Star.
London, England, 1824-06-01 00:00:00

IRISH INSURRECTION ACT.

Sir H. PARNELL presented 'tile Report of the Irish Insur-
rection Act Committee, which Iris Ordered to lie on the table,
and to be printed.
Mr. GOULBURN then gave notice, that in pursuance of this
Report. he ,should tomorrow move for leave to bring in a Bill to
renew the Insurrection Act.

Mr. ABERCROMBY objected to the early day named by the
Right lionouraWe Gentleman. It would be impossible that Gentle-
men could have the evidence In their hands before to-morrow, and
there would not be any time for them to possess them-elves of the
facts which had come before the Committee, or their bearing on
the question. The Insurrection Act new came forward ander en-
tirely different circumstances to what it had done formerly. Here-
tofore they had adopted the Insurrection Act upon the recommen-
dation of his Majesty's Government, now they were asked to adopt
it upon the recommendation of a Committee.
No answer was returned to the Honourable Member.

CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION.
Mr.BROWNLOW said, he held in his hand a Petition
of as much importance as any which had been submitted
to the House during the present Session. It was from
certain individuals, inhabitants of Dublin. It was signed,
indeed, by only 20 persons ; but had it been ex:)osed
publicly to signature, it e oeld have been signed by
thousands. He cared nor, however, whether it was
signed by 20 or 20,000. The statements it contained
were equally deserving the consideration of the House.
It related to the Catholic Association assembled in
Dublin, which had assumed to itself the functions of a
Parliamentary Body. Not only had they their Board
upon which Petitions were laid ; not only had they their
Committees and their Reports; and done other acts (.1
parliamentary power and usage; but they had even
directed a Census of the People to be taken; and mole
than this, at a time whets the Ministers of the Country
could not raise any direct tax in Ireland, this Board had
made a call upon them for money ; and, he was soar ;•
to say, the call had been answered. This Petition having
been entrusted to him, and these being the ell cumstances
set forth in it, he could not remain silent—be could not
refrain from expressing his sentiments upon such pro-
ceedings, and he trusted the House would do the same.
Ile could not but consider these proceeding s as an exciting
to arms, as open and plain as could be expressed, con-
sistent with the personal safety of those who made it, and
an attempt to delude a generous open-hearted people.
So long as this Catholic Association existed in Dublin,
it was folly to talk of freedom of speech in the House
of Commons, on Irish affairs. Such freedom might be
claimed and granted at the hrst of every Session ; but
it would require more than a common degree of nerve,
more than a common disregard of popular opinion, to
enable a man to utter his opinions and sentiments on
these subjects. The professed intention of this Assembly
was to meet to petition Parliament ; but the real pur-
pose was, to afford an opportunity of making factious
harangues, and exciting disaffection in the minds of
a people labouring under temporary pressure. Ile
would ask, was the education, the temper, or the general
disposition of the Irish people, such as would enable
them to detect and counteract such a cunning mode o'
proceeding, or to distinguish or defeat its fallacy, or
mischievous tendency? This Assembly, he knew sit
would be said, met for the purpose of petitioning Par-
liament; but they had met and adjourned, and met and
adjourned, from January to this time—(/feer, hear).—
They had made speeches and harangues, issued opinions
and declarations, and, in fact, done everything but pe-
tition; and he was decidedly of opinion, that their ob-
ject was not petitioning, but that they did intend, by
boldness and daring, to appal and overawe the Govern-
ment. In his opinion, there was not a good and reiiCe..
able Catholic in Ireland who did not wish to get rid of
these over-zealous friends, who, instead of set ving them,
or promoting their Petition, were doing everything
likely to forfeit for them the right of petitioning. He
believed the object of this Board was their own interest,
only, whilst they were pretending, bur most falsely,
that they were the friends of the Catholics, and wished
to promote their Petition. It was said by some that the
Six Acts would not apply to this Board. lie had also
been told that neither would the Act of last Session
apply to them, because they held their meeting within
doors ; but he could not help thinking, that had the At-
torney-General been as anxious to disperse this meeting
as he was to convict the murderous bottle-thrower at
the Theatre, a law might have been found which would
have effected that object. This, however, was a ques-
tion for a lawyer rather than for him, and he should
content himself with calling on the House to adopt some
declaration which should have the effect of putting an
end to this assembly. He had been accused of describing
Ribandmen and Orangemen as resembling each other.
He had never said any such thing; lie could not, be-
cause he considered them as diameti ically opposite. He
considered the Ribandmen to be what the Law Officers
of the Crown had described them to be, a set of men
going about to spread disturbance and disaffection to
Government, amongst the people, whilst the Orange-
men, he conside:ed as a moderate, constitutional, and
loyal body of men ; and as such he had described them.
He had intended to have moved that the Petition should
have been referred to the Committee which had been
sitting to inquire into the disturbances existing in the
riotous districts. Being, however, too late to adopt
that course, he should now move that the Petition be
brought up and read, and he should afterwards follow
up that by a motion for its being printed.—The Petition
was then brought up and read.
Mr. PLUNKETT then rose, and expressed himself
to the following effect: " Sir, I cannot but express my
thanks to the Honourable Member for Armagh, for the
personal kindness with which he has mentioned my
name, while at the same time he has brought forward
a grave and serious accusation against me, for having
deserted my duty in declining to prosecute the Associa-
tion which he has this evening denounced, with the
same zeal which I exercised towards those persons whom
he has been pleased to term the • bottle throwers.' To
be sure, the Honourable Member has in some degree
qualified that accusation, by declaring his own igno-
' Actioranee
Association—(Hear).
es(tHateasor).f the law as it may apply to this
sso
that nothing which he He
may
rest
assured, however,
can say will have the effect of