HISTORY OF EUROP,E. 



CHAP. II. 



Parliamentary Proceedings continued — Motion made ly Sir Evan Kepeaa 

 for the Continuation of the Act for suspending the Habeas Corpus in Ire- 

 land — Debate — Sir John Newport — Mr. D. Brou-n — Hutchinson — Sir 

 John Stuart — Mr. Windham — Pitt — Fox — Lord de Blaquiere — Mr. 

 Alexander — Martin — Dawson — Division — Motion carried.-^Dthates on 

 the Rupture with Spain — in the Lords — Lord Mulgrave moves an Address 

 of Thanks to the King for the Production of the Papers relating thereto. 

 Speeches of Earl Spencer — Viscount Sidmouth — Lord 'King — Emi of 

 Darnly — Lord Grenville — Haxckesbury. — Address carried without a Divi- 

 sion. 



THE next debate^ of any consi- 

 derable interest took place in 

 the house of commons on the 8th 

 •f February, upon a motion made 

 by Sir E. Nepean, (principal secre- 

 tary to the lord lieutenant of Ire- 

 land) for leave to bring in a bill to 

 confiaue the act of last session for 

 the suspension of the habeas corpus 

 act in Ireland. The grounds which 

 he assigned for it, were, the notoriety 

 of disaffection stiil prerailing in Ire- 

 land, the preparations of the enemy 

 for the invasion of that country, 

 the number of Irishmen associated 

 with the forces destined for that 

 purpose, and the committee of united 

 Irishmen then sitting in Paris, and 

 corresponding with their brethren at 

 home. It was, he said, the more ne- 

 cessary to arm the government with 

 this authority, as the present act 

 Would expire in about six weeks, at 

 which time, a number of persons 

 now imprisoned, on charges of high 

 treason, must otherwise bo liberated 

 and left uncontrolled to pursue 

 tkeir secret machinations. 



Sir John Newport thought th« 

 slight grounds now stated, insuffi- 

 cient for suspending the most valua- 

 ble part of the constitution, through- 

 out the whole of Ireland, and in- 

 volving the people of that country 

 in a general proscription. l[ n 

 com.mittcc of united Irishmen sitting 

 at Paris was a sufficient argumeat 

 for the suspension, there would be 

 no end of it during the war : for the 

 enemy would take care to keep up 

 that handle for a measure which 

 they knew must exasperate and in- 

 flame the minds of a people, amongst 

 whom it was their object to stir up 

 and keep alive the spirit of disaf- 

 fection. The people of Ireland 

 should be made to feel that theimpe. 

 rial parliament were as tender of 

 their privileges, as they were of 

 those of the people of England, and 

 even more so, as powers increased 

 at a distance, M'ere always more lia- 

 "ble to be abused. Such treatment 

 could not easily be brooked by a 

 loyal and strong-minded race of 

 people, suchj for instanccj as the 



people 



