The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-03-06 00:00:00

idles:led upon the state of teat 1 o orry, maid come te co
other conclueion, than that the great evils were prodoo d.
by the ienorance—the deplorable ignotaere, in which
the people were kept by the Priests—the Jesuits, an I the
other appendages to a system which in his (Sir T. Lee)
opinion, was contrary to the spirit of the British Consti-
tution. Menwoulal'he found them who with toleration
in their mouths, took all poisible pains to exclude the
admissiou of truth or knowledge to the whole of the pen-
ile. 'file Hon. Baronet then referred to a pamphlet pub-
lished by some persons...ailed Steer or Steele, or some web
name, as conclusive on this pine Amongst other notable
instances, the anther mentioned the circumstance of a
Popish Bishop coming one evil day into a parish school, I
and abirolately whipping the boys lest they ghould learn
tto much. Mow-some more arguments against Jesuitry
and Po y, he plot (Tile Ito say that whether he should
,
take'an ulterior steps upon the petition, was a matter
upes w Ida he had not vet made tip his mind. He hoped,
however, no objection would be made to the printing of
the petition, for the petitioner declared be was ready to
seibetandate his statements, either at the bar of the
h me, or before a Select Committee. The Honourable
Baronet concluded Ly moving that the petition be
brought up.
Mr. HUTCHINSON said, the pointed appeal which
had been wade to him respecting the character of this
petitioner, would be a sufficient justification of his indi-
elduelly rising to address the House, if a more paramount
eritke et' duty, as a Aletelor of Parliament, did not sti-
Inelete him to state what hie opinions were upon the sub-
ject matter of this petition. To the first he addressed
himself shortly, but upon the second, namely, the con-
tents of ibis petition, which had been deliberately, and
after a formal notice given, to enhance its importance,
this brought forward, he must be excused for speaking
hie sentiments a little more at length. Mr- Parker, the
petitioder, was not unknown to Lino His knowledge of
him was not extensive. bill he had a pleasure in saying
that, in all the qualifir ;Worts of a worthy member of
to. iesy, in the several re.atiuns of husband, fob sr, and
friend, it did not exceed hie respect for his character.—
I must be understood, however, as saving this unconuect-
ed with, er approving of the light in which the petition-1
er hid thought proper to percent to the house. He be-'
keyed Mr Parker to be an aggrieved individual. He be-
lieved
him when he said, that r•' his misfortunes pro-
ceedel from his placing frith in the promises of Govern-
client and of tide house. He knew that he left this coun-
try,
with a number of followers: for the Cape or Hood
Hope, with hopes that had never been realized. and trust-
ing to pledges that {mil rot been redeemed. But he rr I
gretted•that Mr: Parker had had the weakness to mix ,
up his private claim., well founded as they were, with
questions, the connection with which must neutralise
their effect, and expose himself and his .cause to ridi- 1
cute, - When he first waited neon him, (Air. H.; he com-
plained that the Coloni sl Secretary, Colonel Bird, had
shown some personal lesstility to him. lie had then no
knowledge of this gentleman, but from the information
which I.e had since steer iced, he did not think him capa-
ble of acting 'rem the motives wtsich were ascribed to
him. t'olonel Bird, he found, had been in the office of
the Conemander-in-Ultief, where his efficiency was such,
that he Was reeemniended to an employment at the Cape
of Good:Hope, Ind Ire had since been matte Colonial Se-
cretary. It was mistrial' recommendation of his princi-
ples to ray; thiel C owed bisfirst elevation .o the friendship
of .111 r.•• Wyndham. But, Sir, said the Honourable
Member,• the gravamen of this petition is, that it
ascribes to the Jesstite all the miseries and ail the die
orders which have afflicted unfortunate lrel end for ages.
