BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 1 March 1833)

§ Sir Robert Inglis
begged to ask the noble Lord what course he meant to pursue to get through the business of the House. Hitherto Irish subjects had occupied almost the uninterrupted attention of the House. He regretted that the time of the House should be frittered away, or that the confidence which both sides of the House were inclined to place in the noble Lord should be diminished by his 102 yielding to the clamour which was raised on this question. He trusted, that no further procrastination would take place, and that on Monday the House would come to a conclusion on the subject without further adjournment.

Mr. John Stanley
said, that having proposed an adjournment to to-morrow, he felt it right to say, that he hoped the Debate would be concluded on Monday. He trusted, that the Irish Members, who had occupied a considerable portion of the Debate, and to whom he admitted it was right, that a great share of time and attention should be conceded on a question in which they were so much interested, would not desire to defer the decision of the question longer. There would be many opportunities for them in the progress of the measure to stale their objections to its details, but he trusted, that they would allow the House to come to a conclusion upon the question of the first reading on Monday.

§ Mr. O'Dwyer
said, the hon. Baronet had taken upon him to school the Irish Members. He did not know what authority the hon. Baronet had to lecture independent Members, or to forbid them from defending the people against the aggressions of the Government—[cries of "Oh, oh," and "Question"]. Question I Gentlemen might call question, and cry it in chorus, but that should not prevent him from speaking. Because the Government was supported by a party who had never before acted with them, was it to be endured, that independent Members, supported by the people, should be deterred from expressing their opinions or would forego their right of resisting to the last letter, or, to use the words of the right hon. Gentleman, to the death, of the question, this attack upon the liberties of Ireland, even by every subterfuge in their power.

Mr. O'Connell
said, that setting aside the irritation which had been excited, there never was any thing more unfounded than the assertion that the Irish Members had consumed more than their adequate share of this Debate. How many had spoken? One, for a short time, on the first night; two on the second; and one on this night—only one Irish Member had spoken to-night. This was a question in which the Irish Members were deeply interested. To English Gentlemen it was a matter of judicial determination: they 103 were the judges, and the Irish were the victims. Although the Irish Members rejoiced that so many English Gentlemen had interested themselves in their concerns, and taken part in the Debate, still they claimed as much for themselves; and they never would consent to the annihilation of the British Constitution in Ireland, without protesting; against it, in limine, and convincing the House, if it was possible to convince it, that this measure ought not to pass into a law. If any one Gentleman were guilty of any trespass upon the legitimate time or patience of the House, let the censure fall upon him; or if more than one fell into that error, let them share the blame, and he was sure that they would not meet with countenance from their colleagues from that country. But if Irish Members kept themselves within the bounds of justice, and canvassed the measure with temper—as much temper as they could command upon a subject of such vast importance—he was sure that the hon. Gentleman opposite would hold them in great disregard if they surrendered their right to do so.

Mr. Walker
addressing the House from one of the side galleries, observed that it came with an ill grace from an anti-Reformer, who had given every opposition in his power to the progress of the Reform Bill in that House to taunt Irish Members, because they endeavoured to prevent the extinction of the Constitution in their country.