The National Register. — London, England, 1819-05-24 00:00:00

2mperial /3arlianunt. 110115 R OF LORDS. MONDAY. MAY 17. n 491.09 CATUOLIe et.Al9l9.—The Earl of 1:10g01.1011- 3101tE foot:on the Order of the Day fur taking into consisleratio3 the Catholic Claims, and after it short speech, in which he tugs d the Claims of the Homan Cstholi‘a in the r sot strenuous manner. morsel. .• That this House do resolve itself into a Conimittce of the whole House, to consider the state of the 'wet (with a view so regulation) which refer to qualification for the enjoyment of evil U... 1191. MO far as relates so Roman Catholic sttlijects. end vahether it would be expedient to allow Or modify their claims to oerticipation in the privileges enjoyed by Protestant subjects." The Iltslioo of WORCESTER, ths.lainieil ill-aril towun.a per sons who differed from him in forms of worship. He rapeete l every man who alined up prayers to the authot of his exanuce yet he could not go the length of saying the Legislature ought to give up to the Roman Catholics restriction metssary Per the safety of the E5t,41. , :h0l Church. Ile held is to be a principle admitted in every State. that thole who held the offices in the State should be of the established religion. He amid not consent en grant the claims of the Raman Catholics upon another ground. In cue they obtained the object they then had in view, they w.eald not be content. but go on to obtain the establishment of their religion and the subversion of the Protestant Church. The ILsho s of Nonw ;en deprecated the attempts male to encite alarm by crying the church was in danger. There could lee no danger to the church in granting civil rights to one fourth of his Majesty's inbjects. The christian church could never be in Jtriga while its Ministers acted upon the principle of Chris tinaity I While they raid, do untootheri even as you would have others do unto you. The chu-cli was not obe supported by Test and Corporation Acts. Reason au every . day gaining ground said benevolence with rm-reei to Sectarian principles- Aremark able change hail taken pace its the minds of reple within a few yerra past . In this ever changing scene of human life reason would ever prevail. Its dictates should be of eyed. We should by a goner: t: and wise policy abandon pessecating Statutes only lit to bind demons. . The Iti.hoe uf PaTZIII3OILOUGII said, if the question had been MC of toleratton, he should williugly twee ;totted to it, but it was a question of potty. He could - readily mantic, that men who believed in teansubstant;ation, naiet bca allegiance to his Majesty King George ; but if at the same time they oseyed the autoority of a foreign Potentate, they could not bear the same allogionee to the King that a Member of the Established Church troa;gl bear. He trusted the decision of the House that night wou:d remove all cause for apprehension. The. Loan CHANCEL LOll uppoe:il the motion. He found ao securitita—nothing that coined reconcile the Piotestant mind to the doctrine of the Pupe's Supreni Icy. Looking back to they ear rfifio, dawn to 166 e, he found the efrat iif Roman Catholic tenets, and if thee: teoets were not dangerous, then the Acts which hues leeeti passed wile all instantes Cl the greatest imposition ever practised in this ter say other ontntry. In IGCS, a solemn &impact was enteral into between the people of this cuunuy and the Kier, for the support of the Protestaut interest. We weie to have 3 Protestant King, Parliounent, and Government. By the great principle of that compact, no man who falows that God weo keeps us all could be persecuted in this country fur his relseents . qpnoion. On that pruiciple no man could sit on the ill 1031! WIL,IOIIL being a Protestant. It was a proviso that he was not to be assisted by Roman Cat colic advisers in Council. The laws ware nit to be admini acres! by Roman Catholic Judges, and he w as so be supported by a subordinate government, consist ing of Protestants, to enable him to make good the compact and pledges, and if he had Lot made them good, every man in the country would have been released from his allegiance. The compact the King could nut make good, it Government did not enable his. The No'ole and Learned Lord then adverted to the argument. which went the length of dispensing with the oath, dcnyin, Cie Pope's supremacy. lie observed, we live in times of wonder. bet it I had heard of tha discovery of a North-West passage. and rcr i vtual motion, I should nut have been more surprised titan to hear that a man could sit in Parliament without taking the oaths. If you can find any Lord in this House who has nn. taken the oaths you may impeach me this night. The lord Chance'lor cited the hiMbest law