The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-03-24 00:00:00

i I read by the Noble Marquis appeared to him to be col , rect. Rut that Noble Marquis was mistaken in con ceiving that article to have been concluded at Viekna; to tip Isest of his belief it had bees entered into at Naples. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was, of course, bound by the explanation of the Noble Earl to believe that the to:1y two objects for which one squadron had been sta tioned in AP Bay of Naples. were to protect British rratintir, and to watch over the personal safety of the King and the Royal Family. But as it was most im portant that it should be made manifest to the whole world, in the most convincing manner, that those were or sole objects, would the Noble Earl have any objec tion'ttv lay before the House the instructions which had been sent to our Cottimander in the Mediterranean ? The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that great objections were certainly always entertained against producing the instructions sent to officer'. He should, however, wish to have some time for consideration before he gave a f nal answer en the subject. Meanwhile he felt fully authorised to repeat, that with the exception of the two cases whioh he had mentioned, ininry to British pro. perty, or personal violence to the King, the instructions were: moat explicit as to the maintenance of the strictest neutrality. Earl GREY perceived, that whilst the Noble Earl statid that the instructions enjoined Sir Graham Moore to p serve the strictest neutrality in all circumstances of the tontest between Austria and other States against Naples, and confined the eases in which I.e might in terfere, to the protection of British property, and the security of the King and Roysl Family. that Noble Earl admitted that, in those cases, hostilities might pos sibly arise. The squadron had now been reduced to the peace establishment. The Earl of LIVERPOOL only wished to explain Rai the peace establishment for the Mediterranean leas only one ship of war and one or two frigates, vr!iilst Our force in that quarter was now one sail of toe line and three frigates. Earl GREY maintained that still the force of the settadron had been diminished ; and that its reduction rit the same when hostilities had commenced must ap pear to all most extraordinary. lie did not mean, however, to find fanit with the reduction ; but then another difficulty arose with respect to the principle ;aid down by the Noble Earl that hostilities might be undertaken fur the purpose of protecting the personal safety of the King. No man could object to assist ing the King, or to orders being sent to our officers far that purpose. But the Noble Earl and Sir W. A'Court assumed the principle, that if any insult were offered to that Sovereign hostilities would be justified. No man would deprecate more than himself any act of violence towards the King of Naples, not only on the score of humanity but on that of policy. But be wes.yet to learn that if any violence were shewn to that Sovereign, it would justify us in engaging Is hostilities. The essnmption of this principle, there fore, rendered the production of the instructions sent to Sir G. Moore still more necessary. The Noble Earl had not said that he had an insuperable objec tion to lay them before the House. He had only asked for time 4„. consider, and he (Earl (trey) hoped that ete resuTiof his consideration would be to produce them on the table. The more he looked into the sub- jut, the more did lie find the conduct of his Majesty's Minister' towards Naples blameable. Whatever dan ger now thribtelled that country, nay, whatever dan ger threatened the world at large was to be attri buted to the system of false policy under which the Noble Earl and his colleagues had acted. As to the secret article between Naples awl Austria, his Noble ,Friend had not only inquired whether the copy were ' correct. but the date of its communication to the Bri tish Government. It was important to know, whether ata time when the Congress of Vienna was settling e%e interests and the peace of the world, that article Lail been concluded at Vienna, and kept coneesled from tr.ir Government, in order to be able to judge of the good faith of Austria. The Noble Earl said that the secret article had been concluded at Naples ; hut if he (Lord U.) recollected right, the whole treaty bad been concluded at Vienna, and therefore the secret article 1131135 t have been agreed upon and signed in that city. A,s to the points of difference between the Circular which was published in the Hamburg!' Papers, and that which had lately appeared in the Vienna Gasctir, l;e certainly recollected that the Noble Earl had ail rpitted their existence. at the time o hen the subject was first introduced to that House. But lie had then represented them as mere verbal inaccuracies, whereas they now appeared to be very material, and to affect mot only the langua,g, but the very substance of the Paper. 