LORD BROUGHAMMy Lords, I wish to ask my noble Friend opposite a question. Your Lordships must be aware that in times like the present, when every sort of subterfuge is resorted to to excite public curiosity, and to practise upon the public credulity, every well-thinking party of the community has a right to expect from our hands that we should protect them from the effects of those alarms which it is the principal object of such speculators upon public curiosity and credulity to create. Now, my Lords, I saw an account to-day which I believe there is no foundation whatever for, as to what is said to have taken place in Ireland. I must, however, say I was not very much alarmed myself, because the statements were so overdone, and so grossly exaggerated, particularly in respect to the accounts of the troops being defeated, and of their not having done their duty. I knew very well that there could be no foundation whatever for them—that it was quite impossible they could be There. There were circumstances connected with those statements which utterly discredited the whole story. Looking to the date of this intelligence, it is quite clear that if this news was known in Dublin yesterday—of course if that were the case, Her Majesty's Government would be in possession of the information quite as early as any which could be received from the disseminators of the news. I hope my noble Friend will excuse me for asking whether I am not quite correct in that opinion, and whether this intelligence has not been grossly exaggerated, if not altogether an unfounded story? I am afraid of the mischievous consequences of gathering together the materials of disorder and discontent. An outbreak might thus at any moment 896 occur. I should not be alarmed at any such outbreak taking place, however much I might lament the consequences. I hope, however, that the public will not be alarmed if even there be some little foundation for this alleged outbreak.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, that his noble and learned Friend was quite right in stating that very great ingenuity was manifested at present in the invention and propagation of rumours. With respect to the reports to which the noble and learned Lord had referred, as to outbreaks in Ireland, he had the satisfaction to state that there was a probability—amounting almost to certainty—that they were altogether unfounded, or that at least they rested on the slightest possible foundation. He assured the House that the Government were in possession of a despatch from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, dated three o'clock yesterday afternoon, which came to them by a special messenger, and which contained nothing relating to any outbreak. He might also mention, that subsequent to the arrival of that messenger they had received a letter, dated six o'clock—[Lord BROUGHAM: From Dublin?] Yes, from Dublin—and that letter was equally silent with respect to such an event. He, therefore, confidently believed that nothing of the kind, at least to the extent stated, had up to that moment occurred. He was sorry he could not state to his noble and learned Friend that there was not great probability of outbreaks occurring in the particular quarters to which rumour had already attributed them. It was known that the leaders had left Dublin and betaken themselves to those quarters; and it was also known that they were delivering treasonable and inflammatory speeches, calling upon the people immediately to rise and stand by what they called the cause of Ireland. It was very probable, therefore, that there might be some outbreak; but he trusted it would be attended with consequences far different from what had been reported.
The MARQUESS of LONDONDERRY, as an Irishman, begged to say that he did not go along with certain observations which had been made on that (the Opposition) side of the House, as to the delay on the part of Her Majesty's Government in bringing forward severe measures for Ireland. He thought they had been perfectly right in exercising, up to the last moment, every kind of leniency, with the view of bringing the deluded people back to a sense 897 of their duty. The noble Lord at the head of the Government of Ireland had, he thought, conducted his administration with great prudence and dexterity. He had wisely given these unfortunate people rope enough; and had, up to the present moment, it appeared, found means to arrest their violent proceedings. When other portions of Ireland were in a disaffected state, they could, at all events, derive some consolation from the fact that at least the north of Ireland was loyal, and could be well depended on. Even should they be deluged in civil war, the north would be found well attached to British connexion, and would save this country from anything like foreign interference. He thought, however, the Government had incurred great responsibility in consenting to the repeal of the Arms Act in Ireland; for he believed that if that Act had continued in force, the country would not now have been in its present condition.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEPerhaps the House will allow me to state that I have just received information dated seven o'clock, Dublin, an hour later than the former communication to which I have referred; and this letter states that nothing whatever has as yet occurred of an outbreak. It is, therefore, totally impossible, my Lords, that these events so rumoured could have taken place.
LORD BROUGHAMI have been speaking to a friend who came over from Dublin in the last packet, and he had beard nothing of the kind alluded to until be arrived in Liverpool.