autholigies, proving that the CO3Vstlitiol could not admit the repeal of those important Result:ions which supported a Protestant Govern- enact. His &icy to his Sovereign, to Perliainent, and the King's subjects, together with his oath token as a Privy Coutwehur did not allow him to accede to the claims of the Romaneatholie Petitioners without those securities which weuld sathrfy the people of Englund. The Church of Home had given up nothing, and the Country felt that the security °trued was imutiicient. Earl Gar r said, that none of the disabilities now propo,ed to be removed were to be found milling the securities taken fin the Protestant re , gion at the revolution. Allot* them were imposed either before or after the revolution. None of them was to be found is the Blil of Rights or in the Act of Settlement. If, then, he could prove that all those disabilities were occasional, the whole argument if the noble and learned Lord went to the grouril. The cons:ittition, the noble and learned Lord would admit, was fundamentally and essentially Bee. At the revolution securities had ben taken to guard me national freedom. The hill of Rights and the Act of Settlement contained those &murkier,. Yet the noble and learned land would be the lan to contend that those sceur:ties were so e,sential and fundamental as to be inseparable flora the constitution. and that they could not be altered. 'l' he purity of Parliament was provided for both in the Bill of Bights and in the Am of Settlement, and it was enacted by then that an plaeetnan could have a seat in Parliament. Yet a few years &feu:arils this provision was repeeled. A similar repeal had takeo place of an enactment of equal authority respecting appeals to the privy council. At the revolution it had been provided, that Parliaments should be frequently holden. Two years after wards it was enacted that the other house should be elected every torte years. Yet it was well known that by the let George I. this act had been repealed. The septennial act was one of doubtful right. which Le thought justified by . the necessity and danger of die dines. But now diet the necessity and danger ex isted no long's, its continuance was injurious to the character and enr...aitution of Parliament. In like manner the right of peti tinimg was provided for in the Bill of Rights. Would the noble and learned Locd, however, say that Chit right could not in any circumstances be %Lade the subject of qualification and resit fiction The noble and learned Lord himselt had laid his null:allowed hands or, the most sacred security of the constitution, when he suspended the right of every man to a joy personal liberty, or to have a fair trial by his country ; and yet they were now stopped Foot ary further application to their Lordships, on the ground ti.r.t whatever had been establi,hed at the revolution was funda mental and essential. Of those laws which were now complained el, the first was the corporation act, which had been passed in the first year after the restoration : its cbjett ass to exclude from Parliaii , ent, not the Catholics. but the supporters of Cromwell, who had overturned the government and the constitution. The next law was the test act, in the 23th of Charles 11. That law bail been Mee:tett against the Catholics. but particularly against SeC fkihe of fork. The Disser.tei.:, alto bad zealously sup. vatted tins me, sure, were hardly trtatid, since they hail this act still sa.penettl over them. But the occasion of this law ass ecaniftw4 temporary. .Thr MU law was the so& a Cherlea 11. Till" NATIONAL REGISTER. to excliule Catholics from both Houses of Parliament. The noble ..c.l learned Lord had strongly stated that nothing could surdrri;' him ; but it was with the most unaffected surprise that he had heard a lawyer of high eminence sity that this law of Ch arta. I f. Was an &cod' deliberative wisdom and phospective cau tion to giawal the constiviiion. It was notorious that the origin or' the law shay the plots of Oates and }hedloe, which no !uman being now believed. (In such a foundation rested this set of deliberative wisdom and prospective caution ! (A laugh.) These !laws had passel before the revolution, and had had their origin in .lots which a Lord on Cie first bench (the Bishop of Norwich) bad justly characterised as diabolical artifices to impose upon their Intdships. Exclusion, when it was no longer nee:misty to the constitution, must be injurious to it. There had been another act against the Catholics, which he had neglected to mention, whose provi s Mers were the severest of all. ft was the act Iti99, now happily reyealed ; but it illustrated how our ancestors had legislated upon this subject. This act istecludeul Catholics