§ The Earl of Charlevillepresented a Petition from certain magistrates of the Queen's county, praying that their Lordships would adopt measures to secure protection for the lives and properties of the loyal inhabitants of Ireland, which he moved should be referred to the Committee on the state of Ireland.
§ Lord Rossmoresaid, he did not attach the same importance to the petition as the noble Earl. In the first place, it was signed by only some of the magistrates, although the county had been canvassed for signatures to it. No one could doubt that it had been got up for the purpose of backing the proceedings at the meeting at Tullamore. But the allegations made at that meeting had been amply refuted at a general county meeting, at which the high sheriff presided in person; and, moreover, most of the magistrates who had signed the petition confessed that they had taken advantage of a meeting convened for the laudable purpose of detecting crime, to turn it into a party meeting. These assertions were borne out by letters which he had received, one of which was from a magistrate of forty-two years standing, who said he never knew the country in such a state of peace and quietness as at the present moment.
§ The Earl of Charlevillesaid, at the meeting alluded to by the noble Lord, it had been determined, after due deliberation, to petition both Houses of Parliament and to address her Majesty on this subject. The petition and address were immediately prepared, and some time was required to procure signatures to it. Of the sixty-five magistrates who had signed 1176 the requisition for the meeting, many were not present when it was held, and it became necessary to apply to them for their signatures. That was all the application that had been made.
§ Petition laid on the Table.