The Sun.
London, England, 1810-05-31 00:00:00

IRISH INSURRECTION ACT, &c.

Mr. 'WELLESLEY POLE said, that he rose in con- 1
sequence of the niaticehe had given on Monday, to
move for leave to bring ini a Bill to repeal the Irish
Insurretlion A&. The House- would recolle& that -
that Aa was brought in soon. after 11te, Duke of
Richmond was appointed Lord Lieutenant cif Ire-
land, in the year 1807, 'and was only a continuation 111
of the.Aa of 1797, with certain modifications. It
wasstated, when the A& 0f,1807 was brought in,
that such had been the state bf Ireland during the
Lord Lieutenancy of the. Duke of Bedford, that the
Gdvernment of that.. day did not think they would
be justified in undertaking to secure the tranquility
of that country, ..unless they were armed with the
powers of the Insurreaion Bill ;:and that according-
ly a Bill was prepared, though not 'brought into
Parliament before his b'race went out of office.
[Mr. Ponsonby said across the table, that the Right.
Honourable Gentleman was not correct.] Mr. Pole
said, that he might be mistaken, but he under Stood
that when the Duke of Richmond succeeded to the
office of Lord Lieut. Lord "Wellington 'foundsthe Bill
already framed in the office by the former Govern-
ment: But however, that faet may be, he only
meant to say, that from • the period of 1796, when
the Bill was originally passed, to• 1807, when the
Al now in existence, which was brought in to con-
tinue it, the different Governments of Ireland • felt
that they could insere the tranquility - of that
Country without having in their handS such a dor-
mant power as this Bill afforded. Those Govern-
'nrents, in his opinion, aaed wisely, because, under
the circumstances of the times, it was necessary that
they should be vested with such a power in case of
any great emergency' But he thought it'right. to •
. state, • that so anxious were all the Governments of
Ireland to give the people all the benefit of the Con-
stitution, that. from the time of Lord Hardwicke's
Lord 'Lieutenancy to the present moment, this Bill
had never been resorted to. During Lord Hard.-
wicke's Government it had been put in force in one
.or two instances, but not-once during the Govern-
ments of the Dukes of Bedford and Richmond. He
did not mean
.to say that because the A& had not
peen enforced, it was not necessary that it should •
have remained upon the Statute Book, for the vcry
Circutnstaneeof its being there was perhaps the cause
of the degree of tranquility that prevailed ; but dur-
ing the period to which he had alluded it had been
found necessary to app,iint Special Commissioners,
in consequence of temporary disturbances. He also
thought it necessary to state, that instances had oe-
curied during the period alluded tu, in which 'appli-
cations had.been"made by several .lelitlemen to put
the Aa in force, and to proclaim it in ditferent parts
of the country in which disturbances hod prevailed ,•
but Government had always resisted Wok- applica=
tions; they had caused iovestig4tiohs to be tuad,

