§ Sir George Hillpresented a petition from the gentry, clergy, magistrates, and freeholders of the county of Londonderry, praying for the suppression of a certain assembly in Dublin, calling itself, "The Catholic Association." He should at present abstain from making any comments on the various evils arising from that most mischievous body, and should confine himself chiefly to stating the origin of this petition. Great alarm was naturally felt in the county of Londonderry at the assumption of the Catholic Association to rule and govern the population of Ireland, taking them under their special protection, and alienating their affections from the constituted authorities of the country. Still, however, the inhabitants of Londonderry had come to a determination to confide in parliament, and not interfere, until an attempt should be made to collect the Catholic rent; and a circumstance occurred which rendered further abstinence impossible. It was this: a person in the neighbourhood had prevailed upon the inhabitants to subscribe a sum of money for erecting a Catholic school-house: but instead of appropriating it to its proper purpose, he sent it to the Association. In consequence of which, the inhabitants of Londonderry thought it high time to express their sentiments. Accordingly, a requisition was signed by 340 most respectable freeholders. A meeting was held, at which the petition was voted, and in a short time it 167 received no less than 1,700 most respectable signatures, together with the names of twenty-nine clergymen, and thirty-nine magistrates.
Mr. Abercrombysaid, that, as the right hon. baronet was in the act of extolling the moderation of the good inhabitants of Londonderry, perhaps he would favour the House with an accurate report of the speeches delivered by some of those gentlemen previous to the voting that petition [hear].
§ Mr. Dawsonsaid, that nothing could exceed the moderation and forbearance evinced by the Protestants of Londonderry. No single individual, holding the sentiments he did with respect to Catholic emancipation, had done a single act to cause a difference with their Catholic fellow-countrymen. As the Catholics themselves had thrown down the gauntlet, they must abide by the consequences. The Protestants remained tranquil, until the Catholic Association set on foot the collection of that abominable "rent" in Londonderry, and then they felt it their duty to come forward, to deny the bold and impudent assertion of the Catholic Association, that the Protestants of Ireland were favourable to their claims. The Protestant feeling was not in their favour. In Londonderry, for instance, the Protestants were, in point of numbers, two to one; and as to property, intelligence, and industry, they were a thousand to one; and, when the Catholics thought proper to make this boast, he felt it his duty boldly to proclaim, that the Protestant feeling of Ireland was decidedly opposed to any further concessions to the Catholics.
§ Sir H. Parnellsaid, he hoped the House would pause before they placed implicit confidence in the statements of the hon. member. The petition just presented was the only petition offered to the House on this subject from Ireland, and he was not aware that any other was in contemplation. The hon. member had thought proper to assert, that the Protestant feeling of Ireland was opposed to Catholic emancipation. It was painful to hear such assertions: but when they were made, he was under the necessity of rising to make an assertion of a completely opposite nature. Two thirds of the representatives of Ireland had voted for emancipation. Now, if they did not represent the feeling of the country, it cast a great stigma on the state of the representation in Ireland. And, with re- 168 spect to property, he would remind the hon. member of the petition presented by the Protestants of Ireland, a few years ago, in favour of emancipation.
Mr. Maxwellsaid, in opposition to the statement of the hon. baronet, that he had presented a similar petition in the course of the evening, from his constituents, containing, 4,700 signatures.
Mr. Abercrombysaid, he had one remark to make, to which he should not add a single comment. A requisition had been presented to the sheriff of Waterford, containing, amongst others, the signatures of many respectable magistrates, calling upon him to convene a meeting for the purpose of petitioning in favour of Catholic emancipation. The sheriff refused to call the meeting, and it was for that gentleman to state his reasons for so doing.
§ Mr. Denis Brownesaid, the only permanent foundation for the prosperity of Ireland, was a total relinquishment of all civil distinctions founded upon religious differences. For a long period he had advised the Roman Catholics in his neighbourhood to place their trust in the wisdom of parliament. For some time they had done so; but at length, when the proposition for placing the Roman Catholics of England on the same footing with the Irish was rejected, they asked him how it was possible they could have a chance, when that measure failed, notwithstanding the support of the prime minister of England? He was unable to give them an answer, and they then joined the Catholic Association.
§ Ordered to lie on the table.