The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-05 00:00:00

conveyed, and they should follow the same rule with re-
gard to real property. In Catholic countries abroad
large tracts of territory were devised to the Roman Ca-
tholic Church, but there was no apprehension of such
an occurrence in Ireland. It could not arise for a con-
siderable period at least, but at all events, they ought to
have communicated with the Roman Catholic prelates,
and perhaps if they did so they would have their assent.
It was a fact, that the Irish people were suspicious of
the present Government. It could not be forgotten, that
transactions took place last year, to which he would not
more particularly allude, which were not calculated to
conciliate the favourable opinions of the Roman Catholics
of Ireland to the Right Hon. Baronet's Government.
He would not c n the present occasion expatiate or dilate
upon them, but they were such as not to make the minds
of the people of Ireland anticipate any favourable mea •
sures from his Government. His Hon. Friend, the
Member for Louth, was more sanguine in his anticipa-
tions than he had ever known him before. He expected
a great deal from the Land Corumission. Why were
not the contemplated measures mentioned by the Right
Honourable Gentleman, as he had the reprt ?
(Laughter, and cries of " There is no report.")
The Chancellor of the Exchequer was given to mirth.—
(Loud laughter.) He was one of the most merry, cheer •
ful, and hilarious persons in the House—(Laughter)—
he was most artificial in his mirth except when on his
legs making some solemn statement, when he approached
almost to lugubrionsness.—(Continued and increased
laughter.) He would ask the Right Hon. Gentleman
whether there was any thing ludicrous in his not know-
ing whether the report of the Commissions was before
the Commissioners or not. Then the Registration Bill
was not mentioned in the Right Hon. Gentleman's
speech. That was adverted to by his Noble Friend.
The conduct of the Government on that Bill was made a
matter of criticism by his Noble Friend. He described
the course pursued by Lord Stanley on that measure,
yet the Right Hon. Gentleman had not referred to the
subject, and he now asked the Right Hon. Gentleman,
the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whe-
ther he intended to bring in a Registration Bill, and whe-
ther he would verify his aphorism that conciliation
had reached its climax.—(Cheers.)
Sir J. GRAHAM said that he bad not intended to
offer one word to the House, but as the Right Hon.
Gentleman referred to him so directly, and asked for an
answer from him with regard to two questions that he
thought he would J act disrespectfully towards him and
the House if he did not answer both of them, though
in doing so it would not be necessary to pro-
long the discussion for any considerable period.
First, with regard to the Registration Bill, he had no
hesitation in saying that it was the determination of
her Majesty's Government to propose an Irish Registra-
tion Bill.—(Hear, hear.) As to the period of its intro-
duction, that would depend upon the progress of the
financial measures, the measures relating to academical
instruction, and the question of Maynooth, which had
been indicated by his Right Hon. Friend, and which
should be considered in all their details. A measure
then on the subject of registration would be introduced
which he hoped would be brought to a final and satisfactory
conclusion. He hoped that was an explicit answer ti the
question of the Right Hon. Gentleman. The Right Hon.
Gentleman touched upon other topics of great importance,
one of which was the Bequests Bill, for which be thought
that her Majesty's present Government deserved some
credit from the Roman Catholics, but he said that one or
two mistakes were made with regard to it. It was allowed
that the measure was conceived in a fair spirit, and was
executed in an analogous spirit. With regard to the
first defect stated by the Right Hon. Gentleman, which
had reference to the bequeathing of real property, it was
their object to assimilate the law of Ireland to that of
England. They acted in this respect upon principles of
policy, and he could not therefore hold out any expecta-
tion that any alterations of the law would take
place upon it. (Hear, hear.) With regard to
the other point, they stated distinctly, when
they were introducing the measure, that it was
not their intention to place the regular clergy of
Ireland in a worse position than they were in when the
measure was introduced. It was thought by many that
the effect of the general enactment might be held by
lawyers as equivalent to a repeal of certain clauses of
the Relief Act, which were levelled against the regular
clergy iu Ireland. They thought it necessary to guard
against such a conclusion by, he believed, the 16th
clause, which enacted that nothing contained therein
should be considered a repeal of the clauses of the Re-
lief Act ; but there was a declaration in the last clause
of the Act, to the effect that nothing therein contained
should place them in a worse position than they were
before ; and the law officers of the Crown being con-
sulted on the subject, gave their opinion that, by the
joint operation of the clauses, the regular clergy would
not in any way be damnified. Those opinions were be.
fore the bar of Ireland and the Irish people, and he had
not seen those opinions controverted. Their opinion
was, that no alteration was necessary, for they rested on
opinions in which they were disposed to confide.—
(Hear, hear.) He had no hesitation in telling the Right
Hon. Gentleman that the conversation to which he re-
ferred, between the Lord Lieutenant and Dr. Murray,
was correctly reported to him, and he thought that the
greatest credit was due to those Prelates who, in spite of
the obloquy cast upon them, did what they thought
their duty—(Hear, hear)—in connexion with their holy
office. The Lord Lieutenant gave Dr. Murray an as-
surance, that if her Majesty's Government thought the
regular clergy would be damnified by the opera-
tion of the clauses to which he referred, they
would, on their own responsibility, propose an
alteration in the law.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Con-
sidering how much the various other subjects alluded to
were exhausted, he felt he would not be justified in con-
tinuing the discussion any further, and he hoped the
Right Hon. Gentleman would admit that to the two
questions put to him he had given a plain and direct
answer.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. SHAW said that the University of Dublin was
open to Roman Catholics for the purposes of education.
