sion a series of parliamentary attacks were directed
against the Orange lodges. On the 6th of March, Mr. Shiel moved for
the production of addresses presented to the king from certain Orange
societies, and the answers which had been returned to them. These
papers were granted; but this did not prevent a discussion on the
subject, which was distinguished chiefly by the abuse which the Irish
opposition poured upon the Orangemen. The subject was again brought
forward on the 23rd of March by Mr. Finn, who moved that "a select
committee be appointed to inquire into the nature, character, extent,
and tendency of Orange lodges, associations, or societies in Ireland,
and to report their opinion thereon to the house." Mr. Maxwell, himself
an Orangeman, seconded this motion; he courted the fullest inquiry, with
a hope that the committee would be constituted in the most impartial
manner. The committee was appointed, and was still proceeding with its
inquiries when, on the 4th of August, Mr. Hume brought part of them
before the house. He had seen in newspapers portions of the evidence,
real or fictitious, taken before the committee, by which it appeared
that Orange lodges had been introduced into the army, and existed in
thirty or forty regiments of the line. These institutions were in direct
violation of general orders issued by the commander-in-chief in 1828 and
1829, which strongly reprobated the practice of holding Orange lodges in
regiments. The lodges, he said, had been formed under warrants granted
for that purpose by the Duke of Cumberland, who was the grand-master of
the Orange body, and a field-marshal. It was true the wan-ants had not
the name of his royal highness upon them; but he found it difficult to
imagine that he was ignorant of the existence of Orange lodges in the
army. Mr. Hume moved a string of eleven resolutions upon this subject.
Mr. Patten, the chairman of the committee to which the house had
referred the inquiry, complained of the manner in which the subject
had been introduced; it was a farce, he said, to appoint a committee to
inquire into a subject, if, when a portion of the evidence was printed,
and the inquiry was still pending, a member was to be permitted to bring
the subject forward in such a manner as must necessarily prejudge
the whole question, and at the same time attack the character of
individuals. He moved, as an amendment, "That a humble address be
presented to his majesty, praying that he wi