus giving a great degr. e of countenance
to that Society, and this had been permitted by the Go-
vernment of Lord Haddington. After the inquiry with
regard to Orange Societies, an Hon. Gentleman in this
House stated his intention of bringing forward a motion
with regard to Ribbon Societies. If he had made that
motion he should have had my support, because if any rea-
son exists for imagining that those Societies prevail to any
considerable extent, although the members composing them
maybe of a different class to the members of Orange Societies,
I consider that it would form a proper subject for in-
quiry, and sincerely desire that an end should be put to
every secret Society. There are other Societies not of a
secret nature I mean political associations, in the con-
duct and formation of which the Hon. and Learned
Member for Dublin has always been particularly active.
I have often expressed my reasons why I disapprove of
Societies of this nature, But after concessions have been
made, which concessions have been previously refused,
is it not to be feared that an opinion will gain ground
that no change in the laws, however proper, will be en-
tertained until by their assembled numbers the people
have extorted such concession? I also do consider that
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman has received great
provocation for his conduct. I consider a speech, to
which I will not more particularly allude, which was
made in the other House of Parliament, was a provo-
cation that was difficult to withstand. Under
such circumstance', Sir, I really do feel that I
would have acted much in the same way as an Hon. and
Learned Friend near me did—insulted, as I would have
felt myself to have been, I would have been most likely to
have joined the Association. —( Cheers.) But Sir, the
Government at home, as well as the Government of
Ireland, have always discountenanced such Associa-
tions._( Hear, hear.) Even during the last year
the Hon. and Learned Member fur Dublin gave up an
Association because it was the opinion of the Government
that it should not exist. Even during the last year, when
he was about to form another Aasocirtion which even now
exists, he was informed of the unfavourable opinion which
both the Government and Lord Lieutenant held of such As-
sociations. Such Associations must always weaken aGovern-
Ment--they must necessarily' take something from the force
of the law, and therefore I do hope most certainly that we
shall
their existence was one of the evils with which the Go-
see gradually a discontinuance of such bodies ; but
vernment of Lord Normanby had to contend, owing to the
impolicy of former Governments.—( Cheers.) They were
t! necessary result of what was told to the people—you in-
ohmted them that to Associations you would yield, but
ther petitions you would never concede. It is no reproach,
efore, to the Government of the Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland owing to say that Associations existed in his time. It
leg to his Government that the Associations had
not taken that dangerous character which they had in for-
mer times.—( Cheers.) Sir there is another matter with re-
gard tolthe distribution of patronage by the Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland. There certainly has Caen a great difference be-
tween
wsisiitrchonduct in that respect arid of former Governments.
think . upon that subject lam ready to say that I
my Noble Friend near me ( Lord Morpeth),
who stated last year that the favours and patronage of
Government should be given rather to the friends and sup.
porters of the Governn.ent than to its decided and invete-
rate enemies.— ( Loud cheers.) I know no wisdom in any
other course—a great change has certainly taken
place. Now we have the support of a great
majority of the people of Ireland. ' I am not
ashamed of that fact—l am proud to proclaim it. You
have seen to-night the feeling which exists in favour of our
Policy, by the number of petitions which have been laid
upon your table. For the first time you have seen peti-
tions, numerous petitions, laid on the table, praying the
House that they would not assist in the removal of that Go-
vernment which they looked upon with favor and confidence.
Sir, I have been a party connected with that Government,
which has so conducted affaira, and I have no hesitation
in saying openly, that if that Government is continued, it
will be continued upon the same principles which formerly
guided it. I know not if you conduct the Government of
England according to the opinions of the majority of the
people—if the government of Scotland is to be conducted
according to the opinion of the majority of Scotland-_I
know not Sir,why Ireland should be governed according to
the opinions of a small minority. On the contrary, my opinion
is that you can have nothing firm, nothing stable, you can
have no permanent improvement, unless you carry with
you the good will and confidence of the people cf Ireland.
I appeal therefore to the testimony of those who know
Ireland best—l appeal to those who represent her in-
terests in this House, whether the state of Ireland
has not improved in consequence of the Government
having the good will and favour of the people.—( Hear. )
Sir, we have passed laws affecting the condition of the
p'oor of that country. We have passed a law by which in
futcre I trust such evils will be prevented as have of late
Years tended to distract that country; but this must be ne-
w op
cessaril a slo era.tion—an operation which can
y
me. I stat h
Only take place with
scarcely worth whilehave tea read.ement Its
sera
a
that it is the Duke of Wellington as to
statement made by
o
the state of the
amounts to this: that in many
counties of Ireland there
I believe the stateme%rtty-shi
were hundreds and thousands of
freeholders who were called out and driven up like cattle,
in this respect—you abolished
according to the opinions of their landlords. In 1829
t You made a great change ,
\
the forty_shilling freeholders
I am not now speaking of the
arrangement, but one of the natural wisdom of that
and fixed... the franchise at 101.
political
consequences, that
the landlords who had, eg rights of their
tenants, and:of the Constitution, drivenca_
benefit was taken
them up to the
Poll, when they found that the
political o
epotl i'e
•I
from them, regardless of their miseries and of their wants,
had them driven from their huts—
they exercised the
That is one of the
rights of landlords as mere landlords.
1129. We
additional difficulties which Ilea existed since
.rive seen the rights of property exercised with
the chance
the utmost rigour ; but now the poor manfigs
Of ha:'ing his cave investigated by the BoardofsGuardiau',
s
a priviloge to which formerly he bad
no anhnave it on the
Those
thivings took place in former times, You
evidence of a land surveyor of much etuinenCe,
u
that hun-
dreds, naydriven
from of these poor people perished from
starvation within a few mouths after they had been
.
their homes. You have lately seen a scene of he
same kind, not in 1775 but iu 1839. 'ln April, 1839.
have seen an ejectment go on. backed by the yon
Military
I-4- oust',
force, by infantry, by cavalry, and In armed police, atilt at
not the slightest resistance was off, red, —( Hear,
Can any Government existing in Ireland fail to
seal with outrages which. no. doubt. were the producehave ofto
hear. )
such scenes ? 'Tie future existence of the poor people is
left wholly unprovisted for—they have no borne and no
food. Tell me not, then, that now in 1839, and looking
hss. tek to 1835, that in the interval we have had time to re-
tee dy an evil so deeply rooted. You could not expect that
outs..
gee would not be committed, arising from causes
which have long prevailed, and which are still in exis-
t fence. I say then, Sir, that with all those evils so deeply
rooted, y,_ll cannot but expect that the cure must be the
feet cure, exm
work of tin'—you cannot expect it to work a per-
'` pt in the course of a long period.
A Government i 'say show they are determined to give
artes.
They may show that they are deter
justice to all i
which will tend to diminish poverty
mined to PromP ote laws
and sni, iy show that they will confide in the
. ry ; toe may .
} will plat. their reliance in the affections
people, that they '
Of the people, and they may expect that in time confidence •
i