The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-27 00:00:00

hi:tainted with the real merits of the question .P That was
his objection; and it did tot in the leaSt apply to the fair
and legitimate exercise of the right of petitioning.
Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE declared 'that fie was
always ready to do ample.instige tai ihNt Imcitives of the
N,dde Lord and his Fon. triefitti; out still he must say,
that on one or tit,.c 'n'easiorat they had ath meted to cut
down tft,-• 'Apression of public opinion when in favour of
the. s.de of the question to which they were opposed. It
boys under ten years of age had been permittYl to sign the
petition presented this evening by tht.ttorr. Member for
Bristol, lie perfectly agreed with the Noble Lord, that it
was ari Myra rd eCI, incapable of justification. But the
Rouse had heard the Hon. Member fo Bristol declare,
that he did not know that itaY inch signatures had been
permitted.

Air. BEIM At expressed his surprise that it should be
consitiered that the Catholic Question was a subject fitted
fel- the consideration of learned statesmen and philosophers.
He believed that the city of Bristol contained many per-
sons as e“mpetent to jedge the merits of that question
as any individual A'sno had a seat in that House. The
petitiott had been made the subject of observations which
were by no means merited. A criticism had been made
on the numbers of the petition, founded on a census made
many years a,,;(l.—(Hear.)—ln all human probability there
were many double signatures to the petition, for indivi-
duals who were zealous, and felt strongly, might, perhaps,
have signed twice.—(A laugh. )—The criticisms which
had been made on the omission of the word " under-
signed," were, in his opinion, fit only for an inferior court
of common law.

Mr. CAVE had received a letter from Bristol, which
informed him that the petition had been sent to the county
gaol, where the signatures of forty-four malefactors were
attached to it.
Mr. H. DAVIS said that this was the first lie had heard
of the circumstance alluded to by the Hon. Member.
Lord MILTON belived that the petition spoke the sen-
timents of the city of Bristol ; but the members for that
city would allow him to remind them of a remark made
by a former representative •of Bristol. Mr. Burke said
that the people were good judges as to whether the House
of Commons were making themselves the tools of the court
or the true servants of the people ; but he added, that
" with respect to the wisdom of political measures we have
a very different criterion to judge by." He believed that
the strong feeling which prevailed in Bristol and the west
of England against the Catholic claims might be explained
by circumstances. He thought the origin of that feeling
might be traced to the cruelties practised in that part of
the country by the sanguinary instrument of a Catholic
tyrant. In the north of England the feeling against the
Catholics was not nearly so strong.
Mr. BROUGHAM considered that the petition from
Bristol fairly represented tie feelings, if not the opinions
of the majority of the people of that city ; but be also be-
lieved, that if any petitions were sent up from Sheffield,
Leeds, or other large manufacturing towns, they would
be of a different nature. He could not agree with the
Hon. Member for Bristol in thinking so tenderly of the
signatures of children, and double signatures, because be
, considered the former inadequate, and the latter something
very like a fraud.
Mr. BRIGHT denied having admitted that the signa-
tures of children were attached to the petition.
The petition was ordered to lie on the table, and to be
printed.
The Marquis of CHANDOS presented petitions against
any further concessions being granted to the Catholics
from four parishes in Berkshire; from the Corporation of
Hammermen in Glasgow; from the parishes of St. Leo-
nard and St. Peter, in the borough of Wallingford; from
the Clergy of the deanery of Lonsdale; from two parishes
in Derbyshire; from a parish in the diocess of Bangor;
from a parish in Oxfordshire; from the Clergy of the
deanery of Windermere; from the Clergy of the deanery
of Walsden ; from the Clergy of the deanery of Bucking-
ham ; from the Clergy of the deanery of Wickham ; and
from the Clergy of the deanery of Newport.
Mr. C. PALLIIER presented two petitions of a similar

nature from Cobham and another place in Snrrey.
Mr. IL MAXWELL presented eleven petitions from
different places in thecounties of Armagh, Antrim, Leitrim,
and Kildare, praying that no further concessions might be
granted to the Roman Catholics. Some of these peti-
tions also prayed that the House would institute an in-
qviry into the nature and object of the Jesuit establish•
ments in Ireland.