from devising property, and imposed a penalty for every performance of mass. Their Lordshiia could now see with what deliberative wisdom this law bad been passed. The representation of Lockes doctrine of exclusion had been answsred to ably by a noble and learned prelate (the Bishop of Norwich, on a former occasion) that lie was ashamed to take up their Lordships' time with re marks upon it. lie asked whether the noble and learned Lout was prepared toarlopt the whole of Locke's opinions which he haul studied so much? Heasked whether, if he was so prepared, the bench of bishops, which was so crowded to support Ida views of the question, were prepared to follow him ? NIL Locke had contributed more than any writer to enlighten the age in which lie hived, and to free the mind from prejudice and deltraon ; but the noble und learned Lord had fastened upon some rubbish which this great writer had still retained, and held it forth as the only valuable part of his writings. As a commencement of conciliatory and remedial measures he cordially agreed with the propoAtion this night brought forward by his noble friend. The Marquis of Lansdown spoke in favour of the motion ; the Earls of Liverpool and Westmorland against it ; the Elul of Comae/On for, and the Duke of Wellington against it. Atter a few words from Lord Darnley in favour of it, the House disided: Contents Present ... 70—Proxies 36-106 Non-contents l'resent 97—Proxies Su---ia7 Nlajority against the mocion... 41 Adjourned at half past ene ee.ock. TUESDAY. MAY 14. On the motion of Lord AUCKLAND, the douse went into a Committee on the Chimney Sweepers !te ; zulation Bill. Seven.' verbal amendments were recommended by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Melville, and Lard Lauderdale. The Lord Chancellor observed, that the Bill prevented boys going up to sweep chimneys, but they might come down chimneys. There was also a stut of blonder rn preventing the u.e of Female Girl:, which the Earl of Lauderdale pointed out. The Bill, however, passed through the Committee, and several atnend roans being made. ‘t as ordered to be reported to-morrow. The Exchequer Receipts Bill passed through a Committee. Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, WAY 19. The Royal Assent was given by commission to the Clai-ns on France DLL Alkali Duties, Qaarter S2ssions Division, Carnatic Ccnimissioners, tour Divorce Biils, sat a number of Private and Local Bills, in all 69. The Coininissioners were, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Me and the Earl of Shaftesbury. The Chimney Sweeper.; Regulation Bill was reported, and ordered to be read a third time on Monday. The Earl of LAUDERDALE adverted to what he considered a misstatement in tte Bank Report. It went to make gold appear at less price than it retiliy was. lle contended, that the circumstance proved how necessary it was to inquire into the state of the metallic curterey. The Earl of WESTMORLAND said, he was not prepared to give the Noble Earl exp:anttion on this subject, but intimated that he would mention it to his colleagues. The Home ad;mumed to Friday. vitinAY. KAY 21. - - - The Earl of had a Petition to present, signed by four or :ive hundred Merchants, Bankers, and respect able Trade's in the City a London, comr , laining of a Plan, which they said was about to be intinced for the injury of the country. The Petition was Wen read. The pedtioaers stated, that the proposed plan would reduce the value of land, to well as other property, injure trade and commerce, and withdraw a great proportion of emolinuent derived from industry. They, therefore, prayed that the restriction on Bank payments in cash might be extended to a period which will not embrace so niuch inconvenience. The Earl or LAUDERDALE said, he was informed that a com munication had been made by the Direc'ors of the Bank of England to the Voile Lord at the head of the Government, ex pressing their opinion upon the plan to be brought before Parlia ment. He wished to ask if any communication had been made, and whether any explanation could be given to Parliament ? The Earl of I.tvf:tt POOL said. it was true the communication alluded to had beat made. Tins morning two persona at the head of the Direetion of the Bank put into his hand the send. mores of the Court of Directors upon the plan then before the Howe. This was given to Lon' Liverpool to be laid before his Royal Highness the Prince Regent by the Ministers. The Noble Eail asked if they might be permitted to lay it before Parliament ? They said they had no wish it should. Lord Liverpool told them, if any question was . put to him upon the said communication, he should not fed justified in withholding the contents of