The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEI3RUARY 17, 1866.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—THIS DAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock, at which
hour there wattla very full attendance of members.
SUSPENSION OF THE HABEAS CORPUS ACT IN
IRELAND.
Sir G. GREY said he rose with deep and sincere regret
to move for leave to introduce a bill for the above object,
and in doing so he was fully impressed with the feeling
that the power was one which no Government ought to
hastily and lightly ask for. (Hear, hear.) He made the
motion with the deep sense of the power it placed in their
hands, but after exhausting every power known to the
existing law, the Government now asked for the authority
given by the bill to crush out a wicked and wide-spread
conspiracy, and to afford protection to the loyal and faith-
ful subjects of her Majesty in that part of her kingdom.
Some might be of opinion that the application was made
too late, others that it was made too soon. The Fenian
organisation had been known to exist in 1862,
but it was not until the termination of the
war in America that the movement formed a shape and
extent at once dangerous and widespread. The natives of
Ireland who had enrolled themselves in the service of
America, having nothing on hand at the close of the war,
organised themselves, in conjunction with the disaffected
in Ireland, into a conspiracy, the avowed object of which
was to subvert the authority of the Queen, and to sepa-
rate Ireland from the other tarts of the kingdom, and
to declare there the existence of a republic. The Govern-
ment had closely watched the action of these parties, and
it was not until they could strike a blow with overwhelming
effect that they thought it their duty to apply to Parlia-
ment for the powers now sought. (Hear, hear.) The
first seizure that took place was that of a paper
published in Ireland called the Irish People, in which
sedition was published in the most open and daring
manner, and so well was the nature of those articles known
that he would not insult the house by reading from it.
(Hear, hear.) A man named Stephens had been one of the
great moving powers of the conspiracy, and up to the pre-
sent he, it was to be regretted, was still at large. The
members of the conspiracy who had been captured, had
'been brought to trial, and every one of them
had been convicted. But that was 'not all. It had
become known that sums of money have been discovered,
the object of which was to corrupt the loyal part of the
population, and large quantities of arms and ammunition had
also been brought to light. The emissaries from America
had succeeded in enlisting supporters in different parts of
the country, but it was with deep regret that in nearly
every regiment in Ireland these people had in-
sinuated themselves with a view of seducing the
soldiery from their loyalty. It was to be regretted, as
unfortunately was the case, that some of the soldiers had
lent a too ready ear to these solicitations, and were now
awaiting their trial; but he felt satisfied and convinced
that the house and country might depend upon the loyalty
of the army as a whole. (Loud cries of "Hear, hear.")
Then, again, it had been said that the Government, fear-
ing the extent of the Fenian conspiracy, had abstained from
sending Irish soldiers to that country, but he could answer
the house that the Commander-in-Chief had not departed,
in one instance, from the roster in sending English and
Scotch soldiers only to Ireland. (Hear, hear.) It had
been for some time necessary to search various ships arriv-
ing in Ireland from America, and in several of them large
quantities of arms had been discovered, and fortunately pre-
vented from reaching the destinations for which they were
intended. (Hear, hear.) During the Fenian trials no less
than 36 leaders of the conspiracy had been condemned to
penal servitude, and others sentenced to long terms of
imprisonment, and it was hoped that the movement would
have been stopped ; but the contrary had been the result,
the danger had gone on increasing, and the Government
had been compelled to proclaim in Sligo, Carlow, and
Tralee. If the remedy was sharp, the disease, it
must be confessed, was strong. (Hear, hear.) The
number of emissaries from America was known pretty
well to the Government. (Hear, hear.) There were 340
in tae provinces and 160 in Dublin, making in all about
500, but the number was being constantly augmented
by fresh arrivals from America. The Government had
also discovered three manufactories of pikes, bullets, and
cartridges in Dublin, but it was too apparent other depots
still remained undiscovered, because there would be no
use for bullets without there were muskets and rifles to put
them in. (Hear, hear.) The audacity with which the
conspiracy was conducted was astonishing, because emis-
saries from America had actually been surprised in
sketching our forts and other means of defiance
to the Queen's authority. (Hear, hear.) The most
dangerous feature, however, of the conspiracy was
the attempt to seduce the troops. He would not
go into that part of the case on that occasion, further than
to say that at present it only existed to a limited extent—
(hear, hear) —but what he had to ask the house was whe-
ther these emissaries from America were to be allowed to
go on distilling their poison. He felt that the mea-
sure asked for was but too much required, because
the Government were in receipt of communica-
tions from the Lord Lieutenant, in which it was
stated that he could not bo responsible for the safety of the
country, and without the power which the act would give
him he could not undertake to avert the serious mischief
which threatened Ireland. (Hear.) The most disastrous
consequences would result if the movement was to go on
unchecked. Capital would be debarred from entering the
country, and other nations would inevitably benefit by it
which could not but be fraught with disaster to the,
loyal portion of the population. (Hear, hear.) Govern-
ment had shown their estimation of the responsibility rest-
ing on them by making the proposal he had made to the
house, and it was for the house to say whether or no they
would give them the power. (Hear, hear.) He hoped the
house would be of opinion that he had made out his case
—(hear, hear)—because the strengthening the hands
of the Government by this measure would be to
enable them to crush out this enormous mass
of sedition. (Hear, hear.) He proposed only to
limit the operation of the Act to six months, and under
these cireumstances he moved for leave to bring in the bill
The hon. baronet resumed his seat amidst loud cries of
"Hear, hear," from both sides of the house.
