The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-06-27 00:00:00

Tl:g S'

"mivelv of 119111,101111 L- Tbo wbolo language-which Was
used ip thallsillismmwasi•jlbel on the gentlemen of Ire-
land. No Melt it was boebaitic tad poetic enough. It
roared the opiionents• of the party, with resorting to
the Bible for incitements to murder and massacre. This
be declared to be a malicious falsehood; it was similar
to a muse( falsehoods published lately under the title
of " The Orange System Unmasked," which was nothing
but a mass of base and absurd falsehoods. Allusion had
been made to a charge said to be delivered by Mr. Jus-
tice Fletcher. But what would the House say. when lie
infornied them that he was the Foreman of the (frand
Jury to whom it was pretended that charge was deli-
vered; and, that, in subsequent casversations with that
Learned Judge, be had agreed lit opinion with bins
(Col. Barry) that scarcely one seetence to these pretend.
ed charges had ever been uttered by him. He would.
however, refer the house to a charge given by Sir. Wm.
Smith, a man who was favourable to the Catholics, de-
claring that greater indulgence was extended to the t. ,e
thence than was ever shown to the Protestants. He was'
sorry the Hon. and Learned Member should lend himself
to make use, even on an occasion of political necessity, of
a paper surreptitiously obtakned fur the purposes of s
,desperate faction. This, however, had been done ;
and although he did not mean to impute any lesprmer tootle,
to the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, he would not let the
occasion pass without expressing his reprobation of the eon-
&let of those who had thus obtained the paper. The Hon.
and Learned Gentleman had spoke highly of the Administra•
RN 0 Justice in this country; but it wo not many years
• that the Greed Jury of theeoutty'of Lancesterhad Ad
' the unoalified approtrattou of the/fon. sad Leans-
PS . Tale simple fact was, that so long as men arose
mina, I excitement would end its nix every where.—
He regretted it; be wished it were ethervilse. He would
have political excitement discouraged as much as possible.
land he was sorry to say he attributirlmaels pf this to the vi-
' sled elate of the public press. Hs would entrust the Go-
tailment of Ireland, even such as it was, with additional
pimp to enable it to stop inflammatory publications, and
image the angry feelings of party.
Mr. C. HUTCHINSON said his Right Hon. Friend who
linkfaor tpoken had arraigned the conduct Of the Catholic
)fleeting at Dahlia, but that Muting had been occasioned
by the Insolence of those who called themselves the exclu-
sively loyal of the King's-Mali subjects. They were a fac-
tion of ,pen who had created the Rebellion of 1799, and bad
done every thing in their power to outrage the feelings of the
people. He was far from approving of every thing which
bad been 'bidet these Meetings; for he always thought 4,•
subject. which they discussed would be better left in the
'hands of the Parliament.—(Hear, hear.)—But much of the
irritation, so far as regarded religious feeling, had been oc-
casioned by the absurd, mad, sod disgraceful appeals to the
'Protestants made by Sir Harcourt Lees, through the medium
of the press. , He called that'condect absurd, mid, aid dill-
graeeful: though he admitted, that religious feellags apart,
Sir H. Lien was A very respeetehliClergyman. The Right
sifted
lion. Gent, alluding to the charge, of Mr. Justice
, Fletcher had deafen di' t the Learned Judge bed delivered
.it; but
,it was singular thil that Learned Judge had
neyee disivowed the publication. With regard to the papOr
alidded by his lionourable and Learned Yrmnd, and Use
,se
of, which was condemned by the Hight lion. Gtelliiiiien, he
contended that his Hon. and LelllCti iirlenderasjestiffedia
referringto it, as it had beiy.rriesltiisly before the publid.
After a fan Observats in defence if the Irish 'Oherecte4
widish he catended did not yielo la rains': to tap.Eaclistht.
Shelton. Member proceeded to remark on the injustice: 1
marking out a large body of respeetahia men, as depraved
and unworthy to fill tha responeibie °acne Of society. Re
.submitted that his. lloso,ble and rued Friend had
I,
madeasati cue for sandhi the petit 'to a Committeell
as it spoke-11m sentiments o :lIX milli . the population
of Irelaad...Bot. it tho leagues. of . . Allocate could
cosild. he enderetoorr at charging those wit° administered
• Isere with iniustfec, he should Devotee the charge.; gall
e rilil let lai.eied the Petition. its stmt.,* 14 to .4
pfeintif griers:etbrhicteally, he regarded exclualois• Pala '
. emirs* ehtlita.. is Petiddisers felt themselifilio' be lif.
