Star. — London, England, 1813-05-25 00:00:00

destroy the Constitution. 'rite Church of England was a Parliamentary Church, how then could the Catholics be admitted as parties to legislate for it ? His Noble Friend had set out with laying it down as a principle that they should not interfere with the Ca. tholic faith ; upon what ground then could it be jus tified that the Catholics should be placed in a situa tion to interfere with the Protestant religion ? For his part he could not agree to the clause under con sideration nor to .several of the subsequent clauses without considerable exceptions. In the first place, Parliament, the great Council of the Sovereign, ought to be Protestant—in the next place, the Judges who have the administration of the laws ought to be Pro testant--and upon the same principles the Privy Council ought to be protestant. If the clauses opening these departments to the Catholics were to remain unaltered, he could not vote for the Bill. After a few observations respecting the institution of Com missioners under the Bill, the Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by declaring his intention to vote against the clause. Mr. GRATTAN was convinced that the Catho lic Episcopacy would be sufficiently controuled under the commission established in one of the clauses of the Bill. He ridiculed the apprehension of danger oxisting in the infusion of a few Catholic Represen tatives, as if Parliament were to become a Catholic body by this measure, instead of remaining a Protes. tant body containing a small minority of Catholics. The principle of the Bill was the basis of all free Go vernments—that of adequate representation of every class of the community not convicted of disaffection or treason to the Constitution. He had heard in the course of the debate one radically erroneous principle avowed—that difference of religion constituted civil incompatibility. Where was this incompatibility to be found ? In what State had it been exemplified ? How was it proved by the evidence of historical facts ? The truth was, that penal laws had created an artificial civil difference, and this civil difference would expire with the penalties which gave it birch. (Hear, hear.) A Right Hon. Gentleman, whose au thority must always be great in that House (the Speaker) had said, that if the Bill passed, all the Members for Ireland would be Catholics. How was this proved ? Not by the state of the landed pro perty; or by the disposition'of those who possessed it. As the inference, therefore, of which this argument consisted was drawn from assertion merely, he must be permitted to say, that until the assertion was proved the argument was imperfect. What could seven Peers in the other House, and thirty or even fifty Representatives of the people accomplish, even if disposed to make the attempt against a Protestant Government and Legislature, and a House of Com mons consisting of 658 Members ? The argument, then, although coming from great authority, ought to have no authority at all. The object of the Bill was emancipation to the Catholic, accompanied by security to the Protestant. If the one were rejected, the other must likewise be sacrificed. He approved of the provision of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Canning), and of the suggestion of the Noble Lord, who, to his judgment, had acted a manly part, and with whom he would cheerfully participate any mo mentary unpopularity which his conduct on this oc casion might incur—(Loud cries of Hear, hear).- -The question to be decided was undoubtedly com plicated, but it might he resolved into the general consideration whether the power of the Pope should remain unlimited by the rejection of these restrictions, created by the Bill now in the Committee, or whether that sway should be regulated and rendered subser vient to the double purpose of establishing Catholic freedom and ratifying protestant sesurity ? (Hear.) Mr. BRAGGE BATHURST contended that the number of English Catholics rendered it probable that a large proportion of the House of Commons, in the event 'of passing this Bill, would be Catholics. Mr. GRAT'I'AN explained. Mr. FITZGERALD observed that the clause affecting the episcopacy in Ireland was only prospec tive. Although he should not have desired the qua lifying and restricting clauses, he was prepared to adopt them rather than lose the whole measure.