The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-03-06 00:00:00

mast innovations would be pressed forun the tai‘e , a nd would at last proceed so far a render ~eepossible for Peri:an:cut to maintain the tesrs AO esperience had proved to be so useful. The one sort of argu ments wnuld go to admit all lesenters into all offices and pl tees of public sp .:int:rel even those which 4 . large emeriti) , ef , A House, formeily, and wheel the nation et "at had considered as dangerous to the religious stakolihatent of the country. It was not to be en wee, s that he and his Honourable Friends were in 0 te le, they argued as it they lived in the d.irk ises, and that it was of no importance what sort of seligious establishment it was, for that these este dishmens were to be considered merely in refer too to t heir political importance. The adoption of such lax principles, he considered as one sty runts pulling down that stage, nowhich th th i s s .untry had st-nd for ages. was m e when the House and the C tuntry were eperionily called upon to make a stand; and so ter e as bed been insinuated, from their shutting err eyes to the light, he tru,ted, that their resist ice to the present measure would affoid a proof, ha: tiny were sufficiently enlighteeed to see, that by it the peace and sanity of their country were weleueeretl. If this Bill were enacted into a w , one, two , or even ten 'tannish pi tests, might bs found rearing teeir heals, and openly preech- i eag Popish doarines i n a shi p of war ; and f e eete menial tenets of religien were thus to be ietrodreed into the N avy, no thing bat discord mad confusion might he tens fled to ensue...a f titre a ride , t roughing, and marks of dinorni , tion !rem Me liiiiiiiterial ,isle of the Houle, ,1,,e. tome tome teterratted INC 11m. ilesibi.ei who at /nit prtreened)• fie declared. that no interruption of ties sort should peewee him trolls stating his sentiments calmly, yet lieelly- Let Gentlemen but look hack to the tits racefal riots in 1780, on the subjeet of religion. Wotrld the Noble Lore (1-lowick) say, that disputes upon religion only existed between Dodoes of lei sitety i And it the Norte of this country should anerehend that there is an attempt to tear doe n the Pettectant religion by piece-meal. the promoters at this measure may feel themselves in danger; tzar cure the house of the Noble Lord (hlowick) t ircepe their attack. Will Noble Lords or Honour able Gentlemen then tell him, hat this was peen measure ? Will they pieten t d tu say, that e R , Ciltn. Catholics are without toleration, et present, or that those of them in the army aie psevented from attending their own places or Wel ship. %hen such permission can be granted, enliven inconvenience to tee service.—lie felt a atmoy suspicien, that the present measure was only one ei th- greater steps intended to he introduced. —(Cesigt,i7 ) —Addressing the Speaker, he said, het: it teat, that he would not stiff r any party ende se veer to be yawed to prevent him, or any hooey inesteendeat Member of Perliement, from speaking his sentietems holdiy. He w.uld not be put down, -eel it any person thought to hear him down by un oiesonable interruptions, lie declared they little knew U is or the audience whom he had the honour or ad• arming. He begged that thismeesure might be con sidered noteleeraeledly, but in reference to the event thi which the Mica seemed to be to car: y it; for it was aNaitted by some persons, th,:t it was intended to carry concessions to the Catnolics nniz:i farther. lie entered, that when he heard measures of this sort proposed by Members of Adminietration, it seemed to him as if some pewee laid hold of the very pillars of the House in which they sat, and threaten ed its destruaion. Mr. FR EEMANTLE declared, that in his view Of the subject, the measure now proposed tl.d not bear upon the constitution of the country. These was no clause in this Bill that Went to provide for the establishment of the Catholic Clergy. either in the army or navy. It did not militate either against the 13.11 of Rights or the Aa of Settlement, and he should feel su:ry if such an impression as this were made upon the public mind. Mr. VAW KES said, this measure appeared to him to be tete which called for the set ious attentiun of the Hoese. Tee country appeased to have been depriv :d tar a long time of the services of a large bade