The Marquess of Normanbytook that opportunity of stating that he had made inquiries upon the subject of the placard, to which his attention had been called on a former evening by a noble Duke opposite. It appeared that the stipendiary magistrates had applied to the Lord-lieutenant for instructions on the proceedings which they were to adopt with regard to the procession which was announced as about to take place on St. Patrick's-day. The Lord-lieutenant informed the magistrates that there was nothing in the nature of the Temperance Society which rendered a procession by its members illegal, and, therefore, he recommended the magistrates not to interfere; except, of course, for the purpose of taking care that none of those accidental disturbances took place which might arise from the assembling together of a large body of people. With respect to the placard itself, which stated that the meeting was held by the permission of the 553 Lord-lieutenant, thereby seeming to imply something more than a mere refusal to interfere; it appeared that the issuing of that placard was not the act of the society, but merely of an individual member. The colours used in the procession were red and white, as he understood, and not tri-coloured, or emblematic of any party feeling. Having said thus much with reference to these processions, he must say, he thought them an unwise mode of carrying out what would doubtless be a great improvement in the habits of the country, and to which he looked with great interest, as tending to a moral amelioration of the people. A noble Friend opposite had asked him a question a few evenings ago with reference to a procession in Dublin. He had since written to Ireland on the subject, but, not having yet received an answer, all he could now say was, that his noble Friend, the Lord-lieutenant, had stated in a letter to him that he was standing in the streets a portion of the time that the procession passed, and, from what he observed, his impression was, to use his own words, "that he must say he had seen nothing in Ireland which had given him so much pleasure as this procession and peaceful triumph of sobriety and good order, there being nothing in the character of it to mark any party feeling." His hope was, that this subject might be allowed to go on for the moral improvement of Ireland, and if there could be anything in that country that was entirely unmixed with politics, it was this.
The Earl of Wicklowcertainly participated fully in the opinion which had been expressed by his noble Friend, with regard to what might be expected from temperance societies in Ireland, and was far from sharing in any of those apprehensions which he knew were felt by some with respect to the subject of those processions. He had read some of the addresses of Father Mathew on these occasions, and must say, that he had found nothing in them but philanthropy and good-will, There was an impression, however, that in the procession which had been alluded to, banners had been made use of which were emblematic of party; and when it was understood that the noble Marquess seemed to make light of the wearing ribands of different colours in Ireland, what was there to prevent Orangemen from wearing that colour which was the emblem of their party? There could be no harm 554 in the colour of any particular riband, but, as different coloured ribands were the badges of party in Ireland, the evil was not, indeed, in the mere use of them, but in its holding out an encouragement to others who were opposed to the parties wearing them, and who thought themselves ill-used if certain ribands were allowed to be used by some, whilst those which were emblematic of their own particular party, were suppressed. He hoped that the consequence of these processions might not be an attempt to renew others which the Government of the country had properly done so much to prevent.