The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-15 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY

The Earl of RODEN presented a petition, signed by
5,000 protestants of the county of Down, and complain-
ing, that while processions and meetings of the Roman
Catholics for the repeal of the union were tolerated, they
bad been severely punished for celebrating the anniversary
of the battle of the Boyne; and calling upon their lord-
ships to take into consideration the dangers to which the
Irish Protestants were exposed from an agitation which,
they feared, would result in civil war. The noble lord
urged the injustice of carrying out the law prohibiting
party processions in all its rigour against the few orange-
men who had ventured to transgress it, while immense
multitudes, assembling with banners bearing mottoes and
emblems of sedition, and marching in array to the sound of
military music, were indulged in with complete impunity.
Let the law either be put in force, without distirction, or
not at all. At any rate, let it not be strained to coerce a
body of men who, under circumstances of great irritation,
bad manifested most creditable forbearance. With re-
spect to the danger to which the petitioners believed them-
selves to be exposed, he was convinced that theirs was no
unfounded alarm. They were at least justified in such an
apprehension when they saw a vast portion of the popula-
tion drilled until they rivalled the regularity of veteran
troops, and implicitly obeying the commands of their
leaders, who openly professed their determination to carry
repeal either by fair means or by force, and promised to
their followers deliverance from the yoke of the Saxons.
He augured unfavourably, too, from the circumstance
that a much smaller number of reapers than usual had
come to this country in search of employment, from the
presence of a number of foreigners in Ireland, and from
the close connexion of the Roman Catholic hierarchy with
the repeal movement, and expressed the general disap-
pointment with which the Irish Protestants had re-
marked the absence of activity- and -energy in the go-
vernment to repress this agitation. He acknowledged aWI
gratitude the excellent disposition of military torce to
meet any sanguinary outbreak, but regretted that no mea-
sures had•been employed to enlist the support of all who
would associate to preserve tranquility. The apathy of
the government had driven many, who were otherwise
well inclined, to swell the repeal ranks, but he trusted
that it would now endeavour to retrieve its errors, He
approved the conduct of former Viceroys in calling out
the yeomanry, and after an earnest appeal for protection
to the loyal Protestants of Ireland, concluded by praying,
in accordance with the petition, that the law relating to
processions might either be repealed or brought into ge-
neral operation.
The Duke of WELLINGTON confessed, that the evils
and inconveniences attending the present state of affairs
in Ireland had been by no means exaggerated ; but after
paying a well deserved compliment upon their loyal for-
bearance to the orangemen of the north, proceeded to ex-
plain, that the act, the operation of which they were
called on to extend, had reference only to meetings or
processions in commemoration of anniversaries to which
either a religious or political character was attached, and
could not, consequently, be held to include those at which
the repeal of the union was discussed. It might be asked,
" Why not, then, extend its provisions ?" But, although
admitting the evils which the present criminal agitation
had inflicted, and most anxious to put an end to them—
aware, too, of the responsibility of government for its
omissions as well as its acts—he did not think it desirable
to state what were its intentions further than to explain
that in his own department every thing that could be done
bad been done to enable it to preserve the peace of the
country, and to meet all misfortunes and consequences
which may result from the violence of the passions of
those men who unfortunately guide the multitude in Ire-
land. He disputed neither the extent of the conspiracy,
the dangers to be expected from it, nor the assistance it
bad derived from foreigners; but he felt confident that,
from the measures adopted, the government would be able
to resist every attempt against the public peace, and he
believed it better, therefore, to persevere in its present
course, and to employ no other precautions until they
should become absolutely necessary.
The Earl of WINCHELSEA and the Earl of WICKLOW
approved the conduct of the Government in abstaining
from coercive measures ; but the Marquis of CLANRI-
GARDE, although joining in this expression of approba-
tion, was anxious to hear what ministers expected as the
result of the present state of affairs in Ireland. An Irish
Government should have no other objects than to receive
constabulary reports, and as nothing yet had been effected,
he hoped that next session something would be done with
the view of improving the condition of the population.
Lord BROUGHAM made an able speech in support of
the Government, the principal points in which will be
found in other columns of our paper.
The debate then concluded.