The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-04-23 00:00:00

L STANDARD.

down Whitefoot outrages, he could do nothing which would
more defeat his own purpose than obtain au exemption for the
city of Kilkenny from the effects of the proclamation.
Air. SULLIVAN contended that no offences trod beak com-
mitted within the city of Kilkenny that at all justified the se-
vere infliction of the Lord-Lieutenant's proclamation.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL saw no ground for supposing that
the Lord-Lieutenant had not, in this instance,
i exercised ho-
nestly and wisely the powers with which he was intrusted.
Mr. Huns said that the hon. and learned gentleman had
made out no case, and the right hon. Secretary for Ireland had
shown no excuse, for placing the city of Kilkenny in the pre-
dicament of a disturbed district. The only assigned reason for
it was, that meetings had taken place there - if so, why not put
the meetings down, as had been done in Dublin ?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that the legislature had placed
a certain discretionary power in the hands of the government,
and the only question was, whether the hon. and learned gen-
tleman had made out a case from which Parliament could infer
that there had been a violation of the act. The hon. and
learned member, in his opinion, had not made out such a case,
and therefore he had no right to call for the papers.
Mr. S. RICE observed that the exercise of the powers granted
by the act to the county of Kilkenny was not questioned; the
question was, whether the circumstance of the city of Kilkenny
being a county of itself made a distinction. To exempt the city
whilst the county was under proclamation would lead to great
inconveniences. The right hon. gentleman instanced the case
of Limerick under the Insurrection Act. If a sanctuary were
established in the centre of the county, where the Whitefeet
and perpetrators of outrages could obtain an asylum, the con-
sequences would beserious.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY said, if the house was ready to sanction
the principle of the argument of the right hon. gentleman, it
would embrace the entire kingdom of Ireland.—(Hear.) He
had not ventured to state that the condition of the city of
Kil-
kenny justified the application of the act. The speech of the
right hon. gentleman was an experiment to make the act co-
extensive with Ireland itself. The measure was conceded on
the responsibility of ministers; that responsibility was now
challenged, yet they refused to produce their reasons.
Lord SANDON said that though no man felt more regret than
he did at this measure (hear, from Mr. O'Connell,)—did the hon.
and learned member by that cheer mean to say he did not regret
it ? But though he did regret its necessity, he should regret if it
was not carried into effect. (Hear.) The onus, he contended,
was not on the government, but on the other side. He should
give his support to ministers in their refusal of the papers.
Mr. O'Cosssut, in reply, observed that he had been told,
when he complained of the.possible abuse of this act, that he had
only to conic to a reformed Parliament, and he would find go-
vernment ready to give its reasons ; of course it would, if it had
any. But the only attempt at a reason was, that the powers of
the act must be applied to the city of Kilkenny, because the
place might be an asylum. But the word "asylum," was not
in the act; the act only spoke of places in an insubordinate and
disturbed state; Kilkenny was not in such a state, and the pro-
clamation was a lie. (Hear.) This had been admitted by the
Secretary for Ireland, and by the Attorney and Solicitor-Gene-
ral; for they admitted that there had been no outrage, no
crime; yet the Lord-Lieutenaut had issued such a proclamation.
What, then, became of the argument that the people of Ireland
had only to come to that house for protection ? All he required
was the reasons of the government; yet this reformed House of
Commons would refuse the reasons which had induced the go-
vernment to apply the act to the city of Kilkenny.
The house then divided, when there appeared,—
For the motion
Against it ll5

Majority.