— (Loud cries of Question!) Mr. CANNING rose to call the House to the im mediate question before them, contained in the first clause of the Bill, the adoption or rejection of which involved the whole measure. The question embraced two points—concession and conciliation to the Catho lics, and security to the Protestants : and he felt the greater attachment to the present measure, because he firmly believed that the most valuable grant which it extended to the Catholics was at the same time the best security for the Protestant Establishment ; be cause he beiieved that the way not to excite but to allay the ferments and discontents of men was to give them vent in that House, the legitimate receptacle of all the opinions, the prejudices, and passions of the , people, and not to suffer them to range abroad un watched or uncontrolled.—(Hear, hear).—He had heard some persons express apprehensions that dema-; gogues should be admitted in that assembly. He had no such fears: he wished to see such persons within then ti ad-, . rid to conflict with them i:ce to face.— (Hear, hear). —\V hen this had been the case—he meant nu invidious allusions—what had been the result ? laad the consequence been increased danger to the Constitution, or added dignity to the popular de claimer ? Or had it been that his character and opi nions had dwindled into their native insignificance ? It was the sante with parties as with individuals.— If there did exist a violent party among the Catholics, let it fairly enter the House of Commons, where it might be met and answered :—strip the cause of its great and standard grievance : put the turbulent ad vocates, net where they may find sympathising mul titudes to echo all their sentiments, but among a body f men who look at affairs of State with States.' meti's e ) ts. After all, %%hat a miserable and on founited app'rehension it was to suppose that the Catholics would necessarily act as an indivisible pha lanx, draw alter them all other panic's, and usurp the infloence of the State :—for the indissoluble link of common suff, ring would be broken, and the cause of rebellious discontent would be stripped of its most plausible pretext. An Honourable Gentleman had suggested a plan of_ giving to the population all those boons which are the immediate gifts of the Crown, and thus attach them to that part of the Constitution, but at the same time exclude them from the Commons—exclude them from that common in terest with the popular part of the system, which alone, in a free State, can form a just balance to the influence of the Monarch. He remembered, that before the Union it had been prophesied by an Hon. Gentleman, that importing one hundred Irish Mem bers into the House would be to introduce a body of men united by a common tie, who would make bargains for Irish objects, and throw all their weight into the scale of that party which would most favour their wishes. This bugbear had proved to be visionary. The Irish Members had acted as fairly, and bad dis tributed themselves as much among the different par ties of the House, as if they had been natives of the English soil. The Scotch Union had been invested with the same imaginary dangers, and the State had equally survived them. As it bad once been a dis qualification for a Member to marry a Welch wife, yet now they had a Right Hon. Gentleman who, not withstanding be stood in that situation, poured the whole strength of his mind against the introduction of Catholics into Parliament. He must say, that the framers of the Bill had not been fairly dealt by : in all the earlier stages of the discussion, it had been confidently prophesied that no security could be found to satisfy any honourable man; but now that secu rities had been found, they saw that nothing could be said against them : they therefore either pass them over in silence, or agreed to allow the securities with out the concessions. He concurred with the Noble Lord (whose conduct had been manly and con sistent), that those who opposed this Bill were bound to enact a new system of pains and penalties : if by a paltry majority of two or three units they should succeed against this measure, let them produce their measures of legislative severity. Let the Jesuits and Dominicans, whose grizly spectres had haunted the minds of some sleepy Legislators, be now laid by their skill and energy ; let these indolent guardians of the Constitution redeem their past inactivity by fresh vigilance and sanguinary exertions.-( Hear.)