The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-10 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-MARCH 9.
CORN LAWS.
Lord MIDDLETON presented a petition from

York and its vicinity, praying their Lordships not to alter the

Corn Laws.

Similar petitions were presented by Lord Gwydyr, from a parish
in Perthshire ; hJ .he Earl of Falmouth, nine petitions, from dif-
ferent places in fjevonshire and Cornwall ; by Lord Teynham,
from Richmond, in Yorkshire, and from the Three Hundreds of
Newport Pagnell, Bucks.
Lord KING presented a petition, praying for an
alteration of the Corn Laws, from the Overseers of the Poor, and
Inhabitants of Stepney.
His Lordship said, he had another petition to present from
the Unemployed Workmen of Manchester, who, not having
any food, prayed their Lordships to enable them to obtain it.—
There was, however, something in the petition, which made
him doubt the propriety of presenting it ; he, therefore, with-

drew it.
Lord TEYNHAM movedfor a return of all Sheep
and Lambs' Wool imported into the ports of the United Kingdom
since 1814. to the present time; and also, for an account of all
the Woollen Goods exported to all parts of the world, distinguish-

ing the countries to which they Were exported.
Earl STANHOPE presented a petition from cer-
tain persons in the counties of Oxford and Bucks, complaining ol
the introduction of the Imperial Quarter, and praying their Lord-

ships to restore the Winchester Measure.
Mr. Crafer, from the Treasury, presented an Account of al:

British Produce and Manufactures exported to Russia and

Prussia, from the year 1814 up to the present time.

CATHOLICS.
The LO RD CHANCELLOR presented petitions
against the Catholics, from Sittingbourne, Melton and Hailing,
Kent; from Dawlish, Devonshire; and from Allbrigton, Shrop-
shire.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented a
similar petition from the Dean and Clergy of the Deanery of

Canterbury.
Similar petitions were presented by the Earl of ENNISKIL
LEN, from a parish in Fermanagh ; by the Bishop of Exeter,
from Grimstone, Devonshire ; and from the parish of St. Peter,
in the City of Exeter, by the Bishop of Chichester; from the
Dean and Chapter of Chichester, and from two congregations of
Protestant Dissenters, in the County of Sussex ; and by Lord Vis-
count Lorton, from a Parish in Westmeath. '
The Earl of KINGSTON, in the absence of a
Noble Friend of his, presented a petition in favour of the Catholics,
from Donoughtnore, in the County of Cork ; and also two peti-
tions from parishes in the City of Cork.
The Earl of CLARE presented a similar petition
from a parish in the County of Dublin. ,
The Marquis of L ANSDOWN presented a great
number of petitions from different parts of Ireland, all praying
that the Catholics might be relieved from the disabilities under
which they labour. One of these petitions was from the Queen's
County and numerously signed ; the others were from different
Parishes, chiefly iu the County of Galway, in the County of Cork,
in the County of Derry, and in the Queen's County. After the
Noble Marqms had finished presenting his petitions, he proceeded
to address their Lordships on the subject of his motion relative to
the Catholics, and spoke to the following effect.
My Lords, although I rise for the purpose of only withdraw-
ing a notice for a motion, which must be considered as r matter
of form only, yet circumstances will, I trust, justify me
both from what is due to my own feelings and honour, and
from what is due to the feelings and honour of those Noble
Plarmous whom I have consulted on the step I am about to take,
in trespassing for a few moments on the indulgence, and asking
the serious attention of yo,:r Lordships. At the time I gave
notice of a motion, which stood for the 15th of March, it was
my intention to call your Lordships' attention to the subject of
the many petitions which I have now presented to your Lord-
ships, and of many petitions presented by other Noble Lords,
all praying that the Catholics might be removed front the disabi-
lities under which they now labour. If lam induced, my
Lords, to abandon that intention, I ant most anxious to state to
your Lordships, that in doing so, my mind is perfectly unchanged
as to she expediency and necessity of considering those disqualifi-
cations, with a view to remove them--nay more, my mind is per-
fectly unchanged as to the certainty that at no distant period your
Lordships must concur in my views. With this conviction I
Lave resolved, after the fullest consideration, not to allow any pre-
cipitate step on my part at this moment to give by any possibility
greater effect to the disastrous disheartening conviction on the
minas of the people of Ireland, that there is a majority in this as
in the other House of Parliament, however small, which is deter-
rained to reject every motion for taking their interests into consi-
deration. I feel too deeply, my Lords, the probable effects of
such a conviction, to be the means, by taking any hasty step, of
adding to those effects. Whether, after moving for the discharge
of the Order, I shall be induced to bring forward any measures on
this subject, either in this or any subsequent Session of Par-
liament, I ain not, my Lords, at present bound to state.—
Whether the petitioners will ever again come to your Lord-
ships' bar with their prayers, I cannot say ; for I have
taken no part in their councils, and with the individuals I have no
connection further than in receiving and presenting their pe-
titions. But I cannot, my Lords, dismiss the subject with-
out stating my conviction, whether the petitioners should again
address your Lordships or not, that you must, in some shape or
form, at no distant period, give it your undivided attention. In
what shape, my Lords, and in what form, and under what possi-
ble circumstances, I cannot venture to predict, nor even give my-
self the pain to conjecture. In quitting this subject for the pre-
sent, I beseech your Lordships to consider well the condition in
which you leave Ireland—a condition which is proved—not by
the allegations of the friends of this measure, but by, the admission
of its enemies— -,i:sar, hear)—admissions which, give me leave to
say, tlsaagh Fits:. ,1 with different intentions, have increased in my
mind the conviction, that the state of the country must be altered
before Ireland can be a source of safety and security to the em-
pire—admissions which have strengthened my conviction the
, more, a,s coming from Noble Lords who were the opponents of
the proceeding. I was also% to suggest admissions also, which
prove the existence in that country of a state of society so distract-
ed, that although alleged with very different views, it must call the
serious attention of your Lordships to the subject. You must
not flatter yourselves, my Lords, that you can, by any proceedings,
either here or elsewhere, destroy or alter the feelings which are in
existence, and which are bottomed on the principles of human na-
ture. It is impossible, my Lords, by any vote of yours, to put art
end to those disturbed relations of society which arise manifestly
and directly front the state of the existing laws--as directly as grass
grows from the earth after the seed has been sown. You must not
suppose, my Lords, that you can, by any vote of this description,
check that increase of wealth which is accruing among the Catho-
lics of Ireland, and with which they will bear with less patience
their exclusion front the gratifications and promotions enjoyed
by the rest of their countrymen—it is not possible, my Lords,
by any vote of yours, to teach rising ingenuity, knowledge, and

