The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1821-03-17 00:00:00

■ - w,41111 kilt • IFFPWMM to,* that fact was sow ascertained, and he did not hesitate to Ivey, that that Petition was dictated by an undeviating and rehrotless 'Twit of bigotry _(Hear, hcnr, hear.)—Grent as Itiasaluifaetion had hien iIA anticipating the delight with which the Catholics might welcome the approachiug boost able\ was held out to them, be still had not beta free train the apprehension that somethiag might arise to dash the cup fros t th e lip lathe very moment of its being wiw SA work, which in 1816 defeated the hopts, and hue trated-the •endeavours of the friends of en enlightened and ff,tecal policy, Coextend g full participation of the ides&- iugs of the Constitution to those whoa had so loug been excluded from their enjoyment. It was true the Dame of Milner was not at the head of the Petitioners, but it must be presumed from his station in the districts from which it inner, that the Petition was gut up under his influence ; and he was confident that it did not express the seutimeuts of the Toth -lies of Ibis couatry. The Petition which was presented by his Noble Friend, the Member fur Aylesbury, ow a former eveniimg, was signed by seven out of the eight Vicars Apostolic in Great Britain; and the name of Hit eighth which was wasting, was that of the one upon wheelie coming forward on the present occasion the Hon. Ba vmosei coir,ratolated the Hnu.e. It was that Gentleman v-he interfered in 1816, and excited the Catholics of ire laud to tlnscontent and dissatisfaction with time measures under eirgaideration at that period, in consequence of which Isis waft* was erased from the Catholic Board of this country, said be was removed from all concerti in the soperintendence Wf their again. He was charged with having stated that the -slay on which Catholic emancipation should be granted would try that of the downfal of the Catholic rclieion its this court tey.—(Vehenient cries of Hear, hear, hear)—What then eitil it •ppeer was hie clear, his manifest objeci ? To keep •live the diasentionr, to perpetuate the divisions which •aleted.--(Cheers;--Thet Honourable Member had ex pressed his surprise ihat he ('ir. Plunkett) should come ' l k-evened with a snowier whim h was taut calculated to «mci. abate all parties. He could only answer, that hr never did, he never eommid hope to conciliate bigotry.—(Lood cheers ) • He eared not where it existed ; wheth.r it was Catholic or Protestant, bixotcy was still and ever lime same. For bigotry snore Aimweelin reontiordstranded—left by the watems of knowledge and experience to worship the Bgutes in the awed, which were to be wattled away fur ever by the flowing' of the next tide --;v7reof cheering)—With bigotry it was useless to expostulate—in vain to reason, and it had been well said that to refute it was only to exasperate.—(Loud God /nag erhificasd cheering )— He should oppose the mu torn for this Pm (Ilion lying on time table. He was not at any time disposed to reject Petitions which were addressed to that Goitre, or to trench in the slightest degree upon the .gbt of petitioning. There was, however, a valid objection to this Petition. It was addressed to the N Commons of Emig •htid and Ireland in Parliament assembled," whereas that House was the House of Commons of Great Britoiu amid Ireland in Parliament assembhil ; and the Petitioners had an right to f xcludr Scmillamid front it. share iu the represeu- L ,taticor. —( Larenkter, crud" Ile ar, hear.") Lord NLGENT coots:Feted the Petition under considera -m• ...ton with that which.lie on a former evening presented to the nose. That Petition was signed by all the Catholic Peers .f this country, by all the Catholic Baronets, by 8,000 of the clergy and laity, said by all the Vicass Apostolic except ieg one, whom he should willingly leave in the company of the Hon. ft,rouct. Si, GEORGE II I I.L said, be knew not why they should Pa called Oil to rtlinquish llie Protestant Constitution, without the smallest particle of their bigotry being removed. Mr. WILBER FORCE surrsted to the Richt Hon. Gen _ Omen that his objection being merely technical, it might perhaps be better to allow the Petition to be received, than to dismiss it on a point of form. Mr. PLUNKETT consented to waive his abjection. M. JOHN SMITH observed, that seer'sl of the signs. tor►a wet e evi4eutly wi loco by the same band. Mr. BRIGHT at some length contended against the en. lertainieg of the claims of the Catholics. The House ought _frit of all to iesture the Protestant DissentsrK to the full . Atujornetit of their rights, and afterward, it might be * -termer for coml./cretins, whether the Catholics should be 'dished to the barite level with the rest of the community. Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH said, the Petition professed to be that of the Catholics of Staffordshire nod Warwick shire, but there were many most respectable Catholic fami lies in that quarter, nut one of whom had signed it; and tbat he conceived to be a strong reason fur objecting to its reception. Wes the exception of the Earl of Shrewsbury • ,Sot an objectioo to suck a Petition! Was the exception of „ 1 1,ord Swot-ton nuthiag ? Was the exception of the Clifford. Was the exception of such families as theJerning isms, the Throrkmorions, and the Illutints. no objection ? H. understood there was nut the name of any one con siderable Gentleman of the county to the Petition. It was ,the Petition of the irreconcilable enemy of the measure, and a few of the clergy sutler his influouce. As to the sig natory., he should only observe, that when Petition. tame up from persons in very bumble life, there was an excuse for their not affixiog their own signatures ; they might be iu the situation which some of our Barrios of old were, and . . - - - know nothing further of writing than making their mark, but be apprehended inch au excuse would hardly be made fur the Catholic Clergy of Staffordshire. %Shen he bad stated that an airangement might be made satisfectory to the Catholic, in general, he timer bad intend, d thereby to include the Rev. Doctor whose name was to that Petition. Sir T. B. LETHBRIDGE captained. Mr. ELLIS observed, that Dr. Mauer, as agent fur the Ronson Catholics, had received the thanks of She Catholic Prelates fur not acceding to ineaseresof a similar nature to site prrsent. filr. WYNN said the present question was not agitated at the period whim Dr. Milner received those Shooks to which the Hos. Member alluded. It ems &bruit, to imagine that a question like the ;nevem' could meet with the approhati 111 l of every nue, and it was unfelt So argue from any thing which bed taken place at a former period, and under different cit lip instances. Mr. ELLIS said, it was is 1913, subsequent t« Mr. 6ratliii'v Bill, that Dr. Milner lied received the thanks of she Catholic Prelatea. Mr. WARRE said, that as Dr. Milner had at one time speed to that which he. afterwards opposed, he did not think he was an authority calculated to Imre much weight with the Mau se. Mr. WILBERFORCE said a few worth, bat was iii aorlibie In the gallery. Mr. PEEL said, he thought it right the Howse should be aequaiuled with the facia alluded to by his Hon. Friend (Mr. 64119, oho appeared So have beets misunderstood; he had out wtslirej to conclude the Prelates or Roman Catholic gehtry of Ireland ley Shit Dr. Milner had stated or done on former um:amino., be bad only affirmed that Dr. Milner did 'spices Orir decided seller against enactments similar to Ike peevitt. 11'itlemet refereure to Dr. Milner he would go to She Cmutaiii bead, and he found that the Rumau Catho lics, os the 26th May, 1813, came to certain resolutions, in wlsicb they spoke of some of the clauses which had bees proposed as incompatible with the Catholic Church, and the fret exercise of their religion, and to which they could not accede without being guilty of selii-m. Sir M. W. RIDLEY corroborated what had been before dated, that four or five name., out of every twenty-five which were signed to the Petition, were in the same hand writing. Sir H. PARNELL said, that with regard to the latter part of the declaration of the Bosnia Catholics, which the Night Honourable Gentleness had teed, where they declared they shottlti he guilty of schism in cementing to the measure sheet proposed, they could only mean that they should be so guilty if they ciamesied without comenitaicatioo with the Sao of Rome ; anti in fact, when that Bill was cominuoicat id to the S‘e of Rome, it was approved of, sod declared not ineassistont with the creed of that Church. He limited the Douse would consider the question as it now came be fore it, ai.d sot go back; to open the dissentious of 1813, which letl in the sufortimats Result of the measure brine Ikea lost. lie had an opportunity of knowing that a great rorkve had When place its tbs temper of ilia Rumen Catho licsfee behead with respect to concessions; tlits was not hi. opinion only, Lot he had also the concurring autlwity of* pewee high in the Roman Catholic guard. • SlThe Beg. Ratstlet litre read sia extract from a letter, ick fisted thin amid - action that was felt by imeir of all P*l/084 even br ;Imo win had Whose bowl Oustiit to all ... T .4~~,~, __- concemilit the stepson which had been inleoriosielialo llsr HouS earnastallikAle, mid be held To hie bond • declaration of the Roman Catholics, 'Armed subsequently to the arrival of that dimmest 'front Rome, approving of the measure of 1013. In May, 1818, In consequence of • letter received from the Vice. Prefect of the Propaganda at Rome, they came to the resolution of opening • personal communica tion with the See of Rome, and in their last resolution they requested that the Earl of Donau ghmore and Mr. Grat tan would exert their great talent• to exclude Irma any measure to he propoaed those:ciaumms to which they bad ex pressed their objections. Dr. Plil LLINIORE thought it most unfair to press into the distussion declarations of 1813 and 1814, which the parties themselves no homer held. With respect to the l'etitinn there was clot one