The Sun.
London, England, 1829-03-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Mr. HOBHOUSE brought up the report of the Coln-
in:ttee on the Vestry Bill of St. Paul's, Covent-garden.
Mr. F. WILSON presented six petitions from several
parishes in Yorkshire, against further concessions to the
Catholics.
Lord A. HILL presented a petition from the county of
Down in favour of the Catholics. •
Sir J. OWEN presented eight petitions from the county
of Fernbeeke against the Catholics.
Mr. JONES presented similar petitions from parishes
in Carmarthen, and stated that it was most respectably
signed, and lied been got up by no unfair means. He op-
posed the prayer of the petition.
Mr. MUNDY presented a similar petition from Derby
anil its vicinity. It was signed by 8,867 persons, several
of where; were Comity Magistrates, and forty-three of them
Clergymen.
Lord GEORGE CAVENDISH said it was very easy to
account for the number of signatures. The petition was
divided iu fnur parts, and a part was pieced in each of four
charters of the town, and some boys had boasted of having
sigee4 eich part of it.
• Mr. MiiDY, in reply, observed that he had had no
direct communicatio; with the committee who were ap-
pointed to superintend the eigeing, but tiny were respect-
able men, end desirous of faireee: is Chu transaction.
Thee requested to put certain questions to those persons
signing cee to their knowledge of the subject, and whether
li
they bad seglite: env ether petition.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE did not find fault with the
Honourable Gentleman for deii;g his duty in present-
ing tree petition which had been put int!) his hands,
but he did eemplain of the extraordinary means which had
been taken all over the country to influence the minds of
the people against the Caeiielies. He would call the atten-
tion of the Howe to a band-bill which had been circulated
for that purpose, it was }tolled " cetholic torches," and
stated, that in the time of the Spanieli Armade be Spanish
ships contained Catholic collars, which were intentle:t to
' compress the necks, arms, and legs of Englishmen, till they
confessed where their money was hid.—( Laughter.)—
Thera were also Spanish bilboes and thimil.merews for the
sante purpose. The hand-bill concluded by admonishing
the Protestants, if they ,fished not to intrauce Catholic
collars and thumbscrews into the ceetetry again, they would
immediately sign the anti-Catholic petitiee. fle wished
tbet some of those gentlemen who were in the liab;t of
maleipg cpllections would collect as many as they could of
the inflatneureteeey prid ridiculous placards—(llear and
laughter)—whit. 7swia.c poy distributing all over the
country, in order to show the seete;4let men of other times
the means which bad been resorted to to engage the People
cf this country to support the falling cause of Ligon".
Mr. lebti:l.sDY said a few words in explanation.
Mr. H. GRATT4N said that it was quite right that
the House should know in way some of those peti-
tioaa, which were miecalled Protest:la ketieions, had been
got up. IP bed occasion a few days singe to go ;;.to a
bookseller's shop, seed observing a number of placards
on the counter, he took up ceee 9f them, which referred
to a piaci the county of Cavan, coneEning the basest
and most groueed:ees falsehoods. Howeyer much Wet con-
tempt was excited he oefered to buy a quantity of them,
but the nerson in attendance said that he could have
whatever number he pleased, free of any charge, as
those papers were published fur ,gratuitous contribution,

by the'Constitutional Tract Society. Several were made up
in.parcels for transmission to the country, one of which was
directel to Dover.—(The Hon. iMember here read several
extracts from one of the placards, the object of which was to
excite an unfavourable impression in the public mind, in re-
gard to the consideration of the Emancipation Question.)
Another of them contained a most scandalous libel on the
character of the Rev. Dr. Troy, concerning a-Commentary
on the Protestant Bible imputed to that Prelate. The
lion. Member said that he could refer the House to a de-
claration made by Dr. Troy, respecting the notes to au
exhibition of the Rhenish Testament published in the
year )562, in which he condemned the principles of
those identical Notes, and which he had already dis-
claimed upon oath. He; (Mr. Grattan) contended that
it was not in the power of the Brunswick clubs or their
vile associates, to take away the character of that venerable,
Prelate. Was it to be tolerated that those vile associations
should arrogate to themselves the title of loyal Protestants
—a name which they so little deserved?
Mr. SYKES said that he had an opportunity of wit-
nessing the extent to which these attempts had been car-
ried. He was in a shop at Leicester not many days ago,
:when a person came in and said, that if the Relief Bill
.was passed the Duke of Wellington would be assassinated ;
and if the King put his hand to the Bill, the same person
wished that the hand might be paralyzed for ever.—(Hear. )

. .
Mr. TRANT, in reference to what had fallen from the
Hon. Member for Dublin, declared that he knew nothing
of the parcel of placards which was said to have been
directed for Dover, but at the same time he had no hesi-
tation in saying, thit be thought it right the public should
get all reasonable information on this important question,
When attempts were made to put down the right to peti-
tion—(Cries of No, no !)—he would contend that such at-
tempts were made, by undervaluing the character and re-
spectability of the petitioners. Though they were in a mi-
nority, yet thay would fight to the lass.—( Hear, hear.)

Sir JOHN BRIDGES said a few words, which could
not be distinctly heard in the gallery. We understood the
Hon. M.!mber to say that he never would lend his hand to
a measure that must inevitably destroy the Constitution.
Mr. WALLACE was surprised to hear any Gentleman
in that House say that unfair means bed been used to put
down petitioning, he thought the experience of the last three
weeks gave a sufficient answer to such a charge, for never
in the history of Parliament had there been, in the same
space of time, so many presentee!, or so much patience
and attention paid to them—(her, hear),—but could it
be supposed that out of the host of petitions sent to
that House, that not a word was to be soid, if facts tend-
ing to show the manner in which they were got up were
not to be noticed, bow could the House form an opinion as
to the weight of credit they were entitled to ?—f Hear. )
Would Hon. Members who made the complaints deny that
the inflammatory placards circulated had no effect upon the
lower orders of the people, who by such means were induced
to sign their names to petitions they could not possibly
understand, there were some respectable names, no doubt,
so all of the petitions, but who would say that the majority
of them were as competent to decide upon the question as the
majerity of that House.—(Hear, hear.)—No one snore
respected the right of petitioning than he did, and he would
he the last man to throw any obstacles in the way, but
the abuse of the right tended greatly to injure its im-
portance.
Mr. LEGE! KECK said a few words, which from the
noise in the House we could not distinctly hear.
After a few words from R. Colburn, Captain Munday,
Mr. Abercrombie, and Sir C. Hastings, the petition was
ordered to he printed.
Mr. MUNDY presented five more similar petitions
from places in Derbyshire.
Mr. CROMPTON presented two petitions from the
Borough of Derby in favour of the measures introduced by
his Majesty's Ministers, for the tranquilization of Ireland.
Lard G. CAVENDISII presented a petition from Leek,
in Derby, in favour of the Catholic Claims.
Mr. TREVOR presented petitions from to two parishes
in Carnarvon, against the Catholics.
Sir W.M. HEATHCOTE presented similar petitions
from Basingstoke and Bodlin.
Sir J. ASTLEY presented a similar petition from
Greenfield and Westwood.

(I.YPT SITTING.)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.