The Earl of Donoughmorerose, pursuant to notice, to present to their lordships the petition which had been confided to him by his Catholic brethren of Ireland, and the value of whose confidence he fully appreciated. In rising to present their petition, he could not state its object better than in their own language. It was calmly and firmly to ask the restitution of their rights from the legislature. It was impossible for him then to enter into the merits of the subject of petition, or discuss the question to which it related, either directly or indirectly, as he meant to call on their 643 lordships on some early day to take the petition into consideration, when he should have a fit opportunity to go at length into its merits. He would only then state, in a few words, that the petition did not relate to any ordinary or trifling subject, and that it contained the signatures of 100,000 of his majesty's most faithful subjects. They had proved themselves so in times past, and would be again ready to do so, when called on in the hour of peril. The petition expressed the sentiments not only of those who signed it, but of all the Catholic inhabitants of Ireland, amounting to seven millions. Never, perhaps, was a petition presented, more numerously signed, or more deserving their lordships' attention. Never, he believed, were the sentiments expressed by one part of the people more completely in accordance with the sentiments of the whole body of the people, than on the present occasion. From the peer to the peasant, all descriptions of persons, all sects of religion, were unanimously in favour of the petitioners. Not only were the people unanimous, but they brought it forward with all the energy of freemen demanding their rights. They had met together, and numbered amongst them some of the ablest men of the country, who advocated their cause with energy, but with calmness and discretion. The petition was signed by the whole bulk of the respectable part of the Irish population. The first person whose signature was attached to it, was lord viscount Gormanstown; who, their lordships might ask, was lord Gormanstown? He was a descendant of a lord deputy, the representative of his majesty in Ireland, in better times than the present. It was impossible for him, when speaking upon this subject, not to say, that he had the honour, on leaving Ireland, to receive the proxy of his majesty's representative in Ireland in favour of Catholic emancipation. The descendant of one lord deputy had signed the petition, and the present representative of his majesty had done him (the earl of D.) the honour to entrust him with his proxy, to represent his feelings on the subject of the Catholics in that House. He would say of the marquis of Wellesley, that he believed Ireland had never had a more able or a more honest governor. During his residence in Ireland, he had effected a great deal of good. He had carried a reform into the magistracy, and had thereby conferred a great benefit on Ireland. 644 There was one act of that noble person more particularly deserving their lordships' notice. In the court of Exchequer in Ireland there was an office of great importance, that of remembrancer. Lord Wellesley had conferred it on Mr. Blake, a Catholic. This appointment was a great benefit to Ireland; for this gentleman had long been an ornament of the bar. Whatever might be the opinion of the noble marquis on the measure now in progress through the other House, he could not help saying, that his government had brought Ireland to a state of prosperity it had never known before. He said this in justice to the lord-lieutenant; but he must add, that he could not have so far succeeded, had not his efforts been ably seconded by this Catholic Association, which had done much, under the calumniated Mr. O'Connell, to calm the people. He would only move, that the petition be read, and would not now fix any day for taking it into consideration.