and had found that they could restore public traria
-quility without having recourse to this Act. - The
AO ,now in existence was passed, as he had--already
stated, in 1807, and would expire, at the close of
the present. Session of Parliament,it therefore be-
came the duty of tire Irish Government to investi-
gate the state of the country, in order to ascertain
whether they could, with a due regard to the pnb-
lic safety, and with justice to the loyal and well dis;
posed people of Ireland, determine out to renew the
Aa. - He felt the Most sincere pleasure in stating
that the Government of Ireland, after the fullest
consideration they could give the subjea, had felt
themselves justified in coining to the conclusion, that
the continuance of the oka was not, under the pre-
sent circumstances, necessary. Many representa-
tions had certainly been made to the Irish Govern-
ment upon this subjea from loyal and well dis-
pcsed oersoosO who thought it was running a great
risque to repeal this ad,' but he thought that the Go-
vernment havitmg,'upon due consideration, -come to
the conclusion, which he had mentioned, they ought
not to shrink 'from the responsdaility that would ne-
ce,sarily belong 'to them for carrying that resolution
into effect. Nothing' certainly but time most urgent
necessity could justify the
.enaating suoli a law, but
that that necessity had 'existed, experience had' fully
manifested. He was happy however to state that such
was the tranquility
.which prevailed in Ire land,
and such wis :the improvememit in civii!zal ion
'Which had taken plkee, 1110. the
,Gov,.;-nruent felt
that it could proceed.. on safely withoa•
the Con-
tinuance of thislaW: No-lover of the Constitution'
could wish to see'suclo a law porno the Statete-book,
unless the circumstances of the times rendered it
inciispeusably necessary. 'The Aet in question, how-
ever, in addition to tiotm part. of 11 which might
'properly becalled the Itisurrettion Ad, contained
some prov:Sions to w.hic/i he begged to call the at-
tention of the House, because, in ,h;s opinion,, it
would be proper to re-:enact them., The provisions
to which he alluded, and:which he thought ought to
be made perrnanenti. were those which punished
the taking and administering of unlawful oaths, aod,
which were consonant to time A. a of thq 37th of the;
King, in this country; they made the administering
or taking of unlawful oathS- a felony, punishable with
transportation, unless, in the latter case, the person
took the oath ignorantly. There'were other pro-
visions in this Act (Which perhaps ought to have
formed a separate Aa) for protecting witnesses and
magistrates : they eniaed that it any person gave
tit-0=360n; and should be murdered before the
trial came on, that the information should be, receiv-
ed 'as evidence, on the trial, or if, a person so
giving information, was secreted before the trial, and
kept out of the way, and it should appear upon. in-
quiry that he. was secreted by the person accused,
then that his information might be usod in the same
Way. They also gave powers to the Grand Juries too
levy a sum of money, to be paid to the representa•O
tines of any witness or magistrate- murdered under
these circumstances. He, hoped there would be no
ohjeation to the re-enaament of those provisions in
the Bill which- lie proposed.to bring in. There w.is
another At which was brought in at the same time
with the present Insurrection A&, and which had
caused much discussion 'in that House; he meant
what was called the Aims At. He believed-that
every Gentleman would admit that the provisions
for registering of arms should not be given up, and
that time power of searching for arms should exist
sinnewhere.- Bur the Ad, as it at present stod,
was liable to great objeaions, which he propos-
ed to obviate: By the Act as it now stood any
two Magistrates might upon suspicion .Se3teiii the
house of any individcal for arms at any hour, and
one Magistrate might upon information, search in
the same manner, or delegate a power to another
person to make the search It appeared to hint that
this -act might be so modified as to remove
these ohjeations, and to prevents its trenching
upon the liberty of time subjea more than the abso-
lute necessity of time case required. .He shialld pro-
pose that Imo Magistrate or number of i\lzgistrates,
should have time power to search except upon infor—
mation on oath, or that' they had such ground Of
suspicion as might make it desirable to seitrch a dis-
triet for arms, and that in that case they Should send
their information to Government; in order that it
might determine whether the search shoiald be made
or not. If Government *should determine that a
search ought to be made, then he should propoae
.that a warrant should be sent by the Lord Lieute-
nant authorising and directing such st-arch. This
provision would, in his opinion, be suffiOent to guard
the subjea from any wanton exercise of authority.
He was afraid, however, that one groat objection
would be made to it, viz. that by the delay which it
would occasion, the opportunity of ply:venting the
mischief might be lost. He did not, hOwever, think
that the, delay wouldbe so great as to pt event a suf7
fiCient-search from being made, and he trusted that
the law was not so weak that could rertmedy,any evil
that might restmlohorn the adoption of the measure_
which he should propose. He Was convinced that the
advantages which would result from 'sheaving the
people that Government determined to give them as
much liberty as possible, consistently with these
precautions, which Were necessary for the geneial
safety,would more than counter=balance any evil that
might result-from this provision. Timentt was another
part of the Insurree.ion At which he proposed to
alter,,by that Act as it now stood;. if arty person cons
ceiving himself injured by the aEt of a Magistrate
should apply to the law for redress, and time jury
should give a v-erdi& in favour, the ;fudge had the
power of declaring (if the faas of the-case appeared
to him to warrant'him in, so doing), that the. Magis-
trate had a justifiable cause for who t he had done,
and in that case the person suing, although the
,fury
had found in his favour, was .only entitled to six-
pence dam Iges, and no costs. But if the jury found
in favour of the Magistrate he was entitled to treble
costs. This clause was he had no doubt very neces-
sary when it was enacted, but the tmecerssity of it did
not appear to him any longer to exist, he should pro-
pose to repeal it and ih future to 'place both parties
oii an equal footing. Inthe present improved stale
of the country lie did not think it required such
strciag measures for the proteaion,,of Magistrthes.—
It not appear to him nece,so.ry to occupy any
more 'of the time of the Hause ot,,present,' but he
vois ready -to give any explanation which Gentle-
men might require.- He-should therefore sit clown,
declaring that he never-in his felt more pleasure
that) whet] -he had an opportunity of making up his
mind under the.mild and beneficent directions of the

. ,
. , .
. . ~
. . .
Duke Of Tliehmond, to relieve the people c frel4nd
from the InsurreetiOn Law, even though that Law
had not M any recent period been carried into exe-
cution. Icir. Pole then moved for leave to bring in
the Mils.

