The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—TtESDAV.
Mr. Trundle presented papers from the Office of the Se-
cretary of State for Ireland.
Mr. Tomlins from the Treasury. presented en Ac:ount
of the Issues of Money for the Reduction of the Public Uebt,
on the 4th September, from the Commissioners of Inquiry in

Ireland.
Counsel and evidence were heard at the bar in support of
Allardice's Divorce Bill.
The Earl of WESTMORLAND presented a Petition
from Grantham against the Catholic Claims; and two or
three Petitions from Leicestershire against the Insolvent
Debtors' Act.
The Earl of EIYERPOOL presented a Petition from se-
veral Millers and Methuen residinz at Liverpool. praying'
for an alteration in the mode in which Returns are made of
Flour and Grain.
The Marquess of lIDTE presented a Petition (roar the
Owners and Occupiers of Land in tilaworganshire, preying
relief from Agrieultnral Distress.
LATE NEGOCIATIONS WlTit FOREIGN POWERS.
Earl GREY, after expressing his regret that none of his
Majesty's Ministers were then in their places, said he wkit-
''edthortly to state, that since the. papers relating to the late
negotiations were laid on the table, he bad made the best
use of his *time in reading them over; and he was sorry to
say that his perusal of them had in no degree weakened the
impression made on his mind the preceding evening by what
bad passed in that House. On t. e contrary, he felt con-
vinced that in the course Of Hose negoclations the honour
and interest of the country had been sacrificed in a degree
never before experienced. Under these circumsta nces' he
wished to give notice of his intention to bring forOard a
distinct motion in some shape or other; but thinking that
in the mean time it would be necessary to have some ex-
planation with regard to certain papers that were omitted.
he should on Thursday next, if Ministers were then present,
put some questions to them, with a view of obtaining the
information he wanted, and at the same time would fix on a
day the most convenient for them, perhaps Tuesday next ;
for entering into a discussion on the papers.
The Grants in Aid Bill, and the Innkeepers' Allowances
Bills were committed.—Adjourned.

lIOUSE OF CONIIIONS-TUESDAY.

Petitions against any further'eoncessions to the Catholics
were presented—by Mr. GOOC 11, from the Archdeacon LE
Sudbury—by Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET, front the
Deanery of Stow, in the Diocese of Gloucester—by Mr.
MONTEITH, from the Elders of Glasgow—by Admiral
SOTIIERN, from some inhabitants of hlanstield—hy Sir
M. CHOLMONDELEY. from the Corporation of Gran-
tham—and by Mr. GROSSET, from some hacilets in Wilt-
shire. •
All the Petitions were read and ordered to be printed.
LATE TRIAL IN DUBLIN.
Petitions were presented-thy Mr. GRATTAN, from the
Nobitity and Gentry of the county of Wicklow. complaining
of the late proceedings in the King's Bench, in Dublin. and
by Mr. H. GURNEY, from William Brownlow, jun.—Or-
dered to be printed.
Mr. HEATHCOTE presented a Petition from Boston.
against several clauses of the General Turnpike Act.
Ordered to he printed.
Mr. RUMBOLD presented a Petition from the Ship-
°wares of Yarmouth, against. the Merchants' Seamen Ap-
prenticeships Bill.—Laid on the table.
The Irish Joint Treasury Bill. and the Division of Coen-
tias' Bill, passed the Committee. end were ordered to be
reported. The first that day se'nnight, and the latter to-
morrow.
On the motion of Mr. G. RENNET, an account was or-
dered of the amount of rates levied, and sums expended in
each aunty of England, the number of prosecutions and
comictions. with other details.
Mr. WETHERELL presented a Petition from the Mayor,
Corporation, and Citizens of Oxford, against the Catholic
Clai ma.
EX-RFFICID PRMECUTIONS IN IRELAND.
Mr. BROWNLOIV addres-,ed the chair, and said that
he rose pursuant to the notice be had given, to submit a
motion to the House, relatice to circumstances whirl in-
volved the purity of jurisprudence in Ireland, arising
from the occurrences of the 14th of December last, and
which affected most seriously the public character of his
Majesty's Attorney.lieneral for that country. Whatever
might be the ultimate fate his motion was doomed to expe-
rience from the House, he was satisfied that every Hon.
Member would agree that the subject was one as impor-
tant as hail ever come before them. It was a question
not alone concerning Irishmen or Irish feelings, but it
came home to every man's bosom who found protection in
the Law and the Constitution. la was the more important,
because it was alleged that the conduct which was pursued
was an unwise departure from the usual course of law,
and an unjustifiable exercise of the King's Prerogative by
his Majesty's Attorney-General. Such, then, being the
outline of the case, so important in its nature, and in all
its bearings, he found that some would think him bold in
venturing upon a question which might be called one of
law,and that he ought to have thrown it into hands more
conversant with form and the proceedings of the Courts.
Ile was aware that many Hon. Members would find him
deficient in all that technical aid and legal ic.,owledge,
which would materially assist the discussion of the case.
But though the illestion might involve many late 'Filets,
it involved more general constitutional principles, which
every tnan in the country should understand, and
every man in that House stand forward to di fend.—
(Hear, hear.)—lt concerned not Irishmen alone, but every
person in these realms who worked upon the intervention
of a Grand inry, as a chief protection to his rights. It
is one strictly consistent with Parliamentary usage to
bring forward. He looked upon it nut as a question of
law between one individual and anotber, bat as a gees-
tiort between the King on the one hand.aruiul with pow-
er and prerogative, alt,l unarmed and unprotected sub-
jects on the other.—(Hear.) There were 14unie people who
thought, as the question apjayared to him of so mach im-
portance, that he should nut have allowed it to slumber
so long. To those he was disposed to offer every apology
in his power:- If that proceeding had taken place in Eng-
land, where no man dare invade, for a moment, constitti-
tional principles with impunity, not a slay world have
been suffered to escape until it was brought before the
I louse and the Country. If the decision of a 6ran4 Jnry
was not only set at nought, but vilified acid coadetnned ;
if the opinions of Jurors were disregarded because they
dill not chance to tally with those of his Majesty's Attor-
ney -General ;if every vituperation was directed against
their characters in spite of their unaninotis decision, such
circumstances would not have failed to awaken the moat
prompt and active investigation. He wa ilKi011! to have
the subject brought forward, at an earlier day ; bat the
absence of the Irish Members on the business of the cir-
cuits, did not afford a more early opportunity. He under-
stood, in his absence, that it was insinuated that he had
Oren notice for Hist ddieussiiitti for the 17th April, to an-
ticipate the discussion of the Catholic question, appointed
by the Attorney-General of Ireland fir the 17th. He (Mr.
B. deelarssl. on the contrary, that he had uo such inten-
tion, and that he did not *de any conneclion between the
two questions. There was no analogy io the ease, and he
felt this. He might as well accuse the Kt. Hon. Secre-
tary below him (Mr. Canning), for having yesteeday
brutal/lit on a motion which was likely to prejudice the
discussion of tbat night. However open Ite might be to
the charge of Isitewarnmese or amenity, he would then
pieta& to j away the duty he had uddertakeo. It bad