word in it respecting securities, it related osly to the oath; the argument of the Right Hon. Gentleman hail, therefore, no bearing at all upon the ques tion before the Houle. Nut observing to the Petition any of those great names which shone conspicuously in the most illustrious periods of our history—not seeing there any of the Clio'ords,tlueJerninthams,or the Fitzlierberts, Ice thotight it was net a Petition which the House were called upon to give credit to, in opposition to those which they had received from the Ronson Catheclies of Ireland sad of England. On the (peewit bring pin for printing the Petition, Mr DAWSON said a few words, which from the uuise in the gallery we' were prevented from hearing. Sir HENRY PARNELL explained. Sir JAMES MACKIN LOSE! said, it was rather singular that the Right lion. Gentleman should have omitted to no tice two very Impartaos elocurneuts, part of the same Correa. pondence which lie bad Tinted. One of the documents to which he alluded wn• the Rescript of Cardinal Litta, elated dated (rout Genera in April 1815, and the long argumentative letter whirls Pins VII. addressed to the Catholic Bishop., dated July 1818, on the subject of • qtwelified negative. How came it that the Right Hoer Gentleman should state only what tuck pl.ce pre 'Mira to that nutification ? Did he bold the Catholic Bishops were so independent of the Flemish Seal that such • nutificatien was of no reinsequtece If that were Lisa ore bb i .... what became of his general argument of the danger to the Write from foreign interference? The Calico's.. Bishops were, it oceans, not satisfied with the tie of Q.earentotti, and songht a higher authority : they had uner got that litzlicr siehOrity, and the cons( qnence ass, that, for the last severe years, no one hail heard of any eXpresSiOn of dissent from the Catholic Prelates. This was in perfect conformity with what the Hon. Baronet (Sir 11. Parnell) had stated, but it was utterly irsecoucilable with the at. me sit of the Right Hon. Gesitle.nan. Mr. PEEL said, he was per; cily aware of the two docu ments to which the lion. awl Learned Gentleman lord al lotted The only way to put an rod to •II arg 00000 rut drawn front the document to which he had alluded, was for the Hon. and Learned Gentleman to produce a resolution of the Catholic Prelates stating that they were satisfied the present inessume was toct conic try to the Catholic Church, and that they would nut, by (11114Snling 10 it, recur the guilt of schism. Them she argunceot would be •1 an end, hilt not till their. Sir JOHN NEWPORT raid, the Right Hoir.Gentleman had produced that document only which the Pope had sub seeptentl) disavowed. 'f he Petition was then ordered to lie printed. Mr. COKE said he held in his hand • Paition, signed by the Archdeacon anel 50 Cl. rgysiteli of the Established Church resident within the diocese of Norwich, in support of the Ca tholic Claims. He cordially agreed wish the prayer of the Petition, nod he felt proud of representios so collehleB44l a body of men as Ilse petitioners; he felt also the greatest plea. sure :et th e prospect that stow upeurit of success to the mea sure,frunt the consideratiou of the great satisfaction it would give to one of the brat mei, ill the world ; Ice alluded to the Bishop of Norwich, who had always been a steady le iesid to the measure, and 'would live to see Isis labours and his seal crownrd nithsurreas. Mr. WODEHIJUSE said, it had heel' his duty hi present to the Honor • "Petitiou from 250 Clergymen, of the same (Forma of Norwich, against the claims of the Catholics. He regretted, that the term bigotry had been used on either side, and hoped the question would be discussed with couluesa and liberality. The Petition was then brought up, read, and ordered to be whited. Lord PALMERSTON presented a Petition from the DM . vermiy of Cambridge against the Bills fur the relief of the Catholics. The Noble Lord stated fully the sentiments and obj , els of the Petifiosiers, which, he amid, ice was induced to th., as lie had the unisefortrtur to direr from theist iu opi aiun, and so far from thinking the measure would he pro ductive of any dancer, he considered that time day ens which the Royal Assent should be given to the Bills would be one of the most auspicious clays the country bad ever seen.— (near, hear )—lle utn,lll to state, what was the fact, that the Pe lit ion was m,t inirsi;snatii:y carried, though undoubt edly it was the seutimect, of a majority. Mr. SMITH sued, the Petition was any thing blot unani mous'; there was, ent , the contrary, a large minority is both houses ofeenveention. As to the measure before the Meuse, he was himself favourable to the principle. Lord SOMERSET priiiriated a Petitiou from the Clergy of the Deanery of Stew', in Gloucestershire, against the Bills fur the relief of the Catholics. Mr. C. GRANT !Dimmed a Petition in favour of the claims; but the name of the place could nut be heard in the Gallery. They were both ordered to lie on the table and lie printed. Sir E. ENATCIIIBULL presented a Petitiun in favour of the Koolau Catholic Clatuis.