The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-18 00:00:00

WELCH JUDICATURE.

Lord CAWDOR postponed the motion of which he had
given notice, relative to the Welch Judicature, until Monday
next.

INSURRECTION ACT-(IRELAND).

The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that he rose in pursuance
of the notice that he had given, to move for the appointment
of a Committee to inquire into the state of those districts in Ire-
land that were now under the operation of the Insurrection Act.
A Committee for a similar purpose had been moved for and
appointed by the other House of Parliament, and one great ob-
ject for the appointment of these Committees was to give in-
formation to Parliament on the important subject that they
were to investigate. Their Lordships would recollect that 31i-
nisters had stated last year, that 'should the Insurrection Act
be again called, for, they would give the fullest information re-
recall the state of the districts that required it. The Noble
Earl ..
then moved, that a Select Committee be appointed to in-
quire into the nature and extent of the disturbances in those
districts in- Ireland that were under the operation of the In-
surrection Act.

The Marquis of LANSDOWN observed, that it was a sa-
tisfaction.—a melancholy satisfaction indeed—to know that his
Majesty's Ministers had at length consented to adopt some
mode of inquiry into the state of the disturbances of Ireland,
which they had been for so long a time anxious to escape from.
By this means their Lordships would be enabled in some de-
gree to arrive at information that would enable them to
judge upon what grounds that desperate measure, the In-
surrection Act, had been re.serted to. Now, after so many
years delay, inquiry was sought for respecting that unfortu-
nate country, and from a quarter too that would pobably gain
the assent of their Lordships. Even under those circum-
stances, and upon the terms proposed, it was a source of satis-
f4tion to him to have inquiry instituted ; although he could
ni
t entertain the hope that, in its present form, t would in-
clude that extensive investigation which would seek the root, of
the evil, and which would give satisfaction either to the House
or the country. The inquiry in question would not go to the
real constitutional remedy ;' it would not . probe the wound to
the bottom; it would only touch the surface of it. But his
object in rising en the present occasion was more for the pur-
pose of asking if it were not expedient to inquire more gener-
ally into the evils that aftlict Ireland ? and whether their Lord-
ships were not bound to adopt a more comprehensive form of
Words, and 'to 'institute a more extensive measure ? He felt
this necessity_''so strongly, that he should be compelled, before
he sat down; to move au amendment, founded on that opinion ;
for, if it only extended to the districts alluded to, he contend-
ed that the inquiry would be inefficient; for neither the House,
nor the (iovcrnreent need be told that there was but a shade
of difference existing between the districts that were within,
and those that were out of the pale of the operation of the In-
surrection Act; but a thin partition. was erected between; and
many which wore now not under its influence have beoi and
might be again subject to it. Unless their Lordships investi-
gated the whole question, and inquired into the state of every
part of Ireland, they would do but little. Would the Noble
Earl (Liverpool) say that there was any part of Ireland where
the Insurrection Act might not be in force next year? 'The
Act, wherever it was applied, .tended to alienate the affec-
tions of the people, and to render their political state less
healthy, and the conduct of Ministers, in confining their in-
quiry to the 'disturbed districts, reminded him of the course
pursued by Eastern Monarchs when an inhabitant of the
Harem should be so ill as to need the advice of an Euro-
pean physician. The baud only of the invalid is exposed to
the view of the medical adviser, and the attendants tell him
You can judge from of the hand ; you have the op-
portimity of knowing tiik:state of pulsation, and that is all suf-
ficient; without,"2 continued his Lordship., " considering
that the state of th-e.countenance and various other symptoms
were necessary to be ascertained before a physician can give a
sound opinion as to the degree of danger attendant upon his
patient's disorder." So it was with Ministers regarding Ire-
land; they looked only at the disturbed districts as their cri-
terion for judging of the whole of this most important question.
If be agreed with the measure, it was upon the principle that
light would come in upon them through this inquiry, and that
the various ramifications that it might lead to, might ultimately
develope the whole of the-circumstances that afflicted Ireland;
but still a much longer time would be -required in developing
them by this mode, than by a more - extensive inquiry. The
Noble Marquis then moved as an amendment," That a Com-
mittee be appointed to inquire into the general condition of
Ireland, and more particularly into the nature and extent of
the disturbances in the districts under the operation of the In-
surrection Act." The Noble Marquis, in moving this amend-
ment, stated, that if their Lordships should adopt a more limit-
ed inquiry, be would support it; but upon the best considera-
tion he could give to the subject, he thought it would be in-
adequate to the purpose that it was intended for.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL had not many observations to
make on the speech of the Noble Marquis ; but in one or two
instances he was wrong. He had stated that, at last, Ministers
had instituted an inquiry, insinuating that the King's Govern-
ment had checked investigation. On that point he had only to
refer their Lordships to the Table amd to the Statute-book, to
show that Ministers had been ready on all occasions to adopt
every measure that really had for its object the peace and pros-
perity of Ireland. He submitted to their Lordships that a ge-
neral inquiry was not definite enough. The nords of his mo-
tion only affected locality, for the Insurrection Act prevailed in
various parts of Ireland, and his object was only to check in-
quiry where none was necessary. The Noble Marquis could
not require words wider in the first instance than those which he
had had the honour of submitting to their Lordships; for they
embraced the meaning that an inquiry the most unlimited
should be entered upon in those districts where the mischief
was most crying; and to do more than this would not only be
nugatory, but dangerous; for he would ask their Lordships if
it would not be dangerous to institute inquiries into districts as
quiet as any counties in England, which was the case with
many parts of Ireland ? With a view to a sincere inquiry, he
proposed to their Lordships to look . at those parts where the
evil was ino,:t crying, and sift the subject to its fullest extent,
and his inquiry would embrace a wide field, for the Insurrection
Act prevailed in many parts of Ireland. Under these circum-
stances, he would oppose the motion of the Noble Marquis.
Lord KING believed the measure might do some good, but
he wished it to be more extensive. It was not in the power of
the Noble Earl opposite to go into a more general inquiry ; be-
cause if he did, the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack
would say, " Don't touch my Orangemen, theie are good Pro-
testants." Every thing had been done by halves for Ireland.
She was at first only half conquered ; the Union, which was so
much talked of, tended only to disunite the two countries ; the
Tithe Composition Bill, that great panacea of last Session, had
only distracted the country • and the Burial Bill of this Session?
which was to assuage all the ill-humour that existed
tbeltSroebelne
Protestants and Catholics, only tended to increase it. 1
s
Friend had talked of European physicians being
feel the pulse of an inhabitant of a harem ;
hut lie treated
their skill
Ministers too courteously if he intended to compareicine. Tans
had
in politics to that. of Eumpean physicians in m!
d
of Asiatic physicians
had cvicccd in that science the ignorance called in to

Majority for the original motion - 30
UNITED .G.AS' COMPANY BILL.
On our re-admission below the bar; .
The Earl of SHAFTESBUILY moved, that the second
reading of the United Gas Company Bill should be poStponeil
indefinitely:
The Earl of LAUDERDALE objected to that course. If
the Noble Eard would fix any day for its second reading, he
would then chew their Lordships the evil tendency of the mea-
snic ; but by withdrawing it, it convinced hingdohe promOters
of it wished to sce how tar they could persuade the House to
adapt it, and seeing they could not succeed, wished to With-
draw it.
The Earl of LIMERICK then fixed -Friday next for the
second reading of the Bill.—Adjourned.