The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-22 00:00:00

March, 1849, before the instigators of the
seditious practices of May and June, 1843,
could be tried. He entirely agreed with
the Noble Marquis and his Noble Friend near him, that
the juries in Ireland had done their duty admirably dur-
ing the late trials. But it must be recollected that the
trials were on the charges of murder, and the offenders
had not been brought to conviction without many pre-
cautions having been taken to protect witnesses ; but
cases of prandial crime were very different from such
offences as were contemplated by the measures of the
Government; and if the political feelings of the popu-
lation of Ireland were such as the Noble Earl had de-
scribed, they would to a man rejoiee at the escape' from
conviction of a rebel. If that were so, and he believed
it was, could it be hoped or expected that ordinary
juries would convict men of political offences in Ireland?
He mistrusted the juries as far as political trials were
concerned, not only on account of their sympathy with
the prisoners, but also because of the feeling of timidity
which would prevent them from giving a verdict
against their own countryman and fellow-Ca-
tholic. And he agreed with the Noble Earl in think-
ing that if there was a class of men exposed to danger
amidst the conflicts of political and religious opinions
in Ireland it was the Roman Catholic farmers and
gentry. It was impossible for that class of persons to
give any assistance or to show any countenance towards
' convictions for political offences withot subjecting them-
selves to be termed Orange Catholics. The people of
Ireland and their priests looked on the Protestants as
enemies, but they regarded with far deeper hatred and
suspicion the Roman Catholics who supported them.
The gauntlet had however, been throwa down in Ire-
land, and now the question was, shall the law or the mob
have the upper hand. Every hour that this question was
in doubt, added to the numbers and the strength of the
disaffected ; and even men who would rally round the
standard of the Government, did they know where to
find it, were now driven into the ranks of the
disaffected—first, by reason of being left to them-
selves ; and next, because they dared not refuse to make
common cause with their countrymen. He would, how-
ever, not now stop to ask why matters had been suf-
fered to go the length they had done. He was only too
dlad to see that the Government was determined to put
own the seditious and treasonable practices of the
leaders with a strong hand. He was confident Ministers
would have the fullest support in that House, and also
in the other, however inconsistent with constitutional
saw the remedy proposed might:be. He hoped, more-
over, that the details of the measure would be as
concise as possible, and that Government would ask for
• % short and summary power, so that there would be no
occasion for any lengthened delay in the progress of the
Bill through Parliament. He was satisfied that if the
Government was determined to restore order and the
power of the Crown in Ireland, even though their mea-
sure was not within the pale of constitutional law, they
would not only have the support of those who habitually
voted with them, but also of every member of their
bordships' House.
The atarquis of LANSDOWNE said that he hoped
the proposed measure would be passed into a law as
speedily as possible, and if, as the Noble Lord opposite
proposed, the House would agree to suspend its standing
orders, that course would meet with the sanction of the
Government. It would be satisfactory to his Noble
Friend (Lord Brougham) to recal to his recollection
that, should there be any unfortunate delay in passing
the proposed Bill, the effect of which should be to hurry
the unfortunate people who were now excited by their
leaders into a state of insurrection, there did exist a
statute of the Irish Parliament by which, should there
be any outbreak or other manifestation of the com-
mencement of a rebellion, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ire-
land was authorised to seize and detain every individual
who should be suspected of seditious or treasonable
practices or opinions; and he took that opportunity of
stating that his Noble Friend the Earl of Clarendon was
fully prepared to act at once upon that statute.
Lord BROUGHAM said that it was a charity to the
people of Ireland to remind them of the Act in question,
and to apprise them of the determination of the Lord-
Lieutenant to act upon it, which he hoped the Earl of
Clarendon would fearlessly do.
The Earl of GLENGALL then consented to with-
draw his motion. He stated it to be his opinion that the
Government ought to call on the Lord-Lieutenants of
Irish counties to repair to their respective counties.
The motion was then by leave withdrawn.
PROTECTION OF JUSTICES FROM VEXA-