Mr. HUTCHINSON took the opportunity of .thank-
ing the Right Hon. Gentlernan and the Government
of Ireland, for _their measure, which was founded
in wisdom ; he hailed with joy the spirit of putting
reliance in the people, and of treating them with
candour ; be was sure the House would feel the
.greatest gratification at the various statements which

hid. been made.
Mr. PONSONRY believed.that the Bill itself W-ould
expire this Session, so the Hon. Gentleman's mo-
tion was but an anticipation of this event. With
vspeal to his statements of the Duke of Bedford's
Government, he was perfectly mistaken.
Mr. M. FrfZGER ALD gave his hearty concurrence
to the motion of the Right Hon. Gentleman; but he
wished to know whether the Atis which he proposed

to bring in were to be permanent.
Mr. W. Pore replied, that- lie meant to propose
the Bill for altering the Arms Ad should continue
only for two years, and the other to be permanent.
Sir J. NBWPORT. congratulat.ed • the .House and
this country. on the present state of Ireland ; he-was
sorry these measures were not 'resorted to t!efore, as
Ireland deserves all the benefits which British , laws
and the British Constitution Zan hestoW„
Leave was then granted to bring in he Bills
which were brought np by Mr. W. Pole.—They
were read a first time, and ordered to be readd-a
second time to-morrow. •. _ _ _

A Message from the Lirrds announced their assent,
to the Oil of Vitricl Bill, and the Itish Infirmary

Bill, and the Irish Wareb(!using Bi!liwithout any
amendment—The. Surveyor Generors Bill, with

amend,lients. - •
Mr; M. FITZGERALD obtained leave to brinap in a
Bill for amending so much of the 6.h Aet of hiS
present Majesty as relates to the planting of timber
trees in Ireland.

Oti the motion of Mr. FOSTER, the House went
into a Committee to consider the coirtrad -between
Lord Ormond. tind the Irish Government. It was

resolve(' that —the House_ should be moved for leave
to bring in a Bill to confirm. the said contra&. The
House resumed, upon which Mr.
_LUSHINGTON,

after a few observations from Sir J. NEwpoET ob-

tained leave.

• COMMITTEE OF WAYS'AND MEANS.
IRISH BUD'GF.T.
The House resolved into. Committee of -Ways
and•Meaas, Mr. LUSIIINGTON in the Chair.
Mr. FOSTER I rase and said, that it was his duty on
that day to submit to the consideration of, the Com-
mittee the amount of the suepl:es voted, and the Ways
and Means he proposed to recommend for the service
of the- present year Ireland. In doing thil, it
%mild be necessary :for him to state the situation
of the. finances of Ireland. The Right Bon. Gent.
then detailed the various charges. affeEting the Con.;
solidated Fund, the surplus of which he intimated
at 1,478,0001. and added that only 31 1,0001. of that
surplus remained applicable to the service of the' pre4
sent year. The total charge, including interest. and
sinking fund, on the poi)liC debt in Ireland, amounied
. to 3;974;0001.: the two seventeenths of the joint
charge of Great Britain and Ireland were 6,, I 0f3,0001.
British, or 6,614,0001. Irish currency, and the Trea-
sury Bills to be provided for amounted' to 541,0001:
making in the whole-a total of 41,129)0001. to be
provided for.
To supply this -sum; he should take the revenue
of Ireland at five 'millions. This was a large Sum ;
but when he considered that the revenue of Ire-
land had increased half a million last year, he felt
justified in taking it at that amount: If to this
sum were added the two loans which had been
contraoed for h-ere for the service of Ireland,
they would give a total of, 11,660:0001. which
would afford an excess of supply over the
amount of the charge of 51;0001. The Honourable
Gentleman then begged to call the attention of the
Committee to the state of Ireland with respeEt to its
finances. He admitted that it would be desirable,
if praetitable, to raise as .much of the supplieS
as possible ithin the year :. but as Ireland had
but small capital, and-was increasing in her mann-
fadures, such a measure might have the-effect
of repressing the spirit which led to the im-
provemeet and growing progress or. manufactures
in Ireland. The Committee would therefore agree
with him, that it would be desirable to resort to
the mode of meeting the supply by loans,' and pror
viding by tuxes for the interest and sinking-fund only.
The sum necessary to be provided' in the present
year was 3,331,0001. It was with great sails-
fiCtion he had to state, that though the charge upon
the revenue had increased, yet -the revenue had in-
creased in a higher proportion, The excess of the
debt in the present year over its amount in 'lBO2, was
less in proportion than the excess of the xevenue at
present over the amount of the revenue in the year
1802. The sinking fund, too, which, at its first esta-
blishment in 1797, was only one-hundredth part of
the debt, was at present one-seven part of it. Besides,
.there was no unfunded debt, with the exception of
114,0001. treasury bills, which accompanied ' the
loan this year. The exports and imports, if they had
not increased, had certainly not in any
_consider-
able degree decreased. The exporlof linen had dee
creased 400,0001. but that defiwiency had been made,
tip for by an
,increase upon different other articles.
Hides and skinS, and linen, and. worsted yard hadde-
creased in the exports, which was,a proof of the in-
creasing prosperity of the country, 'when the Yaw
materials were kept to be inanufaEtured in the
country. The.export of corn had never been so large
as last year; and the quantity of ground tilled thisyear
afforded, in the event of a favourable"season, a
prospect of an abundant crop, a source of wealth to
that country, and a necessary supply to this. In ad-
verting to the state of the Trade -of Ireland, he had
only stated the mere official value. The real value
of the exports would chew it in a much more satis-
fat:tory light. -The real value Of the exports in 1800
was five millions; iii 1802, a year. of peace, eight
millions' and a quarter, and on the average of 1808
and 1809, twelve millions: The'real value of 131-i-
-tish Exports'in the same years were, in 1800, forty
; in I 802, forty-eight millions ; and in
1809, forty-five millions, being an increase of one-
ninth only,whilst the exports of Ireland ead increased
full 7- laths ; so that there could be no grounds for de-
spoadence. He had next to submit to the Committee,
the Ways and Means by which he proposed to pro-

