The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-09 00:00:00

the promises which had been made at the time
of the union, that Ireland should be placed upon
an equality with England—(Hear, hear)—that she should
be governed upon the same principles—(Hear, hear)—
and should enjoy the same rights and privileges.—
(Cheers.) Let them show to the Irish people that it was
their determination to redeem the pledges given at the
time of the union. Such a plan would not assist the
cause of the repeal of the union ; on the contrary, he
thought it would give a deathblow to that agitation
to give the people of Ireland fully, fairly, and entirely,
those privileges which they themselves had solemnly
promised to them.—(Cheers.) If such were their deter-
mination, whatever opinion might be given by the House
of Lords, or the Judges, on the judicial questions which
had been placed before them, her Majesty's Government
could exhibit no better symptom of their policy, could give
no better evidence of their intention to carry those en-
larged views into effect than by using the prerogative of
the Crown for the purpose of at once discharging Mr.
O'Connell and his fellow-prisoners.—(Loud cheers,
which drowned the remainder of the sentence.) Sup-
posing the Government to be legally right as they
said they were, still, as a question of State
policy, no better step could be taken. (Loud
cheers.) It would be well for them to reflect what
view was taken by the people of Ireland with re-
spect to the course of Mr. O'Connell during the last few
years. They should remember that he was the man
who had by great exertions obtained for his fellow sub-
jects those constitutional rights and privileges which
they now enjoyed, and that he had by those exertions
earned their gratitude and confidence—(" Hear, hear,"
from:Mr. Sheil)—which he would continue to enjoy as
long as he lived--(Loud cheers)---that he was
now sixty-nine years of age and must be ap-
proaching to the close of his political career.
They had declared their wish to vindicate the law—the
law had decided in their favour. They should not seek
anything like a vindictive punishment.—(Loud cheers.)
By discharging Mr. O'Connell they would not be show-
ing any weakness; they would not even be deserting the
policy which they themselves had pursued, but they
would be showing to the people of Ireland a disposition to
govern them in a proper spirit. If they wished the
measures which they intended to propose for the benefit
of Ireland to be received favourably, they should not
only have the laws appearing upon the statute book,
but they should endeavour, as a matter of paramount
importance, to secure the affections of the Irish people.
—(Cheers.) The opportunity of doing that was now in
their hands, and although by doing that they would lose
the support of persons who could hardly now be called
their supporters, but who when they first came into
power had supported them in the hope that the oppres-
sions of the olden time might be revived, yet he would
not think so meanly of the Right Hon. Gentleman—he
would not entertain so low an opinion of him as to
imagine that for the sake of their support lie would do
anything that was unjust, or abstain from doing anything
which he thought was just.—(Loud cheers.) Then
with regard to our foreign relations, he knew that was a
delicate subject,:and he hoped that nothing he should
say would deprive the Government of any means of
negotiation which they had in their hands. The
conduct of those negotiations required the union of great
firmness with great moderation. He did not impute to the
Government that they would be wanting in either of those
qualifications. The utmost exercises of both those quali-
fications was required. He had heard with satisfaction
what had fallen from the Right Hon. Gentlemen with re-
gard to the hostilities in Morocco—that he was inclined
to follow up the policy of the late Government, which,
while it admitted the settlement of France in Algiers,
protested against her being permitted to extend
her possessions either in Tunis or Morocco.
The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated that he was
aware that British interests were involved in the welfare
of an ally that had always been faithful to us, and whose
country bordered on our own possessions. The Right
Hon. Gentleman had also alluded to another subject—a
subject of great importance, which, although it affected
only a small portion of the globe, affected our na-
tional honour. The Right Honourable Gentleman
declared that a gross outrage had been offered to a
British subject, and that he expected the French Go-
vernment would give that reparation which he thought
this country was entitled to require. He would not ask
for a word more on the subject. He was satisfied with
those pledges which when Parliament met again he
should expect to see fulfilled. But at the same
time, he must say, that with the exception of the
autumn of 1830, just after the French and Belgian revo-
lutions, and the autumn of 1840, just after the opera-
tions in Syria, since the peace of 1815 our foreign re-
lations had never been in a state to require so much
anxiety. But if such were the case, it was
the more necessary that we should have every
element of strength for the defence of the
country completely at our disposal.— (Cheers.) lie was
not now alluding to the state of the navy, in which he
retained the opinions which he had formerly ex-
pressed, neither was he alluding to the military
forces; but he thought that there was another
element of strength which ought not to be ne-
glected—internal union.—(Loud cheers.) The people of
the three kingdoms ought to be bound together by bonds
of affection, and whatever might be the means used to
obtain that desirable object, no time ought to be lost in
increasing that union—(Cheers)—and in strengthening
that affection—(Cheers)—so as to make this country,
while she is an object of respect to all men, whose
opinion was worth having in every part of Europe, like-
wise an object of fear to all those ill• disposed spirits who
sought in war a vent to their evil feelings and bad passions.