—The . House could not separate for the Session without some measure on this subject. If conciliation was neces. sary, there (pointing to the Opposition) sat the friends and advocates of that system : if pains and penalties were wanting, there (pointing to tile other side of the House) were those who were ready to bring them forward—(Hear, hear.) He did not envy them the odious task, but such was the burthen which they could not shake from their shoulders. The House had now to decide on a question arising out of an ano maly in the Constitution, which deprived the country of the services of a large portion of its inhabitants. This anomaly had arisen from the policy of our an cestors, for which we pretended not to be responsible., But if the clause this night were rejected, the fault became exclusively our own : the House would adopt all the blame of their ancestors r it could no longer, be said of the system that it was it non pasta labore led' relicta :" the cruelty and the severity ot the code would become their own work. But GOD forbid that the cup of expectation, which had been filled to the brim, should be now dashed from the lips of the Catholics! GOD forbid that any Member should unction a pro. ceeding which he might afterwards contemplate with remorse! There WAS now an opportunity for a final settlement, as far as any thing human could be final and determinate; it was now the time to determine between a system of conciliation, and one which would retrace all those fatal steps which till now be had hoped had been by all abandoned. He concluded by saying, that if this clause were negatived, he should not think it worth his while to support the other points ot the Bill, but should discharge himself of all concern in a measure which would then be fruitless and nugatory. Mr. M. SUTTON protested against the doctrines of the Right Hon. Gentleman. A vote against the clause under discussion implied no necessity tor bring ing in measures of sanguinary pains and penalties ; nor would the throwing of it out lead to any such re. sult. The Bill was said to embrace concession and security; but it would be well to observe that the concessions were immediate—the security, from the in disposition of the Catholic clergy, distantly contingent. Mr. CANNING explained. He had no objection to the operation of the Bill being dated from the con stitution of the Committee. Mr. BATHURST explained, and put it to the candour of the Right Hon. Gentleman, if the word sanguinary could, W ith propriety, be applied to any measure necessary upon the rejection of this clause ? Mr. CANNING, in explanation, admitted that the word was too strong, and apologized for its being used in the heat of argument. The question being loudly called for, the Gallery was cleared for a division, when the numbers were— For the Clause - • 247 Fur she Amendment • 251 Majority - - —4 by which the principal object of the Bill is defeated. Mr. PONSONBY said, that as the leading Clause of the Bill was negatived, the friends of the measure considered it as lost for the present. He would therefore move, that the Chairman do leave the Chair, which motion was put and carried.—The House having re. sumed, the other Orders of the Day were disposed of.—An Adjournment took place at HALF-PAST TWO O'CLOCK. THE EVENING STAR LONDON. TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1813. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY PT ONE O'CLOCK: Red. 57-3—Cons. 580—for ace. 5811-4 per Ct. 71i 72 5 per Cent. 874—Bonds Is. Is. dis.—Eseh. Ellis 4s. ss. pre. Bank Long Annuities 14 9-16 tbs The Francis Freeling Packet has arrived at Fal mouth from America. She came from New York to Bermuda ai a cartel, and from Bermuda to Eng land in 18 days. The New York Papers are to the 1.9. h ult. and the dispatches from Sir .JO/1N BORLASE WAIMENI, which we alluded to in part of our im pression of yesterday, were dated on the 20th, being the day subsequent to the signing of the reported Armistice, which we doubted at the time. It is almost needless to repeat, that no such event has taken place. Messrs. GA LI. ATM and BAYARD, with Mr. Aoaras, the present American Minister at St. Petersburgh, are appointed Commissioners to open negotiations at the Russian Capital, under the auspices of that Cabinet. Great hopes are enter tained in America of a successful issue to this nego tiation. For our parts, we have already experienced so much chicanery on the part of the American nego• ,ciators, that we think tit best not to encourage any such hopes on this side of