Mr. Dominick Brownepresented a Petition from a parish in Mayo, complaining of Distress; and also gave notice, that he would, on Friday next, present a petition from the County of Mayo, complaining of want of food.
O'Gorman Mahontook the opportunity of asking his Majesty's Government, whether they had received any information with respect to the recent attack made by the police on an innocent and unarmed set of people, in the district which the hon. Member had referred to, by which one man had been killed. Several thousands of the people there were in a state of absolute starvation. Yet what was the conduct of some of the Magistracy? One of the Magistrates had declared, that he would take the first opportunity of shooting a 'bloody rebel,' as he called him, of the name of Hughes, a parish priest, as he would shoot a mad dog. After such a speech, and after the bloody declaration which had been recently made from the Treasury bench [cries of "no, no, no!"]. He would say to the hon. member for Limerick]—"Yes, yes, yes!" He would say, that the denunciation respecting Ireland would cause torrents of blood to flow in that country, unless that House interfered to prevent it. Another Magistrate of the county of Mayo had declared, that he was ready with a body of men in arms, to rush upon any persons who were friends to the Repeal of the Union. When the Government here, and when their tools in Ireland, had made such declarations, he repeated that he hoped the House would interfere to prevent the torrents of blood which would otherwise be shed. Government appeared to be determined to persevere in prosecuting Mr. O'Connell upon a penal, vicious, and tyrannical Act. [hear, hear!] That 'hear' was, he supposed, for the purpose of showing what sort of spirit of conciliation actuated that House, and what the unfortunate people of Ireland were to expect from it. He repeated, that the Act upon which Mr. O'Connell was prosecuted was a penal, vicious, and tyrannical law. It was passed for the purpose of suppressing the Catholic Association, and was now turned to the purpose of suppressing all discussion. He called on the English Government to interfere and prevent any further proceedings against Mr. O'Connell. If he were found guilty, and sent to a dungeon, seven millions of Irish hearts would accompany 401 him thither. He trusted that Government, would be wise in time, and avail themselves of his warning. He hoped the noble Lord would retract the bloody-minded expressions of the other night [cries of "No, no —Chair, Chair!"]
§ The Speakersaid, he was sure that whatever language might escape from any hon. Member in the warmth of debate, the hon. member for Clare could not mean to impute to any Gentleman in that House a premeditated and deliberate intention to use expressions such as those which he had described; if he did, he must be told that he was not in order.
O'Gorman Mahonhad not meant any offence, but merely employed the phraseology which most appositely expressed the sentiments which he honestly entertained towards his Majesty's Ministers. He conceived that the language to which he had alluded indicated a disposition in them to resort to the shedding of blood, rather than consent to the measure which the people of Ireland had determined to carry. He did not mean to call the Ministers bloody-minded; he only meant by that phrase to intimate, that they were disposed to engage in blood rather than yield the point at issue. He was convinced, that if his Majesty's Government were to put an end to the prosecutions which were now going on, they would do a great deal to allay the discontent in Ireland. If Mr. O'Connell were to be found guilty, he was convinced that the effects would be most calamitous: if innocent, what a triumph would it be to their opponents to be able to say, that they had endeavoured to apply a vicious and tyrannical penal law to a bad purpose, and had failed in their attempt. He trusted, therefore, that they would no longer continue the prosecution of men for preserving the peace of Ireland — yes, he maintained that Mr. O'Connell and the Catholic Association had done more than could have been achieved by any other persons for the preservation of peace in Ireland. The Duke of Wellington had said, that a hundred thousand men would not put down the disturbances in Limerick alone, yet that object had been effected by the Catholic Association. If Mr. O'Connell were made a martyr, it was impossible to foresee the consequences. Should he be thrown into chains, ten thousand petitions would be presented from Ireland, appealing to the reason and humanity of the House to liberate him.
Mr. Stanleywas sure the House would not think it necessary for him at present to reply to the speech of the hon. member for Clare. He rose merely to answer the question which the hon. Gentleman had put to him at the commencement of that speech. No man could more deeply than himself lament the distress which existed in the district of Ireland to which the hon. Gent had alluded; but the Government was obliged to use peculiar precautions in that district. With respect to the man who had been unfortunately killed, he was one of an armed and tumultuous assembly; and it was doubtful from what quarter he had received his death. A Coroner's Inquest had sat upon the body, and their inquest was to that effect. The Government and the police were anxious that the matter should be fully investigated, in order that the guilty party might be ascertained.
§ Mr. Dominick Browne, as member for Mayo, begged to observe, that he had never heard of any Magistrates having used the expression which had been described by the hon. member for Clare.
§ Petition to lie on the Table.
§ Lord Althorp moved, that at its rising, the House should adjourn to Monday.
O'Gorman Mahonavailed himself of the opportunity to observe, that the statement which he had made respecting the Magistrates had been published in all the Mayo Papers. The name of the Magistrate who said that he was ready to shoot the bloody rebel of the name of Hughes, as if he were a mad dog, was * * * * * The name of the Magistrate who said he had an armed body ready, whenever Government gave the order, to shoot away at the Anti-Unionists, was Sir S * * * O'M * *. Let the House recollect the year 1798, and not allow the people of Ireland to be driven into rebellion by persecution.
Mr. Dominick Brownerepeated, that he had neither seen nor heard anything of the declarations described by the hon. member for Clare.
§ Lord Ebringtonobserved, that if the hon. Member arraigned the conduct of any individual in the cases to which he had alluded, he ought to make a specific motion on the subject. In his opinion, in the present state of Ireland, the measures which had been adopted with reference to the hon. member for Waterford and his friends, were absolutely necessary; and 403 he perfectly concurred in the sentiments which had been expressed the other evening by his noble friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was perfectly convinced that the Repeal of the Union would, in effect, be the dismemberment of the empire. A complete and entire separation of one country from the other must be attended by ruin to Ireland, and destruction to the British empire. He was perfectly ready, therefore, to concur with his noble friend, and to say, if the dreadful alternative were presented to him, of civil war, or the dismemberment of the empire, he would prefer civil war. He had the honour to represent a large body of constituents, and he should not be afraid to go back and state to them the declaration which he had just made. He was also connected by birth and property with Ireland, and he should not be ashamed or afraid to go to Ireland and frankly avow his sentiments.
Sir J. Bourkesaid, he was acquainted with Mr. St. George, and was persuaded that the House ought to receive with great caution any imputation upon that gentleman. —Motion agreed to.