There was another topic on which he wished to say a
few words—that was the condition of the people of Eng-
land. He heard from day to day, and from time to time,
of the inadequate means the people had to support them-
selves. If they took a general view of the subject, it was
impossible not to see thatq the labouring classes had not
advanced in proportion to other classes. The higher
class and the middle class had increased, but the labour-
ing classes had not done so. Unless the Go-
vernment, next session, should propose some
comprehensive measure, he should feel it
to be his imperative duty to ask the House to consent
to some measure, or to go into a Committee with respect
to the condition of the middle classes. It was no use
attempting to give alms : what they should do was to
do all in their power to give to the working classes
a far day's wages for a fair day's work. In the
agricultural districts there had been a great in-
crease of the county rates since the war; in dealing
with any surplus revenue, he thought the Government
might give the agriculturists relief in this direction.
There was another subject which had been discussed
last session, but had not been brought forward in the
present one by his Hon. and Learned Friend the Member
for Liskeard—that was the question of emigration.
There were difficulties connected with this subject, but
he considered with regard to certain localities, that emi-
gration, promoted by the Government, in some
instances, in conjunction with the companies al-
ready formed; in others, in conjunction with the
large proprietors of land, would be of essential service
to the working classes. lie trusted this was a subject
which would not escape the attention of her Majesty's
Government ; he did not think that the present system
was all that could be desired on this subject ; much re-
mained still to be done. He had thus mentioned some
of the topics which, in the present state of the country,
be thought were well deserving the consideration
of that House. He had already said he would not refer
to the various measures which had been brought for-
ward during the present session, a great number of
which had been withdrawn. But there was one sub-
ject which ought not to be omitted from their
consideration—that was, the length of time that
was suffered to elapse at the commencement
of the Session without fowarding measures at all,
which were afterwards passed in a great:hurry at the end
of it. If the House were to attend to measures of Le-
gislation, surely some means might be found of bringing
forward those measures during an early part of
the session. Formerly it was the practice to send up
a great number of Bills to the other House at the
end of the session, when the Peers could not discuss
them ; but now the evil was extended to both Houses.
So important a measure as the Poor-law Bill was sent
up from this House when there was no time for the other
House to consider it ; but on the other hand many mea-
sures had come down from the House of Peers when
there were scarcely forty Members here to discuss their
provisions. Circumstances had prevented his attending
the House in the later part of the session ; but he did
not think it could be expected, after four or five months'
attendance in Parliament, Members would remain, in
order to go minutely into these late measures of legis-
lation. He would say more—he did not think that a
very prolonged session was at all advantageous to the
country. He thought that many Members of Parlia-
ment did more for the advantage of the country by at-
tending to local interests than by a late attendance in
that House. He had now concluded his observations,
which he had offered, he hoped in no party spirit and
from no party hostility to lion. Gentlemen opposite.
His views differed from theirs on many subjects, but
still there were questions on which they might agree,
and by which the interests of the people might be pro-
moted, and he had thought it right to state some of
these questions, and the manner in which he thought
they ought to be treated.
A message from the Lords here brought down their
Lordships' assent to several Bills and amendments.
Sir R. PEEL said that the speech made by the Noble
Lord was so divested of yarty spirit—(Hear, hear)—
in his observations he attributed so little of blame to
the Government, that he (Sir Robert Peel) was
relieved from the necessity of making any ob-
servations in reply, in a spirit different from
that which characterised the speech of the Noble Lord.
The Noble Lord said be was content to leave the ques-
tions connected with the foreign policy of the country,
which were now pending, in the hands of the Govern-
ment, and he did not call on this occasion for any re-
newed declarations on the part of her Majesty's Govern-
ment, or seek an expression of opinion which might by
possibility of prejudice their endeavours to maintain
peace consistently with the honour and interests of the
country. In some of the observations made by the
Noble Lord he entirely concurred. He thought that
there was great public disadvantage in the extreme
length to which the seesion of Parliament extended ;
their first duty to the public was to perform those duties
which devolved upon them as Members of Parliament, but
still there were few Members who had not important du-
ties connected with the general administration of the law
throughout the country, and their severance froas those
duties was attended with great public inconvenience. In
the writings of Mr. Burke, in reference to the French re-
volution, if he recollected aright, he depre-
cated a proposition then made to devote a consi-
derable portion of the year to the performance
of legislative duties, and he urged the great inconvenience
whic there would be in enjoining upon legislative bo-
dies a constant attendance to Parliamentary duties ; and
he thought that that portion of time which might be
devoted to the performance of local duties would qualify
them better for the discharge of their legislative functions.
They were then sitting in the middle of August • yet
it was impossible not to see that in the latter pert Of the