The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-07 00:00:00

distinctly to these matters at present, hut he was satisfied
that some great change must be made, or Ireland would
not be at peace. He should now proceed to what
had so long occupied the attention of the Honse—namely,
the Irish disturbances, and when he looked at the passage
of the King's speech which referred to that point, and
compared it with the language of the address, he was sur-
prised to find a word or two in the address which did not
find a place in the speech, and he thought his Majesty's
Ministers would do well not to desire the House to do more
than resecho the words of the speech. The King'sspcech
stated that disturbances exist in Ireland, and that a spirit
of insubordin item and violence prevails there. These were
stated as substantive propositions, and, therefore, the House
might affirm them substantively. But, in the address, the
expression was—he presumed by the inadvertence of those
who drew it up—that an increase of disturbances has taken
place in Ireland, occasioned by a spirit of insubordination
and violence. That disturbances existed every one knew,
but it was not necessary for this House voluntarily to state
that they had their origin in an abstract spirit of insubordi-
nation and violence. He should, therefore, take the liberty
of moving a slight amendment on that point, to make
the address run in conformity with the King's speech.
—(Hear.) Extraortiinury powers were requires► front
the House by the ape, ch. He agreed with the sentiments
expressed by his Hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln, in
the eloquent and able speech which the House had just
heard, and should with him have been glad to find the
language snore conciliatory. It would have been easy for
his Majesty's Ministers to have devised some such language
as this—" Give us increased powers, hut direct your at-
tention immediately, and with the utmost anxiety, to probe
the evils of Ireland, for the purpose of administering kind
and beneficial relief." Some simple terms of this kind
would have soothed the distracted prssions of the people ;
and he confessed, that after the speech of the Right Hon.
Secretary for Ireland, last night, he was in utter despair
as to the intentions of the Ministry, until he heard his
Noble Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his own
unaffected and straightforward manner, profess the inten-
tion of his Majesty's Government, to apply the necessary
remedies to the evils of Ireland. But, although such were
the intentions of the Government, that House was not the
Government. The Members of the House of Commons
were the representatives of the people, and it was for them to
say whether, without information, without any papers be-
ing laid on the table of the House, before the matter had
taken its proper Parliament try course—whether they
should, without any information except newspaper reports,
and the statements of individual Members of Parliament,
make an entire surrender of these powers into the hands
of his Majesty's Ministers. They were told, indeed, that
ro gentleman by voting for the address, was pledged to
vote for the Act of Parliament when brought before the
House. But let them now (bop these useless forms, and
come to business. Let them not send a mock answer
to the Crown, and afterwards refuse to act up to it.—
(Hear.) Surely it was high time to introduce some rea-
son into their proceedings, and let them begin here. IL
apprehended that a portion of the disturbances in Ireland
were attributable to the want of conciliatory conduct on
the part of those who had the immediate administration of
Irish affairs. He had no doubt of the good intentions and
benevolent purposes of the present Administration. He was
well satisfied that they felt an anxious desire to probe the
evils of Ireland, and to apply effectual remedies; but not-
withstanding his confidence, he thought it would not be-
come that House to yield up implicitly the powers that
were demanded, without accompanying that acquiescence
with an expression of its determination to enter into an
immediate investigation of the evils of that distracted coun-
try, and of the proper means of redressing them.—
(Cheers). It was his intention, when the proper period
should arrive, to propose an amendment upon the address
on that ground.—(Hear, hear.) His amendment would
relate to the latter paragraph of the address respecting
those powers which might be required for preserving the
public peace, strengthening the Legislature, and securing
the welfare of the empire. He agreed with his Hon.
Friend the Member for Lincoln, that although he was of
opinion that the legislative union ought to be maintained,
yet he was bound, as an Englishman, when legislating
on the affairs of Ireland, to state, that the more the
people were excited, the more necessary was it to
listen to the representations and statements made by the
representatives of that country, especially as many of them
hail been returned to advocate the repeal.—(Cheers.)
