sacrifices had been made by himself and his colleagues
in this, and in the other House of Parliament, with
a view to the final adjustment of it. In doing
so, he begged the noble Lord on the cross bench to
believe, that not the least considerable or the least
disagreeable sacrifice on his part, was the necessity
imposed on him of differing from the noble lord on
this subject. But he would not talk of his own
sacrifices—they were trifling, when compared
with the sacrifices which had been made by some of
his noble friends near him, and by his right honourable
friend in another place. He could not conceive
a greater sacrifice than must have been made by his
right honourable friend, to bring his mind to the
determination of carrying this measure. It was
obvious that nothing but an imperious sense of duty
had induced his right honourable friend to make such
a sacrifice; but the inconveniences and dangers which
had arisen from the present state of things in this
country and in Ireland, had left no alternative but
the adoption of this measure; and now that he had
adopted it, he would use his best endeavours, in concert
with his colleagues, to carry it into effect.
Under such circumstances, he would entreat their lordships
to wait until the whole question should have come
before them. When the measure should have been
well considered by them, they would then see whether
it would be attended with the dangerous consequences
ascribed to it—and whether the carrying
it would not place the Protestant Constitution of
these realms upon a better footing than it had been
since the union with Ireland. He would not now
enter into the discussion, whether the consequences
of this measure would be injurious to that Throne,
for the maintenance of which he was ready to sacrifice
his life, or whether the measure was likely to produce
those effects which were apprehended by his noble friend
on the cross bench. Of this he was certain, that
the existence of the dangers which some noble lords
seemed to apprehend from the adjustment of this question,
they were never able to establish; and whenever the
discussion of the measure came before their lordships,
he would be ready to prove, that the Protestant institutions
of this country were exposed to more dangers at present,
than they would be exposed to after the adoption of
the measure that would be proposed.
February 16, 1829.
* * * * *
Former Associations in Ireland could not be put down.—Mr. Pitt for Emancipation.
He must say, he apprehended from the number of persons in the habit of attending that Association, the nature of the speeches there delivered, and the measures to which all alike appeared parties, that the people of Ireland at large had been parties to the Association.