of people. aad now that a fair opportunity rufei ei fur granting the present boon, he linseed the time was conic, %then no busiest Catholic would he deprived of the opportunity of servieg his ciluno y. Mr. coRRx lamented, that upon the introduc tion of this measure. an alarm should have been ten et 23 if h would draw the Protestant Esteblishments ut Engierail and itelend into danger. He entreated Gentlemen would come to the consideration of this question withcut pieindice. It was a question of importance, :Ind its tendency was to prevent the n o lives of Ireland from being banished tram the ranks re military fame and glory at home. And being drawn Imo the service Of foreign countries. This Immure went to secure their services at home, and siaght th7tefore to he examined upon its own nierits. The principles of the Revolution ought always to be held in the greatest veneration ; bat when they looked to the objets of that revolution. there would he found to be two prin cipal oteeets in view, namely, the terigioiss and civil liberties of the country. %%lilt tespeet to the Liter, he t , ii.ted they were never nut of mind by a lerif'sh Perlierceat. aira that that House wouli I.sok tete incessant jeeltaisy to any measure that .e.ide.i to overihrow the liberties of the country ; Lau, withrespea to the other own% the Protestant telsgsen, it terould be remembined, that the questi in was then, whether a Popish House should sit upon the throne! But would any man pretend, that there 7:4e . I similar danger now i or tine the Popish re hems was ever likely to gain such an attehliment titt s Perhentent. as to endanger the Protestant re. ligenn ? lie was sure that such danger was remote 'mime ; and that in the present nuoure, no grin siti'a of danger of this sort was likely to arise ; and h.- . also trotted. that the Home would not partake of that alarm. which the Learned Gentleman had endeavoured to create. Mr. HAWKINS BtiOWNE th-ueht that Gen /Innen should not be too heely to take en alarm, till they sate the Rill. With regard to the Cetfrolic veni s on. .he considered i:r spirit to be as hostile to the t*ltriltes t:f this country, as any iiihitrery power senuld be. Ho trusted that there was no drea d of say foreign conqueror ; but stead, a seccessful and formidable usurper, who has cemented tyranny eibetever he has gone. penetrete to Ireland. and avail bats& of the Pope's BA for the reeestablishnscut of the ettliehe relieinn in that eonetry, be eoUld not think, that additional indulgences would ensure the ley:thy of that body. Ile was fee from think ing, that concession after concession would conci liate the affraions, or ensure the obedience, of the Irish Catholics. He foresaw considerable danger from these concessions, as it tended to prepossess the mind, of the Catholics with eepeaations of still farther concess:ons. He was averse to innovations, iteless An existing evil could be proved, which torrid not be remedied but by law I but in the present in stance, he was not aware that any such rue - tic:a inconvenient.: existed. Unless the House was pre p.', ed cu go tl.e length of saying, that every officein the United Kingdom was to be open to persons of ail religions. he could see no good argument for advanc ing Catholics to the highest appoiseinentt in !hearsay. He should, however, have no objeehon to put all the Roman Catholics is the United Kingdom upon the same footing as the Irish Catholics now are. The Irish Roman Catholics had at present every thing which they could reasonably wish for: their pro petty was secure ; provi.ion WAS made for the r du cation of their priests ; the military and legal pro fessions were opened to them ; in short, they had every thing they could wish for, excepting political power. Ought they, then, to be insensible of the blessings they enjoy, or ungrateful for the benefits they possess under the best of Sovereigns, merely be cause they do not possess political power ? It had been the wisdom of our ancestors to restrain the Executive Power from et:interring the highest MS:es upon Roman Catholics, at sl we ought to revere their n'v !polies. and also .0 do jestice to our pos terity, by mainteinii g the tences which our ancestor* inive erected.—/ Bile the Ilea. tlenster cu aderiati, mr,tine with repeated seterriarians by coughing, arc champ his speech Lied HOW ICK, in reply, said, he had been in hopes that his motion for introducing the Bill, would have passed without any discussion. 