Star.
London, England, 1830-03-23 00:00:00

t#‘ il\‘

hon. member the opinion that there was no distress in the manufac-
tarsal districts.
WODEBOUSE moved for certain returns relative to the
pins of foseign corn last year. His object in moving for these re-
turns was to expose a false statement which had been put abroad by
a gentleman connected with a public department.—Ordered.
Mr. SYKES, in poidponing ids motion, which stood for to.mor.
row. relative to the reduction of the duty on soap. gars notice that
he should move an amendment to the motion of the hon. member
tor Worcester, which stood fur Thursday. The debate on the public
distress would. he believed, outlast the distress itself.
•

EAST INDIA COMPANY S CHARTER.
Sit A. CA MPBELL presented a petition from the provost and
acne, ii.habitatits of Perth, praying for the removal of the East
Ind.:. Company's monopoly.
Ordered to be referred to the committee.
NATIONAL DI/TRESS—.WOOL.
Mn JAMES ORAHAM presented a petition from Spalding,
Csumberiand, complaining of distress, and praying for a protecting
duty on foreign wool.
The 110 N. BARONET presented a second petition from the
Royal Irish Mining Company, praying for a protecting duty on
foreign lead ore.

WELSII JUDICATURE.
Mr. F. LEWIS presented a petition front the Freeholders of the
County of Radnor. praying that the Assize might not be held be-
yond the limits of the county. They professed their vtillingness to
have an amended administration of justice, but they desired not to
go beyond the county to obtain it.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN THE cokowirs.
Mr. O'CONNELL gave notice that he should, to-morrow, mt ve
an Address, in order to obtain copies of the indictments under
ti:eti an individual, and another noble person in Van Diemen's
Land hall been tried twice for the same offence.
i'be Hon. MEMBER presented a petition from Mr. M,Diarmid
and two other individuals, complaining of the conduct of the Lord
Mayor of Dublin in reference to the markets of that city.
Mr. G. MOORE defended the Mayor, and professed that that
'magistrate was anxious to submit his conduct to investigation.
• Lord LEV lISON GOWER was sure that the conduct of the
Lord Mayor was dictated by a regard to the public interest. He
wished that the matter should be investigated before a proper tri-
bunal, and he was sure that an Irish court of justice would be wil.
Wig to afford its protection to the animals (bulls we believe) for
which the market was intended—(a laugh.)
The petition was then read.
Mr. O'CONNELL next presented a petition from an individual
of the name of Fox Dixon, complaining of the conduct of the cor-
poration of Dublin in turning him out of a coal meter's situation.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from John Boyle, pray.
ing that the house would reform the law for taking the poll at elec-
tions for the city of Cork. lie also presented petitions from Cally.
beg, in the county of Waterford ; and front Dysart., in the same
county, against the sub-letting and vestry acts ; from a parish in
Meath, In which there were only Roman Catholic inhabitants, com.
plaining that they had lately been united to a wish ten miles dis-
tant, and compelled for the first time to pay parish rates and ceases;
and also from Athlone, complaining that the tight of returning mem-
bers for that borough was private property, and praying for an ahem.
tion in the elective franchise of the borough.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from the Licentiate
Apothecaries of the county of Clare, complaining of the conduct
of the incorporated society of apothemrim in Dublin, who were
only twenty-nine in number, who had the power of li
all the practising Apothecaries of the county--a power whiclihai,nft
was alleged, they abused, by granting to any one a license who
could pay 201
Mr. MOORE denied that the statements of the petitioners
were true.