'The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that if the Noble Earl or Marquis would give notice of a day ultra he altoeld move for the production of the instructions sent to Sir Graham Moore, lie would by that time consider whether they could he lair' before the !louse. The Noble Earl had objected to the admission that hosti -I:ty might follow the accomplishment of the purposes for which our squadron had been sent to the B o y of biaples ; but what he (Lord L.) had stated was ex pressly to guard against the inference. that if occa sional hostility proved necessary, it could induce the country to make common cause with the House of Austria. No such consummation was ever contem plated. The only objects ever in view were to pro tect British property, and to insure the personal safety of the King and the Royal Family. With re spect to the protection of British property be (Lord 44) believed no question could eels; ; and lie would mdt at present enter into that which concerned th e personal security of the ling and of the Royal Fa artily. lie should be ready, however, to defond his 4.:rinion whenever the Noble Earl might bring the sitliject before the House. He should now only add, that the nature of those very instructions hail given the greaieit satisfaction at. Naples ; and that there was pp suansoinected with the revolution in that country, who hatrooi divined those instructions a tower of stteigtV ip his hands.. For all were convinced that . sio:tiehtg Mould he more disgraceful to their cause than tbeAreri'or ass insult to the King, had they even de terminal to establish a republic instead of a limited Ittnarchy. :With respect to the secret article between 4aples In d ; Austria , it had b•en concluded, as far as .. - - ! aples and not at Vienna, and long of Vienna had been dissolved. As communication to this Government, (artful communication of it had the Austrian or Neapolitan Courts • lig reeo)lecte.d, at Naples and not at Vienna, and long :atn. the boner's of . Vienna hid been dissolved. As to the date of, its cgmmnnication to this Government, .be y repesiecf that nu Unmet communication of it had Away been Made by the t itustridia or Neapolitan Courts t 9 this countrx. • . I.wd 1911,M4D Wished to know at what period that secret article had hecnuse known to his Majesty's titth.ars, ■s, if ht tas not mistaken, one of its ob- ill I 9''A' jests was the subversion of the Constitution of Sicily. which had been tstiblished at the suggestion Of this cowry ? The Earl of LIVERPOOL believed that the article in question had no reference whatever to the Constitu tion of Sicily. Whatever might be the nature of those transactions, they were totally independent of that treaty. Lord HOLLAND bad great respect for the autho rity of the Noble Earl, who maintained that the over throw of the Sicilian Constitution was totally isde pendent of the treaty with Austria. But he held an authority in his hand fully equal to that of the Noble Earl, and that was the Proclamation issued by the King of Naples at the time, in which he declared that the proceeding was adopted in consespence of an ars rangement with the Court of Vienna. Earl GREY contended that it would be more for the honour of this country and Austria that a clear answer should he given respecting the time at which the secret article between that Government and Naples bad been made known to his Majesty's Ministers. The Earl of LIVERPOOL, in explanation, repeated his original statement, that even should hostilities arise in the two cases excepted, it bad always been intended that they shou!cl not extend beyond those cases, and should not be considered as a cause of war. Earl GREY rejoiced at having obtained this ex planation, as now there could be no doubt that we had never contemplated a more extensive interference. althou , A some expressions in Sir William A'Csurt's letter seemed to justify such an opinion. The Earl of LIVERPOOL owed it in justice to Sir A'Court to say that no person could have conducted himself with more wisdom and moderation. ' The Earl of BLESSINGTON inquired whether the instructions sent to our Commander in Chief in the Mediterranean. were to protect the King and Royal Family as much against any instil' on the part of the Austrians