talents, to forego all the honours they may claim, and resign
every object of ambition—it is not possible to teach the grow-
ing population of Ireland to bear, without a murmur, the stamp
of degradath,n placed on them by the existing laws, which
mark them out as a caste degraded below their fellow-men—(Hear
hear !)—These feelings now exist, and cannot be altered but by
removing their cause. The hand of man was enabled, my Lords,
by a miracle, to stop the course of the sun ; but it is not given
into your Lordships' hands, without another miracle, to suspend
or arrest those feelings which arise from the principles of hu-
man nature which the same God who made the sun, implanted-
into the minds of man—(Hear, hear.)—God knows, my Lords,
under what circumstances Ireland may again come before you ;
but I beseech you, my Lords, both individually and collectively,
to ponder well the situation in which that country is left. Be-
cause, my Lords, I declare with all sincerity, as far as con-
cerns myself, that if I were so unfortunate as to be placed by
any circumstances in assisting in the Councils of a State hostile
to this and aiming at the interest, power, and prosperity of this
country, the first prayer I should offer to fortune would be to
give me Ireland as she is.—(Hear.)—Give me a great increasing
population, with no other leaders than persona on the road to
fame and fortune, cast, and forcibly cast, into a direction op-
posite to the course of the State ; a population, at the same
time, completely under the influence of a Clergy, alienated
from the State, rejected by it—(Hear.)—ndt only alienated,
but openly denounced as the authors of mischief—branded as
faithless, and insulted by their most solemn declarations, not
being believed—in one word, my Lords, a people deprived of
all conductors, between the high authority of the State, and the
lowest member of the community, except such as are hostile to
the State ; and of such conductors we are taught, by the expe-
rience of all nations, to regard as indispensible, by connecting the
extremes to the harmony and preservation of the whole. I beseech
your Lordships, then, deeply to consider in what condition you
leave, or rather, I should say, abandon Ireland. I beseech you,
my Lords, to recollect, that a time may unhappily come, when we
shall be called on to array the resources and strength of this
,:intry against the power and resources of some other ; but
let that other be what it may, you will array your resources
against a country in which no corresponding disabilities exist—
in which Catholic and Protestant, enjoying the same privileges,
will contend for the same rights, while you will be obliged to
place, in the front of your battle, men, who are conscious they
are stigmatised in a way which, I repeat, no other society to-
lerates.--(Hear, hear.)—On all these consequences I conjure
your Lordships to reflect. I could pursue the subject, but I will
not suffer myself to he led away, nor will I indulge in those me-
lancholy anticipations the subject excites. I will bring myself to
look with confidence for the result, be it what it may, for I can
have no personal wishes—no personal regrets on this subject,
which are not bound up with my wishes for the best interests
of the prosperity of the country. The only wish I shall ex-
press is, that those persons who take on themselves the heavy
responsibility of putting a negative on the hopes and desires of a
whole people, may be enabled to suggest some measure (hear,
hear), which shall restore the tranquillity which they admit is
gone, and appease the disorders and distractions they have de-
scribed ; and the only regret I shall express is, that they have
not hitherto stated by what measures they hope to effect such
desirable objects. The Noble Marquess concluded by moving,
that the Order for summoning their Lordships, on March 15, be
i discharged.
The LORD CHANCELLOR immediately put
the question, which was carried nem. con.
The Earl of WINCHELSEA then rose, and be-
gan by expressing his sincere regret that the Noble Marquess
should have abandoned the. motion of which he gave notice, for he
was satisfied that the more the subject was considered, the mere
often it was discussed, the more perfect would become their Lord-
ships' conviction that it was impossible to give the Roman Catho-
lics those civil rights and political privileges they claimed ; that it
was impossible to allow them to legislate for our Protestant
Church and Protestant Establishment, without abandoning the
Constitution and sacrificing all our political privileges. His re-
gret, however, was not, unaccompanied by other feelings. When
be recollected the strong language used by the Noble Marquess,
who said, that uninfluenced by what might be the decision of the
other House, he was determined—(" Order, order," was now
called from all parts of the House,)—and
Earl BATHUR ST rose to inform the Noble Earl
that he was quite out of order ; there was no question before their
Lordships, though lie was satisfied that nothing but the Noble
Earl being unacquainted with the rues of their Lordships had led
to his mistake.
Earl WINCHELSEA, after claiming the indul-
gence of their Lordships for trespassing on their rules, was again
proceeding to address their Lordships, but was obliged to nit doivn
by loud cries of " Order."
Earl BATHURST laid a Report on their Lord-
ships' Table, but owing to the noise of their Lordships retiring, we
were unable to gather the purport of a.—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, NIAR.cx 9.
Four new Members took the oaths and their seats.
COVENTRY ELECTION.