.4 t
vide for the charge of the Loan of the present yell'.
which, including Managethent, interest and sinktog
fund, was but 51. 13s. 3a. per-cent. and amounted
in the whole to 331,2691. He proposed to
late the Revenue of the Post-Office of Ireland to
that of Great Britain, by adding one penny to the.
postage of every letter, Which he estiMated woold
produce 35,0001. The duties on iea he meant tv
raie to the 'Sanie amount
_a* they existed 'in this
country, with the exception of a smal per-cenOgek
suppoic 3 per-cent,' to indemnity ,the Iri,li tor. the
expence of coining to London tlict- teas. This,,
with an addition tie proposed on cUrrants and
raisins imported into Ireland would 'produce 70,000 •
He intended to raise the stamp duties on.receipt
s
in Ireland to the same amount as in this countrYt
and the duty wadveriisements, which in this contr.
'try was three
.shillings and, in Ireland but one, M
proposed to raise to two, which he eapecied to prw.,.
duce 30,0Q01. The duties on wines he meant to
crease by adding riche guineas per ton WI port ang
:Spanish wines, and. I guineas per ton on Frenc.l2.
wines.• A f,ruinea a ton would be just one penny a g4l-:
lon, and' t g. guineas per ion would only he t 2 pence a
gallon, or. three pence a bottle this addition would
produce 1 "00,0001. .The neat item he had to pro-
pose would be matter of regulation relative to storage.
(tom which he expeded 18,0001. He bad only it'
..at:d one other augmentation of an existing tax to p'-it
the House in ,possession of the whole of •the B.N.ISYI
and Means he had. to propose ; and that was to add
50 per cent. to the window-tax in Ireland. Houscs.
having less than seven window's were exempt Iro'
the duty ; and as even with the additionthe tai
wOuld be less than %lips now_paid in Scotland,
was convinced that.no-Gentlemtn-cOuld object to it.
This he should take at 85;00ol. being rather le4
than one-halt of the. present produce of the
The general result xould tie, as the .ComindteG,
would preeive, that
.the Ways and Means he 1)01
staved, viz. .

Post Office

- ,C3b°G

Tex and Currants - -
Stinnps - • 30,,00
Wines - - iuu,Quo
kegulation'Of StJr.:s - - - 15.u0u
'Windcm Tax

Would giv'e a. total of - - ,C 33 ,000
Leaving an excess above the charge to: the Loan. He
shou;cl taut trespass further on the tithe of the C0_173:"
tnittte, but move his Resoltiti,nis.

