scussion, in
which the conduct of government and some of its individual members was
assailed by the Dukes of Wellington and Buckingham, and several other
peers, who maintained, that since the Revolution, no instance had
occurred of such inconsistency and tergiversation. A modified coercion
bill, however, was introduced on the 18th of July; and having been
rapidly carried through the commons, passed the lords on the 29th, under
a strong protest, signed by the Dukes of Cumberland and Wellington, with
twenty-one other peers. This modified bill re-enacted only those parts
of the former which referred to the proclamation of districts. The
lord-lieutenant was to have power to proclaim any district which he
thought necessary, and in these districts any meeting, not convened by
the high sheriff of the county, was to be held illegal. No person was to
leave his house between sunset and sunrise, except on lawful business;
and constables were to have power to make people show themselves at any
hour of the night when they might call at their houses. The operations
of the bill were to cease on the 1st of August, 1835.

REJECTION OF THE IRISH TITHE QUESTION BY THE PEERS.

Ministers having thus provided for the tranquillity of Ireland, by
what they considered enactments of sufficient energy and severity, now
returned to their tithe bill, which, according to them, was to be the
great recompense of the temporary submission to a strained power of the
law. Accordingly, on the 29th of July, the order of the day was read
for the house resolving itself into a committee on the tithe bill. Mr.
O'Connell moved as an amendment that the house should resolve itself
into a committee that day six months. He did so, he said, on the ground
that it was preposterous to go into a committee on a bill containing
one hundred and twenty-two clauses at that period of the session, on
the ground of the demerits of the bill itself, and on the ground that
it would be time enough to legislate after the report of the commission
which had been issued should have been received, a regular plan arranged
and submitted, with all its details, and all necessary information, to
a select committee composed of men of all parties. This amendment,
however, obtained only fourteen votes in its favour, though others were
carried in committee, which went to alter the operation and consequences
of the bill. Thus Mr. O'Connell moved an amendment, the object of which
was to reli