Star.
London, England, 1807-04-21 00:00:00

tiltHl otA JULY ?AZU.

Mr. MAURICE FITZGERALD :ores ptiguant
to ootioe. to move for leave to bring in a bill to alter
and amend the mode of levying money by Grand
juries in Ireland. He could now Rate, from the re-
*ern on the table, that the enormous film of half a
Million was railed by the Grand Juries, for bridges
and crofs roads, exclufive of turnpike roads, and the
main lines of communication between the different
parts of Ireland. This ram might not appear great
compared with the revenue of England ; but it was
prodigious when compared with that of Ireland,
which was only about four millions altogether. The
Honourable Gentleman went on to Rate that a land
tax would be an unpopular meafure in Ireland, and
yet that country was in reality fubjeCt to a lvlci tax,
railed in the moll objeEtionable way. The poor in
Ireland were, of neeellity, obliged to have fotne land,
and after, by extraordinary induftry, railing fubfif-
tance out of it, they were obliged to pay their tythes,
and then their Grand Jury Tax, which fell upon the
poor occupants ; while the rich proprietor, being ab-
fent, paid none of the tax as a proprietor. What
he propofed, therefore, was, to follow up the analogy
of the rigulation adopted by his Right Honourable.
Friend (Sir J. Newport) who had exempted' from
the houfe tax thole whole rents did not exceed 61.
per annum. He intended alfo to propofe tome neat
regulations with refpe& to prefentments and the pr0..1
per accounting for the money. He would bring it}
the bill this &Mon, that it might be printed and
confidered by the Grand Juries during the fummer
affixes. It would thus come forward next Seffion,
after all the cnnfideration that could be requifite.—
He did not mean to alter the fyftem of levying money
by Grand Juries, but fubjelt it to the moll beneficial
regulations. He could not conclude without Ruing
another motive which had induced him to propofe
this meafure. At this moment he obferved, when
all the views of the late Miniftry in favour of Ireland
had been defeated, when the hopes of all thole who
'from Konen motives fupported the Union were
blafted—when the Union was rendered merely no.
mina' and barren, though- there appeared no inten-
tion immediately to repeal it—when the prefent Go
vernment was founded on an ince:di& againft Ireland,'
and exited ender a pledge to withheld from the
Royal ear the grievances and complaints of the un-
happy people of that country (Rear ! bear !) at fuch
a moment as this, he hoped the Houfe would concur
with him in the opinion, that at leaft all the praCtical
benefits ought to be conferred on Ireland which could
poffibly be obtained, He concluded by moving for
leave to bring if 'a bill to alter and amend the mode
of levying money by Grand Juiiei in Itieland.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
approved of the motion, and alto of the mode of pro.
teediog intended to be adopted. He denied, how•
ever, that he was bound to intercept any well foun-
ded complaints or the people of _lreland. He wilhed
the profperity of that country as much as any man
could do. This was his objet, however he might
differ from Come Honourable Gentlemen as to the
means. He could not help entering his protell againft
the language of the Honourable Gentleman tells:eking
the Union, which had been called nominal and
barren, and a meafure about which there might be
doubts whether it ought not to be repealed. He
hoped there was no doubt that it ought never to be
repealed. We were now embarked together, and it
might be attended with the wortt confequences if it
was underftood that there was any chance of the con.
trait being difturbed.
Mr. PARNELL wifhed that the condo& of the
Right Honourable Gentleman had been filch as to
allay any prejudices that might exift againft the Union.
The expreflion, it ought to be obferved, had come
from one who voted in favour of the Union, and it
was only to be del red that the Right Honourable
Gentleman might not a& fo as to jullify it.
Mr. WILBERFORCE had liftened with great fa-
tisfaCtion to the Raiment' of the Honourable Mover,
beeaufe he had thrown tome light upon the fituation
of the Irith poor. He writhed that the Gentlemen
from Ireland would always endeavour to enlighten
us with regard to the internal Rate of that country.
This would be much more important with refpea to
the poor of that country than the difeuffion of any
great political privileges. One of the perfons who
bad been engaged in the rebellion had Rated in an-
fwer to a quellion put to him, when examined at the
Bar of a Committee of the Ira Houfe of Com-
mons, that the peafantry would not give the value of
the ink in the pen with which the clerk was writing,
tor emancipation. The real happinefs of the people
depended more on the nature of their connection
with their landholders and tYthehriders, than upon
thole privileges. One of the belt effeas which he
hoped for from the Union was the additional light
which it would enable us to procure with refpe& to
the fituatinn of the people of Ireland. We thould
always remember that they were our fellow.fubjeCts,
and we ought at lea% to concur in remedying any
abufes, as far as we were agreed.
Mr. MAURICE FITZGERALD begged leave
to give an accurate and entire Raiment of the cir-
cumtlance to which the Honourable Gentleman (Mr.
Wilberforce) had adverted. This he could do with,
the molt perfell corralnefs, as he had been a Mem-
ber of the Committee. The quellion afked was, what
value the great body of the Catholics attached -to
what was called emancipation ? The anfwer was,
as the Honourable Gentleman had Rated, that they
did not underfiand it, and that they would not give
the value of the ink, &c. This was, perhaps, true;
1)1't t t'l this'coreltion was f.ilowed by another, viz.
" What he thought would have been the effeEts of
granting this emancipation r The reply was, that
there was nothing the rebel leaders dreaded In much,
' as it would have taken the peafantry out of their
hands etvirely, and completely deftroyed their hopes
of ellablithing a Republic in Ireland. This was the
i real ftate of the cafe. The Hon. Gentleman then
I. proceeded to Rate, that in voting lot the Union, he
had combated his ear lief prejudices and feelings, and
1 fupported it with a view to the fecurity of all ella•
1 ilithments, and tke relegation of a firm and lading
- tranquility to Ireland. He had done fo under pledges
I dire& and indite& on this fubjeft, fanetioned by the
peateft names, and he never would have concurred
wit on other terms. But now, when he faw the
oils aggravated, and none of the expe&ed good el.
Us produced, he, (peaking for himfelf only, &-
bed, that the Union was barren and nominal, and
tat no great benefit could refult from continuing it.
The motion was then put and cart ierd.—Adjout fled.