The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-12 00:00:00

BILL.

On the motion for g. iing into committee on this Bill,
Mr. J. O'CONNELL rose to move the following reso-
lotion :—That it be an instruction to the committee to
introduce such provisions into the Bill as shall guard and
save intact the right of the subject to hold meetings, to
petition for the enactment, repeal, or alteration of Acts of
Parliament, or for redress of grievances, or other con-
stitutional object, without other or further restriction of
that right that existed under the operation of the Com-
mon and Statute Law of the land, previous to the
passing of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act of last
July. He said the House was yet unacquainted with
the real meaning and scope of the powers to be given
by this Bill ; and he said so, because there was a diffe-
rence of opinion among the authorities to which they
looked for an explanation. In the first place, it was
distinctly stated in the Queen's Speech that insurrection
still existed in Ireland, and he supposed that statement
was inserted for the purpose of affording some
pretext for the introduction of the Bill. The proposer
and seconder of the Address, which was an echo of the
Royal Speech, on the contrary, distinctly stated that no
such thing as disaffection existed in Ireland. The Lord-
Lieutenant, on the other hand, let out the real objects
of the Bill, and according to him it was for the purpose
of putting down political discussion and constitutional
agitation. That was the discrepancy which existed be-
tween the illustrious occupier of the throne and her
Ministers. The Hon. Member was interrupted by
Sir G. GREY, who announced that he had been to
the House of Lords, and that their Lorships had re-
quested a conference with the House of Commons ot
the subject of resolutions.

Several Members left the House for that purpose.
Sir G. GREY reporied on their return from the con-
ference that their Lordships had agreed to the resolu-
tions relating to the engrossment of Bills.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL resumed—lf any gentleman
would turn over the Bill he would see that the Bill con-
veyed no information. The Bill, after reciting
merely that it was a continuation of the Act
which would expire on the Ist of March, went on to
empower the Lord-Lieutenant to take into custody any
mau whom he should suspect of treason ; and, there.
fore, it became necessary that it should be
known whether o.t not the right to hold meet-
ings, and to petition was to remain intact or to be
struck down. It had been said that the Lord-Lieutenant
would not presume to take any man into custody without
good and sufficient reason. It had been said of another
Noble Lord that he would not hesitate to take the com-
mand of the Channel fleet on two minutes' notice, and he
(Mr. J. O'Connell) would not be at all surprised what the
Lord -Lieutenant's audacity would prompt him to do. If the
Lord-Lieutenant would give the Irish people the right
of public meeting, he (Mr. John O'Connell) would pro-
mise him that he should not have any cause of
complaint against the Irish people, provided he left
them that right untouched. The association had been
spoken of as treasonable by the Lord-Lieutenant. Was
not this the fact, that, under the absolute powers of the
Lord-Lieutenant, no one single member of that asso-
ciation,had been for one hour in custody.
ENGROSSMENT OF BILLS.

The House was again summoned to a further con-
ference on the subject of the amendments proposed by
the House of Commons to the resolutions on the en-
grossment of public Bills.
Sir G. GREY, on the return of the Members from
the Conference, reported that the House of Lords had
agreed to the Commons' amendments of the reso-
lutions.