The Sun.
London, England, 1829-03-10 00:00:00

pressing a Lope that Government 'Would not ;ilia upon
ramming the measure down the throats of the people, with-
out-giving them an opportunity of expressing their senti-
mente upon the "subject.
Sir R. INGLIS thought the request made to the Govern-
ment was not by any means unreasonable. When the
Hon. Member for Westminster brought forward his 'ilea-
' sure in favour of the Catholics, in 1825, the interval that
was granted was from a day in March to the 19th of
April—(Hear,)---and surely, when the altered state of the
case was considered, when the measure was to be brought
forward with all the influence that Government could give
it, and, above all, when there was so strong a feeling of
confidence in the triumphant majority with which the Bill
was to be carried, it was surely not too much to ask, that
there should be some small delay granted—(Hear. )
Indeed, lie would not press for it, if there were single
precedent against it ; but, on the contrary, they were all
in his favour.—(Hear.)—He was sure that Parliament
had not been so much hurried in the case of Mr. Grattan's
Bill of 1813, and, as he bad already stated, a considerable
delay had taken place in the Bill of 1825. If they were
only to be allowed the time that was already fixed by the
Right Hon. Gentleman, it•would scarcely be sufficient to
allow of the printing and circulating of the Bill—much
less of its reaching Ireland, where it was looked for with
so much anxiety. He, therefore, contended that both the
House and the country had a right to require more time.
Mr. PEEL said that if the proposed delay wet for the
general convenience of the House, he should have no ob-
jection to alter his arrangement.---(Loud cries of "no,eno !"
mixed with " hear, hear.")—At all events he was quite
ready to answer thejappeal that had been made to him.
He had always, from the very commencement of the
measure, proposed to leave one week between the intro-
duction of the Bill and its second reading ; and he thought
that this was a very ample allowance of time, after the
preparation which his Majesty's Speech must have given
the country on the subject, for it was impossible that after
that period the country could have remained ignorant of
the main features of the measure. It had been stated in
the course of the evening that they ought to wait till the
law against the Association had been carried into execu-
tion ; but if they were to do so, he would take leave to
say that that would not be in consonance with the Speech
from the Throne. The Speech merely recommended
that power should be given to his Majesty to maintain
Iris just authority ; that power had been given by
the Act which had just pissed, and it was, therefore, in
perfect conformity with the Speech that they were at
liberty to take the measure into consideration immediately.
The only question that lie could see wee the grand (mess
tion that arose on the principle of the Bill.—(Hear, hear,
hear.)—He lead already declared fully and openly that diet
principle eras expressly to give relief to tire Catholics.—
(Cheers.)—Of that declaration the House would have been
in possession for more than a week before the second read-
ing would 'come on, and they would, therefore, have been
fully able to form their judgments upon it, and on the ge-
neral purport of the Bill. If there were any suggestions
to be made, the best time for making them would be in
the Committee ; and whether it was for the purpose of
proposing new exception', or fresh securities, there would
be adequate time afforded at that period. On whatever
day he brought fer Ward the measure—whether on that
evening or the knowing, he should think it right to give
lan interval of an entire week; but further than that, he
thought,, there could'be no necessity for; the same time be
wished to state that it was possible that be might not be
able to bring the Bill forward that evening, in which case
he should du it on the following night.
Lord HOWICK did not know exactly in what spirit
lion. Gentlemen were seeking fur this delay ; but he was
quite sure that it must be in the recollection of the House
that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Burke%) on the first might
of the Session, had himself observed that the word " con-
sideration" clearly meant concession. That was also, lie
believed, the general understanding of the country, as soon
as the King's Speech was made known, and surely one
month was quite sufficient to collect the sense of the
country.—(lleate)—Did lion. Members mean to contend
that they were to consult every parish, district, hundred
and county in the country, upon all the different details of
the Bill ? Was that lloti,e a Legislative Assnubly, or was
it -•not ? If it was, surely the examination of the details of
the measure was their department, and it would be useless
to take the sense of the country on that heed.—(Hear.)
The Marquis of CHANDOS thought that Hon. Gen-
tlemen, in asking for delay, • were performing their duty
towards the country, as much as the Noble Lord who had
just sat down. For hie own parthe went along with the
Hon. Member for Dublin (Alta Moore) in wishing for a
pause, though he could assure the House that he did not
propose it with any factiOus'object.—(Hear.)
Lord . CASTLEREAGH /loped 'that the Right Hon.
Gentleman would trot consent to any 'delay, especially after
it had been stated by Hon. Gentlemen, that the only rea-
son why they wished for it was that they might raise the
country..=-(Hear, hear.)
Lord LEVESON GOWER sai I that if the desire to
take the sense of the country had come from Gentlemen
who had always advocated universal suffrage, or any thing
like it, he would at least have given them credit for sin-
cerity, and thought their remonstrances free from the sus-
picion and distrust with which he now received them—
( Heer)—or if the question had been of any novelty, he
would have admitted that there was some shuw of reason
in the request of delay. But this was not the case. Hon.
Gentlemen said, " W 'have listened for thirty years to
arguments that we are unable to answer ; that office we
have left to one or two advocates; and now we are with-
out them, we want time to think•about what we shall do."
Or, in other words, they said, " Up to this time we have
been inside paesengers, with our eight-caps drawn over
our eyes—(a laugh) ;—arid now that those who arc con-
ducting the. State carriage have found out the danger, we
are willing to be let out, in order that we ni disturb the