The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-26 00:00:00

SKETCHES IN PARLIAMENT,

We this day present our readers with the first of a series
of "SKETCHES IN PARLIAMENT," which it is our
intention to continue at intervals, on the occasion of
any important debate in the House of Commons.
They are the production of an intelligent gentleman,
who has numerous sources of information, and who.
we doubt not will render the series not only interesting
but highly instructive.'

Eibrrpool

FRIDAY

MORNING, FEBRUARY 26, 1841.

On reading the prolonged debates that have taken
place in Parliament this week on Lord Morpeth's Re-
gistration Bill, we have been disappointed at finding
so little said on that topic which of all others enters

ost deeply

essentially into the question. W

grant that it

an awkwarct: subject in the house ; but

t is not on th

important the

With the

public press, however, there is not, or at least there
ought not to be this squeamishness. We allude to the

attempt to diacuss Irish qu

estiom:

1, as it were conclu-

sively, yet wit/Lout reference to the subject of
In so doing, Conservatives shew themselves vastly con-
ciliatory, and choose frequently a weak and unfavour-
able position, when they might, if they pleased, have a
' • fragable one. Glance at this registra-
tion question in its first and most obvious point of
view, and if we agree not to perceive anything of reli-
gion the. consequence inevitably is, that we.give
the Radicals a decided ,advantage. They ask for a
qualification for electors in:lreland on the ground that
that country is poorer than England—and they shelf
what vast numbers are excluded from the franchise by
reason of the present high rate ; and is not this a plaus-
ible argument ? We think it is, and we are not sure
that Conservatives can satisfactorily overturn it, so
long as they stand on political grounds merely.
They speak of the extreme pove•ay of the people,
and their consequent liability to corrupting influences ;
but might not a People be poor, and yet virtuous ?
Must poverty with all its other evils, necessarily bear
the reproach of being vicious and immoral ? Why
this is a libel upon human nature. And yet it is the
libel, or the doctrine, which the Conservative who fore-
goes religion in discussing the new enfranchisement of
Ireland, is necessarily driven to. That there is great
error here, will hardly be denied. We do not seek to
account for it; we rest simply on the fact. But let
the Conservative place himself directly, and at once on
the religious ground, and the case is completely altered.
As the champion of -a Protestant constitution, Church,
and Government, he then acts with perfect consistency
5n refusing privilege s and powers to men who would
use them for no otlu T purpose than to subvert those
great institutions—a nd he escapes from the dubious
and unenviable positi on of shutting men out from con-
stitutional privileges 1-nerely on the ground of penury.
But, it may be said, t; his would be declaring open war
against Popery. Dot !btless it would ; but are we to
be told that there is any • Conservative Protestant afraid,
or ashamed to engage i; n that holy war ? Ay, "there's
the rub." We do fear t hat this is too much the case—
that our Protestantism h as been infected and damaged
by Liberalism-_and tha t there are many who think
that religion is not essea ltial to. a COnservative policy.
Hence all our difficulties with Irish questions.
This is a most unfortun, ate state of things not less

strong and irre