Mr. MOORE presented a petition from the Nobility,
Gentry, Clergy, and other Freeholders of, the county and
city of Limerick against emancipation.
Mr. LLOYD denied that the petition could be consi-
dered as speaking the sense of the county which be repre-
sented. The persons who bad signed the petition did not
constitute one-third of the Protestant inhabitants ; and in
respect to property, they did not form more thansone-
tenth of the landed proprietors. He was convinced that
many 'nary of those who were members of Branswick

Clubs would not, in the present posture of affairs, lend
themselves for the purpose of defeating an object of con-
ciliatory adjustment brought forward under the auspices of
the Noble Duke at the head of the Government, and the

right Hon. Secretary for the Home Department, in both
of whom they placed the most unlimited confidence. He
could state, from his own knowledge of the opinions
of a large number of those who composed the Bruns-
wick Ciubs, that they had not in the first instance
been formed from any feeling of hostility towards
their Catholic fellow-subjects, but merely that their
union might serve as a measure of what they considered
necessary ,lefenre against the dangers of the Catholic Asso-
ciation. In confirmation of this, he might mention, that
when a Noble Lord was solicited to accept the office of
President of the. Limerick Brunswick Club, he, with a
frankness and straightforward manliness which always cha-
racterised him, expressly declined being considered as a
member of any politic,' club, with a view of resisting the
wishes of his Majesty's Government, it they should think
it expedient to introduce a measure for the conciliatory ad-
justment of the question, which he stated he had reason to
believe was the intention of the Noble Duke at the head
of the Administration. With this reservat;on he consented
to join the Brunswick Club, who with cheers accepted him
El tl:eir president on those terms. It was then, he consi-
tiered, very difficult to believe that, after this disclaim,•,
of hostility to their Catholic fellow-subjects, they would,
after the Catholic Association was extinct, and in defiance
of the wishes of their Sovereign, use active hostility to de-
feat a measure recomnu•nded from the Throne by the una-
nimous advice of a Cabinet in which they placed unbound-
ed confidence. As to his own opinions with respect to
the contemplated measures, he had no hesitation in
Glaring, that no measure or combination of measures that
could be devised by the best friend of Ireland, could pro-
mote the race and prosperity of that country more effec-
tually than that would ; and he was cenvineed that it was
calculated above all other things to consolidate the strength
and power of the British empire.—(liesr, hear.)
Mr. TRANT had been instruc,ed to support the prayer
of the petition ; and as the lion. Member for Limerick
had alluded to a supposed alteration of opinions, in conse-
quence of the measure about to be introduced into Parlia-
ment, be might be allowed to state, that since the an-
nouncement of the intention to introduce that measure, he
had received a letter from the secretary to the Limerick
Brunswick Club, requesting him to support the prayer of
this petition to the best of his abilities.
Mr. LLOYD explained.
Mr. MOORE could also state that he had received a

letter from the secretary to this club, since the club had
become acquainted with the intentions of Government, in
which they expressed the same sentiments as before ; or if
there was any change, it was that those feelings had be•
come Stronger.
The petition was brought up and read, and after a few
words from Mr. HUME was ordered to be printed.
Mr. MOORE presented similar petitions from a large
number of the inhabitants of Drogheda ; from the Mayor,
Sheriff, and Corporation of that town; and also from
some person in Armagh, whose name did not reach us.
Ordered to be printed.
Mr. MOORE also presented a petition from Sir Charles
Waller, Bait., setting forth that the intended measure of
emancipation was not at all likely to have the effect cf
ameliorating the condition of the poor of Ireland. He
therefore prayed that the Howe would direct its attention
to the condition of the Irish poor, with a view to its im-
provement, rather than to waste its time on measures
which related only to the ambition of the Roman Catholic
ari.tocracy, to the neglect of the poor who were the real
sufferers.
Ordered to he printed.
Mr. WELLS had two petitions to pr. sent. They were
from Maidstone—one from the Minister and Congregation
of Providence Chapel, and the other from the Protestant
inhabitants of Kingstown, in Maidstone. The signatures
to the petitions from the town of Maidstone were nume-
rous, and most respectably signed, and were procured by
going from house to house. He read the petition, and said
he concurred most heartily with the sentiments the peti-
tioners expressed. It was brought forward in consequence
of the petitioners being alarmed by the desertion of those
they considered as guardians of the Protestant interest.
They therefore prayed that Parliament would not grant
further concession to the Roman Catholics, especially to
admit them into that House. Sixty Roman Catholic Mem-
bers might govern the House of Commons. He should
maintain his opinion,. and support it by his vote, though it
wad to be Witd fAcuousi bade, or infamous. Thiel he