The National Register. — London, England, 1812-04-26 00:00:00

APRIL e l 6 . one of which was mentioned, that a certain person, io a vote he had given, had renounced his religion. Of himself, he would say, for he was per haps the person meant, that the intolerance of the Roman Catholics a century and a halt ago, had made his forefathers martyrs to their belief as Protestants—had driven them from their native land; but he, their descendant, was not willing to become a persecutor himself, because through his ancestors he had ssffered prosecution. Having thus men tioned his motives, he would address himself to the proper subject. The simple question before them had been endeavoured to be consi dered in a light less pleasant than a tolerating one; but as a question of toleration he would contemplate it, notwithstanding all the artful arguments which had endeavoured to overturn it. He was happy to find, that the time was now arrived, when those strong obstacles that impeded its progress formerly were removed, and a Catholic might safely be allowed to support the Government in such a manner as would show effectually that religious liberty was %% hat he had contended for. Could it be for a moment contended, the present was a political question alone, then they would he told. that disqualineation for office was not a penalty. Could it be tided, that wie n certain Acts pre• vented a man• from honesty ris:r s to the bight st offices of the State, that he had not penalties impose upon him ? while the honest am bition of gloriously distinguishing lihnselt in the service of his country, and the amiable hope of transmitting an honourable name to posterity. were alike denied him, were not these penalties ? To cut of the hopes cf warming his children's cheeks with a glow of extiltation at abet mention of their father's name in some glorious achievement, was not that a penalty ?—(Hear, hear, hear I)—Such a political stigma degraded the natural erect aspect of man, and all because he worshipped his Creator in a manner accordant to his owns feelings, and dared to think in religious matters Ia- himself. He would ask the Honourable Oentleinati on the opposite Bench, who had distinguished themselves in the same: profession as Simself, would they hive aspired at the Bar, had they been conscious of never being able to arise boyond a certain height prescribed by law ? Where then would have been the Hales, the Hults, and the Sumerses, the immortal ornaments of their profes sion, had they been Catholics? They would have been found stationed at a certain height in their studies selling out words, while other men, possessed of less favourable natural endowments, would have been rising resplendantly above them. He was mu. li surprised in hearing the concluding sentence from the Hon. Gentleman who had spoken last from the benches on the oppositeside, because, from the complex ion of his speech until the very conclusion, he was led to expect a more favourable vote to the present motion. All his quotations bad appeared against him, and he had applied them in a manner which seemed to threaten no hostility to the motion. From a contemplation of the celebra ted work of the Bishop of Maux, against the Protestants, fie perceived, that the Catholics of the present day had 'attires of a most mild and benignant natare, in comparison with the Romish believer ot the good Bishop's times. Now, the speech of the Hon. Gentleman opposite, had mainly tended to rake up the crimes cif other generations a ainst an tin• happy people of the present day, believing, perhaps, that by stifling up amongst the Protestants a sad remembrance of their ancient com plaints, their judgments would assume a bias and a partia hot very favourable to a nation of conciliation and brotherhood. Unless he hael the belief that the relation of such unhappy transactions would influence the judgment of the House, to what purpose else could he quote the ca lamities which the Protestants had suffered? The Anabaptists of the present day were a sect as pure as the generality of religious sects, but would it be proper then to stir up the illiberal minded against them by relating all the bloody enormities of John of Lisle. They were called to decide upon the peculiar doctrines of the Catholics of the present day, when the bloody daggers of the Church of old would not be cast by an illiberal hand into the scale. kut the Hon. Gentleman on the opposite side refused to inform them what the present Catholic tenets were, though he. appeared once on the very verge of divulging them, till at the conclusion o f hi s speech, he shut up as hopes of future in formation on the subject. He wstild reply to the Hon. Gentleman's observations on the dominion which the priests be presumed held over the minds of the people, that the disabilities an.: severe penalties in flicted upon them, caused to seek for consolation in the bosom of their religion. They were made to place their confidence in saints and mar tyrs by the cruel laws legislated against them. The Protestants alone gave the priests the ascendancy over the minds of their flocks, and would they then impute the miscuit f oecasioned by their severity to the people themselves ? Th., man who indulged the free exercise of his reason, wouhl easily know that the Papal Snpremacy had scarcely any preponderance in the political scale. The King of Prussia, Ft carsick the third, a monarch possessing very few religions scruples, permitted Silesia to retain her Catholic Universities, and admitted her officers to be Generals in his service, yet it was never known that he had cause to repent of his tolerance. He cherished the people, and the Union be came perfect. Circumstance were at presents favourable to the Ca tho:ic Claims. Their Protestant brethren made the cause mutual, and we heard no longer from the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, that scru ples were entertained towards the motion from the highest quarter, and there were even hopes, that the Noble Lord, who believed in the un fitness of the time for conceding on a former occasion, would give a favourable vote under the present auspicious circumstances. Under all those s happy inffiences, he hoped, a pleasant termination to the measure. Mr. iueeeit.