1;e wished this question to be treated on its own me rit,. He did not consider it as standing upon the ground of toleration ; but that it rested on the tooting, that, in consecinence of what had for merly passed in the Irish Parliament, it was neces sary to make the liars in the two countries con sistent with themselves, and not to suffer the Catho lics to be in that anomalous situation is which no people were ever placed before. He saw no reason for that alarm which some Hon. Gentlemen had endeavoured to create ; for, as to this measure, it could be attended with no danger to the religion or establishment of the country. He could not concur in opinion with the Hos. and Learned Gentleman, that it a person in the Army was called out in obe dienvc to the order of his superior, and at the peril of his life, that therefore he could not incur any penalty under possible circutostances ; he could not subscribe to thc Learned Gentleman's expo 'Viva of the law, particularly on the subjeet of compulsory service, and more especially enen he recolleated the opinion which that Learned Gentle man had fat merly given on toe ot the Vo lunteers. The Irish AO of Parliament eoald only regulate the Army of Ireland ; and it an Irish re giment removed to England, it was then upon the English Establishment, to which the Afts of the Irish Parliament could not extend, and consequent• ly its officers were tu*,jea to all the penalties which a British Legislature had enacted. But tram the momeut of the Union taking . place between the two countries, and when there is no longer an Irish Army, but the Army of the United Kingdom, and to which the Aas of the United Parliament can alone extend, he doubted whether the Irish Catho lic ei uld receive any commission in the army. He acknowledged, that, de ps., the Catholics did hold commissions, but it was cannery to existing laws ; and although no advantage I ad been taken of this breach of the law, he would ask, whether it were fair to place the Catholics in such a situation, and to pass that over by connivesece, which the law forbad, instead of giving it a legal senelion ? —The I Innoitrable and Learned Gentleman had proless:sl himself a friend to the principle of tole ration; but tuleratinn, to be complete, must he free from any exclusion whatever, and the only true principle of exclusion, on account of religious opi nions, wite alien these opinions were conaeaed with unlit:cal principles ho tile to the State; but whets this cease, to exist, he would contend, that then all disqualiticetione ought to erase. An Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Browne) had contended, that the Catholics were only excluded from political power, but was not that an important ob jeet ? For, how could civil rights be secured to any considerable degree, without the posse.. siren of political power? And must not stub persons as are iiisquelifiel from the acquisition d political power, feel discontented? And ought such exclusions to be considered as necessary, ten t::: when den..er wu uld arise from conferring it? lite in granting the pr. sent boon, no such danger would arise, the Irish Parliament 1 •td already sanaioned the measure, and forme 1 the precedent. It was true, that Irish Catholics might at present enter as soldiers and sailors; but a clause in this Bill vet; provided to grant ths m security for the free ex ercise of their religithe end it Weald afford the Ca tholic Officers a greater facility of recruiting for the army and navy. When an lion. Gentleman (Mr. Montague) had carried his Alarm so tar as to doubt whether this Ihll woad not change the navy into a religious disputing club, aitd that when all hands were piped up, the ship would become a scene of religious controversy; rte must say that he could nut treat such an argument with his accustomed grAvity ; but it was reserved tor this night's debate te assert, that the way to excite religious .aerate was to soften down differences. The Hon. Gentleman remireied the House ot the year 1760, and the fires which were then lighted up. He well remembered that disgraceful scene; but what was the cause? Was it in consequence of the Catholics having had new privileges greeted them, that they eirred up divisi on? And wes it not rather, on the cox tar y, thatsome p e rsons then in