as on that of the Neapolitans? The Earl of LIVERPOOL, would state as a proof of the disposition with which those instructions had been received by the Neapolitans themselves, that the Duke of Calabria had provided, in case of necessity, that his family should go on board a Neapolitan vessel, to be protected by a British ship of war. ADDRESS TO lIIS MAJESTY. Lord ELLENBOROCUIf gave notice, that on Tuesday next he should move that an humble Address be presented to the King, praying that his Majesty would be pleased to offer his mediation between the Emperor .4 Austria and the Ooverninent of Naples. Adjourned. HOCSE OF COMMONS. A person from the Exchequer brought up an at count of the Amount of Income charged on the Con solidated Fund of England and Ireland, up to the sth January 18221. Mr. LUSHINGTON laid on the Table an Account of the Annual Public Expenditure, up to the sth of Jan. IS2I. CATHOLIC CLAIMS. Lord C. MANNERS presented a Petition front the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Chattel' of Rif, against the Roman Catholic Claims.--Ordered to be printed. Mr. If. DAVIS presented two Petitions of a si milar nature from the Ministers, Churchwardens, an" Inhabitants of the parishes of St. Thomas and Tem ple, in the City of Bristol—Ordered to be printed. The Public Notaries (Ireland) Bill was reported, and ordered to bt• read a third time on Monday next. Mr. R. MARTIN obtained leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the Office of Coroners in Ireland. On the motion of Mr. RICE, the Trial for Treason in Ireland Bill was read a second time.—Ordered to be committed on Tuesday next. On the motion of Mr. RICE, the Report of the Bankrupt Eifects (Ireland) Bill, and the Report of the Witchcraft Repeal (Ireland) Bill, were severally brought up and received, and the Bills ordered to be read a third time on Monday next. On the motion of Mr. LIUSHINGTON, the House went into a Col ttttt ittee on the Beer Duties Bill, and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday next. The Commercial Intercourse Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. BYND presented a Petition front the Trustees of the Bethnal Green Row!, against the Metropolis Roads' I Bill.—Ordered to lie on the table. Ole. TULK presented a Petition from the Mayor, Al i dermen, and Capital Ourcesses of Sudbury, against the Catholic Bill.—Ordered to be printed. Sir E. OAIMANEY presented a Petition from the Merchants :mil Ship-On ners of Plymouth-Dock, rela tive to the Duties on Timber.—Ordered to be printe.l. Mr. E. BASTARD presented a Petition from the Clerizv and lientry of the Comity of Devon, awainst the • Bill for removing the Civil Disabilities of the Roman I Catholics. - - Sir T. ACKLAND bore testimony to the respect• ability of the sis:natures of the petition, and expressed his sorrow that he could not participate in the plea sore whi►•h his Hon. Collesirtie and Friend must Imre, in supporting the opinions of so large a portion of his con4titoents. Siir T. LETIIBRIINiE said, that the sentiments con tained in the Petition were entertai n by a great majo rity of the inhabitant< of Devonshire. They felt, and be v. - cm along with them in that feeling. that the Consti tution of the country world he overturned whenever the Roman Catholics were admitted to power. Sir I. COEFI S observed, that the Hon. Baronet had been speaking exclusively of the feeling of the people of Devonshire, whereas the present measure principally af fected the people of Ireland. Sir W. GUISE presented a Petition from the Clergy of the Deanery of Witelorombe, in the county of Glou cester, praying that the Douse would not *auction the measures now before it. tor affording relief to Roman Catholies.—Ordered to be primed. Sir C. BURRELL rose for the purpose of correcting an error which had gone forth in the public press, re specting the statement made by an Hon. Menobtr (ilr. Ilume) - last night, as to the Receiver-Generals who had been defaulters. The New Times had stated, that the Receiver-General for Sussex had beer a defailltet,to a considerable amount, wi:erras the lion. Member name 4 Salop. This was evidently an error of the press, and he, only mentioned it for the purpose of having it correCted..l I The lientletnan who filled the office of Receiver-Grueriol for Susses was a most respectable character, and, he her Red to observe, had never perforturd the duties of hts office by &linty. Lord A.HASI I LTON presented a Petition from certain -inhabitants oTthe city of Glasgow, again t,a hill now before the loose, canal the Ulasgaw Police ,BilL—Or • dere! to Ile upon the table. Lord A. HAMILTON moored for retnrn 3of an Par- lit nentary Uraitts ,1041 Co:tarns:Amu' revointistailed by AN . i . . the Commissioners of Inquiry into the Scotch Courts of f histice.