The Sun.
London, England, 1828-02-06 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 5, 1828.
The Earl of BHAFTESBURY, -as Deputy-Speaker,'
opened the House at ,half-past,three,`, and prayers having
been read by the Bishop of Carlisle, Lord Skelmersdale
(late Bootle Wilbraham, Esq.) was formally introduced
by Lords Wharncliffe and Colchester. The House then
adjourned, and met 'again at five o'clock.
The order for the Committee of Privileges to-morrow at
ten o'clock was discharged, it being agreed that the Com-
mittee should meet at two. No other business was done,
the House having adjourned immediately.

Veiy few 'lllembers, were in' attendance. The Lord
Chancellor was waiting on his Alajesty. at Windsor.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FEBRUARY 5.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at four o'clock.
Mr. TIERNF.Y took the oath and his seat.
Mr. Crater, from the Treasury, presented the Fifteenth
Report of the Commissioners appointed under the btli
George IV.
CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION.

Mr. ALEXANDER DAWSON, in presenting several

petitions from parishes in the counties of Louth and West-
meath, said that the petitioners asked for Emancipation on
the grounds that the withholding it was a gross violation of
the Treaty of Limerick, and because it was the right of every
subject of every kingdom to worship God according to. tke
dictates of his own conscience—he in common with many
others regretted that neither in the Speech from the Throne,
or in the Address from that House, was any notice taken of
the situation of Ireland, although the people of that country
were in a state of distraction. This omission of any allusion
to Ireland was accounted for in this way ; Ministers pretend
that in the most important of our domestic relations nothing
(A• the slightest interest had occurred since the last Session
of Parliament. But events of the greatest importance to
our domestic security bad in fact occurred. What could
he of more sterling importance in our domestic situation,
than that, with one accord, on the same day, four or five
millions of Irish Catholics should have assembled
for the purpose of asserting their rights. If any thing
was of importance to the British, Statesman, it was
that so large a portion of our empire should press their
demand for the privileges of freemen, smarting under
the sense that they have been long and unjustly deprived
of them. He earnestly recommended his Majesty's Mini-
Acts not to slumber on the subject under the foolish im-
pression that all was tranquillity and peace—peace could
it be called, when four millions were so assembled, and
of that four millions, one million at least were capable of
hearing arms, and men of respectability and property. Let
England have for its premier a field marshal—let every
Minister in the Cabinet be a field marshal—and the
country would be less respectable abroad and less tran-
quil at home, than if our domestic dissatisfaction were
allayed. If the House looked at our situation, they would
find the Protestant Dissenters acting as one man in pres-
Ming for relief from their disabilities. Here, then, were the
Protestant Dissenters in England, and the Catholic Dili-
ienters of Ireland, both urging. their claims on the same
principle, and on the very same ground ivhich made the
Protestants originally separate from the Church of Rome,
namely, that it was the right of every man to worship
God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and
of exercising their own private judgment. This was the
!iading which our forefathers breathed when they insisted
that all bad a right to think.anJ act upon religious subjects,
,vithout the infliction of civil disqUalifications. It was idle
ro talk of peace in the Royal speech, and of the is-
tention of his Majesty to preserve the inestimable bless-
ings of peace, when all must know that the true and
the only way to insist on peace from foreign, countries,
a was to have unity and peace at home, and Treasury
full of money. How are we now situated ? We have an
exhausted treasury, and a country not harmonized. Could
we, in such a state of things, speak to foreign countries, as
he and every independent Member of that House must
always wish ? The Hon. Member then presented several
Imtitions, which were ordered to be printed.
Mr. GEORGE LAMB presented a similar petition from
Dungarvan, county Waterford. The Honourable Member
confessed he felt somewhat disdouragtal whefihe recollected
that Right Hon. Gentleman, new in office, declared
when withdrawing from a late Government, that he could
not continue a Member of any Government, in which the.
Protestant interest was not secured by having a Minister
udavourable to the Catholic Claims at the head of the Go-
'Neinment. However, he-(Mr. Lamb) waS''convinCed that
though Catholic EMancipation miet be debyed, it could 1
not he prevented. --( Hear. )

Mr., V. FITZGERALD prevented a similar petition
from a parish in the county of Clare.--LOrdered to Le
printed.

