Star.
London, England, 1829-03-18 00:00:00

lh

every other feeling, and under this impression I rise tg.
address the House. I am aware that it is most dillicok
that it is, indeed, almost impossible. to effer my obser-
vati .ns that are new, upon a question so often an so
ably discussed t but as there is one featute of the case,
that A ppeam. to me -to.. hese. somewhat of' noweitTrlo
onefeature I will now apply myself. I allude to
the mbituation in which a large number of the Members
of-this HOlllepare now placed. For myself .1 will.btate,
and I hesitate not to avow ikthereisnoindividual who
has attended to his duties as a Mernber of Parliament
with a more firm determination to de that which ap-
pears right,, to act op more, strictly to the principles
he has professed, than the humble individual who now
adalre,,ses you; and.. under this feeling, I, say I have
found it utterly impossible, merely because some of the
Ministers of the Crown have thought proper y, change
their opinions. tojuitify any change in mine. D I.4ad
been able to find any reasons to induce.such a change,
the situation in which I now find myself placed with
respect to the opposition to Government in which I
now stand, would have led me to.yield to them. But
with me such a change has been found. to .he . impos-
sible. and I will state to the House the reasons why
I have come to such a conclusion—(llear, hear).—
I regret most deeply that I have witnessed a very dif-
ferent, course of ,conduct on. the part of many Hon.
Members with whom I have been accustomed to think
and act. I make this observation not with a view to
iefl:ct uon them for the coarse they have thought
proper to adopt. Now, Sr, Lean, only come to a de-
termination with regard to the vote I shall be called
non to give from the evidence adduced in support of
the measure by the Right Hon. Gintlemaq, under
whose sanction it is brought forward, and by. whom it
is supported. There. may be some secret reasons that
have infiuenceJ his conduct which he does not think fit

to make public; or which, fr m the peculiar situation
of Government, it may not be wise to declare; but, if
there be such reasons, they cannot induce me to change
my opinions, inasmuch as I am ignorant of their na-
ture. „I must, therefore, he allowed to Investigate the
req-ons which the
:Right Hon. Gentleman. has brought
toward in justification of the cqurse he has pursued,
and as having led to an alteration in his seniments
with regard to the question of concessians to the Ca-
thqlo. Sirs those reasons are three:. first, with refe-
rence to .the state of Ireland; second, with regard: to
the situation of the House of Commons; and third, as
respects a divided GovernMent upon this question.—
Such are the reasons, according to his statement. w.lllch
have led the Right Hon. Gentleman, not to abandon
his principles, for those he declares to remain as. they:
Lave ever been, but to mark out for himself a new and'
a different course from:that which the whole of his po-
litical life he has ,conceived. it his-duty to pursue..
will nn a. advert to the first reason adduced by the Right
Hein. Secretary, and which I confess is to me must in.
consists., t and most uniatir•factory-4 allitda. to_ •
*sent skate.of Ireland as rendering the sittileineni of
Ora rwstion, in. his. judgment, expedient, if not twee:-
Earl. N0w,.1 have paid the most scrupulous attention'
t' all the Right Hon. Gentleman has aster ed, and to
all. the Pf99l. he has advanced, and I put it to his. caii-
dour, I put it to the candour of any Hon. Member,
.whej,cr any one single reason has.been brought forward'
upon this OCCAsjoii, that has not been from tone to time,
over and over again, stated to Paiiianient and the coup.
.try'? Froma his fact, then, what inference am IA draw

