The Marquess of Londonderrysaid, that since he came down to the House, he had learned that the petition which he had given, notice he would present to the House from the city and county of Londonderry, had not been very generally signed, and had not been submitted to a public meeting. When he received the petition, he at the same time received an assurance that it was numerously signed. He thought, that under the circumstances, and as the bill must be further postponed, his best plan would be to withdraw his notice for the present, and at some future day, but previous to the discussion on the bill, again bring the subject under the con- 89 sideration of the House, when he should go fully into the details of which the petition took notice. He had never been opposed to the just claims of the Roman Catholics; so far from being what was called a high churchman, he was diametrically the reverse, but he had come to the conclusion that great mischief would ensue if the bill were passed.
Lord Hollandwanted to know why the petition had been withdrawn. They had been summoned to consider the petition, and he thought that it ought to have been properly prepared before they were called together.
The Marquess of Londonderrythought he had already given a sufficient explanation. He had now only to add, that he wished both petitions coming (as we understood) from Londonderry, should have a fair and full hearing.
§ Lord Straffordsaid, that he had received letters from Londonderry, stating that the inhabitants of that city—at least a considerable portion of them—had for the first time been made aware of the existence of this petition, by seeing a statement in the newspapers that the noble Marquis meant to present it. They were quite at a loss to know with whom it originated, there having been no public meeting, and the petition not having been left at the usual place for signature. It was certainly not a petition from the mayor and corporation.
The Marquess of Westmeathobserved, it was not always safe to call a public meeting in Ireland; a man might get knocked on the head at one of those places. In many parts of Ireland it was necessary to prepare petitions privately, and privately to send them round for signatures. There was a wide difference between England and Ireland in this and in many other respects, and yet Ministers thought to assimilate the institutions of both countries, overlooking the important consideration, that the condition and character of the people were widely dissimilar.
§ Petition withdrawn.