the Atlantic. Great alarm is kept up along the American shores, and one or two partial bombardments by our naval force have been tried, but without any decided result as yet. The preparations for the invasion of Canada still continue. Extracts from the American Papers will be found in another column. A report was in circulation last night, that Ham burgh had once more fallen under French protection* and that 300 of her brave and loyal citizens had been put to death for their patriotism. The report is un founded. It will be recollected that the above is the precise number of prisoners of the Hanseatic Legion who fell into the hands of the French in one of the affairs on the Elbe, between Hamburgh and Har burg, and who were ignominion.,ly tied together two and two, and conducted to the latter place. The an ticipation of the cruelties about to be inflicted on these unhappy men, may have led to the unfounded report in question. At the same time we are not without our fears that this modern Utica may ultimately fall into the hands of the Barbarians. The latest accounts from this unfortunate city are of the 17th, on which day all was well, but the bombardment from the Islands in the Elbe was expected to commence next day 1 Private letters by the Mail of yesterday assert, that some kind of negotiation for peace is so far 'on the advance, that little or no more fighting is expected. The following is an extract from a private letter : " HELIGOLAND, MAT 17.—The French have succeeded in getting possession of Fidle, opposite the Grasbrook, and they are thereby enabled to de much harm to Hamburgh. Flags of truce have frequently been exchanged between the. French and Team born ; the latter insists on the Danes taking possession of Ham. burgh until a general peace; but the farmer require that they should occupy the place as a French town. Tettenborn has de. dared that he %ill not, lu that ease, leave Hamblugh otherwise than in flames." The Catholic Bill was lost last night by a majority of four. In the Committee, the SPEAKER opposed the Clause providing for the admission of Roman Catholics into both Houses of Parliament, and moved its omission. Mr. PONSONJY, on this being carried, moved that the Chairman should leave the Chair—as it would have been absurd to enact conditions respect. ing a boon that was withheld—which was seconded by General MATHEW, and carried. The SPEAKER, it will be seen, paid many compli ments to the Catholics ; and while he reprobated the giving them Legislative powers, recommended ad mitting them to commands in the Army and Navy, and to every privilege not inconsistent with his ideas of Protestant security. He maintained tl,- t t th e 1' in the form in which it was before the House, would prove acceptable neither to Protestants nor Catholics. The fate of the Bill proves that to many of one or both of these classes of subjects, it was objectionable, and, for the present, it is set aside. Let the enemies of Emancipation prove their good will to the Catho. lics by proposing measures, in the form of law, which they themselves have recommended in argu meat. if a sweeping Bill of Emancipation cannot be so framed as to meet their approval, let particular cases of complaint be removed as individual evils, which injure in place of benefiting the Protestant Establishment. Let a Bill, for example, be brought in declaring that Roman Catholic subjects may exercise and enjoy offices of command in the Army and Navy, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. —There can certainly be no objection to such a pro• cedure as we now recommend : nor do we see, at present, any more effectual way of ascertaining on what points Parliament is agreed respecting the ex tension of privileges to Catholics. To this mode of proceeding the same objection cannot be started that has been urged against tlae lost Bill—that these par ticular boons will not prove acceptable to the Catho lics. We venture to assert, on the contrary, that however much they may complain of remaining restraints, they will receive these individual boOns with gratitude ; and thus will the bounds of exclu sion be narrowed, and the bonds of good will and affection be proportionally strengthened. The Session is not yet too far advanced for the commencement of the system which we recommend, for it is of that nature which requires not that Ro man Catholic Bishops should be consulted upon it. In the view we are now taking of this question, it would be just as reasonable