the House (somewhat in the spirit which has been dts..overed this night) had made use of inflammatory language, which had produced the fatal effect. When the Hon. Gent. spoke of the danger to which this Hoare might be exposed, he had only to Ittl.ltsl, ot the Hunourable Gentleman, not to promote that danger, because it such cala mity arose, in couinquenee of such false alarms, he should know wixeuce his danger had originated but far bimlt be eacen4iued so such appeases. sir, ;s. After tLe ettina:on of the riots in 1780, when liberty was granted to the C4thnlics, and when the question of similar cnncessions with the present was aritaeed in that House, no such con,equerces ensued : nor wruld they, at the present, unless the spirit of big , ,try should ag..ia excite , false alarms of dangers, without reality, 40 as to excite an Attack upon men's lives and properties. He declared no man was A more sincere friend to •he protestant Church of England than himself; but he did not think that the best way of supporting it was by pains, penalties, and exclusions ; but, on the contrary, by moderation ar.d c sndr ur. The present, he cunti dered to be a beneficial measure, and that not oniy to the Catholics but to the C o untry, and on the principle of general advantage ; not did he consi der that there was any thing disgraceful in making conceci•>rs, when occasion required. He only wished this measure might nnde.g> a fair exami nation, being convinced that the tdStlit of free d;s cussion always was, that the cause of troth would flourish and prevail. iSri The question was then pet, And carried wirheut a division, that leave be given to bring ia the Bill. Lord Howick, Earl Temple, the Secretary at War, and Mr. Corr wcre direeted to prepare and bring in the Bill accordingly. Mr. Ilublieuse brought up the Report of the Committee nt Supply. Mr. BAN KES rose to state some objelions to the plan of subsidizing the King of Prussia. The experience of the past had proved how improperly applied the approor.ation of our resources in that wey had been In titis opinion he was justified, when he ~skived in how small a degree the country was served 'ay the subsidies voted to Sardinia. Hesse- Dermstad:, the Courts of Russia and Germany. [Tee rim. Gent. was proceeding to prove the inefficacy of making further advences to the Prus sian Monarch, when Lord Henry Petty mentioned across the Table, that His Majesty's Government hat no such intention.] If that be the fel, said the Hon. Member, it is unnecessary fur me longer to trouble the House, as my objeCtions were founded on a contrary supposition. The Resolutions were then severa l ly put and agreed to. WEeTseteISTER ILLECTION. Lord FOLKESTONE moved the Order of the Day far taking into further consideration, the petition of James Paull, Esq. Mt. SHERIDAN declared, he had no objeCtion to Mr. Paull's continuance de tieg the discussion. Mr. Plomer appeared at the Liar, in behalf of the Petitioner ; and, in a speech of considerable length, observed upon the immure of the evidence which had been produced in support of the allega tions of the Petition. As sure as Counsel bad withdrawn, Mr. SHERIDAN commenced in expressing his surprise that the Learned Counsel had not thrown up his brief, and that the Petitioner, instead of persevering in his supeart of the allegations of his Petition, had not come forward with one expressive of his contrition and repentance. In the present ease, he felt disgusted, that even the necessity of ceiling witnesses, in centsadiaion of the charges brought again s t him, produced, in his mind, the feelings of abasement and humiliation. Bat he thought it due to the characters of some respeetable friends, to the honour of the House, and the credit of a tespedabie body of his constituents, is enter on a full investigation of the merits of that Petition. That duty was more particularly neer& sary, after the observations which had fallen from the Learned Counsel. Indeed he could not limit the latitude, which Counsel, speaking tiom their brief, were permitted to take; ncr had he legal knowledge sufficient to convince him when a &crater was tra velling our of the range of his professional duty. At the same time, he could not reconcile the pro priety of a learned and enlighteaed lawyer, assum ing that as fad, which was only asserted, and garb ling evidence, as he should conceive it either his