GENERAL HISTORY. 



[49 



gentleman atkluced facta in proof 

 of this position, and then proceed- 

 ed to an examination of the state- 

 ments made by tlie right hon. ba- 

 ronet, and to a discussion of the 

 alleged causes of the evils for 

 which remedies might be adopted. 



As we cannot give a concise 

 . view of his speech, we must con- 

 tent oursehes with transcribing 

 the amendment to the former 

 speakei's motion, with which he 

 concluded. 



" Th;it an humble address be 

 presented to his Royal Ilighness 

 the Prince Ilegent, expressing 

 our deep regret that the internal 

 state of Ireland in time of jieacc, 

 renders it necessary to maintain 

 a large military force in tliat 

 country for the present year, for 

 the puipose of assisting in the 

 execution of the law, and in the 

 preservation of public tranquillity ; 

 and entreating that his Royal 

 Highness will be graciouslypleased 

 to di; eet tliat there be laid before 

 thi« House a statement of the na- 

 ture and extent of the distuib- 

 ances wliich have recently pre- 

 vailed in Ireland, and the mea- 

 sures which have been adopted by 

 'the government of that country 

 in consequence (hereof." 



The com})etition between (he 

 two addresses necessarily called 

 forth the exertions of the most 

 considcralde speakers on topics 

 relative lo I leland, on both sides 

 of the House; among (hose of 

 the opposition being numbered 

 Mr. Plunkclf, Mr. Grattan, and 

 Mr. Poiisoiihij ; among the suj)- 

 jjorters of government, Mr. I'rsaj 

 Fitzgerald, and Lord Casthreagh. 

 The debate was at length termi- 

 nated bv a division, in which the 



Vol. LVHI, 



votes for the amendment were 

 187, those against it, lOo : Ma- 

 jority in its fa\our 84/ 



On the same day, April 2(ith, 

 on which tliis debate took place, 

 a petition was presented to the 

 House of Commons l)y .Sir Henry 

 Parncll , v\hich, as making a eom- 

 mencement of the parliamentary 

 transactions of the year relative 

 to the Roman Catholics, may 

 here ijc pro])erly introduced, and 

 carried on without interruption 

 (o (he close of the session. 



The hon. uiember said that he 

 rose (o i>re^en( a petition from 

 certain Roman Catliolies of Ire- 

 land, which had been agreed to 

 at a general meeting held at 

 Dublin, and the proceedings of 

 which were entirely regular. 

 Tliere was anotlier petition from 

 another description of persons of 

 the same persuasion v\hich was 

 to be piesented in a few days, 

 and which had been considered 

 as a proof of difference of opinion 

 which might defeat the applica- 

 tion of the petitioners to parlia- 

 ment in the present session J but 

 he thought tliat the diH'erentc, 

 upon examination, would not be 

 foimd one of a solid character. 

 Tlie }iresent petition abstained 

 entirely from (lie mention of all 

 ecclesiastical arrangement ; the 

 other stated that the petitioners 

 were ready to submit to ariy re- 

 gulatitms not incompatible with 

 the jiriniiplcsand discipline of (iieir 

 religion. It had hence been inl'er- 

 jed (hat (here was a great degree 

 of dilTcrcme between the parties j 

 liut it could not correctly be sup- 

 posed that the persons whose pe- 

 tition he now presented were so 

 unreasonable as to reject all niea- 

 [E] sures 