—Ordelett to lie us the table and be priutitl. Mr. M. FITZGERALD presented a Petition from Tea lee, in (Irons of the Catholic Claium—Ordeted to he on the table and be priiittil. CATtIOLIC CLAIMS. On the Order of the Day fo► the second reading of the Bill for the relief of the Roman Call:dice, Mr. PLUNKETT rose stud said, he meant not to trespass for any length of time on the attention of the House. Since the resolution of the House he had been gratified at leariiing from that part of the country with which lie was brat uequainted, that the proposed measure had met with approbation more universal than his most a auguine expectation had led hiw to look for. 'Flue Him. Member for So mersetshire had done him great injustice, if he had imagined that lie had euterteilied the chitne ►ical notion of givinz satisfaction to every one. IVith a certaiu class of opposerahe had not a single idea in common ; hit cordld not agree with them in every thing ; they lived iu a heritage of their own, oil which he ►houlcl not encroach ; when they found the measure would not interfere with any one of their comforts, that the Protestant Ascendancy was ►till ►afe, they would rise in the morning perfectly cheerful and happy. %Vitt) re gard to the appellutiou of big-t, he appealed to the House whether any individual bad been less lavish than himself its the use of such terms. To the errors or prejudices of Pretestasits, with whom he happened to differ in opinion, he was conscious the greate►t respect of deference were owing. The prejudices and errors might be on his side--and lie declared, on the word of r Gentleman, he should be ready to yield the moment he should be con victed of mistake. On the part of himself and the persons with whom he bed acted, he de clared they had proceeded with the most anxious deference to die Plutestants—not only looking to real dangers, but to their apprehensions of danger. They had referred to the prejudices and feelings of both the Protestant and Catholic, and had endeavoured to reconcile both to the common goad ; and. shove all. they had made it a principle that uothitig should be yielded which wes really urce-sire for eecuricg the P►otestant estabbslusent, and that ecilmig should be withheld VP,P•WIPTIriWrr7I,4 which was necessary tor securing tsie tree exercise of his religion to the Roman Catholic. That dis position of the people of England, so favourable to the measure which the Hou. Member for Somerset shire called apathy, he considered as the coolness of reflection, they were desirous that justice should be done, and were disposed to leave to the wisdom and discretion of the House the mode in which it was to be effected. He thought he was bound in the first instance to set himself right with the House as to something which fell from him when he had before adlressed them. He had then asserted that 'dons:ion to fraischises and offices of State was the right of the Roman Catholic, and he also asserted that exclusion was spinet the principles of the Bri tish Constitution :he would re-assert it. In the same sense that the Protestant claimed the eligi bility to office as rights, so also did the Roman Ca thuhC but he had never *rid that those rights were not to be controlled by necessity or the exigencies of the State. Shew any expediency or danger, and the Roman Catholic must yield as well as the Protestant ; but if the rights existed in one case so also they did in the other. Where did the Pro testant find his right to vote or sit in Parliament— tit what charter was it contained ? He knew not how he derived his title, except in the first elements of the British Constitution. How did he apply this to the argument ? Thus: the Roman Catholic complains that by a certain Act of Charles li. he was excluded from certain rights; he acknowledged the authority of the Act, but he said it was foutid ed on tin accidental circumstance; it was meant as a substitute for a Bill of Exclusion; but the Throne now being filled by a Protestant Prince, and the danger being gone, restrictions and exclusious ought to cease also. If any danger sloes now exist, it ought to be shewn by those who advocate the other side of the question ; but true it is that the danger is ?one, and the Roman Catholic denies (the danger being gone) that there exists any constitutional ground fur excluding him.— As to the question of Protestant Dissenters, which was much discussed on ■ former night, he should soy, that if no danger existed to shut out the Ro man Catholic, he was entitled to admission. If the danger of shutting him out were great, and the danger of admitting the Protestant Disseut• r were smell, then on the ground of expediency he could not be kept out. As to the edutission of the Protestant Dissenters, when the qUebtiUll arose, it must be discussed on its own grounds. lit order to chew that the question of die Dissenters and the Rumen Catholics were perfteily distinct, he would phew what was the•state of that question in Ireland. There the Protestant Dissenter was not subject to any test,,istid had not been so fur 40 years. In 1780 au Act of Parliament passed relieving him from the operation of the Test Act. With respect to the Raman Catholic, he was excluded; so that in Ireland the admission of the Protestant Dis senter had *not involved the admission of the . Roman Catholic, and the adinisviou of the latter would not, therefore, necessarily in volve the admission of the Dissenters in this eosin ' try. The words of the Act of 1780 were precise 'mid &fluke, and stated that the Protestant Die.