The Sun.
London, England, 1836-02-27 00:00:00

111.0.
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 26.
The LORD CIIANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at
ten minutes past five o'clock.
FOREST OF DEAN BILL.
Oa the motion of Lord DUNC ANNON, the Forest of
Dean Bill was read a second time, aid ordered to be committed
on Monday next.

POOR LAW BILL.
The Elrl of HADDINGTON presented a petition from
the Guardians of the poor of the Union of Thame, in the
county of Buckingham, praying that the time for repaying
the loan under the new Poor Law Bill for the building of
workhouses might be extended to twenty years.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.
Captain ALSAGER, and others from the Commons, brought
ct some private Bills.
IMPERIAL GAS COMPANY.
Mr. Fi'LER presented papers from the Imperial Gas
Coto pang.

POOR LAWS.
Lord ELLENBOSOUGH wished to know from the No-
ble Viscount at the head df his ;Majesty's Government, whe-
ther it was the intention of his Majesty's Government to pro-
pose any Bill for the amendment of
the
several
highly cb-
jectionable.
Lord :MELBOURNE, as we understood, said that the
subject was under the consideration of his Majesty's Govern-

went.
The Exchequer Bills' Bill and the Surplus Funds Bill were
read a second time and ordered to be committed. Tb. other
Bills on the table were forwarded a stage.
ORANGE LODGES.
The Earl of WINC HI LSE A said, that in consequence of
certain resolutions proposed and adopted by the Lower House
of Parliament, he rose for the purpose of taking the liberty of
putting one or two questions to the Noble Viscount at the head
of his 'Majesty's Government, for the purpose of clearly ascer-
taining to what extent those resolutions should extend.
He wished clearly to satisfy his own mind upon the subject,
in order that he might be prepared to offer such advice to the
Orange Societies as might'be desirable under the circumstances
of the case. He wished to know from the Noble Viscount at the
head of the Government, what was the extent of the resolu-
tions, and how far it was intended to act upon them ? c17.7.S it in-
tended solely to apply to Orange Societies as they existed
connected together by oaths and secret signs, or whether—
The Duke of CUMBERLAND—There are no oaths.
The Earl of WIN CHELSE A, in continuation—or whether
it was intended for the suppression of Societies formed for the
maintenance of a Protestant religion in these countries, and
upon the principles which placed his present Majesty upon
the throne of these realms? He could not help thinking that the
existence of all associations using secret signs,and bound together
by secret oaths, was to be lamented, but it was a matter for consi-
deration, whether, under the extraordinary circumstances of
the case, an exception might not he made in favour of the
Orange institutions. He was no advocate for secret signs and
oaths. He believed his whole life showed that he would be the
last man to join the association which had not for its object the
preservation of the institutions of the country. He had been
but a short time in Ireland, and he went there without the in-
tention of beeoming an Orangeman. He was free to confess he
was not long in Ireland until he became a member of the institu-
tion, and he was deter mined to declare his readiness to make c.m-
mon cause with the Pr01:5.1410s in that country in resisting the
tide of revolution. He regrette:sl the course that had been pursued
as regarded the Orange Lodges. He would not admit that
they were an illegal body. It see:led strange that the
concurrence of the three branches of the :s.‘eislature was not
asked to the passing of such resolutions, arid zee. thought it
tended to break down the Constitution and to impair the liberty
of the subject. He should shape his conduct according to tie?
terms of the answer he expected from the Noble Viscount
opposite, and if on reflection he considered these Societies il-
legal, he would give his best advice to his brothers to discon-
tinue their proceedings. He believed that the principles of
the Orange Society were those of protection to the best in-
terests of the State, and they were those which had been pro-
fessed by the Noble Lords who had endangered their titles and
their lives, and were foremost in bringing over the very family
who now reigned in that country. He wished to know what course
was intended to be adopted with respect to these Societies—
whatever it might be, he was determined not to renounce his
principles. He knew that gross calumnies had been circu-
lated and believed relative to Orange Societies ; but he feared
that if they were put down, if the principles of the Orange So-
ciety were laid aside, it would lead to the dismemberment of the
empire. Had not one individual, who had a fearful and most
unfortunate influence in that country, declared that he never
would be satisfied until he had effected the separation between
the two countries ? The Government had said that there was
protection for every individual in the sister country; but he
(the Earl of Winchilsea) would read a letter which had been
just put into his hands, showing the fearful state in which the
Protestant clergy were placed in that country. The Noble
Lord then read the letter, omitting the names. One indivi-
dual had a most miraculous escape from being assassinated,
and had been again denounced by the priest. Another was
obliged to have a guard of police it, his house, and his life was
threatened whilst walking in his lawn. In another instance
there was a great assemblage of the peasantry, who were pre-
vented from doing mischief only by the presence of four com-
panies of infantry, and two of cavalry. And a respectable
curate had been struck with a stone on the head, and that at-
tack could not have proceeded from the tithe system, as he
was not the owner of any. He (the Earl of Winebilsea) could
bring hundreds of similar instances of the fearful state in which
the Protestant Clergy were placed ; but he trusted that he had