to consult house-breakers about laws against theft, as to consult priests (we mean nothing disrespectful) on the Repeal of those branches of the Penal Statutes which we have in our eye. Parliament has nothing to do with the opinions of any set of men on questions of right and justice to the King's subjects. His Royal Highness the PRINCE RECENT gave au dience yesterday to Lord LIVERPOOL, Viscount CASTLEREAGH, and Count MUNSTER. A Gentleman who yesterday arrived in London from Dresden and Prague, and who was present when the Emperor ALEXANDER was accompanied by General 'hawses' in the former City, says, that not the least doubt was entertained that a perfret un derstanding subsisted between ALEXANDER and the Saxon General, and that Torgau, with its garrison, would support the Allies. The King of SAXONY, previous to his residence at Prague, had a conference with the Emperor FRANCIS, at Lintz ; and subse quently orders were given to receive his Majesty with -every Royal distinction at Prague. He was attended by 2000 of his Guards. ArAPAL IATELLIGENC E. FALMOUTH, MAY Cc. Arrived the Francis Freeling packet, with a from Bermuda, in 18 days.—Sailed the Sandw;.%, packet, for the Brazilb ; and the Prince Enthest ket, for Lisbon. Also sailed the It AND s.h^lt, with four vessels, for the Downs. Wind 1.1c , ,v fresh breezes. involved the two points— lies, and sec greater attac he firmly be it extended t best security cause he her allay the ten them vent it all the opini people, and watched or heard some gogues shou no such fear then u -, (Hear, hear) no invidious 1-Jad the cot Constitution claimer ? 01 rions had d It was the If there did let it fairly might. be in great and st vocates, net titudes to body fme men's (les fnun lad ap Cathohcs w latix, draw the inflorinc of common of rebelliou plausible pi suggested those boon: Crown, au CORStitUtio the Commi tacit with , Ith a rul.est D d from merclizttr, !el ror the R: :: e outtecd. 'errs. rti e had 5 mt .. one ct zot dr. . ak ; Grarst wet; to the Arlo. I James P. e; Stackpoe, /, to the Et'. the Vm. I.amtaar, Grzers, to the taard, to tie e Elbe • p. N. antes Li:nit, to , n, to the Par- ) the Pyratrw; the Ethztot ; attlH. It is., a tar. are likely t, DALHOL th Foot, vit. ! General , vitt Sirtr is 'lnca to DALIIOI4I,, to purchme luau, at Le MATTOCA leatre, pro. nbination of deftly called the indepen. Anniversary ivern, in the ection of Sir net was pre. Ind the Cluir UNLIT. istrates, and PORTSMOUTH, MAY 24. Arrived his Majesty's ship ArtsvnesA, from T.,, maica, having specie on board for several merclizt% Arrived the FOXHOUND, from the Channel Flez t _ His Majesty's ship PARTHIAN takes convoy Downs.—Wind S.W. blows hard. DEAL, MAY 24. Arrived his Majesty's ship Boys?, and the R:. : LurioN cutter, from off Flushing. —The our . d bound remain.—Wind S.W. and fresh breezes. The American privateer, captured by ti e 5 privateer, of London, near Pernambuco, had 5 mt killed and 22 wounded. The Lion had one Vile,: and S wounded, three of them severely, but zot dr. . gerously. NAVAL APPOINTNIFITI'S. Captains Dix, is appointed to the Royal Oak; Skipsey, to the Centurion; Battersby, to the Grasshow n . Vernon, to the Challenger ; Henry Wm. Herrick , t o the AttO. pot; and A. Dickson, to the Attar. Lieutenants James it, gets (t), to she Rippon; F. W. to the Revenge; Stat.kpoo', to the Centurion ; Roberts, to the Medusa ; Young, to the et'. lona ; Richards, so the 'Tigre; Toodmion, to the , Welsh, to the Rivoli; Sanders, to the Fvnont ; Wm. l.amten, to the Medway; B. Bell, to the Albion; Robert Graves, to the Byrom; Ahton, to the Chanticleer sloop; Ptitaard, to ti t Acbar ; D. Salter, to the gun-boat service in the Elbe ; P. N. Hoar and Wm. Dickson, to the Grasshopper; James 10 the Creek ; G. T. Somerville, to the Rota ; L. Eu. n, to thlan ; J. Rowe, to the Enchantress; T.E. t:ole, to the Pyranv ; F. Fead to the Monmouth P • F. H. woodcock, to the Eth.lt,. D. O'Brien Casey, to the Ciarence ; I. B. Robertson and H. V to the Cadmus; and C. G. Randolph, to the Eurotas. The following military arrangements are likel , take place :—Major-General the Earl of llautot trcm the 6th Garrison Battalion to the 26th Foot, ti t! Lord EtratiNtrotir, deceased Major-General P. KINHAM to the 6th West India Regiment, vice Si‘:ct FRASER, deceased : Major• General Gong Bitcas the 6th Garrison Battalion, vice Lord " appointed to the 26th Foot► The Duke of RUT&AND has become the pui of Lord Assou's house in