Baited endioipp , alcoottnot,therefoeir he eeereeted
to address'. nin iesities to I:wort of, their compigints in
very measured longuage; d blow sure the House would
not be,dispoaed tot look it. the Expressions of such Peti-
tioners tea scrupulosisly. The opposition to their claims
had not *leg to staid upon in point of argonseakkad the
question, seas, whether Parliament would venture to reject.
those claims which were the claims of six minims, of the
moat warlike and elliciont of the oispulation. Whifinisters,
would take his advice,tvhich he admitted was that of a dar'
Bided political stymy, and if they desired to keep itself
yisess,he woulik(ay to them, ' "Admit the ashes of theca-
thollcs; and restore Ireland to her rights." Should a iota-
bination of the Foreign Despots be formed against the li-
berty of England (and nothing was more likely), be bored'
ask, whether the support of elk millions of such people es
he had described was not most desirable? ; /Is, sherd**
should warmly support the motion. ...It
Mr. DALT said, the Petition contained char&
against the Protestants at large. He had•adwaya advor
mood the Catholic Ifiaime warmly and eincerety, ;, boa bi I
would net compromise the eitaraater • a .the. rrotasset
religion for the sake of a little transient portiiiritprs-1
He admired the talents and, skxterity mi the-lien. and
Learned Member ; bat kmmestwed the Ileuse time he bad '
'for many years served on Juries in Ireland, and., had
over koown.asv instance of partiality, or coytion
,ong them.—And why sliomid be ? 41, bad beWahei
'Armour of serving wills Catholic Jurors —(1-tear)...sad
le, as a Protestant, would say that they had always
doeted themselves rightly.—,' 10 petisioojeas false f
beginning to end--ft did not contain the sentiment,
'tbe Catholics in general.—lt. bad not the_ signatore4ef
an:rTatholic Noldeman or Catholic Baronet. He dermal
too that it had the signatures of the leading persons in
Dublin; and it was hut,feiroess to the Catholics theme
selves to believe thWeise false statebsents contained IS
this petition would dot beaddpted or sanctioned by the*"
Mr. V. FITZGERALD' expressed his surprise thatlfie
Hon. Friend opposite (Mr. Hutchinson), should-ask die
House to treat this Petition as the Petition of six mil-
lions of people, when he himself, with that honour and
justice which belonged to him, had, from his own ex-
perience, negatived the aspersions which it had cast up-
on the administration of justice.—He bad been bred, ill
he might so express himself, in the warmest feelings of'
hope for ifidelaims oUthe Catholics ; but he would not ,
lend himself tlyaasist •such misrepresentations as were
contained in this petition —.Be solemnly declared that
had never before hervi an imputation cast upon the con-
duct of a Judge in Ireland.—He was ready to make
every allowance for disappointed hopes ' • but he feared,
the cense itself had been lunch injured by this petition.
He wished that many of the friends of Ireland could
appreciate fairly the language of the petitioners. lie
returned thanks to ad Hon: Member for Laying persons'
holding offices in Ireland were not corrupt and base.,
Hs considered the Petition a libel on the Magistracy and
Gentry of Ireland. •
Mr. ABERCROM BY said, the delegated representa-
tives of the Orangemen, as well as the Catholics had di,
vided Ireland. 'the large body of Magistrates in Ireland
were Prdtes;ants, and the persons over whorls they had
jorisdiction, Catholics. Under each circumstances these,
who governed were bound to watch with vigilance over
the administration of justice. It was true that those
who sent their Petitions had stated no particular fact ;
but.they had it recorded that. in the judgment of the Pe-
titioners; the administration of justice was not perfect.—
His Hon. Friend bad made a strong statement of facts'—
Sir H. Lees had been described to be a Magistrate for the
county of Monaghan. He had do right to find fault with
the endeavours of that Gentleman; but it was erideot if
be did till the office of Magistrate, he was ill qualified for
that situation. •He might ask the Right lion. Gentlemais
'whether Sit H. Lees was not a Magistrate for the county
of Loath ?
Mr.GIOULBURN slid; Pn answer to the question thet
he had Vartiesi to for totbrmation on the subject.;
and it akeired Sir H. Lees wainikt abffigistrate for al)),
county.
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