The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, March 7.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat On the
Wu°!sat* at live o'clock.
OTAHEITE.

The Earl of MINTO gave notice that, on Monday, he
would more for copies of any correspondence which her
Majeety's Government had received within the last
t:relve months, from the ships Basilisk and Hazard, on
the subject of the proceedings at the island of Otahiete.
HEALTH OF TOWNS.

The Marquis of NORMANBY presented a petition
from a place in Lancashire, praying for the enactment
of sanatory regulations in large towns. The Noble
Lord, in supporting the prayer, took occasion to remark
that it would be a great saving of the public time if
Bills upon this subject, and others of a municipal charac-
t,r, and Railway Bills, were first introduced into that
llouse, instead of being sent up in a mass at the end of
the session.
The Duke of BUCCLEUGII presented a similar
petition from Bristol.
INTEMPERANCE.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Forfar,
praying for legislative interference to cheek intern-
perence.
The Marquis of ANGLESEY presented a similar
DISABILITIES OF THE JEWS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR brought in a Bill to
relieve her Majesty's subjects of the Jewish persuasion
from certain disabilities affecting them in respect to the
balding of municipal offices.—(Cheers.)
The Bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read
a seeond time on Monday.
CONSTABULARY IN IRELAND.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said, that having
postponed his motion on the subject of promotion in
the constabulary in Ireland until this day, it was with
great unwillingness he had declined to postpone it again.
But he did not think that the presence of either of the
two Lords, on account of whose absence the postpone-
ment had been requested, was necessary to the discus-
sion. Neither of them had any official or departmental
connexion with the subject, and one of them, the late
Secretary for Ireland, was not at present a member of
the Government. It was not certain that either of
those Lords had a wish to take part in the debate
which might arise, and if he postponed it for them, he
might not have an opportunity of bringing it on until
after Easter. A recommendation made to the inspector-
general of constabulary, upon an understanding
between all parties in Parliament, had been lost
sight of in recent promotions. But if he
could have an assurance from the Government that such
would not be the case again—and there was no one
whose assurance he would more readily take than that
of the Noble Duke opposite.
The Duke of WELLINGTON—You won't have it,
then.—(A laugh.)
The Marquis of NORMANBY said it might be very
well for the Noble Duke to state at the commencement
of the debate the course which he meant to take, but
these interruptions should not prevent him (the Mar-
quis of Normanby) from stating the reasoms of his motion.
But when he recollected who were the parties to that
engagement—when he recollected that the other House
of Parliament was with that House equally concerned
in preserving the sacredness of that engagement—
and when he recollected how necessary the
services from the constabulary forces in Ireland were to
every part of the country, and still more when he looked
at the important position which the inspector-general held,
he was astonished when he heard of the slight which had
been put on that distinguished officer. He (the Marquis
of Normanby) was aware that it had not of late been
the usual course for their Lordships' House to meddle
with Irish affairs in general ; but when he recollected
that the constabulary force of that country was in its cha-
racter so unique, that it was the armed populace under
such regular orders that it amounted almost to a stand-
ing army—that it was dispersed throughout the country
in small divisions—that it had to execute difficult
duties—that not only was the ordinary education
of reading and writing required of its members, but that
also a capacity for making reports to the courts of
justices—he must say that he felt that the position of
the inspector-general of such a force was of such im-
portance as to require the utmost consideration at the
hands of Parliament. He (the Marquis of Normanby)
would beg to remind their Lordships that this force was
disciplined so that they could be dispersed, and yet act
effectively together in different parts of the country, and
still further, that the period to which he referred
was one of considerable agitation in Ireland. Under
these circumstances, he was not surprised at the respect that
was entertained for the organisation of that force, and for the
position of its chief. At that time the constabulary force of
Ireland was anything but of a popular character, and Colonel
Shaw Kennedy was at that time at the head of the con-
stabulary force of Ireland.. But Colonel Shaw Kennedy had
mistaken his own position. He had supposed that he ouget to
have the promotion of the stipendiary magistrates, as well as
the promotion of the parties in his own force ; and, much as he
regretted the circumstance, he (the Marquis of Normanby)
had been compelled to accept his resignation. To the merits
of that gallant officer he was ready to bear the highest testi-
mony, but under the circumstances he could not act other-
wise. The applications were numerous, as their Lordships
might suppoee, but so deeply did he feel the utility of the services
of the gallant officer whom he appointed, that he kept the position
of inspector-general open for three months. He had known
Colonel Macgregor in Jamaica as the only man who was able
to keep his regiment in discipline without fogging. He had
been an officer in his father's regiment, and bad served in the
Peainsula under the Noble and Gallant Duke opposite. All
would remember the services of the Gallant Officer at the
burning of the Kent East Indiamaa, and he had given him the
appointment with a full assurrance that he would fill the office
to the satisfaction of the country, land with the uaderstanding
that the appointments in the oonstabulary force were to be at
the disposal Of the Government, bat that the promotiens were
to be at the disposal of Colonel M'Gregor. Colonel M'Gregor
entered upon the deities of his situation upon the understanding
that he was to have the power of promoting all the subordinate
officers under him, hut now the Government stepped in and
wished to interfere with the rights and privileges which
attached to his office. The facts of the ease he had
fairly stated to their Lordships from information
which he had himself personally collected, without holding any
communication with his gallant friend Colonel M'Gregor.
Mr. Brownrigge was strongly recommended to the force in
1836 by the Government of that day. It was stated at that
time that he had peculiarly distinguished himself in the ser-
vice of his country, and he had a right to expect to be recom-
mended in his turn with a promotion. He was perfectly igno-
rant of Mr. Brownrigge's polities at the period of his ap-
pointment ; but on that ground there could be no objection to
the gentleman whatever, for if he were to speculate on Mr.
Brownrigge's politics, he should certainly say his political
views coincided with the present Government. It therefore
did require some explanation why this gentleman had been
passed over. He had noshing to say against Major Priestley,
but still Mr. Browurigge stood on the list before the gallant ma-
j or ,and the appointment ought to have been awarded to him. The
highest as well as the lowest authorities of Parliament had
spoken in the highest terms of Colonel Shaw Kennedy, and
folly admitted the right he possessed, of promoting his own
officers. Sir Rebert Peel said the gallant gentleman
was responsible. for the conduct of his officers, and he therefore
had a right to promote them. Mr. Lucas, the present Under- '
Secretary of Ireland, spoke in equally plain terms, and added,
that he could see no necessity why this additional privilege
should hang and dangle round the neck of any Chief Secretary.
There was another motion he had on the paper, which he
might as well dispose of, now he was on his legs. He wished
to move for a return of the army in Ireland, on the Ist of
January, during the last ten years, and in doing so, he could
not help alluding to a speech of one of the Members
of the Government, made at the late election for Salisbury.
He ceald not bat regret the absence of the Noble Lord the
Earl of St. Germains, for he would bear him out in what he
said. It did so happen that he (the Marquis of Normanby)
was requested by Sir R. Peel, on his coming into office, to see
Lard Eliot, Lord De Grey, and Sir James Graham. The
state of Ireland might have been his fault or his misfortune. If
it had been his fault, those Gentlemen would have been
anxious to avoid him, and if it had been his misfortune, the
first subject of discussion between them would naturally have
been the unfortunate state of Ireland. During the whole of
his interview with those Noble Lords and Right Hon. Gentle-
men, such a subject was never started. He was as much
against repeal as any of their Lordships, but he could not
but regret that the Right Hon. Gentleman, the owner of half
Dublin, should have shown so little knowledge of the country
with which he was so beneficially connected. The Right Hon.
Gentleman in the course of his speech had said that without
asking for additional powers, the established law had
been found sufficient, and the heads of that agi-
tation• had been punished. He (the Marquis of
Normanby) trusted that this had been inconsiderately
said, for their Lordships must all recollect that they had de-
cided that these individuals had been unjustly punished. He
(the Marquis of Normanby) believed that the return for which
he had moved would come through the department of that
Right Hon. Gentleman. fie was anxious to have the returns
for the information of their Lordships. He was not in any
hastee and if they were to come from the department of the
Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sidney Herbert), he (hoped that
Government would study theca well before they were forwarded
to that House, and they would teach him that there was an
anachronism in the time to which he traced the disturbed state
of Ireland.

