Star.
London, England, 1831-02-09 00:00:00

Such was the law as laid down by Judge Jebb. This, be contended,
was in defiance or the English Cmenitution. and clearly showed that
'related had no Constitution. The King. Lords, and Commons, were
but trusties, and they had no right to abrogate the Constitution, but
ought to maintain it in*the state in which it was delivered over to their
et..tnliarship. He hoped most sincerely that the present government
A cued be able to show that they had nothing to do with the late unto'''.
r, todonal proceedings against the hon. member for Waterford, and that
forther proceedings against that hon. member would not be taken, but
that he would be permitted to resume his place in that how. He had
ipscrne reconciled to the hon. member for Waterfad, andill=coald
have 'educed him to adopt such a course but dm bthat
tnat individual was the object of persecution. Bade 1111.1.111161 Opinion
of Ireland, and he warned the government to beware erlibeannelesescee.
The hon. member then moved for copies of the Proclamations lowed by
the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland since the passing of the ggeteigdast Un-
lawful Assemblies, and also for a copy of the letter den pologgt Chid
Seeretary to the Magistrates of Ireland.
The motion having been seconded,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUI4II44OOI4IIIOIII .... mi
ject to the motion of the Honourable Member, beit apps Os
the Honourable Member, he felt it to be his duty to state at NW
the conduct of the Government. He regretted that the Hon.
Right
hail brought the subject forward during the absence of his Right on.
Friend the Secretary for Ireland, and still moredid he regret that he
should have done so during the absence of the Hon. Member tor the
Couniy of Waterford. He bad stated to the Honourable Member in
private that if he would make his motion without going into any re-
mark' upon the conduct of Government, it might be acquiesced in with-
out any debate whatever, which otherwise could not be the case. The
lion. Member for Waterford, with peace and healing upon his Fps and
in profession, had been doing every thing in his power to create discon-
tent and to excite rebellion. (Cheering.) Such was the fact, and any
one reading the speeches of the Honourable Member for Waterford
lowa see at once, that although they professedly inculcated obedience to
the laws, peace and good will, they in reality were calculated to induce
discontent, violence, and open rebellion. (Great cheering from all parts
of the House.) The object of the agitation, as It was called, got up
by the hon. member for Waterford, was to effect the repeal of the Union.
Such was the fact; and, by a repeal of the Union, was meant the se-
paration of the two countries. (Loud cheers, and ales of " No, no,"
from a O'Gormon Mahon. which were immediately overwhelmed by
cheers of assent.) Such being the case, could any one for a moment doubt
that it was the duty of his majesty's government to do every thing in its
power to stay, thwart, and destroy such a proceeding ? The hon. mem-
ber had spoken of' a compromise, and said that Ireland wanted a separate
legislature ; but it must be evident to every one, on a moment's reflection,
that the two countries could not remain united with two legislatures, each
bring independent of the other.—(Hear, hear.) And when a separate
legislature was spoken of the hon. member said Ireland required
a Hoare Parliament, did he mean that it required the parliament of
1797 should be revived ? Was it meant that it was desirable that Ire=
land should be afflicted, and injured, and distressed, by such a House
of Parliament as that which existed Immediately prior to the Urtion ?
(Great cheering.) Of all the evils which he could conceive falling upon
Ireland, he could conceive none worse than the revival or restoration of
such a parliament,—( Hear) The hon. member had asked what were the
intentions of his majesty's government with aspect to Ireland? He
would answer that question. His majesty's government would do every
thing in their power to ameliorate and to improve the state of Ireland; and
several notices had already been given of measures to be brought forward
having that end in view. If, however, a grievance existed, his Ma-
jesty's Government would labour to remove it' His Majesty's Govern-
ment purposed to aim at an improvement in the condition of Ireland,
by giving employment to the poor—(Cheers)—by facilitating and en-
couraging commerce, by giving security to industry and to property
by the upholding of the laws,and by the maintenance of the legit-
dative Act of Union.—(Loud heers.)—Such were the Intentions of his
Majesty's Government, and lie felt confident that be estimated cor-
rectly the feelings of Englishmen when he said that this country was
firmly resolved to maintain the Union with Ireland. (Continued
cheering.}—There was no man breathing who deplored war more
than he did, and of all wars he looked upon a civil war as the
most afflicting and the most terrible. It destroyed the dearest ties,
and injured a nation in its strongest and its most valuable holds.—
(Cheers.)—But with all the horror he felt at having recourse to such
an extremity, he must say, and confidently, that, it was an extremity
England would adopt, rather than sanction or permit the repeal of the
Union with Ireland. (Immense cheering from all parts of the house.)
He did aot think it necessary to trouble the house longer, but he had
telt it to be his duty to state briefly and strongly the intentions of his
Majesty's Government. (Hear.)
