e discussion on this subject was chiefly
remarkable for an attack made by Mr. Brougham on Mr. Canning. After
praising the conduct of Mr. Peel, who had never swerved from his
opinions, and who had not taken office with the secret understanding to
abandon the question in substance, while he continued to sustain it in
words, alluding to Mr. Canning, he remarked that when the point was,
whether he should submit to a sentence of transportation to India, or
be condemned to hard labour at home--when his fate depended on Lord
Chancellor Eldon, and his own sentiments on the Catholic question, he
had exhibited the most incredible specimen of monstrous truckling
for office, which the whole history of political tergiversation could
furnish. At this moment Mr. Canning suddenly started up and exclaimed
"It is false." A deep silence ensued; after which the speaker called on
the right honourable secretary to retract an expression which he must
know violated the rules and orders of the house. Mr. Canning replied
that though he was sorry to have used any word which might violate
the decorum of the house, yet he would not retract the sentiment. This
declaration was repeated; and as Mr. Brougham would not explain till Mr.
Canning had retracted, Mr. Bankes moved that both members be taken into
custody by the serjeant-at-arms. All parties, however, were extricated
from their situation by the suggestion made by Sir Robert Wilson, of
an hypothetical and mutual explanation. Mr. Bankes then withdrew his
motion, and the belligerents declared that they would forget their
recriminations. The motion which gave rise to this scene was lost.

AFFAIRS IN IRELAND.

A large portion of this session was wasted in discussing the insolence
exhibited by the agents of the ascendant party in Dublin. Lord Wellesley
had prohibited the Orange faction to dress up the statute of King
William in College Green: a ceremony which perpetuated animosity and
frequently led to strife and bloodshed. This gave the Orangemen great
offence; and on one occasion, when his lordship visited the theatre, a
bottle was thrown at him from the gallery. Three persons were taken into
custody, and the attorney-general indicted them for a misdemeanour; but
the grand jury would only find bills of indictment against two of them,
and as two persons cannot commit a riot, the finding released them all.
Mr. Plunkett then filed an ex-officio information against those persons,
whom he, on evi