the Catholic agitators. In
pursuance of the recommendation in the royal speech to suppress the
Catholic Association, on the 10th of February Mr. Peel asked leave to
bring in a bill for that purpose. The general outline of the measure
which he proposed was briefly this. It was his intention, he said, to
commit the enforcement of the law to one person only; and to intrust to
him, who was fully cognizant of the state of affairs in Ireland, and
who was also responsible for the tranquillity of that country, the
new powers with which the house were now asked to invest the executive
government. He proposed to give the lord-lieutenant, and to him alone,
the power of suppressing any association or meeting which he might
deem dangerous to the public peace, or inconsistent with the due
administration of the law; together with power to interdict the
assembling of any meeting, of which previous notice should have been
given, and which he should think likely to endanger the public peace, or
to prove inconsistent with the due administration of the law. In case it
should be necessary to enforce the provisions of the law by which
these powers would be conferred, it was proposed, by Mr. Peel, that the
lord-lieutenant should be further empowered to select two magistrates
for the purpose of suppressing the meeting, and requiring the people
immediately to disperse. Finally, it was proposed to prohibit any
meeting or association which might be interdicted from assembling, or
which might be suppressed under this act from receiving and placing at
their control any monies by the name of "rent," or by any other name.
In conclusion Mr. Peel said, that he was of opinion the act should, like
that of 1825, which had been intended to suppress the Catholic and other
associations, be limited; and he proposed to limit it to one year, and
the end of the then next session of parliament. The bill passed both
houses without opposition; for although its provisions were somewhat
arbitrary in their nature, the friends of the Catholics voted for it
as part of a system which was to result in Catholic emancipation. The
associators, however, rendered the act unnecessary; for before it was
completed, their dissolution was announced. They had gained their point,
and for the present they were satisfied; they had demanded emancipation,
unqualified emancipation, and nothing else; and when this was promised,
when government submitted to their imperious demands, they put u