The Sun.
London, England, 1836-04-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 26, i&36

a very striking proof that the lades of vindicating the law,
aisi upholding the just claims of property, about which so much
se'sitastible, vay easy in point of execution, when we find the
asss 'So Often trt.'y glibly said, i 4 riot) however, abstractedly in-
Ilon. and Learned Member for Tipperary, with all his talents
polmlar causes feele that all these V. old weigh very
and influence: and after certainly no very backward support of
lisshtly In tte eat:4o46on .ot attedsed teonstiteents, iii oppo-
sition to the datnnin,s,',
evidence of the ctisenarge of a legar
ILI granting for a moment that success so far at-
tae present course of proceeding, as the clergy, would
receive their dues under the law as it at, pk'esVeat
would ask, would Hon. Gertleenellsonici the Itittste be re.-
conciled to the tAinary, habitual, , and . fl'6ll.2yetifi*eni'mit
of thotc! 'Means an pkoceSSei, 4 ivhi-ait antib s eh `r11,34,
all appearance, that OMeet cln Ve's 'Atari-lest 7 1 pais over all
the variety ilia .‘.hter of applications which, during, the
whole ffeent series of Irish administration'
s; hate been
Continually poured in on the executive boVehliiient for the
assistance of the soldiery et police in the collection of Tithes ;
because witheet the blame ensere that may be tisiinght On
the one side Or the other to attach to the conduct of anv, ()o-
vernment in individual ios'sartes, they must at present, and until
some palpablt eit'aation in the law is effected, constitute the
general character of the executive policy under all adriiinistra-
tions there, and all ministries here: But 1 14111 iceairici the ileiise
of the very latest reatare which has merke(l. the present mode
of it' applitatiee its irelanst the last despatches from that
mmtpaign—as the. tale: Lion of the revenues of the eleirch
mq, alas I without a metaphor be now termed—the enforcement
of writs of rebellion, and particularly by night, under circum-
stances of considerable outrage, had led to so much excite-
ment in some places, particularly in the county of Kildare, as
to induce the Lord Lieutenant, after the decisionin the Exche•
quer Court, to order the aid of the police to he given to the
Commissioners of rebellion when required. He (the Lord
Lieutenant) found himself compelled to issue an order that
they should not extend their enforcemcnts by night.—
But it seems that notwithstanding the disposition of the
Executive to afford every protection to those appointed to
administer the law as interpreted by the Judges in Ire-
land, the police force, in almost every instance,
has been found to be totally inadequate to the perfor-
mance of such a duty. The Noble Lord then proceeded to
read a letter received from a chief constable of police,
asking the advice of the Government as to his manner of
proceeding in a case where the party under his command were
attending a coroner's inquest at the time be was called
upon to aid the Commissioners appointed to execute a writ
of rebellion—and also expressing a hope that, without the
aid of a very considerable force, there would be imminent
danger of the shedding of blood. He also introduced to the
notice of the House a communication recently received
from a gentleman, whose name he would mention—Mr.
Browrigg--and he quoted from his letter the more willingly, as
he was generally supposed to belong to the class of persons
who did not ingratiate themselves with the Irish people—
( Hear, hear)—wo were favourable to his Majesty's present
Administration. Speaking of a man named Daniel Flynn and
others, Commissioners of rebellion, who called for assistance in
the execution of the writ, he felt it his duty to state there were
not four persons more disorderly,drunken,and unfit for the duty in
the entire country; they were the worst description of common
bailiffs.—( Hear.) I submit, then, that looking to the present
state of the country, to the interpretation put upon the law,
to the feelings and disposition of the entire community, there
can be no means of insuring the peace and prosperity of Ire-
land till this question is satisfactorily adjusted—till we arrive at
some settlement more consonant with the feelings of the people.
The whole question demands that we should immediately
carry some settlement into effect—it is alike demanded by the '
state of society—by the claims of the proprietors and by
the feelings of the peasantry, who abhor, and have
suffered hardships under the state of things as they now
exist. I could refer, the House to other communications
from different parts of Ireland, all tending to show that
upon the abolition of the present system depends the peace of
Ireland ; and until that is effected the happiness and prosperity
of that country must be indefinitely hazarded and postponed.