—Ordered. Mr. PEEL rose to present tl Petition to the House from a person named Hayes, a Roman Catholic Cler gyman, who had put the Petition into his bands with an earnest request that he should present i t this even ' ing. With the statements and allegations contained in the Petiti•tu, of course he had nothing to 810. At the same time, if they were true, they deserved the most serious attention of the (louse. The Petitioner confidently asserted his ability to prove what he had advanced, and offered to do so at the Bar of the House. He should move that the Petition be read, and the Honse would then become acquainted with its content'. Mr. IVYNNE thought the Petition appeared to be of considerable length, and that the time of the House ought not to be occupied by reading Petitions of such a nature, so as to impede the progre4s of business. Mr. PEEL, said, if the House preferred it, he would state briefly what the' statements of the Petitioner were. He state:) that if the Bill now before the House was carried, it would be contrary to the wishes of the See of Rome, and of the general body of the Catho , lies of Ireland. Ile also stated that an erroneous Impression had gone forth relative to the situation in which he, the Petitioner, stood with the Pope, and with the leading Roman Catholic Clergy. Ile had received letters from the Pope within a %bort period, respecting some important services which he had ten. ilered to the Roman Catholic Religion, that would prove the confidence reposed in him by the See of Rome. With respect to the Catholics of Ireland, they ' concurred with him in the feelings he entertained tom ward. the present Bill. T he Right lion. Member then I moved that the Petition be received. Mr. WYNNE did not intend to press his objection, but be wished to direct the attention of the Hoots', to the subject. All bn•iness might be entirely impeded by and• person who chose to present a Petition of greet length, if the House gave way to the practice of read- ingthem. Mr. BERNAL observed, that there had hero a similar Petition frotn the same individual presented to the House a fe►v days ago. Mr. CAREW having some knowledge of Mr. Hayes, wished to give the House a fair opportunity of judging as to what degree of ►veight was to be attache.' to the present Petition. At certain meeting of Catholics in the county which he had the honour to represent (Wexford) the conduct of this individual was so vio lent, that many of his (Mr. Carew's) friends threat ened to leave the meeting. Shortly after that, the same individual preached a sermon of the most sedi lions character, which was ralculated to create dis union between England and Ireland.--((hear, hear, bear.) —Ile irad received a letter from Wexford, which he would read to the House, expressing similar opi nions of the character of this priest. The lion. Mem ber then read a letter whirl. requested him to caution his Right lion. Friend (Mr. Plunkett) and those who supported tlu Bill, against noticing any thing which came from the demagogues and revolutionists of that country. It asserted that they did not speak the sense of the Catholics of Ireland, or at least of those who bail any sense at all.—(llear.)—The Petition was then ordered to be printed. PETITION OF CATHOLIC NOBLES. Lord NUGENT rose to present a Petition from four English Catholic Peers, praying that the Bill now in the House for affording relief to the Roman Catholics might pass into a law. The first signature was that of a Nobleman who had received precedence from all others through a long series of ages, and who was now at the head of the Nobility of the realm. '1 he second was the premier Earl of the kingdom, and the two others were names that had taken a distinguished lead in the history- of the country. The signatures were the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Lord Petre, and the Lord Arundel. Since a Petition was some time ago presented to the House from Dr. Milner awl others, a paper hail been freely circa toted professing to lie the theological objections of Dr. Milner and three other Catholic Clergyman, against the measure now before the (louse. Unless they were prepared to recognise the dictatioes of these three Gentlemen, this self-elected triumvirate, he entreated the House to go on with the great work which it bad begun. The circular of 'best. three Gentlemen de- I dared that they opposed it in accordance to the wishes of the Catholics of thi• country. Now, when Doctor Milner