- *Peter should not be hound by the sacramental test. In 1793 au Act passed to relieve the Ronson Catho lic, and it was enacted that he should not be subject toasty ether distrodificettun than the Prote - stent• were liable In. What then occurred? It was argued that the Act of 1780 had relieved the Protestant Dissen ters, but had left the Protestants subject to the test, and therefore the Catholic must he still subject to That was the argument, and a Bill we totroduvect into the I risli H rinse of Commons to explain, and declaring that all Protestants were exempted, which would have left th e th e Etonian Catholic free. The Bill went up to the House of Lord., and was read three times in one day, but the little word " not" was introduc ed before the affirmative proposition, and so amend ed it came down to the House of Commons, who passed it unattiniceisly.—(4 lough.) — That was the manner in which the Roman Catholic in Ire land was kept subject to tire sacramental test, and thus what was ititendt d for justice was prevented front taking place by the track and managetneat of those whore interest it was to pievent the measure being operative. The Bill now before the House , comprised two distinct objects: That which re guided the declaration against Transubstantiation, cud the alteration of the Oath of Supremacy.— Oa the first head he never set met with any our, either clergyman or layman, who contended for the propriety of retaining the declaration, which was equally injurious to Christianity as to the coun try. That declaration confined theta to two tenets, but that was Italy a small portion of the differ ence between the Catholic and the Protestant, and should any change of sentiment take place in the Catholics on that head, there would still re main the doctrines of Purgatory and ouriculer con fi.seion. The measure was imperfect as a preventive from Papists getting into that House, as a Papist might comply with the Act, and afterwards declare himself to have dotieso for expediency. At to the oath of supremacy, he was curl,' ised to have heard it said to be iticoovistent with the Catholic religion, because, anterior to tire Reforitial ion the exclusion of foreign interference was perfectly complete. In the time of Henry VIII. a man might be excommuoicatsd for takiug the 'Mb of supremacy, and Limit for denyiug transobstentiatiots. But even in the time of Philip and Mary, the first Act contained a savi ng clause of all Acts prior to the time of Ilenry VIII. As he had conformed, in a great measure, to the admonitjon of Qestieu Elizabeth, lie would detain the House • few minutes in reading over that ad monition. It stated, that as many or her Alaje-ty's Roman Catholic subjects had objected to taking the oath of supremacy, supposing it to contain all acknowledgment of her Majesty's power and pre rogative in spit itual matters, which could not con scientiously be yielded by them in consistence with the duty which they owed to the supreme (lead of the Church in what appertained to matters of reli gious belief, her Majesty would be contented to accept the taking of the oath, with an understand ing that nothing contained in it should be con strued to have rely other intent, or to impose any other bond, than such a pledge of allegiance as might be reasonably required of all subjects, and such as had been ackuowleged to be doe to the rovereignty.of the realms in the reign of her royal father, Henry VIII. nod of her most noble and royal brother, Edward VI.; end dust her Majesty forbad all her subjects ftoso giving credit to those persons who should caution their fellow-subjects I rot to believe in the sincerity or her intentions, thus openly declared, touching the interpretation of that said oath of supremacy. As her Majesty peremptorily disclaimed and denied the posatesoon of any authority in the church, other than had been possessed for centuries. by the Sovereigns of the kingdom, and she never would nor did challenge any other superiority or power in reclesiastical affairs than that which was rendered to Homy VIII. and Edward Vi., which was and had been of uocient time held to be due to the Imperial Corals of these realms; that was, to have sovereign rule and au thority over all subjects wheresoever burn within his Majesty's dominions. The admonition (attic!) the Ri g ht Honourable and Learned Gentleman went on reading) also stated her Majesty's claim to so much power iii the ecclesiastical parts of her government and kitigdom as should frustrate the assumptions ofany foreigim (rower to hold any domi nion over her'subjects, which could be construed to weaken her clams of allegiance to bur throne, and obedience to the constituted authorities of the realm. Beyond this her llajesty exacted no proofs of submission, and would consent to accept the oath of supremacy, these conditions being comptind with such meaning as the persons taking it might choose to affix to the import of the words of the said oath. The terms of this admonition were adopted in the 5h of Elizabeth. These terms, he need hardly sat, were hostile to the interpre tation which the Right Reverend Vicar of the Alit,. land District chose to pet loam that oath; but he confided in the good sense of 11. e Iletise Gar adopt ing the conciliatory spirit of those limes. Ile would take the liberty, t:.ough iie feared Iw:4lolll.lls tigue the patience of :he I to read the exiikt:i I lion given by Bishop But het or the oath, the admoiii firm, and the Act with attic!, the adinunUioli was iticurporated. The words of that leateed and vir tuous Prelate were, " fly Cie Queen's care !o take army all words of reproach, and to ex p 1 nit the 0..1, of supremacy, not only by taking awry all ambiguity in the words tnemselvese but calling on all her Catholic subjects to explain the sense of the oath as it regarded her spiritual atrthosity in such manlier as to their minds should seem latst, the-leis) did the great inlideration of her reign appear." Such was the understaialing of the Go% eriiment of those times with respect to :he oath of supremacy'. From this it was manifest that the scheme of the liefue motion was a scheme ofcompreliensioii, l:ut the mo dern doctrines were a scheme of iarrowlit,s and leas. clusani.—[The Right Doteand Learned Gesitletnati read Oil to the end of the passage, tracing the rise and progress of the religious heats and dissentious of the tones of Bishop Burnet, from the failure of these gracious endeavious on the part of , Queen Elizabeth's Government, to the machine twos of some of the Roman Catholic Clergy in St.. Omer's, who bad at length succeeded in esta blishing a popish party in the kingdom), *Welt had tip to that tim e (the t ime i n * hi c k thslieua tiornet wrote) kept the kingdom in almost constant torn motion.) This was the state of things in the reign of Elizabeth, and these circumstances Would be sufficient to exPlam the pobey df that reign. Pe would next read the explanation of 'the oath tit. su premary, as it was contained in the 37th article of the Church of England "The King's Majesty is the chief power in these leashns.uuder whom it field the chief government of all the estates iu the resin), ecclesiastical or civil, so as that none holding place or authority therein shall be held subject to any foreign jurisdictiou," &c. " When we attribute supremacy to the King's Majesty it is not in a spiritual sense, as having power over matters of religious belief or opittion, but only as a pretoga ties given to all Princes by God himself to govern all the estates of his realiu with righteousucas and justice tinder God, and to restrain all evil deers," &c. These were the terms of the articles of the Church of England, and they were consonant w ith the admonition. These were the terms, therefore, with a view to which the explanation of the oath contained in the Bill hail been framed. flis first Bill enacted, that " Whereas by certain Acts passed in the Parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland, the oaths of allegiance and supremacy therein provided are required :o he token for certain purposes therein mentioned, arid the said oath of supremacy is expressed is the 1 . 011 , 1Wi11 , WOrliS :" [Here follows the recital of the oat O.] —The lb II weld un—" And whereas his Majesty's Homan Catholic. subjectsiu Great Britain and Ireland hare been at all times ready and desirous to take the said oath of allegiance in common with his Majesty's other sub ject.. but entertain scruples with respect to taking the oath of supremacy, so far as the some might be construed to import a disclaimer of the spiritual authority of the Pope or Church of Rome, in matters of religious belief; and whereas it ap pears from the admooition annexed to the in junctions of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, pub lished in the first year of her Majesty's reign, and sanctioned by the y ear panted in the 5.1 a of her reign, entitled ' Au Act for the assurance of the Queen's regal powers over all estates and subject* within her dominions,' that such disclaimer was origi nally meant only to extend to any such acknow ledgment of foreign juriolictioti, power. supe riority, pre-eminence or authority, as is or should be incompatible with the civil duty and obedience due to her Majesty said successors from all her subjects, both as to the jurisdiction of her Court., end the maintenance of her authority in 01l the estates of her realm, civil and ecclesiastical. Alit' whereas a legislative explanation to that tit: ct may therefore be properly and safely given and de clared ; hlay it please your