The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-03 00:00:00

IRISH PETITION.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY then rose to pre-
sent the petition, of which he had given notice, from
the Protestants of the north of Ireland, signed by up-
wards of fifty-thousand persons, praying for the protection
of the Established Church. He felt highly honoured in having
a petition of such vast importance entrusted to his care. It gave
him some satisfaction, after the many political disappointmer
he had felt, it might have been placed in far abler hands,
but not in the hands of those who were any better
wishers to the petitioners than himself.—(Hear, hear, hear. )
At the meeting at which the petition was got up
many excellent speeches were made, he would not now
attempt to dilate upon all the reasons that had been 10.-
duced for the getting up of the petition ; but there
were some few remarkable circumstances attending it, to
which he would call the attention of the House. A
Noble Marquis bad signed the petition who was a Mem-
ber of the Government that passed. the Reform Bill,
bnt when that noble personage found that those with whom he
was connected were pursuing a course that was likely to be
destructive to the Established Church he, to his great cre-
dit, withdrew his connection front them.--( Hear, hear. )
The Noble Marquis then referred to a letter which had been
written to the Lord Lieutenant by an Hon. Member of •the
other House (Mr. Sheil), in which he called for the
dismissal of the Marquis of Downsbire. That Noble Lord
was not dismissed. The next person whom the gentleman
alluded to bad attacked, was the humble individual then
addressing the House.--( Hear, hear.) He had only
to say that censure was all that he wanted to have from such a
quarter. He was very sorry that the Hon. Gentleman had
not been able to find some better foundation for his
censure than the false one of charging him with being the
orator of an Irish mob, and therefore unfit for the service of
his Majesty. The next name on the petition was that of a
gentleman who had signed a petition against the Reform Bill,
and on the presentation of it, the Noble Earl then at the
head of the Government (Earl Grey) though he quarre'led
with the fact of his name being to the petition, yet bore testi-
mony to the respectability of the gentleman—that gentleman was
Col. Ford, one of the best landlords in the county, and of the
utmost respectability. A great deal had been said in order
to run down the meeting ; it was said that the landlords
had got up the meeting by driving their tenants to it like
droves of sheep—to such a charge he did not think it ne-
cessary to reply further than by saying that in the county
of Down the feelings of attfthment between landlord and
tenant were very strong, and in his opinion, if it was so in
other counties, it would be much for their benefit.
At that meeting, however, there were no banners—they had
no exciting tunes—they had nothing like the procession
which had taken place a few days ago in Dublin at
which the representative of his Majesty assisted, a procession
which the Noble Viscount opposite (Melbourne) had not yet
satisfactorily shown to be of a legal character. While he was
upon that point he would take the opportunity of im-
pressing upon his Noble Friend near him (the Earl of
Roden)—of asking him most anxiously, to use his
powerful interest with the Protestants of Ireland, that on the
12th of July they might not in consequence of that proces-
sion, also have one of their own. He was certain
that his (the Earl of Roden's) influence so exerted, would
be much more powerful for good than the menaces of the
Noble Viscount opposite ( Melbourne. )—( Loud cheers. )
He remembered well that in a very eloquent speech
their Lordships were told that a Noble Marquis, who had
been of aauch service to his country in India, was about to go
to Ireland, in order to put an end to all party feeling. He was
very sorry that he was obliged to say that the policy pursued
by that Noble Marquis was the least likely to effect his object ;
though at the same time he felt obliged to say that the Noble
Marquis had been of great use to the people of Ireland,
by various measures which had been introduced under
his auspices.—( Hear.) That brought him to the taunt of
the Noble Viscount, that he had the petition in possession for
8 months. He was too honest to conceal from theNobleViscount
that he had a motive in so doing. He trusted that by pre-
senting it now he would open the eyes of his countrymen
to the most unnatural coalition which had been formed.
He therefore thought that his Majesty's Government would
do justice to Ireland, and did not feel called upon to
embarrass them by any discussion upon this subject.—
( Hear, hear.) He thought that their course would be
such as to give confidence to the Protestants of Ireland.—
If the Noble Viscount doubted him—( Viscount Melbourne :
" Not at all."—A laugh.)—When, however, he says that not
only did Mr. O'Connell nominate persons to office, but that
he sat on the Treasury Bench, saying, " we will do so and so,"
was it possible for the Protestants of Ireland not to see that
Mr. O'Connell and the Noble Viscount were one and the same?
Did they not know that the Noble Viscount's Administration
existed upon Mr. O'Connell's breath, and that if Mr. O'Connell
were to desert them they would be obliged to resign ?—( Hear. )
Mr. O'Connell himself went about town boasting that, al-
though he was not officially connected with the Government, yet
he had the legal appointments of Attorney and Solicitor- General
in his pocket.—( Hear, hear.) He (the Noble Marquis) had
heard and believed that all the law appointments in Ireland
were under the directions of Mr. O'Connell.—( Hear, hear,
from the Ministerial benches.) Noble Lords opposite might
cheer, but he still believed that to be the fact. He could as-
sure their Lordships that he had received letters from persons
in Ireland, expressive of the greatest apprehension in conse-
quence of the influence exercised by Mr. O'Connell over the
Government of that country, and who declared (what was
perfectly true) that the position of tirt behind the
scenes was more fatal to Ireland than if he had been Attor-
ney-General. The Noble Marquis then read a letter from an
individual whom he described as nossessing the very best in-
formation of the state of the public feeling in Ireland. The
writer stated—." That since the change of Government, affairs
had been materially, and for the Protestants in that country,
ruinously altered; and that he saw much greater ground to
fear the result of the secret influence which Mr. O'Connell
possessed, and would most assuredly exercise, than he did the
effects of the direct acts of the Legislature itself. Every
office would be filled by his nominees. The judgment seat
and the constabulary force would also be filled from hls ranks.