The petition was ordered to be printed.
Mr. O'COD:NtLL then presented a petition from the parish of
Binds, in the county of Carlow, complaining of the grant of
money to the Kildare-street Society.
The same hon. MEMBER presented a petition from certain
parishes in Dublin, praying that the forty-shiffing freeholders may
be re.instated in their election rights.—Laid on the table.
REPEAL OF THE ACT OF UNION WITH IRELAND.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition, very numerously and
respectably signed, front the inhabitants of the city of Drogheda,
ipros ing fora repeal of the Act of Union, and requiring also a re-
of the Vestry Aet, and some other measures.
Mr. VANHODIRIGH, as we understood, denied that the peti-
tion expressed the sense of the influential portion of the inhabitants
of Drogheda.
Sir C. WETHERELL thought that a petition for the repeal of
the union with Ireland, mischievous and absurd as it was—(hear,
hear!) seemed also so clearly an attack on the principles of the
constitution, of which that union now formed a part, that he fee
one should call on the house to reject the petition at once. For
that purpose he should now move that the petition be read. No
member for Scotland would venture to rise in that house, and
poppet a repeal of the union with Scotland ; and yet could any
member say what was the difference between that set and the union
' act of Ireland. It was no party question, but one which involved
the integrity of the constitution.—(hear.)
Sir M. W. RIDLEY saw no objection to the Petition being
received. There was no Pirliamentiuy law which forbade it; and
as to its prayer attacking the Constitution, they ought to recollect
that they received Petitions against the Parliament itself, which was
also a part of the Constitution (hear !)
Mr. LOCKHART thought the question respecting the Repel
of the Union with Ireland of too much importance to be dis-
posed of hastily • and therefore moved that the debate be ad-
journed till Wednesday next.
Mr. Secretary PEEL confessed he did not feel much surprised at
the doubts expressed by the hon. member for the city of Oxford
(Hr. Lockhart), and the hon. member for Plympton (Sir C.
Wetherell), respecting the propriety of receiving a petition in
support of a project so mad and so absurd—so utterly destructive
of the prosperity of Ireland, and so much calculated to injure
the integrity of the empire—as that of a repeal of the Act of
Union. (Hear, hear.) He did not apprehend that the petition
proposed a diminution of the empire, or a separation of Ireland
from the controul and government vested in the sovereign of this
country. Ireland was a portion of the British empire ; the
king of England was also the king of Ireland, before any
Act of Union was thought of ; and the petition, he sup-
posed, merely prayed that the two countries should be placed, with
respect to each other, in the same situation as they were before the
Act of Union was He doubted, therefore, whether they
amid, according to passed.
of Parliament, reject the petition ;
bat, while he gave his vote for the reception of the petition, he
could not find terms strong enough to express his reprobation of the
prayer of that petition, or of his sense of the return of the attempts
made to disturb the minds of the ignorant portion of the people, by
a representation of the advantage Which would result from the pos-
session of a Parliament in Ireland. He repeated, that he could not
find terms to express the strong disgust and reprobation with which
he viewed the attempts made to separate them. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. O'CONNELL : As to the question of the Petition for the
dissolution of the Legislative Union with Ireland, be totally dif-
fered from the honourable member for Plympton, with respect to
the regularity of that Petition, or the object which it supported.—
lie did not see any reason for depriving Ireland of a separate
gisiature, any more than Canada, Halifax, or Jamaica, where in-
dependent Representatives were permitted to deliberate on the local
interests of the people. This he thought was as advantageous to
the one country as to the other ; and he believed the day was not
far distant when the friends of Ireland and England would unite in
their consent to the repeal of the Union ; and that it would be
hailed as an advantage by the best Mends of both countries.
Sir C. WETHERELL declared his opinion that a petition pray.
lag to dissolve the union with Ireland was something little short of
tresses, and insisted that it should not be received.
Mr. BERNAL expressed an opinion that the hon. member for
Plympton was mistaken in the judgment he pronounced with respect
to the petition.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL saw no objection to its being
received, although he condemned its object.
Mr. HOBHOUSE spoke in favour of its being received. •
Sir J. NEWPORT said, that whatever might have been his
opinion of the Union formerly, he was convinced that the repeal of
the Act now would be productive of the most mischievous effects.
Ireland was now tranquillized and prosperous by the removal of all
political disabilities, and it was most desirable that no subject of
agitation should be introduced there.
Mr. BROWNLOW observed, that if the feelings of the people
of Ireland were really averse to the continuance of the Union, be
was not only that those feelings would not be put down
by rejection of the present petition, but that that would be the
sure method of kindling a still stronger spirit of hostility in their
minds. For his part, however, he did not think that the existence
of such feelings was to be apprehended to say great extent. The
interests of all classes in IMAM were so identified with the continu-
ance of the Union, that be was satisfied that these was no general dis.
position to attack it, and be trusted that the hon. and learned mem.
her for Clare would abandon the wild speculation in which he had
embarked on that subject, and would devote his talents to some
better and more useful purpose.
Mr. HUME thought that feelings andopinions bad been ascribed
to his honourable and learned friend, the member fur Clare, with.
out any just cause. As to the petition, it appeared to him that to
reject it would be to put an end to one of the most 'finable rights of
the sub' He (Mr. liume) perfectly agreed with the right
le gentleman, that the principle of a separation of the
two countries was injurious; but the right of the people to tender
their *dons to the house ups the subject war quite a distinet
goodie.
AIL Secretary PEEL, in explanation, denied that be hod ever
cootesded 'Oust the eight of the people to express their opinions