The Duke of WELLINGTON said that he had first to apo-
logise;to the Noble Marquis for having been guilty of irregula-
rity its interrupting him by statinc, that he was not authorised
to make the declaration which the Noble Marquis expected.
He had thought that the Noble Marquis, seeing that all those
were absent whose presence he had expected at the discussion,
would have postponed his motion to a futere time. He now
thought tho more that the Noble Marquis might have
done so, as hi ended by telling the House that
as the Noble Lord, the late Secretary for Ireland,
was absent, he would take another opportunity, at a future
time,.to bring the subject forward in another siapo. He (the
Duke: of Wellington) eonfessed that when the Noble Lord con-
sidered that he had not had an opportunity of examining the
raper', and when he had expressed his entreaty to the Noble
Marquis that he would take into account his (the Duke of
Wellington's ) position'at the time, he would postpone the motion
until his Noble Friends would be present who had examined
the papers for the purpose of preparing themselves to meet
this motion. However, he had since last Tuesday endeavoured
to make ,himself master of the subject, which was comprised
in no less than three folio volumes. He was very sorry that
his Noble Friend—the Noble Earl the late Secretary for Ireland,
and the Noble Earl the late Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland—were
not able to attend this evening, they would he far better able
than he to give explanations ilnd, in such a discussson, it was
desirable that the Noble Marquis should be met by an ante o-
u.st acquainted with the subject. When the Noble g
Marquis
brought forward the question sometime ago, he said that he had
no complaint to make alto the qualifications of the gentleman in
question (Col. APGregor), lie
beggedthe House to bear
that in mind. That gentleman was an officer of rank in her
Majesty's military service, and he had served in the constabu-
lary with the approbation of the eountry and the confidence of
the Government. The Lord-Lieutenant had in this appoint-
ment exercised the power vested in him by an Act of Parlia-
ment. ( Here the Noble Duke spoke with great vehemence,
and was much excited. Ile sent Lord liedesdale to the Li-
brary for the Act of Parliament, notwithstanding repeated cries
of No, no," "It is not necessary, from Lord Normanby and
the Opposition. The Noble Duke proceeded.) But the Noble
Marquis had said that there was some understanding that the
appointment should be made by the inspector-general. He,
hoorever, insisted that the Lord-Lieutenant had the power to
make the appointment as he thought fit, and that it was his
duty to exercise that discretion. In fact, the
_Noble Marquis
himself was the Lord-Lieutenant under whose auspices
that Act was passed.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.) By
this Act all the appointments which had usually been made
by the ntagistrates should for the future be made by the Lord-
Lieutenant of Ireland. The understanding entered into on
that occasion sru, that the appointments winch had heretofore