The National Register. — London, England, 1812-03-22 00:00:00

178 that dale very much a c r e d what might have been advisable at that, particular period, could riot at preeent receive any addition with out, in his opinion, ir..-erring a risk which it would be dangerous and impolitic to venture 'upon. But what did the Cathelics demand at present ? Was it to be supposed that they would be content with admissibility to the highest situation' of the Army and Navy ? Was it to be thought, after Such long experience of thereconduct, that they would. rest satlafied even with this admissibility ? No such thing. It was plain, that they aimed at every thing which it was in the power of the Crown or the people to bestow. They asked for the highest legal situations, and, at the,vcry moment they were aspiring to them, their conduct was marked dtith tbreach of that law to the administra tion of which they aspired. They wished to be lawgivers, and, .at the same time, acted illegally ! Their conduct after 1793 was sufficient proof that no concession would content them. They then professed that they would he satisfied with what was conceded • but in no long time after, they came forw ard with fresh demands. They seemed now to come forward even with threats, and the menacing posture in which they made their demands, reminded him of the beggar in Gil Bios. who called for charity with his musket presented between two sticks. If such was the character of their proceedings at the present moment, he would ask, with what safety could they be admitted into the highest places the Constitution was acquainted with—into the highest posts of the country ? He could never be persuaded that the illus trines person now no more, had it in contemplation to remove the laws which still affected them, without some guard that may secure the Con stitution from the p: obable consequences of such a measure, and its pro bable consequer:es he was certain would be to endanger every thing that Foigii.hmen held dear. Whatever might have been the policy of such a concession at any former period, he believed that at the prcteat time, it would be highly impolitic. With these sen timents he cold not agremen, and the measurese to the present motion, convinced as he was et the chara u cter of the towards whom it was directed. Lord - Monts said, that even though he bad come into the House under some doubt, whether he should vote for the present Address, the speech of the Noble I.ord who had just spoken would have been alone sufficient to convince him of the necessity of at:' That Noble Lord, not satisfied with stating the necessity of excluding the Catholics from those places of trust and ernoltonent to which they aspired, and to which every generous mind must feel a desire of reaching. not content with thus declaring that they could not with safety be trusted, also brought forward an accusation against them; an accusation that was untrue in fact as it was injurious and insulting in its tendency. • It was tip t true that the Roman Catholic s of Ireland demanded concession in the tone of menace. Their conduct did not warrant a clizir,7e of such a nature. A high legal character in that House was known to have declared his opinion, that the manner in which they had proceeded was not contrary to law; it was too much then to say, at a time when the case may be considered as yet pending, that their conduct was in opposition to the laws of the land. He would call upon Noble Lords, he would call upon the ,country to court at present, to court at all times theruordial co-operation of Ireland. He would infreat them to consider, that Ireland was' loaded with a population which, like the population ofthis country, could not find employment in manufacture , : ; and hop dis4trons t h irst be the policy of chilling their disposition to enter into tile sti*e of the Amoy or the Navy. • Fro'r.his soul he believed, as iffte:Were speaking • in the. face of the a Almighty, that the safety of &be Epire depended upon the conciliatidff of the Catholics. It was ley inch gont3liation—it was by combining the heaft of Ireland with than England, that they could alqne summon up the great retiources of the Empire, at 'defy th.e enemy'that wis working for its ruin. After the languirgefieliad bend that night, lie was convinced that such concili ation-bold nearer heieffCcted witlibut a Change of NI iiijstry; and if he had enteitaintkr:ely doutti before as to the propriety ofaliis Address, the *linage' of the Noble Lord ettlao had last spoken would have ef , fectually rancoiekt The queitiOn being. loudly called, for, the House,divided upon the Ameirdment For the Amendment; 165; Against it, 72.-aMajegity. againgt Loid Boringdons Address, 92aaa . Adjotrned. v• FRIDAY,. rd.ttryn et). •• Tise toya i i Assent was given by Cpenraistdon to the Nottingham Frame Billy/Watch and Ward 3111, two Mutiny Billty, Lcttoy- Aiipdrnent several rirlvatezßilla. . . - The Local Militia Bill was read a second time. The.rail of Lott a tiooL presented a Message from Ole Prince Regent, which was ordered to be taken into consideration Qn. Monday.• (Set Coutruis.)—Aclpurnect te. _ Kanday. • HOV9£• O commoNs. MARCII 16. laths, and his seat for plympton. • Jeff into a Committee. of Supply, for l'rince Regent', Message relative to 7. r entered into a resifts": of Ale opera in that country since the subsidy of ip then calltd upon tie Conimittue to $ L" 1 ~ . ts,, 4, . ‘P., . I j0i... .„0 NDAT, . ,‘ , ......., .3 4.. ' the n. 7 -, ~ , .... "Z , - \-. itse i* - ..?„ , • '... .. 0 41'.. 1' 4. 1 • 0 -... - • i: - attd * , ..• -.-, en ar. - ( , V•rdshi ..61.: laid ,- axy . 4 ,„ Y. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. mark by unanimity its high sen se of the p atient endurance b y the Porto. guese, of the most distressing calamities without re p ining, and witho ut a single instance of treache r y , under the daring threats, or even the barbarous cruelties eaf an invading enemy. He concluded by moving, ' 6 That it is the opinion of this Committee that a sum not exceeding two millions be granted to his Majesty to enable him to continue in hi s pay a body of Portuguese troops, and so give further aid and assistance to the Government of Portugal, as the nature of the contest in whi c h we are engaged may appear to require. Mr. FREEMAN TLE agreed with Lord Castlereagh in his praises of the Portuguese; but he could not think of voting so large a sum to support a cause which he considered entirely hopeless, and especially in t h e present distressed state of our finances. Mr. WARD and Colonel DILLON believed it to be the interest of this country to support the Portuguese to the utmost extent of our power. Lord COCHRANE thought the war in the Peninstiti watt conducted on totally erroneous principles. Instead of meeting the French on the plains, we ought to have annoyed them by floating expeditions, which would have swept the French from the neighbourhrnd of Cadiz, and cleared the whole Mediterranean coast from their intrusion. The Motion was then carried, nevi. con. Mr. YoaKE moved the grant of 80,0001. for the purpose of commenc• ing the construction of a Breakwater in Plymouth Sound. The esti mated expense of the undertaking, was 150,0001. but he was convinced the money would be soon saved to the country, from the increased se curity thereby afforded to his Majesty's ships, whilst lying at anchor. After a desultary conversation, the motion was agreed to. On the question for the third reading of the Local Militia Bill, Sir FRANCIS BURDETT repevred his former objections to military punishments by flogging ; and contended, that they should not at lesst be suffered to exist in the Local Militia. He mentioned the case of a Mr. Taylor, a man of superior character to that of most soldiers, and who had received a superior education. This man had been compelled to serve in the Local Militia, and for merely writing a song, he was tried and sentenced to the punishment of flogging. Several young men in the . Local Militia, on another occasion, had been sentenced to 500 lashes each, for asking for their marching guinea. The Hon. Bi:ronet concluded with moving an amendment to the effect—that the Lte.al Militilmen should not be subjected to corporal punishment. Colonel Wood, Mr. Goulbourne, and I .erd Palmerstone, opposed the amendment, and argued on the impossibility of maintaining discipline if the punishment was abolished. The amendment was negatived without a division, and the Bill then passed. Mr. Timm I'SON moved for leave to bring in a Bill to declare vacua the vats of Members of Parliament, who should become bankrupts, and not pay their debts within a limited time.—Adjourned. TUESDAY, MARCH 17. Sir F. BUR nr.rr presented a petition from Samuel Fletcher, a brewer in Westminster, complaining of son ic o pp ressive conduct and proceed ings Of the Board of Excise. The petition was ordered to he brought up and read, when it was discovered there was no signature to it, on which The SPEAKER said, that the petition being signed by nobody, nat informal, and could not be received. Mr. J. SMI TH presented. a petition from the inhabitants of the mall and county of the town of Leicester, complaining of grievances in ti.Lir trade, in consequence of the Orders in Council. He said, that so far from labouring under the same disadvantage as that just presented by the. Hon. Baronet, of having no signature, this petition was signed by 11,000 persons. Mr: BABINGTON said a few words in favour of the general conduct of the petitioners; after which it was read, and ordered to lie the table. • • Mr. BRAND gave notice, that he would, on the 21st of April, make a 'motion on the subject of Reform in Parliament. BANK NOTES. Lord CASTLER EACH brought up a petition from the inhab itants of . Belfast and Colerain, in Ireland, praying that the Bank Note Bill migl.t be extended to that part of the United Empire—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. PER CEVAL said, pursuant t o his intimation, he rose to propose to the House the renewal of the Bank - not e Act of last Session, svith some inconsiderable-amendments as to its tendency; and that it should in co - ,formity to the prayer of the petition from Belfast, and other represents dons of grievance from different parts, he extended to Ireland. Aware that .4 :present the particular engagements of the Irish Niernber-;, is their own country, made it troublesome for them to attend in their . places, to pronounce their opinions on the propriety of the measu re, he would only propose, that the Bill should be brought in, and rcad a, second time• before the holidays.. All be contemplated in the pr' sent measure was, a renewal of the Bill for a lirzitcd period , all ex' tension of its provisions to Ireland, and an atnenchnent so as to i•roteict paymeat of Bank-notes, in and out of Courts of Law, and um'er process of law. Front all that he could learn, concerning the recei,tion Which the measure of last. year ms t with from the country at tare! he wohld be induced to pronounce it a most salutary regulatiun, a;ql one also which had' ;net. with . airriost the .entire approbation 0f t.. 1 empire. Only tbree actions we're entered concerning the payment !?. Nwes, One of tvhich hla been carried, and the Other tvtro were pending for judgment ; however, to binder a recurrence of t 11:: . % -a 1 -~;•.. .MARCH 22 EnPm" MI