When he came forward for the place which he had the
honour to represent, he acted on the same principle that
now guided his conduct. He refused to give pledges as to
the course he would take on any particular question in a
deliberative assembly, because he could not conscientiously
give such a pledge till he had heard the arguments on both
sides, and because by these arguments Ire might be
led to view the question in a different light. He hoped
the House would listen with pa'ience and indulgence to
the representations and wishes, anti even to the prejudiced
views, of the distracted people of Ireland, and not come to
the summary conclusion to which they were now invited,
and thus, by closing their doors against them, increase
the excitement and exasperation which existed already,
and to repress which extraordinary powers were sought
tor.--(Loud cheers.) Feeling, therefore, considerable ob
jection to the amendment of the Hon. Memo er for Dublin
(Mr. O'Connell), he should, at the proper period, move
another. Instead of the concluding paragraph in the address,
" To assure his Majesty that his confidence, in resorting
to the loyalty and patriotism of this House for assistance
in these afflicting circumstances, will not he disappointed,
and that we shall be ready to adopt such measures of so-
lutai y precaution, and to intrust to his Majesty such
additional powers as may be found necessary for con-
trolling and punishing the disturbers of the public peace,
and for preserving and strengthening the Legislative
Union between the two countries, which, under the
blessing of Divine Providence, we are determined to
support his Majesty in maintaining, as indissolubly
connected with the peace, security and welfare of his
Majesty's dominions," he should propose as an
amendment, that all the words after the word
precaution be omitted, for the purpose of substitute
ing the following words :—" as may be found
necessary; but if, under the circumstances which
may he disclosed to us, we should be induced to intrust
his Majesty with additional powers, we shall feel it our
dray to accompiny that acquiescence in his Majesty's
wishes by a close and diligent investigation into the causes
of discontent in Ireland, with a view to the application of
prompt and effectual remedies ; and that although it is our
duty to receive the petitions of the people of Ireland, with
regard to the Legislative Union between the two coun-
tries, and to leave ourselves fie, to consider that subject,
yet we are ready to support his Majesty in maintaining
that Union against all lawless attempts to defeat it, or to
invade the peace, security, anti welfare of his Majesty's
dominions." If such an amendment to the address were
agreed to, he should have no objection to assent to any
measures that might be necessary for enabling his Majesty's
Government to preserve the peace and good order of so-
ciety.—(Hear, hear )
Mr. MACAULAY had not intended, when the discus-
sion on the address commenced yesterday evening, to take
an active part in it. He confessed,' however, in the course
of the debate he did feel anxious to address a few Words to
the House ; and now that he bad been personally alluded to
by the Hun. Member for Lincoln, he felt he could no
longer remain silent. He would not pause to say aught
respecting self, but would venture to address a few words
on a question of much raore importance than his mere
personal consistency, which, however, if apparently post-
poned far a few moments, would, he persuaded himself,
he vind cated in the course of his observations. It ap-
peared to bhn that the lion. Member (Mr. Bulwer) had,
in a manner not uncommon with persons of his ingenuity,
a little deceived himself with respect to the meaning of
the words he employed. "On one side," said the lion.
Member, " we are called upon to apply coercion as a re-
medy for the state of Ireland, while, on the other, the
Learned Member for Dublin implores us to apply the more
grateful and more efficient remedy of redress. Can I
hesitate for a motnent which I should adopt ? " and then
declares his determination to vote on the side of redress.
Now, what the Hon. Metnber meant by " redress " might,
and, in point of fact, did, essentially differ from the
meaning attached to it by the Learned Member for
Dublin. That Learned Member meant by redress his
favourite project of a reseal of the Union—(Hear, hear)
—to which the Hon. Member fir Lincoln declared him-
self adverse, showing, as he bad intimated, that both
attached Very different meanings to the sante plausible
etm.—(Elear.) But then they were told by the Hon.
Member arid the Right Hon. Gentleman who spoke last,
that they should pause and examine, and discuss and deli-
berate, before they pledged themselves against the repeal
measure, or any other measure which the people might
consider remedial of their grievances. Very well ; whose
fault was it that they had not long since examined and
debated that question?—(Hear.) Was it the fault of the
Government? Certainly not. It had over and over
courted discuosion,—had over and over challenged the
Learned Gentleman, if he durst, to bring it boldly and
substantively under the consideration of the House of
Commons.—(Hear, hear.) But though the gauntlet was
thus frequently thrown down, the Learnt d Gentleman
never once ventured to take it up,—nay, never hail put it
forward in any speech in that House, so as to afford his
opponents an opportunity of fully discussing the question
on its own merits.—( Hear, hear.) Last night, for ex-
ample, he addressed the House at great length for two or
three hours—it mattered not how many, for be was too