The Sun.
London, England, 1825-02-23 00:00:00

fliE LONDON JOU

DAILY
kstructs from the Morning Paper's, Feb. 23, 159.5.

[MORNING rosT.]
'There are, one or two recent facts, which, we
think, are calculated to enforce the neceshe first
we -shall- motice is, that Dr Curtis, the Titular
l'rimate of Ireland, since his 'Alajesty's Govern-
Nment have announced their intention of utting
ito.w.n that Body, has addressd a letter top t, ap-
proving of all its proceedings, and the objects
fbr which it has assetnbletl. Now, the drift, of
such a letter from such a person, at the present
goment, cannot be misunderstood. Ds
authority, in a Church so well disciplined as the
Romish, .4 iii of course be considered a mandate to
all the Popish Prelates, Priests, &c. in Ireland to
stand fast by the _Association, at the very time it
it denounced by the Ministers and Legislature of
country. Dr. Curtis moreover is ex-offiCio
cobstaut communication with the See of Rome,
andAhe See of Rome with the Cabinets of Mad-
rid airs of Paris. This Irish Primate has, in
short, a species of double allegiance to discharge
—one to the Pope, and another to the King of
Great Britain ; and may we not ask, whether it
;s probable, if his Holiness had recommended the
suppres•ion of any Association in his dominions,
that Dr. Curtis, as soon as he heard of such a:mea-
sure beillg contemplated, would have applauded
the existence of that Association, and, contrary to
lawful authority,have encouraged its continuance?
We imagine the head of the Church and the head
of the State, are thought by this Prelate to be en-
titled to two very different sorts of obedience.
Another fact of some importance as regards our
present view of the subject, is the vaunted tu a-
uimity of all ranks of the Irish Cics in
favour of the Association. Nothing of the kind.
certainly ever occured before, and it is besides
indisputable that many of the highest and most
influential of that religious denomination who at
all former times avoided .the contamination of
mobs and demagogues, have now joined in one
common assault upon the Constitution. We
pretend not to be able to solve these ano-
malies satisfactorily ; but we may be per-
mitted to administer one or two general
interrogatorks on the subject. Is the Ca-
tholic Association a purely Irish Institution in
origin and aim ? or has it sprung from the sug-
gestiou, been fostered by the secret approval,
and stimulated to proceed to alarming extremes,
by Foreign Powers, the enemies of England and
of Protestantism ? We have always believed that
this Body " meant more than met the ear ;" but
whether the above afford a clue to a just inter-
pretation of its conduct, we shall not positively
decide.

[THE PUBLIC LEDGER.]
The report of a Ministerial Congress gains
ground ; and as Paris is designated as the place
of its sittings, we should suppose that the' af-
fairs of Spain would constitute the ostensible,
as well as. the leading topic of discussion ;
France, by means of her present Govern-
ment, having a collateral interest in the ques-
tion. As to Portugal, long and intimately as
she has been connected with this country, it
7s scarcely credible that she will be cited to
appear before this self-constituted European
Court ; though the change from legitimate to
.iberal, which has taken place in her Cabinet,
may alarm the Despots of the Continent, even
more than our recognition of the New American
States. Such is our opinion, notwithstanding the
unaccountable delay which has taken place be-
tween the announcement and the depazture of
.711,- C. Stuart on his extraordinary mission ; and
if the latter be not carried soon into effect,
it will be suspected, however unjustly, that
eu: Cabinet has substituted a compromise for
energy, and left Portugal, like Spain, to the
good keeping of the Holy Alliance. If the
noble struggle of the Greeks for their indepen-
deuce be brought on the tapis, it will he treated,
notwithstanding its importance, as a subordinate
topic ; f,er Vienna, we should suppose, would be
self!ctett preference to Paris, were it the im-
mediate of the Congress. That a cloud
hangs ovo;- °or foreign relations, is clear, from the
depressed state of our funds ; and, considering
the abundance of money in the Market, we are
convinced th:lt Consols would have been at par
before now, If their elasticity had not been com-
pressed by the heavy state of the political sky.
[DriOnlilNG HERALD.]
Some difference of opinion is said to exist
among the SO pperfers of the Catholic Claims in
the House, of Commons, on the expediency of
bringing the question forward so early as Tues-
day. 1..,n,1i5h Members are for the most part
the advisers of delay, whilst the Irish Gentle-
men are anxious for the earliest discussion. They
are.probably anxious to return for the Assizes—
an interesting time, it is said, for the Country
Gentlemen in that part of the United Kingdom ;
not merely for the due administration of justice,
.which doubtless is their tirst object, but for the
arrangement of what some people call County bu-
siness, but others denominate jobs. There is no
doubt, that -surfeited as the Parliament and the
people are_with Irish Catholic politics, so early a
repetition—for the question will Le in substance the
same, must hens tiresome, as a thrice told tale. IStit
how far this disgust is likely to affect the votes is
another question. It would probably have the effect
of shortening, the debate. Sir F. Burdett wishes,
we understand, that it should be postponed, and
also very earnestly recommended, on receiving
the petition, that the Catholics should take it
hack, and place it in the hands of Mr. Plunkett.
This suggestioe would hardly have been adopted
with any regard to consistency. Mr. Plunkett,
however—over whom the defection of the Whigs,
and particularly of the Hon. Baronet, from him
last year, as well as the squabbles of'the Dublin
Association, seem to pass rather lightly—has
ex-
.pressed.his readjiiess to second the motion of Sir
F. Burdett. So that the petitioners lose nothing
in 'the main.