it from Parliament. The document, after some further observations, was read. The Bank Directors, in a very lung statement, communicated that they had taken Mto consideration the Report of the Committee ua Dank Af airs. and had thou4ht it their duty to iay before his alajesty's Ministers their sentiments for the information of Pnr- Lament. In the first instance, they considered it impracticable to return to Cash Payments at the unie stated in the plum. There ass no prospect of advantage under the proposed plan. The Directors or the Bank would be the hut persons to object to retuin kb Cash Payments on their own account, but they had to advozate the interests of the P u bli c at large. On the whole, they endeavoured to impress upon hit Majesty's Ministers that a re turn to Cash Payments at any given time would be injurious to the Public. The Petition and the Paper List read were then laid on the table. _ _ The Earl of BULKELEY, seeing the Noble Secretary of State for the Home Department in hia place, was des' - otis of asking the Noble Lord whether the scandalous scene, whi c h occurre d some time since, namely, the contest between the Sheriff and Police Officer, for money belonging to a convict in a Court of Justice, had been brought under his observation. It appeared to him (Lord Bulkeley) to be a transaction disgraceful to a Court of Justice, whoever had a eght to the property. Lord Viscount SIDMOUTIL said, in answer to the question put by the Noble Lord, that he had no information whatever on the subject b.it that winch he had derived from common report.—He has tw•Livell no rc,iresentation to which he amid direct his atten tion, consequentl y was unable to give any essianation. liax Re PO FaT.—Trie Earl of 11 AlittOWß Y then rose upon tle Order of the My, to consider the Report made by the Colt tnittec ca the Affaited the Bank. The Noble Earl, after stating MAY C 4. - - the eiriety of opinions which prevailed on the itsport ant quest i on res?ecting the Itink Restrict ion, cxpressed his own persuasion that it would be unwise and injurious to the Public to rush sud denly, as it were. to cash payments. He suggested adhereess to the recommendation contained in the Report insie by the Corn. by tau. at mittee, observing that gold at the time mentioned fur payment in specie might be broto;lit to the mint price, an d the Bank would teen open its payments without risk. The Noble Earl coiiclu ded by rooting the Resolutions, in substance that there had been an over issue of paper, which made it impossible the the Bank to resume Cash Payments. It woo therefore nece.sary to contract these issues, sod regulate the issue of gold to enable Bank to resume Cash Payments at A definite period. The Earl Of LAUDERDALE expressed an opposite opinion, and contended that the embarrassment in which the country was placed did not proceed from an over issue of notes of the Bank of England. The Noble Earl moved a string of seven counter Re solutions, proving that the exchange had been favourable to the °mum) , during the greatest issues of Bank notes, consequently it slid nut appeal that the issue of paper had occasioned a rise of the price of bullion. The Bank co•l'd not safely return to cash payments until the price of the two metals was regulased, dad both made...Taal. The alteration of the Nlinteirculation. was the primary step to restoring the coin to a salutary state. Earl GREY urged OM necessity of putting off the discussion to 'Tuesday seri:tight. to enable the House to forma better opinion upon the subject. The Earl of RosssYsr was also an advocate for further time. The Earl of LIVERPOOL intimated that much inconvenience had already been felt in consequenca of cusp:llse a ith respect to the question. He therefore pressed the Rouse to proceed, and entered upon a statement of the principles on which the Commit • tee had formed their Report. There a ere three questions t—TI K • The first ass. whether it 1133 expedient that this country shrink return to some fixed standard of value with respect to the etreula. tam ? The next was, whether it was a practienble expedient for the country to return to the ancient standard i' The third wilt, what were the best means of eeceting that standard ? The Noble Earl argued all fie above points with great ability, and ulti mately drew a conclusion that the House ought to adopt the Resolutions. Lord Grenville sr.tl the Marquis of Lansdo•Rn spoke at con,i. derable length in fairoor of the question. The resolutions pro,o , eil by t.ic Earl of Lauderdale were then negat ved without a div'sion; and the original resolutions were carried with only two or three dissentient voices. Adjourned at two o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, MAY 17.