—" it is as extraordipary a speech as ever I beard. ~- THE NATIONAL REGISTEP ‘2.57 Uidess, as 'tis rumoured, that he is retained by the Dissenters, Lc took the test oath like the rest of us—and to say as he has done!"— Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY said, that the assertion of his being retained for the Dissenters was unfounded. Let the Hon. Gentleman be com forted, for he was educated strictly according t the Established Church, and never set his foot in a Dissenting Chap.-I, even from curi osity. FULLER.—" Well, then I compliment the Hon. Gentleman on the extraordi- .ry feelings he has got."—(Oreier !from Mc Chair.) Mr. WM. tisti tit said, he was one of the few Persons admitted within the walls of the House of Commons, who acknowledged Lab eonst..nt attendance at a Dissenting Chapel, but let the Hon. Gentleman be coin forted, there was nothing in the oath to prevent a Dist', tver from bein; a Member of Parliament, though he could not be 'a Justice of Peace or an Officer of Excise. Mr. FULLER, in explanation, said, he had understood that the Hon. and Learned Gentleman (Sir S. Rumilly) had undertaken Po defend the . cause of the Dissenters in that House ; if he haJ hezla misinformed, he was sorry for it, and was very re:.dy to beg his pardon; but be must say—(Here o general cpy of Order 1 ()vier ! Spoke! Spoke! obliged the Hon. Mesn6er to sit down) The CHANCELLOR of the llxonrcoxa considered this motion calm- lated to mislead the I•louse, and the !it lion. Gentleman called upon them to girt., what he might call, a bind vote; this might be very good Parliamentary tactics, because it might _catch some votes, but was it to go out to the peeele of Inland to misguide and mislead them, that a majority of that Ho; se vatte decided in favour ut cer tain concessions to the Catholics? An to tl:c titeetion itself, he was of opinion, that it was not a reilgiotee bet a political qaestion, and was only to be discussed as a (111! s ion of pulley and t xpidiency. But 'some seemed to argue it as a question of . rieht, and the Catholics themselves claimed it as matter of right, but in what deo. • !:t cenaist ed he waa s;iil at a to knew, for from all the argun'ri -s he had heard, he was not able to collact v.•here :hat right lay. The el:111Th of England %vz.s a Pcotemaet Church, the Government was a Pretestaa t Government, the Parlianteet was a Protestant Parliament, aid were they now to introduce Catholic' among them. But if they were to make these coat-eel:ewe wlett were the evivalents ie rater!! ; weee t' ley not to have some security ? laird ore:evilly was formerly of opi nion, that no concessian should be made without some security; nor had he heard that the Noble Lord had altered his opinion. But now they were to make all concession, while the Catholics were to make mine. But will the Catholics grant the veto ? Oh no, say the Hen. Gentlemen on the opp: ,ite side of the House, " You have rejected the veto." Gentlemen seemed to forget every thing but their own speeches on this point. Did Gentlemen recollect that it was the Catholics then - selves rejected it, lay their Bishops, sent over to this country, and aftc wards sanctiolind by tie approbation of the Catholics at large. Thais agent, Dr. Milner, had del trod, that they never could grant the veto while he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was at the head of the Go vernment; and while he reelained keinister, he should rather stiffer martyrdom than grant him the vele. lie did not think he was so witch Protestant, that while he wax Minister the Rev. Gent. would rather suffer martyrdom than erent the veto. He never meant to discuss this question upon the principle, of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Religion, but merely upon the principles of policy and expediency. The Right Hon. Gentleman then alluded to a Book 66 Truclaitts dio desia," published by the Printer of the College of Maynooth, and prin ted ifor the use of the -tudents there, in which it was laid down, that the Councils were The Councils referred to in that book. were, the Four Lateran Councils, and the Council of Trent ; the latter of which contained all the obnoxious doctrines promulgated in the former; yet that was recommended to the Students as the doctrine which they should adopt as the manual of their faith. He would put it to the House to say, whether, if the Catholics were inclined to give up those tenets so oboux ious and se dangerous to the Established Church, the Priests would put into the hands of these youth entrusted to their care for education, a book, declaring these doctrines to be inaaliele, and recommending it to be adopted by them as the manual of tle.i faith—(Cries hear, bane I) He next advei tea to, and commented upon, the publications of Dr. O'Connor and Mr. Keough, front which he contended, that even relinquishing the reto t and granting the coo cessions the Roman Catholics now asked, the Catholics of trailed would not be satisfied; we must give them the Establishment itself, we must give to their Bishops the Bishopricks to which they were Ito initially appointed, and to their Priests the Rectors stalls ; we must give them every thing or they would not lie satisfied with any thing, Was it because we would not take from them that which they bad got, that we were now to give them every thing they asked ? lie asked, was there a Bishoprick in Ireland to which they had not appointed a Bishop ? or a Parish to w ich they had not appeinted a Priest ? all ready to fill those situations, the moment the opportunity offered, and were Gentlemen erepared to make them concessions to that extent ? An Hon. Gentleman (Mr. W. Smith) would concede to their Clergy a full participation in the Cottrell; would not this be robbing the Church, and would it not be a violation of one of the article, of IJeleo, which bound them to protect the interests of the Church? It was very well known, that in several counties in Ireland, the Roman Catholic freeholders had come to certain resolutions respecting the manner t f voting for their representatives, and only to support those who att. l' .ti , "^C. -