PARTY PROCESSIONS (IRELAND).

HL Deb 14 August 1832 vol 14 cc1357-8

On the Motion of Viscount Melbourne, the House went into Committee on the Party Processions (Ireland) Bill.

The Duke of Wellington

moved, as an Amendment on the preamble of the Bill, that the word "religious" should be left out, as by that means the Bill would be more general in its effect.

The Earl of Glengall

thought it very desirous that this Amendment should be adopted.

The Marquess of Westmeath

also supported the Amendment, and complained that the Bill was directed against one por- tion of the people of Ireland—the Protestants. All he wanted was, to take this sting out of it, which might be done by the Amendment proposed.

Earl Grey

protested against the insinuation of the noble Marquess who had last spoken, that the Bill was directed against the Protestant portion of the Irish community. On the contrary, the object of the Bill was to put down and to prevent all assemblies or meetings that were calculated to excite religious animosities, and which so much tended to endanger the peace of that country. It had been said, that the law was sufficiently strong to accomplish this object, and that, therefore, it was unnecessary to come to Parliament for assistance; but he would remind their Lordships, that though proclamations had been issued by the Lord Lieutenant against such assemblies, yet those proclamations had been set at nought, and trodden under foot, and he could assure their Lordships, that letters which had been received from Ireland, stated, that the peace of Ireland could never be permanently established or secured, unless some such law as that now proposed was passed. With respect to the Amendment proposed by the noble Duke, he must say, that he thought it would go very far to affect many innocent assemblies and processions, which, he was sure, the noble Duke would be sorry to suppress.

The Duke of Wellington

could not see how it would affect innocent bodies, for the very preamble of the Bill showed that its provisions were only directed to bodies carrying fire-arras, or bearing emblems calculated to excite religious animosities. His object in proposing the Amendment was to make the Bill more general.

Earl Grey

hoped, that as the objection of the noble Duke was not to the principle of the Bill, that he would allow it to pass its present stage, and reserve his Amendment until the third reading.

The Duke of Wellington acquiesced.

The Bill went through the Committee.

The House resumed.