Star.
London, England, 1817-06-26 00:00:00

IRISH INSURRECTION BILL•

On the question for their Lordships' going into a
Committee on this Bill,

The EAT' of LIVERPOOL stated, that an opinion
generally prtvailed, especially with those most con-
versant with the state and circumstances of Ireland,

that the measure in question was necessary at present.
On a former occasion, a Bill of the same kind was
passed for seven years. On an occasion since that,
such I measure was agreed to for three years, but
that now before their Lordships was proposed only
for one year's continuance. He moved that the
House do now resolve itself into the Committee.
Tie Earl of DONOUGHMOKE :aid, that in his

mind suff•cient grounds were not laid by iris Majesty's
Government for the adoption of this measure. The
Noble Earl who moved it seemed to regard it as a
matter of course, and that its being upon the Statute
Book was a sufficient argument for its continuance.
Their Lordships, perhaps, may not be.fully aware of
the effect of the measure before them, which went no
less than to create two new kinds of offence, for
which the part es, without the intervention of any
kind of Jury, rT the benefit of a Judge's attendance,
were liable to be transported for seven years ; those
offences were—one for a person being absent from
his usual place of residence, at any time between sun
rise and sun set : and the other, for his being found
any where else—(A smile). At the same time, lie
Would say, it it were determined that such powers
should be given, they could not be, he thought, in
better hands than in those of the present Lord Lieu-
tenant of Ireland—(Hear). Upon the whole, he
would not oppose the Bill, the more so as it was not
a measure by which the Catholics seemed to be af-
fected, but to be equally applicable to Protestants
as to them. He was happy to understand it to be in
the contemplation of his Majesty's Government to
pay a par titular degree of attention to the case and
circumstances of. Ireland—a case which called for
their most serious attention, and in nothing scarcely
More than with respect to the mode which prevailed
in that country relative to the appointment of Sheriffs.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, it was known to

be a general sentiment (though perhaps not an uni-
versal one), that it was expedient in the present cir-
eumstankes of Ireland to adopt the measure in ques-
tion for a limited time. The actual necessity of the
Measure seemed to arise from the existence of such a
state of things,' snd such a combination of circum-
stances, as could not from their-nature be under the
eontrool sir power of. Government, but which was
not attributable to any-political causes whatever, and
which consideration, as stated in debate at the
induced the non extension of the Suspension Bill to
that country.. In regard to political considerations,
be regarded the Conduct of the inhabitants as of a
most exemplary nature. With respect to the Noble
Earl's favourable opinion. of the person at the head
olAsin:inistration in Ireland, it was one, he believed,
which was not only well merited, but one pretty ge-
nerally entertained, as giving satisfaction, not only
to the friends, but to most of the opponents of that
Administration. With respect to the attention of his
Majesty's Government to the general policy of Ire-
land; he could assure the House it was most seriously
and anxiously directed to the subject with respect to
its political and financial concern:, and, in fact, to
every description of measure that could affect the
government ola country. In all these Ireland was
considered by them with the utmost indulgence and
' liberality, and, on some occasions, even some partial
sacrifices of the interests of this to that part of the
United Kingdom were not spared. With respect to
the particular point on which the Noble Earl laid so
mach stress, namely; the mode of appointing Sheriffs
in Ireland. it was most seriously under their conside-
tation, and it was proposed to give Jreland every
benefit in that respect, by.transacting that part of the
Administration upon the strictest judicial principles,
and putting it on the same footing as in this country.
Lord HOLLAND was of opinion, notwithstand-
ing what fell twin the Noble Earl, that no necessity
was'made out tor the aduption of such a harsh and
unconstitutional measure with respeit to Ireland,
whose present statc,•he must think, notwithstanding
all the favourable attention of his Majesty's Govern-
ment—not even exclusively, some Aacritice of British
iaterestS,..WaS such as to chew there was something
fundamentally wrong in the systeaCwhich prevailed
for the government of that country.
The Earl of LIMERICK expressed his conviction
that the r.ut passing of the measure in question would
be one of the greatest evils the Legislature could in-
flict upon that country. He litized the blessings or
tie British Cunstitution as much as any man could ,
do; but those who were unmindful, or spurned at
those blessings, ill deserved to participate in them ;
and it should be recollected, as iu sonic measure his
Noble Friend must be aware that it Wab impossible,
ttirough the influence of actual murder and intimida-
tion, that juries or witnesses could do their duties in
Ireland, With the Noble Earl at the head of his
Majesty's Councils, lie believed that the present di:-
lurbantes in that country had no political object
whatever—but the miseries which exist there would
be greatly aggravated without the protecting mea-
sum before the House, of which, of-course, lie must
strongly urge the adoption: • •
A conversation,, rather of an -explanatory nature,
took place between his Lordship and the Noble Ealls
who spoke in the discussiou, relative to the actual
and the proper mode of the appointment of. Sheriffs
in 'rebind, in which an opinion seemed to prevail,
that to assimilate the mode of appointment there, to
system adopted in this country, would be the'

most desirable. The durst►on being put, their Lord,
ships resolved into the Committee, and having gone
through the Bill, the same was reported without any
amendment.
Their Lordships then resolved into a Committee
on the Saving !Lilts Bill, in which Lord Itenesom
after some prefatory observations, moved a Dumber
of amendments.
These were, after some conversation, in which the
LORDCHANCFII.OII, Lord Ihsrvott, and the Mar-
quis of LANsoowNst participated, agreed to by the
Committer fro forma, in order to their bring printed
with a view to farther consideration.
The House then resumed, and ordered the Bill, as
amended, to be printed.—Adjourned.