Year: 1866




following resume Of the debate in the, House
of Commons on Feb. II, on the motion that
leave be given to bring in a bill to suspend
the writ of ha5eas corpus in Ireland. The
Speaker took the chair at II o'clock. at
which time there was an unusually large at
tendance ofInembers.


sPE4 III OF SIR GEORGE GREY.


SIR G. GREY, in asking leave to bring in a
! bill to suspend for q limited time the habeds
corpus act in Ireland, said that it was with
sincere regret that he rose to make this mo-
ton. The power of suspending the hdbeds
corpus was one which ought not to be slightly
sought for by the Government. or granted by
I Parliament on insufficient grounds, but the
Government entertained deep sense that in
the present state of Ireland, after having ex
hausted all the powers given to them by the
law. it was their imperative duty to ask Par
lament for power TO suspend the hdbeds cor
pltS act, so as to enable them to put an effec
tual check to wicked and wide spread con
spiracy, and afford due protectiod to the 10y
al and faithful subjects of her majesty in Ire
land. The impression was entertained in
some quarters that the Government were late
in asking for this power, but it was only lately
that the Fenian conspiracy had assumed a
form which short time ago was hardly ex
pected. In 1862 Feniansm was known TO
exist in Ireland but it was then merely con-
fined to the making of speeches and writing
of articles of a sedtious character, but re-
markable change had taken place in the as
pect of affairs coincident with the cessation
of the civil war in America. A large number
of Irishmen were engaged during the war in
the service of the United States, and at the
close of the war, finding their services no
longer required, they formed themselves
into associations for the purpose Of organizing
conspiracy for the separation of Ireland
from the Crown of Great Britain. Since then
lnsurectionary movements have taken place
in various parts OF Ireland, in all Of winch as
| sstance has been rendered from America.
both in money, arms and men. The conspir-
ators were carefully watched. and on the 10th
of September the FIRST step towards putting
down the conspiracy was taken by the seizure
of the Irish People, and the arrest of the staff
employed In conducting that newspaper.
Other arrests were made, and a mass of doc
umentary evidence fell into the hands of the
Government, showing the various ramihcatons
Of the conspiracy and the mode by which it
was to be carried out. STEPHENS, the Head
Center, was captured, but subsequently es-
capped from prison. Others were tried. con-
vlcted and sentenced TO various terms of i'm
prisonment. but. deluded by the hope Of
armed assistance from the United States and
the desertion TO their standard of many of
Her Majesty troops, the consprators still
continued their reasonable practices. and il
was now felt necessary to apply 10 Parliament
for extraordinary powers in order to break up
the conspiracy by one effectual blow. As to
the deluSion that assistance would be given
from America he had the strongest reason for
stating that the scheme was wholly discounte-
nanced by the Government of the United
OF II LOT ,rxba
for doubling the loyalty aud true alIegi-
ance Of the army. Sir g. GREY added that
the Government had been in constant com
munication on this subject with the Executive
Government IN Ireland, aud it was at their
Express request that he undertook now TO
move the sns spension of the hdbeds corpus
Act. In letter received on Thursday. Lord
WoDEHorSE said that he could not hold him
self responsible for the safety of the country
if these powers were longer withheld. With
them he hoped still to be able to preserve
the peace, and he Lord WoDEHoUsE there.
fore trusted that the bill Of suspension would
be brought in without delay If the House
assented TO the introduction of this bull,
! which the Government on their sole respon-
S bifty sought to bring in, there should be no
delay in passing it into an act. He believed
he had made out q sufficient cause for grant
ing the extraordinary powers he sought. lie
moved that leave be given to bring in bill
to enable the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to
apprehend and dstain till the 1st of Septem-
ber 1866, such persons as he might suspect
of conspiring against Her Majesty,s Govern
ment The right honorable barouet was
loudly cheered.


SPEECH OF Mr.. d ISRAELI.


Mr.. D'Israeli did not blame the Government
for having hesitated before asking Parliament
to grant them the extraordinary power ef sus
pending the Habeas Corpus act but that they
should have repealed last year, in full con-
J sciousness of the disturbed state of Ireland,
the Rapparee Ac.. which enabled them to
arrest all strangers who were unable to give a
satiiactory account of themselves, was cir
cumstanee requiring investigation. He did
not intend to oppose the proposition made by
| Government, but should follow the course he
pursued in lS48 under similar circumstances,
when by an unhappy destiny, the present First
Minister of the Crown was obliged to appeal
/ to Parliament TO sanction a violation of the
Constitution. He regretted that, being ac
quaInted with the widespread disafection
existing in Ireland, the Government had not
taken into consideration measures of rene
dial nature. At the same time it was clear
that the present menacing situation OF Ireland
was not produced by any domestic ot internal
causes, and he should, therefore, give his
cordial support to the Government, and he
| trusted that the House would show by the
course they pursued to-day that they were
resolved 10 maintain the rights, powers and
authority Of Her Majesty. Cheers.


SPEECH OF Mr.. BRIGHT.


Mr.. Bright said that for more than twenty
two years he has possessed seat in the House,
but he had never risen TO address it under so
strong feeling of shame and humiliation as
that which he felt himself oppressed by at the
! present moment. The Home SECRETARY pro-
posed now to deprive no inconsiderabe por-
ton of the subjects Of the Queen within the
/, United Kingdom of the commonest, most
precious, and most sacred of the rights
u tue English Constitution-the rights
to their personal freedom He did not think
the right honorable gentleman had overstated
the case for the purpose of inducing the
House 10 consent to this proposition. On
the contrary, Ireland, ever since the Union.
had been a source Of disquietude aud uneasi.
ness to Her Majesty's Government. Indeed


he believed that if the Government could
| they would at once unmoor ireland from her
| fasieninqs in the deep, and move her at least
two thousand miles to the west. The Irish
people were not naturally criminal popula,
ton. They had some of the best qualities
possessed by any portion of the human race,
and were always grateful for kindness bestow-
ed upon them. Yet, after sixty years of
government by the Parliament OF this country,
we had them embittered against our rule,
anxious only TO throw off the authority oil the