The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-13 00:00:00

an understanding that the meaetile of conciliation was to
follow, he would not give it his support ; for though there
were many objections to the existence of such a body as
the Catholic Association, he would never vote against it,
unless in conjunction with, or under the assurance of, a
measure of concession, believing as he did that concession
was essential to the peace and security of the country. In
this view of the casee he gave great credit to Ministers for
the course which they proposed to pursue. Any measure
having for its object the relief or tranquillity of Ireland,
must be wholly inoperative, unless it was to be accompa-
nied or immediately tollowed by the .great measure of con-
cession to the Roman Catholics. He had little further to
offer on the part of the subject then before the House.
There was, indeed, nothing in it to grapple with—there
was no opposition; for every Member who yet spoke
seemed to be of one opinion with respect to it. As to the
measure to be brought forward, he did trust and hope that
it would be brought forward in a manner which would
give content and satisfaction ; for unless it was one of that
description, the very mooting of it would be productive of
dangerous consequencee.—(Hear.)—He trusted, therefore,
that in that House and the other House of Parliament the
measure would be carried through in a manner to give
satisfaction to every reasonable Protestant and every rea-
sonable Catholic. For himself he would be perfectly sa-
tisfied with a simple repeal of the penal statutes; but being
convinced that there were prejudices in the minds of many
though he did not partake in them, he thought they ought
to be conciliated by every reasonable concession, so as not
to trench on the general principle of the measure itself.—
With this feeling he hoped the whole measure would be
such as to give satisfaction to all parties, he meant all rea- ,
sonahle men, for he knew there were some to whom no
modification of the principle of concession would be satis-
factory. As much had been said 'of the personal feelings
of individuals on this occasion, lie felt it due to his Right
Hon. Friend (Mr. Peel) to state that lie rejoiced at the
course which he had adopted. He conceived that that
course was not a dereliction of any principles he had held,
when be made the manly adalission that be was influenced
by his preference of actual safety to contingent danger.—.
His Right Hon. Friend had . not renounced the opinion
that there was some danger; and in preferring the contin-
gency of that danger to the risk of present security, and
retaining office with that avowal, he conceived that he
acted a most manly, honourable, and unselfish part—
(hear)—a part which must tend to raise his character and
influence in the House and the country, infinitely more than
if lie had slunk from office rather than avow the change in
his opinion. For that opinion lie was responsible to no
man. It was one which he formed after due deliberation
in the faithful discharge of the-duty he owed to his Sove-
reign and the people. (Hear.) When he (Mr. W.
Horton) heard several Members declare their intention of
opposing in every stage the intended measure of Ministers,
founded on ehe recommendation from the Throne, he on
his part felt it necessary to declare, that be would be ready
to give to Ministers his most cordial support, conceiving as
he did that they were entitled to the commendation and
gratitude of every well-ineaning man in the country.—
(Hear.)—They were entitled to tho confidence of the
House and the country, for the opportunity they had
afforded Parliament of coming to the consideration of this
most important question. •All*who duly weighed the vast
interest connected with this important question, must, he
thought, come to the same conclusion, unless, indeed, they
were prepated to adopt the terrible alternative, and declare
at once that the question should never be settled.
Mr S. RICE said, that when the House recollected
the conduct which he had pursued when a question for
the suppression of the Catholic Association was before the
House on a former occasion, and the obstinacy, as some
might think it, with*WhiCh he opposed it, he trusted that
they would indulge him felt It short time, while he briefly
stated his reason for no* assenting to the Bill for putting
it down. His motive for this assent did not arise from
change in his opinions as to the Association itself, or as to
the conduct of any of the individuals connected with it;
for be thought that- every effort, that they as a body, or
any of the individuals composing it, could make, even to
the risk of exciting apprehension and alarm, in order to
make their grievances known from one end of the king-
dom to the other, was justified by the very existence of
those grievances ; and as long as those grievances re-
mained unredressed,. Ewe had no right to put that body
down. • He meant that no interference for the purpose of
suppressing them could be justifiable, unless connected
with some measure for the removal of the grievances out
of which their existence:- had grown. The measure now
before the House he looked upon, and in that view only it.
had his assent, as preliminary to the greater and more ine.
portant one of contession and conciliation. His Hon.