• .Sir JOHN NEWPORT., before 'entering upon the
consideration of the new taxes, called the attentioo
of• the House to the circumstances "of Inland, •
compared with former periods:.i Hd did
order that- they might not. be deluded into s,.ft-dt;
ception ; but, being awate of the
awaited_thern, prepare to face them f isty, befoC-je
they were obliged to call you the, people of Irehr f
or England to extricate; them, by, the imposition
most grievous burthens. In Taking this colvil-
rison, he objeEled to takinthe period of tic Ijoi"11
as. a .fit criterion. The country lod then etne;g.(l
out of' the rebellion of 1 798, which had onscuie(
the'minds of men, and their .and 40.1-).e
coerce under, great temporary di•iodvantages.
fairer way was therefore to go to an ane;t,• r)r ""
• .)Lt
of tranquility, and' he would therefore ass nine t'',
79 year 14, as. one of peace, and iminediatciv betcr' '
•
,the breaking out of the French Revolution.
the corripariwit With this year, lie would s hew 0• 0
pr!)giess Ireland had a.,tna-ily, made, and rt4bot
t,State.trian:. rpght,
Iranted in looking to for the public ser+ ice. In lit',
the debt of Ireland was 1,642,84-01; of whfob

interest, 114,0001. was all paio in the Countxy•
1800, the debt had risen to 23, I 00,0001.—int''re:f
1,238,0001. of which 500,0001. was paid 011,A-4
Ireland. And in 1810, January last, the debt
iff,ooo,oool. and the interest 3,040,0001. oilt•,',l
which natuly2,soo,oool. was paid in Great 13051n-0,
In 180o,tho income was 2,760,0001. in 1-B,te
4,417,0001. and in 1810, 4,280,0001. . 'rhos
Was no proportion between the; increase of del 11e3
revenue. :The deficiency of the latter he
in a great measure to the immense' surns,expo'`,:
in the management of public money. In ge`'el•-,:i
the more the revenue increased, the proporlilre
the
,charges of management was less ; but i') tbe
land,, the reverse was the case, and the grcater ;es
revenue became, the more in proportion the char,l,4
augmented. They were now as five to t of 1'4)09
they were in 1800. The surplusses in.the
years would still more illustrate the state 011'
iD
country. In 1800, the soul-us was 1,500,41-01/A
1807, 765,0001.; in 1808, 1,017,0001. 311-00
1810, only 338,0001. Going on in this woPocuo,
if the taxes were as productive as tire` 111;bL ,erY
Gentleman supposed, but of which he was, of
doubtful, as some of them, particularly 11134" de
wine, had beenlried and *failed in 1805, ill'thd
creased revenue, they would,shottly come t()
crisis, with observing upon which he. had
.biit',,og
cfel
:what he had to offer on this occasion. WlL"ce,or
sped to the exports, he also objected to
-1800 as a criterion, as in that year, fron ll'''. le?
pression already noticed, they were one
than, in 1792. In 1792, they Were 5,817,00,4
in 1.800, only 4 million odds ; and in I
more thin 400,6001.-abOve what they were. irt
Thus standing matters, he cou'd enter inurri°C.4,
putation of Heal.., value; put on by the 195i'eLeC•
General. ' When in (Alice, he had fregoentlY 111,
different opinions from him, and totted tu"1101
judgment was not t) be ialien a
Bard. As- for taking the Dublin Fix ports as fir
terion, that seas as absufd as it would be to I '
London price of corn as the general standard wrof,;:
exportation o: that artic:e throughout the e°(3l,v,
He begged 'not to be misundel stood on Ib's
he considered Ireland as productive, beyood the;ooo'
•sanguitie hopes that/could be formed.Xi" 'l6o'
dered her to be rapidly increasing in internal cu
Lion, in trade, in enterprise,. and c itutnerce ;1116
sotnuch, that he looked to iter; in futa,ilf, tll,i
nisterteg tv the wants of this c
abundance of her produce. He had recut-01 :i,, i"
tile. measure of permitting the colsting "
corn, between the two countries ; awd ot.er Pst
had proved that it wls founded in wisdom
year, the eNpott of Ireland, indepe dent oior
grain, was, in oats alone, 782,000 qu:u ter', vrc 4tt'e!
times i!.e in-110nm of what it was in-the yea '-'lO4
Ike tl.
uus removing the barn 1805. ,t'n
this would' Mac.: the Holige :.:row £0 n'it,
4
remaining impedi;ixitts, bc.l",make tbe P 0,
`
the t v
o countries as oa depot, " iter
species mercliah
diZe, for the ;,united .11-11)•

ikidg
uuted

id to
o the

int tO

1 this

Ir. the
This,
i and
Avul!
Ceipti

miry,
COL 1'

te, 116
0 pro'
to
i'tl

i «7C,b

a g4l;

etiLe

%%Quid

prO"

p\-ic
wovs
to adda
fousCs
t i ruin

le 10
)(.1, 114.
t to it'
or 105

la);'

mlttco
Lie boid

an.

(; v lTl'

„in 4to

t
ten. ion

=lll I

L I'~
i `y

icS 11''t

bet°')
jo3

C 011)
uiC;g6-1
nseUie°

i
010
bef(jr':
140,1"