Every honour was accessible to them, with the excep-
tion of scholarships and fellowships.—(Laughter.) It
should be recollected that the University of Dublin was
founded for Protestant purposes, and not only for Pro-
testant purposes but for the purposes of the Established
Church. He begged leave also to correct a popular
error into which the Noble Lord, the Member for Lon-
don, had fallen with regard to the state trials. The
Noble Lord said that there were 60 names omitted.
That was not so. There were only 24 names omitted, as
he believed, from pure accident, though on the face of the
record it was said that 60 were omitted ; and lie ad-
mitted that Lord Denman could not travel out of the
record.

Lord PALMERSTON said, as to the proof given by
the Right Hon. Gentleman who had just spoken—of
the University of Dublin being open to Roman Catho-
lics, except fellowships and scholarships, appeared to him
to be the same as before the Relief Act it was said
that the army was open to Roman Catholics, bearing
commissions, from ensigns upwards. His Noble
Friend, was so completely vindicated by his Right Hon.
Friend as to casting unfounded imputations on the Go-
vernment, that it was not necessary to say another word
on that subject. But his Noble Friend reminded the
Government of the fact, which nobody could deny, that
owing to the conduct and language of the great party by
which the Right Hon. Gentleman was supported, the
Irish people looker with suspicion upon every boon
coming from the Right lion. Gentleman. That nobody
could deny ; but he would admit, that if the Right lien.
Gentleman went on in the spirit in which he had intro-
duced his intended measures with regard t) Ire-
land, ho might go far to conquer those suspi-
cions. Instead of agreeing with an lion. Gen-
tleman who spoke behind the Right lion. Baronet that
concession was the parent of demand, he would rather
say that concessions were only given to long-continued
demands ; and, unfortunately, those concessions were
often made in a way which deprived them of all their
grace and advantage.—(Hear.) He entirely concurred
in those expressions of satisfaction which fell from the
lion. Mover and Seconder of the address as to the visits
Which had taken place between foreign Sovereigns and
their own Queen. He should think those visits, besides
tending to benefit the countries whose sovereigns inter-
charged the friendly intercourse, would also tend to
preserve the peace of the world. But at the same time
it was impossible not to feel, after what had taken
place last year, that some limitation should be
put to anticipations of that description.—(Hear.)
Only last year, on both sides of the Channel,
after the visit of their Sovereign to the French King at
the Chateau d'Eu, expressions were uttered on both sides
of the channel, in both Chambers in Paris, and in that
House, of the pei feet, and cordial, and good understand.
ing existing between the two countries. What was the
benefit of a cordial understanding between the two
countries? In ordinary circumstances, when there was
no occasion of excitement or anything to disturb the
existence of such a cordial understanding, the benefit of
it was chiefly felt by those who represented the
two countries; and who were interested in being
on a good footing with each othe:-. But the
true benefit of a good and cordial understanding between
two great countries, was chiefly felt when there arose be-
tween them questions which, were it not for that good
understanding, would be calculated to interrupt friendly
relations between those two countries. lie was grieved
to see, owing to what, he must say, was a mismanage-
ment of both Governments, the cordial understanding
of which they boasted last year failed on the first occa-
sion on which it was brought into question. There was
one thing which seemed to be admitted by her Majesty's
Government, which he could not give his sanction to.
It seemed to be admitted that Mr. Pritchard was not her
Majesty's Consul at Otaheite. If he understood the facts
of the case, he was in possession of the commission of
Consul, granted to him by the Government of this coun-
try as Consul in the island of Otaheite. He had been
told that he was to be removed to another district, but he
had not received any official orders on the subject. He
had suspended his official functions quo ad the intrusive
French officers and Government, who took possession of
the island, whose Government be did not acknowledge,
and to whom he was not accredited by his own Govern-
ment ; but he was still in the performance of his
duties as Consul with regard to all British subjects
coming to the island to trade as merchants.
He was, most di' tinctly, therefore, an officer holding a
commission under the British Crown as Consul. Now,
he agreed with his Noble Friend, that if there had been
any charge against Mr. Pritchard—if it could be shown
that he ever engaged in leaguing with the natives and
inciting them to resist the authority temporarily es-
tablished in Otaheite, in such a manner as could be sup-
posed injurious or inimical to that power, he (Lord
Palmerston) was prepared to admit that whether consul
or not, the authorities there would be fully entitled to
between in-
quire into the circumstances, and if found guilty
of those
offencesthatthhe held that they would be
the
eonsehelouelded betb e removed.--
(Hear.)
y distinctionarguingl
subject. In either-
(Hear.) In thus he was not establishing
liable. Buttot
wwiatshedsart.aiewil,incumbenton them, even in
causing him
against him, in which it wouldow bae primal facie case
French Chambers. the documents laid before the
ately laid before