[THE TIMES.]
The Catholic Petition, praying for emancipa-
tion, was to have been last night presented to

the House of Commons by Sir Francis Burdett.—
In the remark ur two which we have to make
upon the channels through which it was open to
the Catholics to get this Petition introduced into
Parliament, we are sensible of no other anxiety
than for the smooth and easy accomplishment of
the proposed object, if accomplished it is to be.
An abler or more eloquent champion than Sir
Francis Burdett it would be needless to desire for
any cause, involving a great question of public
liberty, or of constitutional privilege. One
more honest than the Honourable Baronet, more
faithful, more ardent, intrepid, and uncom-
promising, it would be impossible to find on earth.
In these respects there is nothing to gainsay as
to the choice which the Catholics have made of
their advocate. Sir Francis Burdett, however,
expressed openly in the House of Commons, a
few nights ago, and with his accustomed candour,
the regret which he experienced on understand-
ing that the Catholics had, on the present occa-
sion, withdrawn their petition from Mr. Plun-
kett, and given it to himself. The reason for
this sentiment of the Hon. Baronet was equally
wise and disinterested—it was the fear that cer-
tain prejudices afloat against his other opinions
might fasten upon his argument in behalf of
emancipation, and deprive that measure of
some of its less considerate adherents. It
is pretty positively asserted that Sir Francis
has acted upon his professions, and urged
the Catholic Delegates now in London, either
once more to transfer their petition to Mr.
Plunkett, their ancient, powerful, and unobjec-
tionable advocate, or at least to postpone the
presentation of it until after the passing of the
new coercive bill, being apprehensive that the
same panic which has helped the bill might
operate simultaneously against emancipation.
Report makes no secret of the answer to this pru-
dent advice ; nor can we doubt that it was a dis-
creet and judicious answer, proceeding from the
" ma►► of the people," as he calls himself, or " the
O'Connell," as his friends denominate that learn-
ed gentleman--a mode of speaking much in fashion
when one talks of any lion just come to town—
a new singer, conjuror, or famous practitioner on
the tight rope. The story, then, goes—" that
" the man of the people" declared " he could
" not answer for the peace of Ireland, if there
" was to be any delay !" lie could not answer
for the peace of Ireland ! It is he, then, " the
" O'Connell," that keeps the keys, is it, that
opens and shuts the gates of the Temple of Con-
cord ? Is he, then, so deep in the secrets of those
by whom the public peace is to be disturbed,
but who must be the most stupid swine that
ever fed off any road-side in Munster, if they
break the King's peace and their own necks,
because " the Counsellor" lacketh patience to put
off for one fortnight his assault upon the nerves
of Parliament, and may perchance have to wait
another fortnight or so, before he can take his
seat ? If the " O'Connell " has truly the power
which he pretends to, of tranquillizing Ireland
by a single Proclamation to the peasantry, and
then the extraordinary knowledge which enables
him to ascertain to a nicety for how many days
the spell is to operate, how long the slumber is to
endure, and at what hour the multitude are to
start into motion, we can only say that he is a
most fearful potentate.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
Last night exhibited the House of Commons
in a character, which, if we were desirous of de-
scribing, we should quote the indignant language
of several IMembers, when expressing their sen-
timents last year on the scenes which took place
in Committees on Private Bills. We really
wonder that Members have the assurance to
exhibit themselves to the country as partizans
or opponents of Bills, for no other reason
than that they are personally interested in
the passing or rejection of them. Something,
surely, is due to appearances ; and we can con-
ceive nothing which looks worse than the spectacle
of Judges availing themselves of their situation
to decide a cause in favour of themselves. We
do not expect to see men insensible to their own
private advantage ; but a country must be in a
very odd sort of state, in which men are sensible
only to pecuniary gain or loss. It has been said
that we are a canting people ; but we fear we
are in considerable danger of losing our right to
that title. We perceive strong symptoms among us
of an approximation to the notions respecting good
and evil, which a Mr. Beyle, under the name of
Baron Stendahl, states to be prevalent in certain
parts of Italy, namely, that nothing is bad which
does not give pain, and that every thing is good
which is pleasant. The Members of the House of
Commons are like lights set on a bill ; they are seen a
great way off ; and it is but fair to presume their
example will not be lost on the nation. " Y
sheats me, I sheets you—all fair," said one Heb-
rew to another. Is this to be our national de-
vice ? To be serious, we think the House of
Commons, in justice to its own character, and
in mercy to the nation, on which such ex-
amples of notorious and avowed self-seeking
must have the most mischievous effects, bound
to stem the tide of gross jobbing in private
Bills. We were highly pleased to see Mof these
r. Hume
exerting himself to shame Members out
disreputable practices. We• trust a sufficient
number of Members will second him in this
praiseworthy object. If Members of Parliament
are to be bribed by presents of Shares to vote for
certain Bills, and against certain other Bills, why
should not Judges make a bargain with litigan
to share with them the sums for which a Decree

s p,siver. ?

[NEW TtiNtEs.]
Notwithstanding the alarms of so many politi-
cians at home and on the Continent, the best in-
formed persons at Paris are disposed to think
that there is in truth very little chance of the
public peace of Europe being troubled for se-
veral years. The financial engagements of the
Great Powers to whom the most hostile views
have been assigned make those Powers averse
to measures Which would inevitably plunge
afford no adequate them in in embarrassments, for which the most
successful war would
pulsation ; and, independentlY of this consi-
deration, the least peaceful of these reasoners