iokerest or inclination. Ile could not tee in such con.luit any thing which he should wish to imi tate. He trusted, he never. would be the advocate of prevericatton. If he had the baseness or auda city to intrude on the attention of the Hones state ments whica he knew to be (else, he would be ashamed to sheet his face in society, unless he night expel some excuse in that vapidity, which set ;d imagine that the House would believe him. No man, of geatlensanly mind, would have so alert; nor did he believe the tespeetenle professors of the bar could produce many similar examples. The Learned Counsel had thought proper to assume whet he should not hive attempted. What right had he to take for granted an alliance which was not oved ? With regard to the chareiftets of the soli tit Ks, he had never spoken disiespeCtfully. Two things he knew of them : fit st, that they were men of high integrity; next, that they had no concern, but alually resigned a connexion with his opponent. He hoped Mr. Paull and Mr. l'owel would be found equally clear, and that they would rather appear the dupes of ot h ers, than the advisers of the unfortunate deluded wretches who were ex hibited in support of the allegations of the petition. But he le .red that a scene of baseness, of suborna tion of perjury, and malice, would be disclosed, such AS never before insulted and affronted the heart of mankind. As to the witeerses Drake and Weather heed, hs had never heard of them from the mo ment he had ordered them to come nest day, for the purpose of having them taken into custody, until they were tootle together in a hackney-coach. with Mr. Paull, on the 24th at February last. He had documents in his pocket to prove that Weather head was .disgracefully dismissed by Capt. Trol lope from the tier/hater, and that lie could not pass the Admiralty, for having attempted to pass forged certificates. A long and uninteresting conversation took place with respell to the propriety of examining Fre derick Human, Esq. he being implicated by the allegations of the petition. However, on the mo tion of Mr. Percevel, it was carried, that the allege. teens against Mr. liomen were not well grounded area he eves, therefore, admitted as a competent witness. Mr. Homan, examined by Mr. Sheridan. said, that he was at Mr. Sheridan's, at Somerset House, oa the 19th February, and there saw ID: ake arid Weather need : Drake was very anxious to se* Mr. Shetiden four of them ut in the parlour until Mr. S. cams in ; the convention was pang i Drake saki be bad '~"' ecently parchaeed a cottage in Hampshire, sad hid been hunting in that country with kir Cobbett ; that he was at that Gerdeman't house; it was a good one, bat that the passage to it was though the ti..• qles and apig yard. ‘Veatherhead wa.mtroductst by D'ak as a clergymar. ; witness remained with Mr. Stetid.n during t! is whole tine; Drake sat at s considerable dittanee. ; was nothing In the way of offer or pi orn4e made either to him, r Weathee•ead Ake said, he WAS appointed to the Thisbe- sloop, and tha he must have town for Hamp shire in the morning ; Mr. St eridan particularly told him not to be out of town, at the time the Speaker's Warrant ordered his attendance. Mr. Sheridan had to' d witnessthSt hesuspefted Drake to he a zreat liar. as he was convinced Mr. Cobbett would nr,t know such a Fellow. Witness was also informed by bier, that it was his intention to commit Drake and Wes therhead to Bowstreet. Witness went, at the re. quest of Mr. Sherdan, with a message to Mr. Gra ham, for the purpose of having the letter taken from Harris, and kept by Mr. Graham ; and slat a communication of his having it, should he sent to the Speaker, and to the Solicitor of Mr. Paull. Harris went through an examination on the 9th. Cros.examined by Mr. Warren, one of Petition . er's Counsel. Witnets was not at present of any profession; WAS concerned formerly in the flour business. Has a property in Ireland ; knew a person whom he sup. posed to be the father of Drake ; wrote a letter to him. O. Shrove Tuesday last, Drake, junior s called on witness, in consequence of his wish to in vestigate the nature of the letter which Drake gave to Harris, who said he would get it from him, and made use of language no: proper to repeat. Does not know the date of the last note, but supposes it might be on Saturday the 2ed of February, and net Mr. Sheridan