10 JUNE 1837, Page 14

A WELSH PETITION.

Sir L. Parry presented a petition from a parish in Common, praying, that as the petitioners were by law obliged to understand the Judges and Bishops of Wales, either they might be instructed in the English language, or the Judges and Bishops obliged to learn Welsh. (Lauyhter.)— Rouse of C'ommons ; Tueaday.

It certainly was a capital joke; we don't wonder the House laughed. Only think of a Welsh Bishop or a Judge preaching or passing sentence intelligibly ! Then the logic of the petitioners was so very odd. They assume, in the first place, that they are obliged to understand the Bishops and Judges. No such thing : nobody expects them to understand Prelatical divinity or Judges' law. Their duty is to say " amen" when the clerk says " amen ;" and to behave respectfully in court when " my Lord" sentences them to whippings and transportation. That is all which is re- quired of them by the Church and the Government, except paying taxes; and we apprehend that to pay taxes gratefully and cheer- fully, it is not necessary to knew a word of English.

How can the Welshmen expect civilized beings to acquire their obsolete gibberish ? The revenues of Bangor and St. Asaph cannot be increased by sermons in the native tongue; and not one penny will be added to the salary of a Judge by a charge to the Jury in Welsh. It is plain, therefore, and the petitioners must perceive it on reflection, that the House could not but laugh at their most preposterous prayer.