Mr. DISRAELI did not rise to offer any opposition to
the course proposed by Government. He only wished to
express his opinion that there had been too much delay
already. (Hear.) He could not but think that there had
been too much hastiness shown last session in repealing
an act of Parliament which would doubtless have been
found of great service in the present emergency. He
alluded to the repeal of the Rapparee Act. The house
had been told that this conspiracy had been fostered and
extended by emissaries from America ; but if the Act of
George 111., to which he had already referred, had not
been repealed, these dangers could never have occurred,
because the provisions of that bill brought the people whom
t was now sought to bring within the hold of justice
within its scope and operation. (Hear, hear.) The duty
of the house was to him perfectly clear, and admitted of no
misunderstanding. (Hear.) He should pursue the same
course as he had done in 1848, when the home Government
had to ask for similar powers as those now asked for.
(Hear, hear.) He should give his strongest support to the
Government. (Hear, hear.) But while he did did this he
thought it was but right to take the speediest steps
for the introduction of remedial measures. (Hear, hear.)
This state of affairs was not produced by grievances of au
internal, agrarian, domestic, or religious grounds. (Hear,
hear.) It aimed much higher—(hear, hear)—it aimed at
the throne of England, and the greatness of the kingdom.
(Loud cheers.) He should give his complete support to
the Government, and he hoped the house would give
its consent to the motion unanimously, at the same time
he pressed upon the importance of promptitude of action.
This was no fancied conspiracy ; it was a conspiracy the
great object of which was to deprive her Majesty of ono
of the most valuable possessions of the British Crown.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT said he never, during the twenty years
he had sat in Parliament, rose to speak with so strong a
sense of shame and humiliation as he did on the
present occasion. During the whole of the time he had
been in Parliament nothing had ever been done for the
people of Ireland except upon emergencies, and all her
demands had been treated with insult and contempt. He
asked the house if that was not the fact. Nothing had
been done for the last five-and-twenty years for Ireland
which could be called statesmanship. (Hear, hear.)
There had been arms' bills and coercive acts every
se ssion—(hear, hear)—but when were measures whose
great aim and object was the improvement of the generous
and true-hearted people of Ireland. He challenged the
house to point out where he was wrong in his observations.
He contended that were the heartburnings and party
fights for office between the two great opposing
sections in that ho use to be laid aside, and measures
for the improvement of Ireland adopted in their place,
then Ireland could be made a strength and not a weak-
ness. (Hear, hear.) Ireland had always been neglected
and treated with contempt, and was it to be wondered at
chat under such circumstances she should attempt to
gain that to which she had a perfect right, viz.,
equality with England. (Hear, hear.) The country
had been oppressed and illtreated for years, and
the whole had been brought about by neglect and
mismanagement. He did not intend to oppose the propo-
sition of the Government, because under the circumstances
the course about to be pursued was the only merciful course
for Ireland. (Hear, hear.) He, however, maintained that
the present condition of Ireland was a blot on the Crown
and a scandal on the civilisation of the country.
Mr. ROEBUCK wished to know what had induced the
hon. member for Birmingham to deliver the speech he
had just delivered himself of. Was it for the pur-
pose of smoothing or conciliating the present condition
—(hear, hear)—because if such had been his intention
he (Mr. Roebuck) must say he had missed his mark. (Loud
cries of "Hear, hear.") The hon. member had taken the
opportunity to find fault with everything that had been
done for Ireland for the last twenty_ years, but
he did not agree with him in such a statement.
Every matter brought forward for the amelioration
of the condition of Ireland had always been most atten-
tively and carefully considered—(hear, hoar)—but one
thing the hon. gentleman for Birmingham had not done