made this statement, he (Lord Nugent) must charge him with stating that which was untrue, and with knowiug it to be so, at the time he made the statement. Because at that very time all the Vicars Apostolic, excepting himself, hail then signed a Petition in which they expressed their satisfaction at the pre sent Bill. Ile serial,' not weaken the effect of the Pe tition which he hail the honour to present by saying any thing more upon it. The great Noblemen who had signed it had acted as became the hereditary ho nour of their names. They had nobly placed them selves in the breach which Ur. Milner had made, and declared themselves ready to take the oath of supremacy as it stood in the Bill. The Petition having been read, Sir .1. NIACKINTOSII wished briefly to point out to the Douse why no other signatures appeared upon the Petition. There were only six Catholic Peers who re sided in England, and only four happened to be within reach of the notice it hich ha l induced them to sign the present Petition. Reasons of prudence had operated to prevent other distinguished Catholics from affixing their signatures to it. Thee could not know, or assume, that they might ever be railed upon either by the favour of his Majesty, or by the choice of the people, to be in a situation in which they would be compelled to take the oath. It was upon the Peers alone this oath would of necessity he imposed. Ile wished to make this short explanation, because it should not he supposed that these great Noblemen wished to separate theiuselves from their brieher laymen in the Catholic religion. They were the proper leaders of the Catholics, and to their senti ments the House should Idok for those of the great Ca tholic bully; and not to the statements of a Franciscan Friar, who had been suspended by the Catholic Bishops for his disloyal anti seditious conauct.—(Hear, hear He diet not wonder that such a person was hailed by. .certain zealous Protestants as a possible chance of throw-, in g oat the present measure. Mr. PEEL said that it' the Hon. and Learned Mem ber alluded to him, when he spoke of those who hailed the individual whom be mentioned, he had cett tinly made an unfounded assertion ; because he had ,particu larly guarded himself against being involved in the statements and opinions contained in the Petition which lie revolted to the llonse.--(hear, bear;) Sir J. MACIiINTIISII said that as the Right lion. Member had so rtarded Glossa, he was wrist") that he should suspect that the language he (Sir J. SI.) b e t used was in any way directed to him. Sir U. HILL thought the Petition was rather scum, signed. With respect to the Bill before the House, h e would say, as far as the Roman Catholic Press is Ireland could be considered as the organ of the Catholic opinion, that that press, especially in the North of I re , land, in Belf.ist, Cork, Dublin, and Galway, reprob a t e d in the strongest manner the measure which had be es i s . troduced by the Right Honourable Gentleman, a s see calculated not to emancipate, hut to injure and husk the Catholics. The Catholic Press of London was al oe hostile to the Bill. For his own part, if he conceived the measure would be productive of conciliation and harmony, it would hare no warmer advocate than bi le. self: and it was only his conscious conviction of darn. trary that rendered him adverse to it. Mr. II Tctii IV SON declared that he hail not receireill single letter or commnnication from Ireland disapprer. ing of his Right Honourable Friend's Rill. With re. spert to the first Bill, that of Emancipation, lie was p er . suaded that it would meet with the concurren ce o f a n who were interested in the subject. To the second, h e had some slight objections, which he could take somber opportunity of stating to the House. Lord NUGENT said a few words in reply, in tie conrse of which, he observed that the atreaph ofsstk men as Dr. Milner lay in the divisions which O m existing law created : and that that strength would expire the moment the Bill now iu progress received the Royal Assent. Mr. It. 3IAIITIN, as allusion had been niade tel Galway, begged to deckle his conviction that all the respectable Roman Catholics of :hat count• would be highly gratified by the pas.ing of the Bill. As to to the press of Galway, it har.lly deserved the name of a press. Mr. Will E positively denied tint the (reliefs of the great I► .dv of the Cath o lics in Ireland we lt hostile to the Dill The Get was finite the reverse. Mr. DALY confirmed what the Honourable Men.. her for tialw•ay had stated. The lialway Parr was conducted by a Protestant, who was no well wisher w the Catholic claims. Mr. M. FITZGERALD was satisfied that the great body of the Catholics both in England and Irelaad were favourable to the Bill.