hlejesty," end tl ea followed the enactment.. The !lilt had brew trained with a due regard to the-moist remote appreliensiens of future danger to the establishments of the coun try. lie and his friends who had framed the Bill had adopted the form of words which he hail just read. They did not insist on the absolute pro priety of the terms. If the Bill was suffered to go into a Committee, the terms of it would be a pro per subject fur deliberution. If any person could submit a better form of words, or one which would more satisfactorily tie the boundaries of civil authority, while it left the spiritual liber ties and tights of conscience belonging to the Catholic part of bra Majesty's subjects unmo lested, there would be ample opportunity fur so doing in the Committee ; any such proposition would be entitled to full consideration. All he asked of the House was, not to look at the subject with the eyes of metaphysician., of casuist., or of c ritics, in order to find out if, by itostibility, a case • could occur in remote rulthily which Ironid be likely to render the adovtion of this measure dangerous to the Constitution or any of the esta blishment. Let them try it by the comtuon-erose priiiript; of how fur the rights of conscience, with reopect to matter. of religious belief, miLht be ac commodated, with Out incurring thinger to Ai said ecclesiastical authority of the Crown. He went on to desci ibe the dimwit of the Bill, adopting the recite!, wrist on to lhe'etaiiiigiatiou of the oath* against trenrohstnatiation. " And whereas by other Acts of the said la;;liisinisitia,iie. lain other oaths and declarations, ruinously eathatirte and declaration semisoft Transubstantiation, as OM oath and d,claration aganist Traissuhsiaossiatiusa sad Popery, nuol avini4 the belief of Trausubaismiation, the (sioestsou., the Virgin Mary or other Saiulr, and the focrifice o f Mass, as need in the Church of Rowe, are roluircol ,to 1 c lakes as qualifications for the sa t in ) ment of ei-n4ip Ram franchisee, and civil rights. And oh 0 Ott aagl last. ibentioried oaths and &thirstier:a relate solely to mantra of opinion' and rtligi o ns belief, *ad do nut in 'is, wise late tai, alfces; or interfere wish the stlegiance or civil duty of hos Majesty's subjects, and may therefore property and wkly be abrogated. Be it therefore farthertmelett abtf derioreol, That such parts of the Acts b.r.ia her oi c meth (boned, as require any deciarstioa or deciaratioas to b~ nisei saltiest Trausub.iantiation, or the biota:anon of the Virgin Mary or any wiser Saiut, sir the i•nerihr:e of the Maw, be, and she sa me see hereby absoutuorly reps-sled, sod s w ell (belts-mica's shall au loupe hr ten.kred or rrqudred to he wade by virtue or is 'Aeration of the solid Acts, or any of okras." He slated some verbal alterations which he meant to pronto in thin and the socreerling rinser+ a And he it further enacted amd declared, that from and after the s other (1411116 shell be tendered to, or required to be taken by his Mejeatly's. Roman Catholic Sub jects within the duntioions of lon Majesty, for enabling them to tale, hold, or eojuy any civil right, or any real or personal prow rty, thaw ran be tendered to, or retrireil to be lake* by, his Majesty's other subjects within his said duutipitess." The House wee aware that by an Act of the hag reign Catholics were enabled to eucceed to landed pooperty from which they lied been .disisti . led :by Acts existing previously, which Acts disabled theist by name fair being Papist.. They *ere centred om throe disabilities, but still it wow hot tkeeet4 wry for them to take the Oaths of Alletiadife inn Supremacy to succeed to tattled propetly. There ass got oath preicribed by the Act which mum'. ed these disabilitim If he work' rellirl upout to frame •ei Act of Paeliament, and left fate as to 1114 Mout- Mous of it, be wuh:d nut dictate any oaths ienling to eels blush distinctions, uhi t h h e ionsielesed tiselers if sot oa t . thou.. But be was, of course, to be booted by ratasiderationa as to what *mild be most acceptable to tae House. He would out say that all the Catholics afield at once be in duced to lake the oath of supremacy, weih the ereplaustion to be gesso to it by this Bill. Some Might be inclined lie suppose that this explatiation would not be neeirat as a ge neral understanding, or that the oath so to be taken with such meaning, in the mind of the party t-ltriig U, ..1 might bear avec with his cuusciertiw r belief of the miespretatioa of it, in respect to matters of religious belt. 1, would at Se sufficieat to relieve him froot the disaliilitte4 to which he was subjected ; he had therefore pre pared am additnenal clause, which, after eneeting that any prrsuo, being a Roman Celina he, and beeps desirous to later the said oetkoralleg twice sad supremacy, shall repair to tiny of the Cou:la of Westmioeter,. or of Ireland, or any other Cuerts is Scotland, or other Coatis or places of juri.dictiws is the several parts and divisions of his Majesty's dominions, es *twill, d in the warding of die clause, to fake, mike, and subscribe to the said oath, between the hours of nine in Me ,moraing and two ia the afternoon, sad shall ilo4e take and subscribe to the oath, or make Ins mark, if unable to write, the said sulk,cription being then to he placed on the records of the Court. The clatise went on to declare that it shall and may be lawful for any such persona taking and vabscribing the said oaths, to remit.