§ MR. WHALLEYrose to call attention to the long-continued suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and to move—
That it is the opinion of this House that it is the duty of the Government to investigate thoroughly the causes of the disaffection still existing throughout those parts of Ireland where the bulk of the population profess the Roman Catholic religion; and especially to investigate the nature of the doctrines taught at the Royal College of Maynooth and other Roman Catholic seminaries, supported by public grants, with a view to ascertain whether such doctrines are to any, and what, extent the causes of such disaffection to the laws, institutions, and Government of this country.The hon. Member said it would be in the recollection of the House that on Friday week last the hon. and learned Member for Clare (Sir Colman O'Loghlen) brought forward the subject of the state of Ireland, and observed that disaffection still continued there, and that unless a remedy were applied, emigration would go on, and the disaffection increase. The hon. Member for Cork (Mr. Maguire) said the disaffection would not only increase, but go to the root of the Empire and affect the 895 army and the navy and every department of the State. That debate was a very important one. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the Government could not conceal from themselves what was taking place.
§ MR. SPEAKERreminded the hon. Gentleman that he was precluded by the rules of debate from referring, as he proposed to do, to what had taken place in that House on a former occasion during the present Session.
§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, he would then refer to what had occurred in the other House of Parliament. Earl Russell—["Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERIs the hon. Member referring to what has taken place during the present Session?
§ MR. WHALLEYYes, Sir.
§ MR. SPEAKERI must then inform the hon. Gentleman that he is entirely out of Order.
§ MR. WHALLEYIn the other House, Sir?
§ MR. SPEAKERYes.
§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, that, at all events, the speakers on the occasion of the debate upon the Motion brought forward by the hon. Member for Clare had attributed the Irish disaffection to the causes to which he had alluded, and in the course of that debate the hon. Member for Cashel—["Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERSurely, the hon. Member must be aware that detailed references to a former debate, such as those the hon. Gentleman is now making, are entirely out of Order.
§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, that notwithstanding what had been done for Ireland the state of that country was as unsatisfactory as ever, and they were told that nothing could do her good except the settlement of the three questions of the Land tenure, the Established Church, and denominational education. He thought that he was, therefore, justified in asking the House to express its opinion that a thorough inquiry should be made into the causes of the existing disaffection, which was not only not yielding to the remedies Applied to it, but, as he believed, increasing everywhere in strength. In regard to the second part of his Motion, it was true that an inquiry did take place into the management of Maynooth in the year 1854, that the Report, which was upon the shelves of the Library of the House, was the greatest insult to the Queen and the House that 896 could be imagined, as hon. Members must admit when he informed them that the Report, after being drawn up in England, was sent to Rome for correction and approval, and was returned with columns of interpolations extremely conspicuouss, for they were all written in red ink. He asked for an inquiry now, with some degree of confidence, from the fact that from that quarter all their troubles came in Ireland. Those were the views of the present Chancellor of the Exchequer some thirty years ago, when he wrote his patriotic Runnymede letters. He would not introduce these things to the House if he did not believe that the right hon. Gentleman had an object and purpose in writing them. [Mr. OSBORNE: You have read them, before.] He would not read them if he did not believe that the right hon. Gentleman used the words he did for a purpose which reflected the highest honour upon him. These letters pointed out the fatal consequences which it was alleged might be expected from the alliance between the Whig party and Mr. O'Connell and his friends. He would now call attention to some passages contained in the Letters addressed to the People of England, thirty years ago, by the present Chancellor of the Exchequer. In one letter the right hon. Gentleman stated that the country was sinking beneath a power before which the proudest conquerors had quailed — namely, the power of a foreign priesthood. That was the fact which he (Mr. Whalley) had always asserted. The hon. Member for Cashel (Mr. O'Beirne) stated the other evening that it had been arranged amongst the Gentlemen from Ireland that they would not reply to him; but if they did not think fit to reply to him, they ought at least to allow him to be heard. [Mr. OSBORNE: Give us something new.] He had endeavoured laboriously from time to time to bring before the House many matters of importance but had been prevented by clamour from being heard. He would now continue his quotations from the letters. The right hon. Gentleman went on to say that the Papacy was independent of the Pope, and that the object of the Papacy was to ride rough-shod over England. He (Mr. Whalley) had frequently uttered similar sentiments; and Dr. Manning had stated the other day that the same intention still existed. The letters went on to say that to do justice to Ireland they were called upon to do injustice to England, and to assist the cause 897 of Papal supremacy, and added—
Had Parliament been aware that they were extending the power of the priesthood under the pretence of emancipating a people, the miserable dilemma of modern politics would never have occurred.He also found this passage—The people of England recoil with disgust from such dangerous balderdash.He (Mr. Whalley) was afraid of being seduced into reading too many extracts. It was a mere synopsis of the history of the world that the Romish priesthood claimed equality for the purpose of obtaining supremacy. They could not exist in a country like Ireland without, to the utmost extent, making their power antagonistic to the rest of the Empire, and the fulcrum by which the object of elevating their Church was to be obtained. He hoped the Government would turn their attention to this matter, and have an inquiry instituted into the doctrines and teaching of the Roman Catholic priesthood in the Colleges supported by the State. To show the importance of the investigation he would state what resulted from the present mode of dealing with these matters. A most abominable book, containing most horrible things, had recently been circulated throughout the country. On the occasion of the discussion of the question of nunneries, which was introduced by the hon. Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. Newdegate), he stated that the result of indifference to these matters was, that people in different parts of the country would be roused to indignation by seeing such prisons, and that they would pull the places down. On that occasion he (Mr. Whalley) stated that he could foresee greater danger than the destruction of nunneries—namely, the circulation of the abominable book which he held in his hand.
§ MR. OSBORNERunnymede.
§ MR. WHALLEYThe Confessional Unmasked. One of the sheriffs of the City of London was under the Gallery at the time, and he was so amazed to see what the House of Commons had come to, that he went home, and within a week, by the aid of a society, had 10,000 copies of the book printed and a copy sent to every Member of both Houses of Parliament. He hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer would lend the weight of his authority to 898 institute an investigation into the nature of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic priesthood.
§ MR. SPEAKERasked if any Member seconded the Motion; and, there being no response, he intimated that it found no seconder.
§ MR. WHALLEYobserved that he did not make a Motion, but only called attention to the subject.
§ Main Question, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair," put, and agreed to.