Mr. VILLIERS STUART presented similar petitions
Prom several parishes in the county of Waterford. The
lion. Member took leave shortly to declare his Opinion On
the change whith had taken place in his Majesty's Cavern-
ment. Ilis opinion of any Government must depend on
tine measures which they would pursue with respect to the
Catholic Question. Were they the best financiers and
diplomatists in the world—were they perfect in
every thing else, and hostile to the Catholic Claims,
he should give such a Cabinet his decided oppositioti.
If he did not act so, he should disgrace himself, and de-
tleive his constituents. There were seven Ministers in the
Cabinet out of thirteen said to be in favour of the Catholic
claims; but these may have been placed there as decoys, to
seduce the friends of the Catholics to vote with the Minis-
try. It was only young birds, however, that could be
caught with such chaff. For his part, he had 'changed
places twice in the short time he was in the House, •buelle
had never changed sides ; nor he never would vote with a
Ministry composed of enemies to the Catholics, as he pre-
sumed the present' Ministry was, or else the Right Hon.
Secretary for the Horne Department would not hold a seat
in the Cabinet. .

Mr. DANIEL WHITTLE HARVEY said the Hon.
Members who represented Ireland always spoke with an
eloquence peculiarly their own on the affiirs of than, un-
happy country, but he conceived the cause which they in-
tended to serve, by putting forward Catholic Emancipation
on every occasion as the panacea for all the ills and distresses
of Ireland. No doubt Ireland was in a very distressed state ;
such was the report of every one who visited that country,
and of every writer on it ; but it was too much to say that if
Catholic Emancipation was granted, all would he harmony
and peace and happiness in that unfortunate country. He
(Mr. Harvey) was opposed to Catholic Emancipation on
principle; but if it would remove half the evils contemplated,
by the Irish Members, it should have his most strenuous
support. He would say, grant the Catholics Emancipation
by all means, but he believed, that when Irish Members
spoke of the paramount importance of Catholic Emanci-
pation they exaggerated the importance of the question,
and of the effects which a settlement of it should produce,
and in thisrespect they did an injury to the cause they advo-
cated. The Hon. Gentleman who just sat down considered the
Catholic Question of such importance that he set no value
on any effort which the Ministry should make towards
financial retrenchment. Now, it there was one subject
which be (Mr. Harvey) considered of paramount import-
„nee, it was the subject of our financial embarrassments ;
eo m w
and if the Ministry sincerely set about the work of retrench-
„-ln t they should have his cordial support. It mattered
out from shat men or from what ministry the blessing
came, he w would accept it joyfully, and he was convinced
the people of England were much more interested on this
,übject than on that of Catholic Emancipation, or indeed
on any other subject whatever.
Mr. SPRING RICE would not hear the observations
mails by the lion. Gentleman who had just sat down in
silmce. If the Irish Members wanted a mouth-piece they
would net select the Member for Colchester. They stated
!he paramount importance of Catholic Emancipation from
personal observation, and from a knowledge of the interests
.cud feelings of the people of Ireland ; and he (Mr. Spring
[lice) was willing to go to issue at any time with Hon. Gents.
on the proposition, that much of the distress which pervad.

ed Ireland was ascribable to the circumstance that Catholic

Emancipation was not granted. He offered to prove this
in argument and by evidence. He did not mean to deny,
nor did his. Hon. Friend (the Member for Waterford).
mean to deny the importance of •economy. He wished:for
' economy on a large scale--for enlightened economy. He
said make Ireland dutiful and 'loyal, grant Emancipation,'
and this would he liberal, generous, and just economy.—
(Hear, hear, hear.)—lf such a system of economy had
been pursued in 1798, England would not have needed to
have raised an army of one hundred thousand men, a force
greater than the Duke of Wellington commanded on the
Continent; nor would it have been necessary in that year -
to raise a loan of ten millions over and above the current
expenses of the year, for which-loan this country was now
called upon to pay interest. The support of an army of '
100,000 men and the loan of ten millions was the
kind. of economy which the Hon. Member for Colchester
would recommend ; but necessity fur this great army and
and this heavy loan, would have been removed if the mea-
sures recommended by him. (Mr. Spring Rice) were
adopted. From these circumstances the House would
learn to judge of the comparative, importance of the courses
advocated by him and by the Hon. Member for Colchester,
who thought only of a petty miserable economy, meaning
nothing ; and which would operate little or nothing to
the general benefit' of the country. In conclusion, he
hoped that in future the Irish Members would be allowed
to speak for themselves, and that their sentiments would
not be judged of by 'the sentiments, nor by the misrepre-
sentations, of the Hon. Member for Colchester.

Mr. VILLIERS STUART explained. He did not
mean to undervalue the importance of financial retreneh
ment, but as an Irish Member he thought Catholic Eman-
cipation was of paramount importance to that country.
The Petitions were then brought up, and ordered to be
printed. •

Sir JAMES SCARLETT presented a petition from the
gentry and other inhabitants of Peterborough, in favour of
the Air and Calder Canal.
PRIVATE BILLS.

On the motion of Mr. LITTLETON, a select com-
mittee was appointed to report to the House whether the
standing Orde•s were complied with in the case of every
private bill introduced.