The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-24 00:00:00

Irae

PATERA A. L PARLIAMENT.

'HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 9S.

Earl Cmvper took the Oaths and his Seat.
Sir A. Grant, Sir WilliaM Ingilby, and others from the House
of Conimons, brought up the Duke and Duchess of Clarence-An-
nuity Bill, and three private Bills.. Read a first time.
CATHOLIC- CLAIMS.
Petitions against any further Concessions to the Roman Ca-
tholics were presented by the Bishop of Chichester from the
Archdeacon and Clergy of Chichester ; from the Protestants
of a certain parish in the County of Monaghan, by the Bishop
of Clogher ; from the parishes of St. Andrew's and St. Mary's,
Canterbury, by the Archbishop of Canterbury ; and from
St. Paul's Cray, Kent, by the Earl of Shaftesbury.—Laid on
the table.
Lord KING had, some petitions to present from
persons who describe themselves as belonging to the most wretch-
ed the moat oppressed, and the most ill-used country in the world
—he meant the Catholics of Ireland. He did not see that any
hope was now left to them fur the removal of their grievances,
after what had recently occurred. The Noble and Learned Lord
on the Woolsack stated on, a former night, that this House had
repeatedly rejected every proposition that was brought forward in
their favour, ald the other House, by one sweeping vote, had
come to the determination of not even listening to. their claims.
He was told, however, that under these circumstances, harmony
and stood-will still existed in Ireland. Yea, there was in Ireland
as much harmony end good-will as there was between oil and vi-
negar, for the landlord was set against the tenant, the population
against the property, and the Parson against the Priest. In the
present state of things in that un'ortunate country, no one could
say what was to be done. If he might use a Cromwellian phrase
he should like to see what was the " instrument of Government"
in that country. Louis XIV. would have made an excellent
Grand Master of Orange Lodges in France, for, with him, cannon
was the ultima ratio regum—so in Ireland cannon was the ulti-
ma ratio of Protestant Ascendancy- The first petition which he
should present was from the Catholics of Wexford, against the
Select Vestries Act. He would ask their Lordships only to con-
sider in what a happy state that country must be where the Ca-
tho►ics said that the Protestants professed a jobbing religion,
while the Protestants retorted and said that the religion of the
Catholics was idolatrous.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM, though he gave
the Noble Lord the, fullest credit for sincerity as a friend to the
Catholic cause, yet could not approve of the manner in which he
presented those petitions. Nothing was so much calculat.,l to
defeat the object he had in view as to draw invidious distinctions
between the people in Ireland. He could never sit there and hear
it stated that no hope remained to the Catholics. On the con •
trary, he was convinced that every hope remained for them, and
that ti—ir claims must, at no distant day, he conceded.
Lord KING said he had not stated any thing with
regard to the hopes of the Catholics ; all he had said was, that he
entertained no hope whatever of their cause. If he looked to the
late decision of the other House, he should find it far less conciliat-
ing than any thing that had fallen from hint on this subject. The
Noble Lord then presented petitions from the Catholics of different
parts of the county of Wexford, praying for Emancipation.—Laid
on the table.