This is assuming, as did a petition presented the other
night by the hon. Member for Armagh (Ale. Brownlow),
that an establishment of that Order at this moment ex-
ists in that country. I deny it-1 deny that such an
ea:atattshnossit does exist; and I protest against the sub-
terfUge, the pitiful erasion of ascribing the real griev-
antee•and miseries of a people subjected for ages to an-
rendered- illorestmant arstrpersecutien, and still groin-
lag under the effeettrial indrule, to the visionary intlu-
enee of any eerier of teen.—(ilear ) Nothing could be
wore inanlting to a whole people—more cruel, than thus
to give the go-bye to their complaints. He (Mr. H.) bad
more tb know that the miseries of Ireland were ascriba-
ble to other and deeper causes than the influence of
Priest's or Jesuits. It was a mockery of their sufferings
thus to trifle with them. But if an es'abgeltment of Je-
eoitseekisted in Ireland, where was it ? - (Hear.) Why
not name the place where it was situated, or the consti-
tulon by which it was governed ? It was somewhere
above ground, it did not exist In the bowels of the
putts. • Ask the Hon. Baronet where it was—he did not
know; the honourable member fur Armagh could not
OR histfing.o upon it. All he (Mr. H.) could say was,
tit if Inch an establishment did exist, it sets not sanc-
trona as an establishment by the See of Rome. In
142Pentren are application was made to the Pope, his
lioliere replied to Dr. Poynter, thet he would not restore
the Jisuist In the British Dominions!, as the feelings of
the Government were knOwn to be hostile to them.—
They had been previously restored in Russia. upon the
Opplicatisin of the Emperor; and in the kingdom of the
Two Sicilies.- They had alto been restored in other
places,' with the sanction of the Pape; but in the
United 'Kingdom that sanction was withheld, fur the
reasons lie bad stater'. The only authority, as far as be
knew, for the existence of Jesuits in Ireland, was a pa-
ragraph in some nawspeper, which stated, that an esta-
blishMent of the order was set up at Clongowes-wood, in
the county of Kildare. But was it upon that establish-
Ment that the Hon. Baronet meant to fix the cha-
r seter •of ° ignorant and intriguing?' There certainly
rat a seminary at Clongowes-wood, under the direc-
tion of a gentleman of the name of Kenny—a men
ail' the roost unblemished character and a profound
claseicjel scholar, who had received Isis education
abroad, lust whether to be a Jesuit or nut, he (fir.
ii.) could nut Fay. This seminary had been now for
some time flourishing, and the benefits derived from the
'existence of such en istabliehment in such hands, were
already extensively felt throughout Ireland. Insmad of
its being the sour. e from which disaffection was sprees'
&brow!, this seminary hall conferred the most essential
benefits of e location upon the youth of Ireland, and se-
'Oral gentlemen had moored the University of Dublin
felon it with great credit to themselves. And so far ,
from its proceediege bring concealed, the establishment I
was 'open to the inspection of all the neighbauring Ma-
' gietrates and Gentlemen. It had been visited by the
Duke of Leinster. The Noble Lord, his brother, a Afres-
h''r of this house, Lord Cloucurry, and several others. It
lied been approved of for its system of education by men
of the highest rank in letters • and rat the last remains-
dens too of the Fellows of Dublin College expressed
their approbation of the manner in which the young gen-
tlemen acquitted themselves. Them gentlemen, sew, it
should be recollected, were members of a Protestant
University, congratulated the country upon prosesoines
such a sernirary. lilted slim been productive of 017-
best effects upon thee-habits of the people iii its imine..
diate vicinity. -The improvement which had taken place
In the moral and religions habits orthe people of Cion-
stovers Wood was• already striking, because the people
hal before beet? remarkable fir a spirit of insubordius-
ti oi. Yet this was an establishment to which the pe i-
tioner dared to attribute the present disorder's of Ireland.
=site (Mr. H,) was not aware the, the Jesuits hid stay
ourtnection with the South of Delantt.—he wished they
bed. ' He wished to see the extension of each establish-
:Anent+, as he was sure an amelioration of the condition of
Abe people wadi be the consequence. - The Hoia. Bono-
' bit had feid that this suject was • command with an
lenportant qnestion which was shortly. to be bcought.be-
bre the house. As it related to that question, he (Mr.

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