• LONDON GAS LIOILT BILL.—Mr. P. AfoORE moved that' the London Gas Light Bill be read a third time and passed, On which the House divided.—The numbeis were—Ayes 531. —Nues 51.—N1,:jority against the Bill 103. STATE OF 'THE NAT 10N..-Sir J. SEIMIGAT Stlgge,it , d whether his Hight lion. Friend would tot do well to pastricr.e his motion, fixed for to-tnorrow, till after the Repurt on the Bank Secret Committee bad been disposed of. Mr. 'lf SEWN EY said, he multi not postpone his motion; brrig it on he must ; he must do his duty to his country. lie did n•x want to forestall the Bank question ; he should express no op., wan on that subject; and to postpone it till after the other qms bon wA. disposed of, would be in fact to abandon it. Mr. BEN xtITT presented a Petition from a Post-Captain lianchett, complaining of Mr. Lushington (M P. fur Canter bury), that he abu ed the powers of his office, mit:applied the public money, and made appointments to preserve political inhlu• ence. in this spirit the Petitioner WAS removal, and auotiier person appointed is his stead Mr. LUSHINOTON said, the only blame that lie felt attached to the cause was, that the Officer had not been dismissed before ;. and stated that the officer, applied to dispose of his place, de siring that it be " under the rose," and that above all, it slimid not be made known to Mr. Lushington. The ground on which the officer had been dismissed was, that he had endeavoured to sell his appoiatinint. Mr. LIEN N F:T T moved that tite Petition do lie upon the table. Mr. Lustirrincoa observed, that he thought this motion could mot he agreed to. Atter remark from Mr. N. Calvert, the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, Mr. Lushington, &c. the motion sets agreed to. BA RNSTAPLE.—TIie Report of the Barnstaple bill was brought up. :air H. WILSON moved, that the Report be re-considered this day six month.. After remarks from Mr. Wynn, Sir J. Newport, Mr. Waith mar,, Allmoart Woo 1, &c. the House divided—Fur the amend. mem, 12—Against it, 110—Majority against it, 98. Mr. V. BLAKE ilrOpOtted to extend the right of voting to " in • habitant householders" instead of •• frechoiders." Amendment negatived, and the bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. LICENSED VicTum.t.tas-I%fr. BENNETT said that ot. accouid of the lateness of the hour. and understanding that the measure was likely to experience conielerahle opposition, he should move that the Licensed Victuallers' Bill be read a seamd time on Friday next; and he WAS the more anxious to press this postponement as the Bill was of great importance, and as there ought to be opportunity for its full eLimussion. (Hear.) bill accordingly ordered to be read on Friday next ; after which the House adjourned. TUEADAY. MAY 18. Mr. EI.T.tSON presented a Petition front tradesmen of Lincoln against the renewal of the Insolvent Debtors' Act. Read and ordered to lie on the table. GAOL DELIVERIEIL—Mr. WESTERN gave notice, that on Thursday, the 27th inst. he should bring forward his motion for a more frequent Gaol Delivery : he should proceed either by an Address to the Crown, or by moving for a Select Committee. Mr. DENMAN presented a Petition from solicitors at Notting ham and the County of Nottingham, complaining of the facility with which persons could be qualified to practise as Convey ancers; and praying that the House would adopt measures to remedy the same. Head, and ordered to lie on the table. LONDON CLERGY DlLL— Sir.{. GRAHAM moved that cer tain Property Tax Returns, regarding the City, be referred to the London Clergy Bill Committee. Alderman Woo° mid, this was a most extraordinary proceed ing, returns which had hem produced having been got from the Property Tax papers—papers which the Chancellor of the Ex chequer had assured OW !louse were destroyed. The returns. made more tl:an seven years ago, were most fallacious; and he trusted the House would resist this application. (Hear.) Mr. CALVERT coincided in opinion with Alderman Wood. Sir J. NEWPORT, without touching the question, whether the Clergy ought to have additional remuneration. protested against this use of papers in question, the understanding being that all such papers should be destroyed. Sir J. GRAHAM thought there was some misunderstanding on this subject. He believed that such papers only had been de suoyed as affected mercantile proScs, not real property ; imd he thought such papers only had been destroyed. Sir NI. W. ttsnee r up, oiled to the House whethu the pleige of (;overnment had not been given that all the pcevs con nected with the property tax should be destroyed ; (Hear. hear :1 and he trusted that the House would unanimously re:ieot the _ ---......." 162