The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-15 00:00:00

PUBLIC BUSINESS.

Mr. HUME wished to know from the Right Hon. Gentle-
man, the First Lord of the Treasury, when he would bring for-
ward the estimates ?

Sir R. PEEL said he proposed following the course adopted
during the last session. and would waive the right of proceeding
with Govewrmet t - ^r-iment nights, during the

'Tr. TTITME ee Supposed the e81,....►tes then vz4ul4
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Mr. THE:LA V.' ooponed till Monday the motion of
which he had given notice for a Select Committee to inquire
respecting the Duchy of Cornwall.
Mr. GIBSON also postponed his motion for a Select Com-
mittee for an inquiry into the laws relating to gaming.
The other motions on the paper were also postponed.
The Offences at Sea Bill was read a third time and passed.
STATE OF IRELAND—ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Mr. ROSS rose to move the Order of the Day for the ad-
journed debate. He said he was heartily in favour of the
propnsition of the Noble Lord (John Russell) for a Select
Committee to inquire into the causes of discontent' and dis-
affection which prevailed in Ireland. He had listened with
great attention to what fell from Honourable Gentlemen oppo-
site ; but he confessed that although he heard some intimation
of measures which were not only unobjectionable, but even
having some amount of good in them, still he had heard no-
thing from the Right Hon. Baronet, the Secretary for the Home
Department, of a disposition to remove the complicated maladies
of Ireland, or any intimation of an intention to deal out that
measure of justice which had been se long and so ear-
nestly sought.—( Hear, hear.) He thought, therefore, that
the interference of this House was more than ever essentially
necessary to the welfare of Ireland—indeed, for the safety of
the whole empire.—(Hear, hear.) So little did the Right
Hon. Gentleman seem to regard the complaints of the Irish
people—so little did he attend to their rights, that he was at
issue with the great body of the people of that country—with
the majority of their representatives, who constituted a formid-
able minority in that House—( Hear)--with a great mass of the
people of England and of Scotland, and with all the world who
are spectators, whom his policy to Ireland appeared to be in-
explicable. It must appear inexplicable and astonishing to any
foreigner who read our history, to observe that after a
connexion of six centuries, and a nominal incorporation
of forty-three years, no real union or consolidation of
interests had taken place. It must be astonishing, that with
the opinion of statesmen and of sages, in favour of a more con-
ciliatory course, with the experience of recent events as well
as of; past history, the Right Hon. Gentleman was obsti-
nately bent upon persisting in the unfortunate course, that was
calculated to fill the whole civilised world with astonishment.
The vast empire of India was governed by an attention
to its welfare; and even the late aggressions upon the
frontier were accompanied with promises of amelioration and
conciliation, but in Ireland, to this moment, no such promise
was held out. It was impossible to doubt that a proper exer-
cise of moral power would pacify Ireland in a month.—( Hear,
hear.) The Legislature of this country was absolute, and for
the tranquilization of Ireland the will alone was wanting. An
experiment was tried a year ago, and was eminently successful.
The feelings of his (Mr. Ross's) countrymen were soothed by
the impartial, just, and gentle administration of the laws.—
( Hear,' heir.) The gaols were empty —the soldiers' useless.
If the Government had continued in that course, and had en-
larged the boundaries of popular rights, the same tranquility
would have continued. It happened during that time that this
country became involved in difficulties with one of the colonies ;
and, in allusion to that subject, a Noble and Learned Lord in the
other House quoted from Mr. Fox a passage, to which he (Mr.
Ross) would refer, and which had previously been cited by a
Noble Lord in this House ( Lord Jelin Russell). He
had no doubt that the Noble Lord conceived the use made
of the quotation was more able than just.—( Hear, hear. )
The Hon. Gentleman then read an extract of a speech of Lord
Brougham's, and went on to ask where was that parental care
exhibited for Ireland, of which the Noble and Learned Lord
had spoke—whose complaints were now unheeded—whosehopes
disappointed? Were they those of the people of Ireland. And
with reepeet to the political leader of that people, Mr.
O'Connell, he must say, it was unfair to charge him with
want of sincerity in his endeavours to serve his country, The
men who were called O'kionnell's police" were appointed
in good faith to preserve peace and order at the
repeal meetings, and very successful they were in carrying
out that object. He repeated, he believed that Mr. O'Connell
was perfectly sincere, and it was a very hard thing indeed to
proceed against him by criminal prosecution for his exertions.
Had he not frequently said, that one drop of blood would be
too dear a price for any good he could obtain, and upon what
ground, he asked, would Honourable Gentlemen charge
Mr. O'Connell with being a hypocrite, and say that his
words were smoother than oil, but that his thoughts breathed
nothing but violence.—( Here the Hon. and Learned Member
for Cork (Mr. O'Connell) entered the House. His first ap-
pearance at the door was the signal for a loud and enthusiastic
burst of applause from all the Members of the Opposition, which
as well as those on the Ministerial benches were much crowded.
The cheers as the Hon. and Learned Gentleman walked
up the floor of the House, were renewed again and again, and
as he took his seat in his usual place, Mr. 'Hume and several
other Hon. Gentlemen around crowded forward, and shook
him warmly by the hand.
Mr. Ross, who was addressing the House, was then about
to resume his observations, when the applause again burst
forth, and was:continued for some seconds, when the excite-
ment ceased,

Mr. ROSS proceeded to ask; was it wise in them to treat
the man who had been received in the way in which Mr.
O'Connell was received at that moment, as they had
treated him.--Loud cheers.) They might put him in
a gaol.--( Loud cheering.) How much safer would
they be if they did so?—(Cheers.) What security would
there be if he declared ?—( Continued cheering, and cries of
Oh, oh.") He treated this as a political question. He
asked them to pursue the same course in Ireland which
they had pursued in Canada.—( Cheers, and Hear, hear. )
Had they welt considered the consequences of alienating the
Irish people. The Hon. Gentleman then referred to the
Arms Bill, the only consequence of which was that it caused
alarm and consternation in Ireland, and all parsons were
anxious to procure arms. He knew himself a clergyman
of the Established Church, who went about the country
procuring arms for the Orangemen, and large
collections of arms and ammunition were made for

them on the easy terms of paying for them by instalments.
He believed that the Noble Lord the Secretary for Ireland was

aware of this. In one place 3,000 arms had been registered.
What, then, ought to be done in such a state of things? In
the first place. he thought that the religion of the majority of
the people of Ireland ought to be scrupulously regarded. The
affections of the people ought to be cultivated, and every abuse