St. Janles's•square, at price of £:30,000. That deserving retired Actress, Mrs. M. had a Benefit last night at the King's TLeatre, portioned to her deserving, and the combination professional talents that were so benevolently for dr in her favour. Yesterday a numerous Company of the in' dent Electors of Westminster held their A; Dinner, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in Strand, to commemorate the first Election of FRANCIS BURDETT. The worthy s.lronct vented from attending by indisposition, and was filled by his brother, Mr. Jonas Buanarr. Wednesday the Lord Provost, Magistrates, Council of Edinburgh, elected the Rev. Mr. Alexin. der Brunton, one of the Ministers of the Tron Church in that city, to be hofessor of Hebrew and Onental Languages in that University, in ).,nt of the Rev. Dr. Alexander Murray, deceased. :ice were four candidates for this office, viz. Mr. Brunton:tbe Rev. Mr. D. Dickson, jun. St. Cuthbert's, Rev. Dr. Scott. from England, and Mr. Price, of Worcester. A delay was proposed, but this was lost by a vote, there being for it 9—against it £l. The vote was then put kr the office, when 22 voted for Mr. Brunton-4 for Dickson, and 4 did not vote. Three =embers dal Council were absent. A protest was entered agaiut the election by Dean of Guild *Kenzie, on vomit to be afterwards stated. Yesterday morning a serious accident happened is Piccadilly, from the continuing dangerous sute al the pavement, by one of the Battersea and Chelsn stages breaking down opposite Lord COI/a:NISI% house, when five inside passengers, and as many oat• side passengers, were severely wounded or bruised; among the former were Mr. Loam, and Mr. Gotot nephews of MLCONDELL, of Covent•GardenTheatre. Poor RACE....-The Umpires in the late race hair officially announced that Rainer did 904 miles in 11 hours, 7 minutes, and the remaining 94 in one hot" 40 minutes, 50 seconds, being 18 hours, 50 minutes 50 seconds, completing 100 miles; and that Cros completed 48 milts in 7 hours, and then gave up.— Cross remains very lame; but Rainer is quite re. covered, is arrived in town, and has been presented with 20 guineas by Captain Barclay.—Tbe stake al 400 guineas was paid yesterday. Coral or KING'S BZWCIL—TiIt KINO H. Wnert,—Tee terday morning, as soon as the Judges took their seats on tin Bench, the defendant was brought into Court in cpstody the Marshal and Tipstaff, when' Mr. Justice Gaoss„Ad&essed his shortly, animadverting in strong terms upon the " atrocity of hi , offence," stating that it was considerably enhanced by its &lib.- rate malice in stigmatising so basely the character of his Refi Higness the Duke of Coliseum/ma, who never gave him (l defendant) cause to slander him 'I he learned Judge commented on the tendency of a Idell the bitterness of which consisted not more in its foulness Mu it its falsity ; for to any individual nothing could be so heart-woo ding as to be stignimized with the accusation of morder to so elevated a personage, that of being the destroyer of wt own domestic,must give the most acute affliction. " thank Goo I saki the Learned Judge) the falsity of the clot was most manifestly established by the Verdict of the Corerei Jury, who, upon the fullest proofs, has ewn that Sell's th.d: l , his own hand After some farther observations, to prnnot.r.. ' the sentence of the Court, which wa..-1 hat the cletri,:g: should be imprisoned in his Alajesty's gaol of Nevegate (if: . 1 calendar months, pay a fine to the King of £2OO, and to be ir' prisoned till such fine be paid. MmtLIIOItOO3III•ITRUT.FORCIVILT. Hudnall, the li n Stockbroker, who lately resided In Nyder.street, St Ja . :l7, and absconded about twelve months ago, was apprt- J!! by John Toy, a few days since, in Wake, and y e steror te underwent an examina:ion at this (Hike. It appeared t hat prisoner had been entrusted with divers sums of mollt/L2 virtue of his employment, to purchase Stock, chiefly 1 13 Annuities, and he had given for gedvouchers, to satisfy 'be P' l A who employed him that the money had been properly aeri 4 , He decamped two days before the first dividend bec ame due ro.l. had not since been heard of. He also took with him thr p perry of two young I stiles, to whom 1w was jvint-guarth.ul-- The prisoner was remanded for another aarnin own. , Bacau.—No alteration in the price this wee:. . quartern loaf, eighteenfence-hall penny._ LONDON : Printed by Livia Kant, Pine' lace• a nd published tbete, and at the itar•OSeel lons i It•bar•