Having now stated the reasons which have placed upon the Go-
vernment the duty of bringing in a measure, I will proceed to
state what the general principles of that measure are ; and
here I will say, that having already, in the course of the last
year, fully stated the details of the measure then proposed, I feel
it will be unnecessary for me to trespass now at any consi-
derable length upon the attention of the House ; and I shall,
therefore, content myself by stating where the present Bill agrees
with the former, and where it differs, for I am sure the general
principles are in the recollection of most people ; so that
I may merely notice where we depart from them,
and where they are still preserved.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
Where those provisions have been altered, or fresh matter has
been substituted in their stead, I will endeavour to offer an
adequate, though, I trust it will not require a very lengthened
explanation. The Bill, then, which I now ask the leave of the
House to introduce follows the precedent of three previous Bills,
and I believe four successive Administrations, in converting the
Tithe composition into a rent charge payable by the owners of
the first estate of inheritance. The Bill preserves those terms
of commutation, which in the Bill of last year were adopted by
both Houses of Parliament, and therefore I think it ought not
to be altered without sufficient cause, by conferring a deduc-
tion of 30 per cent. upon those subject to the payment of the
tithe composition. I have said I think it is not expedient,
without sufficient cause, to alter the terms of the commutation
proposed by the Bill of last year, but there are some circum-
stances which have since taken place—the rejection of another
Bill, the lapse of another year, and a variety of proceedings that
have been instituted in the Law Courts of Ireland, whether
under the sanction of the Lay Association or otherwise—
which induce me to think that I could not either be-
comingly or successfully invite the House to apply any
remaining portion of the national funds in the payment of
the arrears of past years.—( Cheers.) The attempt would in-
volve us in numberless complications. Ido not either propose
to impose any further burthens on the perpetuity fund of this
country. I am sure I for one deeply lament departing from do-
ing full justice or renderinc, complete relief to any body of men
illegally deprived of their dues, or undeservingly sustaining pri-
vations ; but this is an act accumulating evil, which every fresh
postponement of the measure inevitably carries along with it,
and proportionably must extend and aggravate. At the same
time I shall abstain from requiring repayment of the sums
already advanced under the late Act, amounting to 637,0001. ;
ands although there are some persons from whom the
demand might properly be made, yet I am perfectly convinced
the attempt to recover it would not repay the expense of
pen, ink, and paper, which would be employed in the de-
mand.—( Hear, hear.) But, Sir, my opinion is, it would
increase the renewal of demands upon the occupying te-
nantry, whom all along it has been our first and foremost
object to relieve. Now upon this, which has always been an
undisputed portion of the Bill, some doubt has been expressed
as to the quarter where the collection of the rent
charges to be substituted for the tithe compositions, ought
to be lodged. In the Bill of last year we proposed to in-
trust the collection to his Majesty's Commissioners of Woods
and Forests, with the intention of rendering the collec-
tion as available as it was possible to the clergy, which
we considered only a just equivalent for the large permanent
deduction of their income. This proposition was objected to on
the one side, upon the ground that it had the tendency to put
the charge in the condition of a salary and stipend on the
State ; and it might have been felt, on the other hand,
that it was pledging the income of the clergy to out-
goings, which it might be thought proper at all
times to guarantee as much as possible. Without, then,
seeking to decide at present what weight ought to be
attached to these respective representations, with a view to a
permanent arrangement, we have thought the exigency of now
realizing the proper rent in the manner most likely to be effec-
tual, and least productive of collision between the clergy and
the laity, far over-balances any theoretical objections on the
other side—( Hear, hear)—and we therefore propose to
entrust the collection of the rent charges to the Board of
Woods and Forests for a period of seven years ; and without
venturing to anticipate what the then state of affairs
might be, I propose that it should continue for as long after-
wards, till Parliament shall otherwise direct. We hope by
this provision to adopt the best method for meeting the
disordered and complicated state of affairs with which we have
always to deal, while we avoid the appearance of laying
down any permanent rule of interference of a better, for
the free judgment of those who, we hope, will have to exer-
cise it under circumstances of diminished difficulty and sub-
dued excitement. We renew the provisions for allowing a
re-valuation of the present tithe composition in the cases, and
under the limitations specified in the Bill of last year, be-
cause we believe that those limitations only admit of slight
grievances, while they clearly shut the doors against all false and
frivolous pretences. More valid objections to the re-valuation
might be made, but as another year has brought us more near to
the time when the valuation may be made upon the averages,
we provide that as to the rent charges the corn averages
shall govern tithe composition. This, Sir, seems to me
all that is necessary for me to state with respect to that part
of the Bill which relates to immediate arrangements, and
affects present incumbents. I am now, therefore, arrived at
that part of the subject which is still smoking with the heat of
former conflicts; and 'I assure you, Sir, that I do not approach
this part of the subject with any feelings of pride or boast. I
do not come with the hope of renewing or provoking any new
and fierce conflict. lam sure that I need not pause to answer
some charges which have been made against us, for the answer
we gave to the question of the Right Hon. Bait. ( Sir R. Peel)
the other evening,—l am sure the Right Hon. Bart., and
any one else who was in the House, will acquit my Noble
Friend ( Lord J. Russell) of any wish to deceive him in the House,
and we understood the question to go no further than whether
there would be anything in the resolution which would divide the
House.—( Hear, hear, from Sir R. Peel.) Sir, I witt.now,
without disguise or circumlocution, state what the intentions
lasted
swtahn
of his Majesty's Government are. In fact they feel that they
cannot abandon the declarations and principles with which they
undertook the Government.—( Immense cheering.) They
feel that they cannot abandon or give up in any degree
the principle of appropriation.—(Long-continued chegeerinnige:
They feel, Sir, that they cannot shake off the
andengagements—
s(eCvhereaelrsmin
House.)be,if
in
ttehni os r p
o ofr ti
on that
of
thee engagement
revenues
of the Irish Church, or any portion, should in their view seem to
minutes)—under
te s
)_laughterunder
whichf ro
theythe
conceive
Opposition, which
of doing
justice to the Irish people._( Cheering from the Ministerial
they
theysid e
side
of
conceive c the i
e to
be superfluous, for the legitimate and becoming uses of the
members of the community, it should, after the satisfaction of all
thetAhendfutu future
existing interests, be applied to the religious and moral education
of the entire Irish people.—( Great cheering.) In pursuance
of and in conformity with this principle, they do not refuse,
nay, they are anxious, to obviate any just or admissible
objections which may have been brought forward upon the
last discussion of their measure against the mode of carrying
the object into effect. —( Hear, hear.) They hat e every incli-
nation to protect and adjust the details, and they will
nky deference to any suggestions from any quarter, provided