The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-22 00:00:00

NEW POOR-LAW (IRELAND.)

Earl RODEN presented petitions also from several
places in Ireland, against a new poor-law in Ireland.
MAYNOOTH.

Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions from several
places against the grant to Maynooth. He was quite
anxious to bear full testimony to the conscientious
feeling with which the Noble Earl was prompted in
moving for an inquiry into the state and proceedings of
Maynooth; but as he differed from the petitioners whose
prayer he had presented, he would suggest that, before
the inquiry was made at all, the parties summoned before
the Committee should be examined not by way of oath,
but by declaration ; for he thought that the evidence
would be more free and full than if it were to be re-
stricted. If his Noble Friend (Earl Roden) was op-
posed to this grant, why did he not come for-
ward during the last fifty years in which the grant had
been made ? The endowment was in fact no endowment
at all, or at least it was no more than it had always been
since it had been granted. The child was a true formed
child, though a small child it was true—(Laughter)—
and with all the nature of the creature about it. Twenty
years ago he (Lord Brougham) had brought forward
a proposition in the other House of Parliament fur
paying the secular Roman Catholic clergy in Ireland,
which was carried by a majority of 160, and he must say
that he felt mortified—not ashamed—but mortified—
that no advance had been made since that time.
The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL could answer all the
remarks which had dropped from the Noble Lord, but he
should refrain from doing so until the measure came
properly before them. He thought the Noble Lord was
clearly out of order, and he thought that the better plan
would be to defer any discussion on the subject until the
measure came before their Lordships.
Lord BROUGHAM was really very sorry he had
excited reproof. He would deprecate the Noble Earl's
anger, for all anger was hard to bear ; but if
he was so unfortunate as to excite the Noble
Earl's reproof, he supposed he must bear it ; but
he had one consolation, if it were not more severe in
future than it was to-night, whether from experier.ce or
habit, he thought he should not find it intolerable.
The Earl of CLARE presented 137 petitions against
any grant to Maynooth, and also for some alteration of
the working of the poor-law in Ireland, and expressed his
deep regret that any increase was made in the grant to
the college of Maynooth without any sufficient know.
ledge of the proceedings and influence of that college.
The Marquis of BREADALBANE presented a great
number of petitions against the grant to Maynooth, and
stated that he thought that the way in which his
Noble and Learned Friend (Lord Brougham) had
treated the conscientious scruples of these petitioners,
was unconstitutional.

Lord BROUGHAM explained that he did not treat
the petitioners with disrespect, but thought that if they
condemned the grant they ought to have found out its
fault fifty years ago. •
The Earl of lIADDINGTON presented petitions
from Glasgow and other places in favour of the grant
to Maynooth.

The Earl of EGLINTON presented several petitions
against it.
_ _

Lord WODEHOUSE also presented petitions against
from several places in Suffolk.

SMALL DEBTS BILL.

Lord STANLEY presented petitions from Blackburn
and several other places in Lancashire fur the repeal of
the Small Debts Bill of last year. The tradesmen con-
ceived that this Bill was a great injury to their interests.