Mr. LEADER had rd with regret that a secret society of the
nature mentioned by the hon. gentleman had existed in Ireland, and
he rose most solemnly to assure the house that he belonged to no such
society. He regretted to hear the honourable member assert that the
time for deliberation 'and negotiation was ova, and that the Union
must be repealed, or force had recourse to. (Hear, hear.) He had
very recently been in Ireland, and although a protestant, with several
of his relations in the church, he had not been afraid to meet thirty
thousand of his Catholic fellow-subjects; nor had he been Arid tomato
to his onstituents that he was, under the present circumstances, opposed
to a repeal of the Act of Union. lie considered that the repeal of
the Union would do great injury to Ireland. It would shut up the
English market, it would paralyse manufactures, and overthrow all those
plans for improvement which had lately been entertained. He had
stated this to his constituents, and he had advised them to wait with
patience and to see what was the consequence of the measures now
proposed. (Hear, hear.) What was the result ? an unanimous
vote of confidence. He lamented the proceedings which took place
in Ireland. Lie would admit,bowever, that it was highly inconvenient
to allude to the case there while law proceedings were pending. He
knew that great discontent prevailed in Ireland, and he was one of those
old Whigs who thought where great discontent prevailed, the pee.
sumption was against the Government. Upon a future occasion, he
should draw the attention of the House to some of the means which he
thought might teed to remove these discontents. Time should be allowed
to a new government. He had the highest respect for the chivalroue
soldier pow at the head of the Irish government. No man would be more
ready ton:area a hasty step. I i the inhabitants of Dublin were disposed
to pay a compliment to a popular Member, and if 4 Lad Ideutenant
the (ley after issued a proclamation to prevent their addressing him,
the Noble Marquis when he reflected would, he was sure, be the first
to admit that the proceeding was not a prudent one. lie always heard
it maintained in that House by the ablest men, at the time of the
American war, and on other occasions, that it was better to use all
means of conciliation than to take any step tending to widen the
breach. Having come there WO miles to discharge his duty, he
felt himself called upon to utter his sentiments. He was convinced
there existed in Ireland no disposition to resort to civil war for the
repeal of the Union. This was the general feeling in the South of
Ireland.
Sir It. PEEL regretted that this discussion was entered upon now
in the absence of the Secretary for Ireland ; but as it had been intro.
dueed, it was the bounden duty of every man who wished for the con-
tinuance of the Legislative Union of the two countries to deliver his opi-
nion. It was a domestic question of paramount importance, and he
should feel ashamed if upon such an occasion he dfd not cast aside.all
consideration of party or political difference. It was his determination
to give every support to the King's Government in their endeavours to
maintain the Union inviolate. He should not look anxiously for an
little slip Ministers might have made in the application of the law, if
they did make any, when be considered the artifices, the evasions, and
misrepresentations by which it was sought to evade the law. (Cheers.)
Even at the expense of the alternative alluded to by the member for
Clare, however dreadful, they should not hesitate to maintain the union
of both countries. If the present demand for repeal were concurred in,
why might not the same come from Scotland ? If it must be main-
tai red, it was far better to have recourse to every legal means which ex-
isted on the statute book than to have recourse to the other alternative.
If there was any law on the statute book by which the evil could be
prevented, they would be most blameable who would again deluge the
scaffold and the fields of Ireland with blood. He could not admit, with
the hon. member who stroke last, that it would have been better to
let the trades meet. The policy of the line pursued by the Irish
Government might he doubtful, if the member for Waterford had not
before given sutficient intimation of what his object was. When a force
was thus assembled, it might easily have been employed to sever the
Union, and the Government therefore had no other resource than to
prevent its assembling. Let it not be supposed that by a dissolution
Ireland could be brought back to the same relative position in which it
was between 1782 and 1800. Animosities would strike not only between
England and Ireland, but between those professing different religious opi-
nions in Ireland, which could not be contemplated with the deepest ap-
prelionion.—('' No," from O'Gorman Mahon.)—These matters were
nut concealed in the bosom of time, and it behoved him and the hon. gent.
not to speak on such matters with too much confidence. The danger
was the greater if these secret societies existed to which the Meat.
her for Clare adverted.—(O'Gorman Mahon, " I deny it.")--It
was not the repeal of the Union that gave rise to the present agita-
tion so much as the recent events in Paris and Belgium. He trusted
to the good sense of the Roman Catholics of all classes, to the good
sense of Protestants both in England and Ireland, to discountenanae
every attempt to sever a union on which the happiness of both de- 1
Pend•d• Kaglatrd could never suffer it to be sepealed if she desired to'
maintain her plea among the nations ; and after perhaps twecty years
of contest sod bloodshed, Ireland would find herself reduced to a weal
wilderness. He skosild listen with favour to any measure of conellia•
lion, but let justice be done to all without sacrificing the iaterests of
striy petty. He felt convinced the abuse of liberty in Ireland was farl
greater than the abuse of power, and for that. reason be should range I
himself on the side of the Executive Government, .in maintaining
the tranquillity of 'the setuatry ; and if,the legal means, at present in
their power were not itaildent for the.parpese, he should be wily to
support the Government hi any &Mir measure they might diem Pi'
tessary. ((;hian )
Mr. O'BRIEN reeeniniended die adoption of conciliatory measures
in Ireland. ~_
Mr. HUME 'Wind to have the Union supported. He denied that the
present &samara awe only from the maniples( France and Belgium.
Were the people of Ireland to be forced to pay tithes, to be prevented