Star.
London, England, 1825-02-25 00:00:00

'

that the tranquillity of Ireland was doe to its exertions.'
The Honourable and Learned Member referred to; a
:Petition from, certain Presbyteriar.e, hr. the county of
,Tieione, telling upon the4louse to put down the Ca-
thOlic .4..sentiation, ond
.stating that it pee protection
to those who,triv..kred tfie county in murder, rapine,
and bloodshed.' lie itneii not *bahfe this murder, rapine, antiLs
bloodshed were to be found, when they saw in, the King's Speech
the delightful-troth- that aWtho;e-ievere- measurer voids*. Asti Hasse
had adopted for coercing that country bad been withdrawn. He
alluded to this Petition now, because hr did not hear it read when
it caste before the House, and sppealed tol.the -one he was about
to present as well as to the Speech from the Throne for a contra-
.
diction laf its statements.
Sir J. NEWPORT said, he was well advised that
the Gave, nment possessed documents from the Marquis
Wellesley, in which that Noble Lord expresied his opinion that the
Catholic Association had contributed to the tranquillizing of that
country. He had been informed from a Noble Peer that such a
document was now in possession of the other House.
Sir J. NEWPORT said, that be should move for the producL
tion of the document to-morrow.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that if any such document existed, it
would necessarily be laid before the Committee up stairs.
Sir J. NEWPORT said, he had the fact from a Noble Peer
who was incapable of telling a falsehood. and he should to-morrow
nu:ea that the document he laid on the table of the House.—The
Petition was ordered to be printed.
Mr. DENMAN presented two similar Petitions, one from a
parish in the County of Cavan; and the other front Listowel,
county of Kerry.
Sir T. LE I'HBIUDGE expressed his surprise at the
arguments of the Petitioners, and of the Hollow able
Gentlemen who presented all those Petitions. IA hest
they assumed that the tranquillity of Ireland was
'owing to the acts of this Catholic Association, he
thought they were really going a little too far. He
wooli ask those Honourable Gentlemen what might
have been the conduct of this Association, if no such
Bill as this had been introduced ? What was to have
stopped this self-erected, self appointed • body, which
..was responsible to no human being- for it. acts, and
over whom the Roman Catholics themselves had no cc.ntre:ul? He
should have been surprised, indeed, if the Goverrmeiit had per-
mitted it to continue in existence. In mercy to the Roman Ca-
tholics themselves, he urged the Government to persist with a firm
and steady hand to press this measure. It was not for the protec-
tion of Ireland alone, but Of the empire at large.
Mr. DENMAN explained.
Mr'. HUME said, he would answer the question of
the Honourable Baronet. Thcy cool ! only judge of
what would be the future conduct of the Catholic As-
sociation by the past; and that, according to the At-
torney-General for Ireland: had been perfectly legal.—
He was glad to see the Honourable Baronet so morti-
fied at seeing all
.these Petitions from the Catholics,
and none f.f an opposite nature. It ,•hewed the im-
proved feeling of the peoole of England upon the
question, when no Petitions appeased, except from the
Clergy, whom he did not blame for being anxious to preserve their
own possessions and incomes. The people remained passive, not-
withstanding the calls which had been made upon them by the
Honourable Baronet, and Ity the Right Honourable Secretary
for the Home Department (or the Foreign Secretary), and in
spite of the placards they saw stuck op all over the Metropolis.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that he was surprised at
the Hon. Member having ventured to make such an
assertion as that he had sounded an alarm to the country
upon this question, and in the same sentence io allude
to placarding the walls of the metropolis. He never
opened his lips upon the subject of petitioning; and he,
would tell the Hon. Member that he never encouraged
a Petition against the Roman Catholics—(Hear, hear)
--because he never wished to see a Petition upon any
subject which did not arise from the spontaneous feelings of the
people—(Cheers). llow, therefore, could the Rom Gentleman
venture to accuse him of sounding an alarm, and to connect his
name with the placarding the walls of the metropolis ?—(Hear,hear).
He was surprised that any lion. Member of that House should
condescend to adopt such means of argument.
Mr. HUME explained that he did not allude to the
Right Honourable Gentleman. After mentioning the Secretary
for the Home Department, he corrected himself, and said the
Foreign Secretary.
Mr. BUTTERWORTH said he was in possession of
information which shewed that the Protestants of Ireland were in
alarm at the existence of the Catholic Association.
The Petitions were ordered to be printed.
Lord C. FITZROY presented a Petition from the inhabitants
of the Borough of Thetford, praying that the Assizes may not be-
removed from that town—Ordered to be printed. -
air. DEN ISON presented a Petition from Croydon, praying a
repeal of that part of the Assessed Taxes which pressed upon the
necessaries of life—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. GRATTAN presented a petition from the Coal Meters of
Dublin, praying that the duty on Seaborne Coals be repealed--
Referred to the Committee on the Local Taxation of Dublin.
Mr.J.BENETT presented a Petition from Warminster,praying
a repeal of the Assessed Taxes.

NORFOLK SPRING ASSIZES.
Mr. WODEHOUSE rose to call the attention of
the House to the Petition of the Magistrates of 'the
County of Norfolk, praying for leave to bring in a Bill
to remove the Spring Assizes for that countyfrem Thet-
ford to Norwich. The Elan. Member said that there were
ample reasons why the House should comply with the
prayer of the Petitioners, and particularly dwelt upon
the distance which the prisoners had to be removed
to trial, and the demoralizing effects whiCh grew out
of that removal. He contended also, that it involved a
violation of the spirit of the laws of the country. A new
county gaol had been built at Norwich, at a great ex-
pense, and it was now rendered as perfect, and was as
well regulated as any gaol in the Kingdom. It was
close to the Court, and a subterraneous passage led from
the cells of the prisoners, into the body of the Court it-
self; so that they need not be exposed to the public view.
lie had been told that in making this proposal be was at-
tacking the prerogative of the Crown; this he did not be-
lieve. It was said that the Judges would object to the in-
creased distance, and the inconvenience to which that
would give rise. Accustomed as he. was to respect the
Authorities of the State, he could not think that these
famed and illustrious personages would consider their own incon-
venience in travelling thirty extra miles, when the public interests
required the alteration. Upon these grounds-be called upon the
House to support him in the motion, " That the Petition of the
Magistrates of the County of Norfolk, requiring leaye to bring in
a Hill for removing the Spring Assizes from Thetford to Nor-
wich. together with the Petitions against it, be referred to a Se-
lect Committee."
Sir J. SEBRIGHT seconded the motion, and said
that lie thought his Honourable Friend had not gone
far enough in stating his case. He contended that
every consideration of morality, expediency, and justice, was
favourable to the alteration.
Mr. COLBURN thought a very strong case indeed
ought to be made out before the removal was deter
mined upon. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving that the
other Orders of the Day he now read.
Mr. F. BUXTON said, the Honourable Gentleman,
had argued the question as if it entirely rested be
the Borough of Thetfot d and the City of Nor-
wich, without adverting to the population of the
County of N. rfulk, who were the persons whose inte-
test should be most considered. The law of England
held, that no punishment should be inflicted on the un-
tried pribuney , but at pre►ent the prisoners of the County
of Norfolk were sent thirty miles in irons in a cart,
a ithout :lily classification, to be sent to Thetford to be
tiled. li :he prisonet's witnesses lived in that part of
the county w heie he (4:. Buxton) resided, they bad to