Sir J. \VROTTESLEV brought up the Report
of the Committee appointed to examine the petitions against the
due return of the sitting Members for the city of Coventry, at the
late election. The report declared those Members (to the exclu-
. _

sion,. of Messrs. P. Moore and E. Ellice) to be duly returned, but
that there was nothing frivolous or vexatious in the petitions im-
peaching their return. The Committee further reported, that
they bad come to several Resolutions which they desired to take
the opinion of the House upon, which Resolutions were as
follow :

That it appears to this Committee, that at the late election for
the county of the city of Coventry, very tumultuous proceedings
had taken place in the said city, and gross outrages were commit-
ted upon the persons of several of the electors.
That the Mayor, Recorder, and Magistrates of the said county
of the city of Coventry, were culpably negligent of their duty in
preserving the peace, and that the conduct of James Ware, the
Mayor, was more peculiarly unbecoming the dignity of his office.
That it appears to this Committee, that riotous proceedings
had taken place at many former elections for the county of the
city of Coventry.
That the Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen, by Charter, have
an exclusive jurisdiction within the city, and it is highly expe-
dient to provide better security for preserving the peace of the
county and city thereof.
That the House, therefore, be moved for leave to bring in a
Bill to give the Magistrates of Warwickshire a concurrent juris-
diction as to their interference in preserving the peace of the said
city ; and that
The evidence taken before the Committee be laid before the
House for its consideration.
The Honourable Baronet believed such was the confidence
which the House had in its Committees, that their reports
were taken into consideration as a matter of course. This
report, however, was one entitled to peculiar weight.—(Hear.)--
He should therefore move that the report be taken into consider-
ation on Friday, the 4th of May, and that it be printed.—Laid on
the table.