The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-24 00:00:00

tIit!STATESIVIAN:

tification of the inferior Ecclesiastical Courts, which
he contended, in the existing state of the law, could
not act otherwise than they had done. The com-
plaint lay not against these Courts, but against the
Law itself; and therefore the more direct mode of
proceeding would be at once to correct that Law,
of the pressure of which they were complaining.—
He did not believe his Honourable and Learned
Friend would refuse to accept the challenge which
had been given him. There was every reason why
the House should expect the performance of • such a
duly from his Learned Friend ;.for no man was bat-
ter qualified for it than he was, not merely because
he sat on that side of the House, but because the
character he had acquired in the Courts over which
he presided stood so high, both among the subjects
of this and of other countries, as to eotitle the
House to expect from him that tee duty would be
well and ably performed. [Hear, hear r]
Sir W. SCOTT undertook to prepare and bring in
a Bill. .

Sir JOHN NEWPORT complained of the great
hardship experienced by the natives of Ireland, where
the slightest matter relating to the Church was thrown
into the Ecclesiastical Court. It frequently hap-
pened that the party, after travelling many miles,
and waiting many days, neglected ou one occasion
to attend the Court, and a Decree was immediately
pronounced against him. The House would recol-
lect that it was not long since a Noble Lard arraign-
ed in the most vehement, and even outrageous terms,
the Catholics, for passing sentences of excommuni-
cation, and yet it would scarcely be believed on the
present night, that Members on the same side of the
House justify the very same measure, when adopted
in the Ecclesiastical Courts of the Established Church.
[Hear, hear!
Lord FOLKESTONE begged to be informed, if
it were the intention of the Right Hon.and Learned
Gentleman to bring in a Bill, as recommended by the
Attorney-General ?
Sir WM. SCOTT replied, that if it were the
sense of the House that such a measure were expe-
dient, he would certainly comply.—[Cheer: from dl
sides.
Lord FOLKESTONE, under these circumstance!,
expressed his intention of withdrawing his motios.
He, however, wished to justify himself (if justifica-
tion were indeed necessary) for bringing the subject
forward. He had no anxiety to find fault with the
proceedings of the inferior Courts, much less did be
propose this motion from nny motives of malignity,
which seemed to have been more than hinted at by a
Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman (Sir William
Scott), whom he, perhaps, with too much presump-
tion, had called his friend. Living in the neighbour-
hood, this case came to his knowledge, and he had
felt it his duty to bring it under the consideration
of the House.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
could discover nothing in the course of this debate,
which should induce the Noble Lord to withdraw
the expressions of friendship which he had applied.
He bore testimony to the anxiety of Sir Wm. Scott
to redress the grievances complained of, but he had
been deterred by the jealousy with which all innova-
tions of the Ecclesiastical were Anted by the Tem-
poral Courts.
After a few words from -Folkestone, the
motion was withdrawn, and it was agreed that the best
means of obtaining the release of the Petitioner should
be considered on some future day.

conducted, the people of that island could not but
feel highly indebted to his enlarged and liberal views.
Mr. W. FITZGERALD would assure his 4lon.
Friend, that if he really wished the support of Irish
Members in that House, he must assume a language
and a tone very different. We were not to go back
to times of mercantile and manufacturing jealousy.
The distillers in Ireland looked upon the Bill as a
boon to them, and a benefit to the revenue. But
while distillation from grain was prohibited in this
country, it was necessary to give protection to the
English distiller, and this could only be afforded by
the suspension of spirit intercourse. It was puerile
to go back to times of jealousy and restriction, and
augur their return.
Lord FOLKESTONE professed himself little ac-
quainted with the details of the subject, but must
think no answer had been given to the assertion,
that the Biil contained a breach of the Articles of
Union.

The CHA NCELLOR of the EXC EQ UER was
not surprised at any thing from the Hon. Gentleman
opposite, tending to represent the conduct of the
United Parliament in the most invidious light to the
people of Ireland, particularly as it seemed to be
his idea that it was patriotic to propose the dissolu-
tion of the Union. As to the suspension being a
breach of the Union, it was only necessary to ob-
serve, that by the articles of Union the trade of the
two countries was founded on a principle of recipro-
t city ' • and where would be the justice of reciprocity,
if, while you restrained the English distiller in the
distillation from grain, you permitted the Irish dis-
[ tiller to introduce his commodity to the ruin of the
other ? The Honourable Gentleman had sarcastically
represented him as the friend of Ireland, meaning at
the same time to insinuate that he was one of its
greatest enemies. Of the justice of these sarcasms,
he would leave the House to form their opinion; but
he did not wish to be esteemed a friend to Ireland of
such a description, as to held out that its interests
were neglected and sacrificed at the very time when
they were fostered and protected by Parliament.
It was unjust to revert to times of commercial igno-
rance. The Hon. Gentleman had said, they might
as well declare that Ireland should have no represen-
tatives. This went to say, that because a Minister
had a majority of the House in favour of a good
measure, therefore, any individual would do right to
refuse him his support in that, because the same Mi-
nister might introduce a bad one. This was the very
converse of the proposition which seemed to be main-
tained by some Reformer.,, namely, that you may do
some mischief, that good may come.
Th.:. Bill was read a third time and passed.—Ad-
jou rued at half-past ten till to-morrow.