said enough to satisfy their Lordships as to the frightful posi-
tion in which they were placed. He implored the Government
to come forward and support the supremacy of the law. He
did not mean in his observations upon the Catholics of
Ireland to include the Roman Catholics of England. lie
should not; ntrude further upon their Lordships' time upon
that point but there was another subject on which it was ne-
cessary for him to make a few observations. He was sorry to
say, that the Representative of the Crown had not acted
wisely, he might almost say unconstitutionally, in removing
from office individuals because they were Oran,,eemen.—
( Hear, hear, hear.) He alluded to the Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland, and it appeared from a statement put into his hands,
and to which he wished to call the attention of Noble Lords,
that an individual had been in the usual way appointed Sheriff
of the county of Waterford—that he had received the writ
from the Secretary for Ireland on the 4th of December, an-
nouncing his appointment, and on the 13th of February,
when he was about to incur the expenses of his uniform and
other matters, he was informed that he was not to fill the office.
The gentleman in question immediately wrote to the Secretary
of State on the subject. The Noble Lord read the corre-
spondence which took place between Mr. Lee and the Irish
Government. The fact was that Mr. Lee never was an
Orangeman, yet he was set aside upon that ground.—
( Hear.) if the Government had come to the resolution
that no Protestant should fill any office in Ireland, in God's
name let it be avowed ; but do not insult gentlemen in such a
man ter as Mr. Lee had beer,. He did belong to those So-
cieties, and he gloried in it, for he believed they would prove
the salvation of Protestantism ; he did belong to them, and if
it cost him Eris title or his life, he would support them to the last.
The Duke of C LTMBE RL AND said after seeing the Ad-
dress, and his Majesty's most gracious answer to it, he and
those who acted with him had felt that no time was to be lost
in recommendMg to the Orange Societies of Ireland to dis-
solve. He would not say more than that there were no oaths
required by the institution, and though the Societies were
abolished, he would still continue firm to their principles.
Lord MELBOURNE had heard the declaration of the
Noble Duke with much pleasure, and it was what he expected
from one occupying his station He and the Government were
glad that such a course had been pursued, for they were most
anxious that they should not be called upon to take any strong
measures in order to carry the resolution into effect. In
answer to the Noble Earl who had put the question to him
—however lie might give that Noble Earl credit for sincerity--
he could not do so for prudence. Neither his title nor his life
were in danger; and he would find that Protestantism would
be much more .safe, and stronger, without the aid of
such Societies as- these.—( Hear.) He was not prepared
. to enter into the case alluded to by the Noble Earl ; but
there was no doubt Mr. Lee had been set aside from the
Shrievalty of Wexford upon the principle which the
Government of Ireland had acted upon, of not appointing to
any office, but particularly to one connected with the adminis-
tration ofjustice, one who was connected with Secret Societies.
The Earl of WINCHIL SE A said Mr. Lee never did be-
long to any Orange or other Society. Ile had refused to sign a
requisition, calling upon the Sheriff to call a county meet-
ing to address the Lord Lieutenant, and that was the
reason given for his being used in the manner he had described.
With respect to what had fallen from the Noble Viscount
he must be allowed to say that he should act according
to his own judgment—( Hear, hear, from the Ministerial
benches)—as to what course he should pursue for
the best interests of his country. He was not ambitious, and
his only desire was to protect his church. He hoped the
advice offered by his Royal Highness would be followed,
.although it was notorious that there were schemes formed for
the purpose of subverting the Protestant Church.
'I-ire Marquis of LONDONDERRY should not have trou-
bled their Lordships, but for what had fallen from the
Noble Viseeount.—( Hear.) The whole of the proceedings
of the Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland since he had been there
L,
had been solely end exclusively directed to uphold the
Catholic party against the Protestant party. He said that
advisedly., If the Noble :
scount would act upon his declara-
tion, that there should be a fair and honest upholding of
Protestant as well as Catholic rests, he should have his
cordial support upon every measure iee might bring foiward
n
for such an object. But the fact was, andno one con-
nected with Ireland could deny it, that there was: .e universal
degradation to which the Protestants of Ireland were :t pre-
sent subjected, and unless the style in which the Gover,L-
ment of Ireland had lately been conducted was changed,
the most fatal consequences would result.—( Hear, hear.)
lie could not but lament that the name of that Noble individual ,
whom privately he must ever respect, should be con-
nected with one of the most monstrous, he had almost said
one of the most unjustifiaale acts, that had ever been done in
Ireland, who had held the situation of that individual.
That
that individual should entertain a person who
had been making speeches so monstrous—those speeches
reviling at royalty on one side and treating their Lord-
ship's House with derision on 'the other—(hear, hear)—
that he should have treated that
at his table, and that that circumstanceperson as a guest
should have been
passed over by the first minister of the Crown,
without having called it to their Lordships' attention, and
r,
without hay.n recalled that Lord Lieutenant and that Ireland
should have been witness to such a degradation and such highly
reprehensible conduct was, he must say, most monstrous.
Not a single Conservative gentleman of the Province of