The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-02-05 00:00:00

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night by the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite
(Mr. Pole), had gilded lam that the conduct of the
Iriih Government had been Vemarkably temperate
.and forbeetring. That oldie Catholics, on the con-
trary, seemed to him to have been very reprehensi-
ble. They had assumed a high tone, and a menacing
- posture, wry itt befitting them, and hail organised a
system which, In his opinion, was replete with dan-
ger to the-community.
Mr. C. WYNNE could not conceive how it was
possible that any mad who agreed in the. main fact,
that the state otlielsind was such _as to. requite lie
consideration of Paitiament, could resist the rharon
of his Noble Friend, to whatever cause he might ihhi=.
piste the evistencu of that state. He entered into de-
tail of the proceedings of the Irish Government,whicti
in his opinion, were-highly culpable, and particularly
condemned as insulting the use of the word 64 con-
descension" in the communication frotn the Lord
Lieutenant to Lord Fingall. Adverting to the con-
viction. of Mr. Kirwan, he observed' that he would
not arraign the conduct of the Judges, bat it was
possible that the case might be differently derided by
that higher tribunal, before which, he believed, and
hoped to God it would be brought. The construc-
tion of the Convention Act was most forced. 'lt
might be applied with equal justice to everyone whq
- Leah' him, and who had been appiainted as a Deleal
gate, to consider the propriety of making a road or
a canal. The sentiments of the people of this coun-
try were very. much clia,nged oil the subject. He tip.,
pealed to all weed mixed in society, irhetheilt wale
not the general opinion that attention ought to be"
paid to the dem% of the Catholic', under certain 0..'
curlews,. the nature of which - would be the 'proper
subject of eonalderition in the Committee) far which
he should feel it his bontidefedutylo vote.
Mr. MANISTiaIS SOTTOPV, fit it 'very eloquent
and argumeiiiative speech,. opposed the motion, as
far from cilculatiii to tranquitlike the eaistieg imi-
tation in Ireland. He strongly_ reprobated the 11-.
aeration made last night by a Learned Gentleman
(Sir A. Pigott), that it was some consolation, under
the afflicting circumstances in which his Majesty was
placed, that at least a bar had been removed to the
consideration of the interests of Ireland; thereby
clearly implying, that the interests of Ireland had
not been attended to by his Majesty, than which, ir
more unfounded statement could not Well have been
made, as must be manifest to all who recollected
how many privileges had been granted to the Cathie-
tics of that country during the present reign. In re-
fusing to accede, at the present momenti to the
claims of the Catholics, he distinctly disclaimed
(what had been ascribed to other Honourable Gen-
tlemen, who were of his opinion) imputing to them
that they were traitors to their king and enemies to
their country. Nor did he impute to the Catholics (as
their advocates had so Injudiciously done) that they
were disposed to wrest that by force which they
could not obtain by persuasion. He stated the ques-
tisn to be, in his opinion, one of expediency rather
than of right—of justice to the Catholics on the one
side, and of security to the establishments' of Church
and State on the other. He (mold not agree to grant
the Catholics their full claims without any security,
acid without giving any pledge on the subject, he
would just remark that no security had been yet
pointed out as the proper one. It was perhaps ima-
gined that some provision of that nature might be
elicited by the collision of opinions in the Commit-
tee ; but as he conceived such a proceeding was cal-
culated to agitate rather than to tranquillize, he
must oppose it. He must also oppose the motion for
a Committee, as fhat motion was connected with a
view of the conduct of the Government in Ireland;
for he believed that a Government more moderate,
and (with some peculiar exceptions) more generally,
acceptable, had never existml in that cosintry. lie dho
feuded the conduct or a Noble and near relation of
kis (Chancellor Manners), which had been so unjnst-
ly attacked. Without presuming to possess as much le-
gal knowledge as the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
who had last night spoken, he declared himself sa-
tisfied with the unanimous opinion of the Judges of
-the Court of King's Bench in Ireland on the con-
etruction of the Convention Act. If the country
was not content with that opinion,_ he hoped to God,
with the Honourable and Learned Gentleman who
had just spoken, that the case would come to the
dernier resort of adjudication. There was but one
other question to consider, that of time. He could
hardly conceive a worse time for a concession such
as that proposed than the present. Of this the state
of [relies:it was safticient evidence. The feutings of
the Catholics themselves, manifested' in the post-
ponement of their petition to Parliament, was an ad-
ditional proof of the fact. To their authority he
bowed, and he would say, in concurrence with them,
that the prefent time was most unfit.
Mr. PARNELL supported the motion at much
length. He could not suppose that the condition of
the Catholics was very much attended to in that
House; haring' seen, as lie had, that every motion;
the object of which was to ameliorate their condition,
was not attended to. It had been the intention of
the Catholics that their Petition should be before the
Mouse at the pretent moment ; and why was it not
there ?—because the GovernMent had thought fit to
disperse the Committee assembled for the purpose of
preparing it. before the objects of the Catholics had •
been complied with; that was the reason of there
being no Petition before them: The Hon. Gentle-
man then contended, that the Catholic Committees
were legal assemblies ; and observed, that he had sel-
dom heard such extravagant and preposterous ob-
perrations as were contained in the speech of the
Right Hon. Secretary (Mr. Yo!c),.so little ttorne out
by facts. The Petition that weelbont to be prepay..
ed for the Legialature, was alt one to Attain the de-
sired object ; and the Catholics tad acted is no way
Illegtilly in the line of, conduct which they had pur-
sued with a view to prepare it. The Catholics had
been accused of a wilful violation of the taw, but
such he maintained had not been the case ; at:yi he
thought that the Irish Attorney-General was not
justified in stating in the Court of King's Bench,
that the designs of the Catholic/ were treasonable,
rebellious, and revolutionary -that the Catholic
Committee was a species of. the " Council of Five
Hundred"—that it formed the three estates of the
realm—that it was ",a National Convention !"
• What gronnd had be for making such charges ? The
• promulgation of such fulminteions could not tend to
conciliate the Catholics of Ireland. He approved'of

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