—The Petition was then ordered to printed. CATHOLIC CLAINIS BILL. Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, that in rising to move Vie Order of the Day for going into a Couto 'tt Pr upus a subject involving the dearest interests of the country, he felt hisown inadequacy to the task which hail falka upon him. Under any circumstances he should fel the difficulty; but be felt it more especially when he recollected the cause of the task devolving upon him; it was no less than a severe domestic calamity uhirli prevented the attendance of his lion. Friend who 64 so ably commence) the present measure. Indeed it was the fate of this great question to he visited by difficulty in every shape and in every stage. One by one had those great ch tracters disappeared, who shed a lustre on the cause ; one by one had those great (i t hi been extinguished ; anal to him did it fall in the ma. log of Isis days to introduce this great and etc , tfol question. Yet however he might be satisfied of 11e feebleness of the Advocate, he relied upon the justice of the cause, and was satisfied that it most elti widely he successful. After passing a warm vulitelinn on the conduct of the late Mr. Grattan, the Right Hon. Baronet proceeded to observe that hr should liceit every protection on the part of the House in the came he had undertaken, hail not the House already deciihil in favour of the principle of the '1 hat admitted, it only remained to judge of the detail., 314.1 he therefore should at present content himself by itierclv moving for the Order of the Day. Mr. CIO Halt said, that when lie gave notice o; a motion fur enabling his Majesty to make pritvisi.in for the Roman Catholic Clergy of Ireland, he did s a upon the full conviction that such a measure unul.l tend to the security of the Roman Catholic no titan that of the. Protestant interest; and the mu e lie tlit.u:lit of the subject the more was lie satisfied ~f its propriety. Ile was aware, however, that st a e Honourable Members, for whose of ilion heentertair.nl a sincere regard, objected that the time he pro?tori for introducing the nieasure was unfavourable, aiel he was therefore anxious that the Hollse should he enabled to give its undivided attention to the ap proaching. discussion. With this slew, he postpone the motion of which he had given nots' e until the bringing up of the Report of the Committer. The Bill now to be discussed, he considered as the second Union Act of the country, and the hest sett. guard of the dangers whic:i surrounded the empire (Hear, hear.)—He was, consequently, desirous that such a Bill might not be embarrassed ; hut he thossLi it proper to state, that the measure he intended propose, was known to his friends no less than seven years ago as tieing in his contemplation. The Member concluded by postponing his motion toad the bringing up of the Report. The House then resolved itself into the Cotninittce, Mr. It. Smith in the Chair. The CHAIRMAN proceeded to read the PreaniVe of the Bill. On coming to that part of it which re• listed to the Oath of Supremacy, Sir W. SCOTT rose to mate his objection to it; but from the very low tune in which the Right Honouralle Gentleman spoke, lie nos very imperfectly heard in the Gallery. Ile observes( that to equa l . talents those by which the measure had beets ad-itwated the last 17 years, the Right Honourable Gentlem by whom it had been now introduced into the Roue. added the advantage of experieuce. Nevertheless, tie question, as it respected the oath of supremacy, pre sented an olistaele which no ingenuity could get oter. The Rt. Hon. Gent. here entered into a history of the oath of supremacy. It was well krown, that im the accession of Elisabeth, an oath teas pres crib ea which contained two provisions ; first, that her Ma jesty possessed the supreme authority of the Chun secondly, that no Foreign Prince, Prelate. S tate . or 1 e toOte, should have any ecclesiastical or spiritual jai , diction in the realm. At the Revolution, the prinovie that the Sovereign should have the full and myth allegiance of his subjects, wits confirmed. Harine been ',Wiliam i in the best times, that principle had n. , "' st iod %he test of experience for more than two cesturn: and estight not hastily to be abandoned. The of subdivided allegiance had been strong ) , sod unetl"' vocally expressed in numerous Statutes. It . ran i t + only through the Stittutvw, hut through the various :- noes of the Viturch, in which it wa s Jistinctly s:Att- •Nmiessi•NoliNgd