Friend, the Member for Westminster (Mr. Ilobbouse),
seemed to .entertain some apprehension as to passing this
Bill, as if he thought that it might not be followed by one
of concession. He (Mr. S. Rice) had no such apprehen-
sion, for if no such measure were to be carried, the Go-
vernment must know "that this Bill would be only as so.
much waste paper. Htewould stake his life on the fact,
that in such case it wotild be impassible ever to carry this
Bill into operation.—(Hear, hear.)—lt would be of no
use, for there was not a doubt, that if the grievances were
allowed to remain unredressed, they would find some mode
of expression, and probably a more dangerous mode than
! any which had yet 'been adopted. As to the Bill.
itself, though for the reasons he had stated he would
not object to it, yet-• he could wish that the pre-
amble had been differently worded, and that there
should not be such a reference back to the past actions
of the Association. Such references could now be of no
use, and they would onlyetend. to excite unpleasant and
perhaps irritable feelings' fpr, let it be understood, that
one great object for which 'they were at that moment legis-
lating bad been already achieved. At the moment be was
addressing the House he had reason to believe that the As-
sociation was dissolved fur • ever.—(Hear, hear.)—That
step, he was informed, was already taken—(hear,
and taken at the recommendation of the Catholic hierarchy
of Ireland. That body, of whom so much had been said
had, in a recent meeting at Dublin, earnestly recommended
to the Laity to rely with confidence in the promise held
out, or implied in the Speech from the Throne, and receive
its glad tidings with gratitude ; and it appeared that the
Catholic Association, relying on the hopes held out, had
been dissolved. This confidence of the Catholics in the
promises and good faith of the Government, vas highly ho-
nourable to both parties. The Bill before the House he
considered as a vote of confidence in Ministers. He knew
not what the particular character of the intended measure
would be, but. he took it for granted that it would be such
as they all—he meant all who saw the justice and policy of
concession—would approve. He must own that he had
in the first instance felt some difficulty on the subject of
the penalties, but be was quite satisfied with the explana-
tions given by the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Peel), for
it )would be absurd to suppose that it could be intended to
put down permanently a temporary measure. However,
they were legislating for what no longer existed ; and he
trusted, that in the farther progress of this measure, every
allusion which could tend to irritate would be avoided.
Re was, in the abstract, not friendly to assemblies or clubs
similar to that ; and he was glad that all cause for their ex-
istence was about to be removed. On this subject he
would beg leave to read to the Rouge an authority which
would be considered as of much weight on matters
where freedom of discussion was concerned. The ex-
tract which I,e begged to read was from the farewell ad-
dress of President Washington. Speaking of party as-
sociations, that great man said—" All combinations and
associations, under whatever plausible 'charaett4e with the
real design to direct, control, counteract; or awe the re-
gular deliberation and action of the constituted authori-
ties, are destructive of the fundamental principles of go-
vernment, and are of fatal tendency. They serve to orga-
nize faction, to give to it au artificial and extraordi-
nary force,—to put in the place of the delegated will of the
nation the will of a patty,—often -a small bnt active and
enterprising minority of the community, and wording to the
alternate triumphs of different parties to make the public ad-
ministration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incengru-
OUR projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent
and wholesome plans digested by common councils and
modified by mutual interests." This was the opinion of a
republican, and the sentiments of that good man would
not,be lost on the advocates of freedom. In Ireland he
was sure we should no more hear of Catholic Associations,
ani if other associations, as well as those of the Catho-
lics, were brought within the operation of this Bill, the
people in general would look to the influence of the law,
rather than to clubs or parties for protection. He had eio
doubt, that in the spirit in which this measure was brought
forward, its pou•erswhencver
The Hon.calledintAolt:lleibreartiotniiewnouldbe temperately exercised.
re-
ferred to that part of the Bill which empowered the Lord-
Lieutenant to suppress the meeting of any association, as-
sembly, or body of persons in Ireland, which he shall
deem to be dangerous to the peace or safety or due adminis-
tration of the law, and expressed a hope that the power
thus conferred would be equally extended to all. In this
way 'it would he productive of the restoration of peace
and tranquillity, followedisieuopifipadocroatuiltrsuodetehdaes.
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hhmee
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passed
measure
iettogaawvvoheuichldhishave the effect of neutralizing the
objections of many to .the more important measure.
• Mt. HUME expressed his assent to the Bill, with the
understanding that it was 'to be accompanied or followed
immediately by a measure of concession. At the same
time he mutt protest against what had fallen from his Hon.