fleet day, in consequence of an ro • pointment with Drake. Is not certain whether tl sr appointment vo.s kept. at Mr. Sheridan's, or the bowie of the witness. Mr. Homan was, after a number of other inter rogatories, ordered to withdraw; and a Mr. Ward was rest called, who confirmed the testimony of Mr. Homan, relative to what had passed at Sorrier set-house, when Drake and Weather head were present. Mr. Graham, Magistrate of Bow-street. wag next exatnineJ, and stated, he had received from a person of the name of .Harris, a letter of rams.. men hation to the Captains of His Majesty's ships of war, for the purpose of supplying them with slops. Mr. Sheridan, he said, had denied to him he bad ever written such a letter, and declared it to be a mere elation trick. Emanuel Harris, a Jew slop-dealer, said. he had received the letter in question from Drake ; that be had afterwards been applied to for it by Mr. Bos well. He was afterwards brought to Somerset house, by Mr. Burgess, when in the presence of Mr. Sheridan he was requested to give up the letter : this he refused, alleging as his reason, that he had been served with the Speaker's warrant. to produce it on the examination before the Committee. — The witness said, before that evening he had never seen Mr. Sheridan, 'rho then assured him it was • gross and atrocious forgery; be had :weer used this letter for the purpose of obtaining orders for she navy, and thought an Admiral's order woeM bit much more efficacious for that purpose. Mrs. Butler, publican, in Covent-Garden, knew the witness. Wetherhead, to be a person of infamous chars :ter. with whom, OA account of ber situation in she had unfoitenately become acquainted ; 41 'wit would not, on his oath, take his restiau.ny in any affair. provided he could gain one farthing by for swearing himself. Mr. Barnes Hart was also examined, but his tes timon not teing deemed relevant, on the motion of Mr y . JAMES GRAHAM, it WAS ordered to be expunged. Steele was also examined ; when Mr. SHERI DAN observed, be had, he hoped. given sufficient evidence to prove, that a conspiracy existed rather against him than his opponent, and avowed his intention of :losing, with the last wit ness, the evidence in his defence. Lord HOW ICK then moved, "That the depo sitions of the witnesses be printed for the use of this House, and the further consideration of this Peti tion be adjourned until tomorrow (this day) sets night,' when the witnesses" were ordered to attend ; which was unanimously agreed to. 'I he other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at HALF Mir FOUR O'CLOCK. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FROM ME FRF.SCH All) DUTCH PAPERS' Ft FTY. SIXTH BULLETIN. This Bulletin, which is dated from Arensdorf, Fe bruary 5, states, that after the battle of Mohringen. in which the Russian advanced guard was defuased, the enemy retreated upon Leobstadt ; but that th corps of General Essen, which was at first darr d for Moldavia, and also a number of fresh regimetse from different parts of the Russian Empire, having :pined the Russian army in Poland, the enemy again. so early as the Vfth, advanced in great force, with the design of remecing the theatre of the war to the Lower Vistula. The Emperor being informed of these events, ordered the Prince of Poore Corvo to retreat, and also r. favour the offensive operations of the enemy, in order to draw them towards rte Lower Vistula. His Majesty, ad. the same tint-, or dered the whole army to break up from -minty quarters. He also left Watsaw himself, and arrived ou the evening of the 31st at Willenberg. trbither the Grand Duke of Berg had alread y collected all the cavalry. On the lit of Febrraiy we began to advancer At Passenheim, we fell in with the ene my, who constantly assumed the offeusivey but here the Grand Duke fell upon them with several columns of cavalry, and entered the town sword in hand. By three in the me•ning, the enemy was on the Lower Vistula, which he bad determ red to pass, but where he now found his kft wing tut.. rounded. The Russians. however, formed them. selves in order et battle, and now commenced , tte battle of Bergftied, where the Emiterur at ticked the enemy with the corps of Ney, Ans. rrau, and Souk, and his life guards as a corps of reserve. The contest wail for a long time get( at last, however, the enemy having been consiltbeir , cok the.