. . .
Whit ' ut this? If the measure be now necessary, that
neces icy h,s long rAisted. Nay, I will go further. and
sair it is not sirffsio.t ts r th.• Right lionocuable Gen;
tlensan to contend that such necessity existed heretufuse t.
he is bound to prove that the necessity is now greater
• than it ever has been since he had a seat in this HoUse.
or he cannot ju.tify the change that, hAs taken place in
his principle-. If it be now nece-sary to point to the
. • :mote of Ireland as calling for the granting of this mea-
sure, I ask. i, there a period' wit'!in the last ten years at
• which the argument was not equally strong ? I
.will
contend tha3 there h.ve been times during that pet isso
. when the danger of rrfusi-g the clams• of, the Catholics.
was much greater tnan. it can now be. I certainly
cermr•t hare such accurait means of judging of the state
of :nicety in that country as his firjesty s .6overnment
base, buil pannt.t. admit the argument that it is worse
- now than it was formerly. In support of this pot‘ition
134411 read to the House a short extract from A , work
which I now hold in my hand. It will be in the recol-
lection of the House thet in the year 1822 a prosecu-
tion ea, conducted by his Majesty's Attorney General
lot Ireland against certain. parties for seditious prac.
tires, in the cour-e of which the Attorney General drew
st.pictuitipol Ireland fat worse than that so recently
. drawn by the Right Hon.,Secretary, similar worse than,
• that Right Honourable Gent!etuan cs old believe now.
to exist. The npinjon expres,ed by the Attorney Ge-
neral was of such a nature, as to show that the settle-
ment of that countri was then Imre loudly called for,
than it could now be. Mr. PlUnkett's addre,s to the
Jury on this prosecution was as strong ps language
could make any appeal. (Fbe Hon. Member, read A
short extract from this address.) . The addreat. of thw
- Attorney General proves that the st stenflreland'in 142
was worse than it now is, and that therefore-the question
of Catholic concession was, then rum,g, necessary than
now. I Will also mi.peal to several. memlwes,of hie Maks,
tyl.s Government whs cher, when the jtill for suppi,sing
the Ca•holic Association was broug, into Parliament,
the aisle of 'lnland was not described as quite as dig.
tot bed and.dangercus as it has been declared to he by
the„ltight Hon. lent:. who introduced the present Bill ?
.1 says therefore, that all we have been recently told re•
lative to the state of Leland we knew perfectly well be-
fore—arid the; nothing new has been commitnicated.to
u}—(hear, hear)—nothing of which we have not beets
fully aware for many years back. The lesson of , the
Right lion. Gentlemen), then, for chitngthii his sea i
lows upon this ground, appears to be nothinsufBcieut
and unsatisfactory.; for, it A ntcs•ssitY.no N. exists fOr
conceding to the Catholics certain claims, that necessity
has lung existed. The nest reason urged by;the Right.
Mr. Gentleman is, the present divided optcrion.pf tie
House of Comm,lis with r' lefties to. OsiSquestinis ; but
that divided opinion has al;I:i been known_ to ex.shlor
mart. ,but it this opinion was; iii,t.tertalt having
Men, nearly baleced. this fact is net ending. to Oki
.k
the course pqcsned ,by. the Right goo.. Genhierpin, tie-
cause a tirnslat..argutne,ot might loitg. Atoce,64lve beeu
14014 tg. the 54.41•
many.Thg plpussnf Corniußns has,,nui
',testily tWen tootc,,ilivi3ec. than it.has is 3 many
int an
Pun; and it Blight be 07..i.0iia ok_ih, ~.,.r. 7
atting on the defensive I{d ,
.09;,,glitte awed, gt,20,,.n,
Certain:it was that the last , 91411E7 ~* OPP% 9
(:,t'iiemouus .that. 0044 in taloa; of,m
.... cssin, was
aOlOO large ate KfW had Prriciash htan•.. HIM riti6
then, the argument, of oc, Not ynnt tieritl.g9Att
must fall to tlie ground, )9r he cati„. ems! np:aupport:
fur-that argunicnthsial tbe state 4, kho H .iossea (g,l
• evenings ago,when tte Hpuie cante,to itcliistopoti itif
_ pluton. Sir, it is my belieftho icti?e„ent finntlie4
and sixti Members,whu then. Toted against. the ,A;tott
. Zion. Gentlentanhad - been supported
it 11 him as ey,
had been formerly, erirksillaistiefUnit isinaself iit a