* of the officer of the Cutest tendering the said ortthe, that the Mid Sitiplaoatioo of the oaths should be rued to him ere viously to bin takitie, making, and subscribing to the said oath, and the said officer bring so requited to' end the explanation, should be bound (a read It accordlaely. The oath of su premacy had LW been taken by any Catholic Mace the pa , s• hog of the 30th Charles 11. It mesh/ strike at Sr. of the Catholics, who would be willing In take the milk, with this explanation, that their taking at at this gewsole period, might require justification; but the oath need only be rakehe by those who were incline-A to adopt it, with this explsaa tion, whit I left their consciences at l.be,ty. It wou!d, oat deed, strike the minda of I re •pettabte Members, whose dread of she mischiefs likely to gestalt from this measure, he was anxiona, as far as possible, to con sult, that there was a Vet, effectu•l oath already ap pointed to be taken by the Catholics of Ireland. He did nut like any division or seyalatiou of the oaths, because they created improper distinctions. He had, there fore, from cousidering the character of that oath, eudea vain ed to make the oath of allegiance and supremacy, by his BM, as effectual as possible to the Catholics, autl at test as effectual to them as to the Protestants. He was ready to yield uu any of the poems which be ha.' captained to the !Luise, to the suggestiuna of Honoarnb:* Menibers alien the Bill should go to the Committee. He !red endeavoured to describe to the Ileetv.:e the endure of the explanation contained in his Bill, and to point oat the ',ob jects which be and his Hon. Friends htvl in view io framing it. The next consideration was as to the exceptions mintaiii rd in the Hill relative Pi particular of f ice.. These wire, the office of Lord High Chaverllor, Lord Keepre of the Privy S ...k, Lord Commisaioner of the Great Seal, Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, or Chief Governor or Governors of Irelauel. 41,,y other exceptions which might be dee med advisable could be added in the Committee. The reason why he thought the exceptions write far enough was this—that Las fit to he excepted would in the working of mats male their lawn exceptions—the securities fur shift were •licitly provided in the power of the Colima sad the good sense of the country. This they might be certain or, that the Crodu would mate tbeek of up/minting a Catholic Prime Minister, except his koowo menus suit superior W. leots would render it a circutusiauee of regret to the country that he should be excluded (row the opportunity ef serviog his country. Adverting io the argumeet of Mr. Peel, that Catholic Lawyer. ought to be excluded from the Beath, bream..., thought they should do justice in the fairest and must emescientions onStiner in which it could be shre, that yet the Protestant mind would not be easy out ilia subject of sock demises, lee confessed, with all glue respect fur the Right Hon. Gentleman, that the argument seemed to Lim to want weight. Would the Right Hen. Gentleman candidly consider the consequences to which his own argameat would deice him? Did it not ran to this If the Catholic Judge, milling out the bench with Protestant Judges, who could control and rectify has decisions, artsahl not be able to justify the minds of Protestant suitors, what tight had they to rapcet that, with the exclusion of Ca tholics, and the total impossibility of any Catholic dodge being admitted to the Bemis, as heretofore, that Catholic suitors should be satiafied with the decisions of Ptiatestant Judges? He was satisfied that the seats of justice were fill ed by men of as groat virtue and wisdom as could be select ed ; and he was also certain that the Catholie subjects of Les Majesty had the stoat perfect coofideoce is the (corral administration of justice. He could not suppose that there would be less confidence iu the Protestant mind than the Catholics possessed as to the purity of the jurisdiction of the country. lie concluded this branch of his subject by detailing the remaining provisions of the Bell as to the Uuiverselin and their offices, from which Catholics are altogether excluded, and after stating the liabilities of Catholics to be tile same as those of Protestants, and to be like the latter, removable by the An nual Indemnity Hill, he proceeded to the consideration of the second Bill for the regulation of the intercourse of persons in Holy Orders with the See of Rums. He would first maintain that there was no existing iurouvenience which could be stated to have arisen from that intercourse. He would be bold enough to say that although that IR,