The Sun. — London, England, 1819-04-21 00:00:00

PROTESTANT UNION. At ft MEETING tit THE PROTESTANT UNION (ormed 22d januarv. 1813, uuuer the Auspices of the IRte venerable GRANVILLE SHARP, Esq fur tie Defence earl Support ut he PROTESTANT RELIGIoN mid "rHE BRITISH CON,TITUTIoN AS est Ahkhed tit the GLOHitUS IiEvOLUTIoN 1688), held at the LONDON TAVERN, 170 t Aril, 1819, STEPHEN CATTLEY, Esq. in the ChAr ; IT WAi II EsoLvEn. 1. That Roman Catholics of England and Ireland have a n;)imnced a deturniinati on 1 o revive, with renewed activity and vigour, their demandi for Political Power,—dentltids which hare been repeatedly resisted by both Houses of Parliament, —it behaves every Protestant Subject of the British Empire to consider,witb:erioui. attention, a Question which affects at once both our Civil and Religious Liberiies. 2. That its the existing Laws adord to the Rowan Catholic!, in common with their leilow-subjects, protection in person an•l property, and the entire toleration of their• reli;ions wor --s!);:), tl.rii nianiic it 4.4j..Ct is to obtain Po!itlcal Power; arid, ftv, 11, t i e ioos 1 1111 prOeeet:lllgS, We Cannot t:aolpt Heat, whatever may he granted, nothing short. of an 'a Politlcat Power, without limitation' or restraint, ilt satisfy thou,. !a marking the progressive demands of the Roman Catholics, we observe that they began some years -ao with claiming immunities merely provincial, and con fiord to Ireland ; but they, now insist on the right to an un limited share in the Government of the whole British Em pire. They require a Political Power which is to affect not Ireland only, but the AdmiOistratimi, at home, of the whole domestic affairs of the 17nitud Kingdom, and abroad in its fo reign relations, and in all its immense Colonies: 3. That,t he Protestant Religion is the great security of the. ptlblie happiness and welfare of this Country ; for, as our ci vil and religions liberties have originated' in, and been pre-. served be, a Protestant Constitution, it -appears to its that those invaluable blessings will flourish with -its prosperity, and decline with its decay. 4. That the Brit:sh Constitution and Government are es sent:ally and fundamrntally Protestant; and by a Solemn National Compact, at the period of the glorious Revolution, it was declared inconsistent with the safety and welfare of this Protestant Kingdom, that it should he governed by a Popinh Prince, or by any King. or (Intern marry ing- a Papist, and that all and every persons and per sons that should he reconciled to, or hold communion with, the Ste or Church of Rome, or should profess the Popish Beligion, or should marry a Pavist, should he excluded, and be for ever incapable to inherit and enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm; and in all such cases the people of these Realms should be absolved of their allegiance, and the Crown and Government descend to the mixt'petson in succession, being- a Protestant! also by the Acts of Settle ment, which have so happily secured the Crown of these Realms to his Majesty and t►is august Family, it. is declared that the succession of the Crown in the Protestant Line is for the Happiness of the Nation, and the Security of our Religion; and that on the maintenance of these Acts " the Safety of his Majesty's Person and Government—the Conti nuance of the Mona' ely of England—the preservation of the Protestant Ruligion—the Maintenance of the Church of England as by law established—the Security of the ancient and undoubted Rights and Liberties of the future Peace and Tranquillity of this Kingdom,--edo (under God) entirely depend." 5. That by the Coronation Oath, settled by tine National Compact entered into at the Revolution for establishing the Crown on a Protestant basis, the Kings and Queens of this Kingdom solemnly. engage, " that they will to the utmost of their power maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law; and will preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of this Realm, and to the Churches committed to their charge, all such Rights and Privileges as by Law do or-shall appertain unto them, or any of then) :" and we entirely concur in the interpretatiom of that Oath by our venerable and bfloved vrreigir, when he considered that it prohibited his acquiesc ing, in measures for giving Political Power to his Roman Ca tholic Subjects; although he had, with the benignity belong ing to hjs character, sanctioned the Repeal of those Penal Laws regarding the Roman Catholics which affected the ex ercise of their Religion and.the enjoyment of their Property. 6. That the two Houses of Parliament, as well as the Privy Council, and the Great Offices of State, are inseparably con nected with, and influence the ;little Administration of the Government; and that a measure which should have for its object the introduction of Rowan Catholics into the great Councils of the Nation, if not contrary to the letter of the Bill of Rights, would be manifestly so to its. spirit ; as it would be subversive of the great leading principle upon which the Government of this Realm was. settled at the Re volution. We therefore are of opinion, that it is necessary to exclude RoumnCatholics (their principles haring under gone no alteration since the/Revolution) from all Offices of Legislative and High, Political Power. • 7. That rendering Roman Catholics eligible to be Privy Counsellors, is to create the means of surrounding, the Sore reign himself with Ministers of State whose Religion must be hostile to his own right of succession to the Throne; and by investing them with a Legislative capacity, the means are provided at giving them, if not a• Majority, such a consider able Party in Parliament, as, under some circumstances, would render it impossible to res'st their measures, and might ekdanger the Interests of the Esrauttsuen Ciluacti as well ac other estitriaiile Institutions of the Country, and those Eights cod Liberties. both CiOl and Religious, which Pro testants hold 8. That, although the Roman Catholics did not constitute a majority of either House of Parliament, when, by the Sta tute, they were excluded therefrom, yet that measure was declared to he necessary " for the safety of his Majesty's royal person and government ;" and they were rendered in eligible to sit in Parliament, " forasmuch as divers good laws had been made for presenting the increase and danger of Popery in this kingdom, which had not had the desired effect by reason of the free access which Popish Recusants Lad bad to his Majesty's Court. and by reason of the liberty which of -late some of the Recusants had taken to sit and vote in Parliament." 9. That as the administration of the laws greatly affects both i . he tights and property of the Church of England, as well as the civil and religious liberties of others not within Arr pale, and considering the avowed intolerant principles of the Roman Catholics with regard to those who differ from them in matters of religion, we do - not think it would be compatible with the existence of those rights and liberties to t atrial their interpretation toltuthau Catholic Judges, whose ranvt necessarily 1)1., i n fluenced in some. drorce their peculiar views and opinions. 10. That as the admission of the Roman Catholics to le gisloi ice power, and to those otlicei which guide the state, could not he granted without great danger, neither would the plan which its advocates proposed in the last Parliament hare the desired effect of conciliating and allaying the cla mours of the Roman Catholics. Those advocates proposed to guard their measures by restrictions ; the Roman Catho lics profess themselves insulted by the suspicions implied in those restrictions. The sarrie reasoning is now applied as was first used, when a relaxation of the Penal Laws, and oti,er advantages, were prayed ; and notwithstanding the Se cretary of State for Ireland . declared, when the Elective Franchise was granted in 1793, that the concessions then made would satisfy every rational Catholic in the kingdom, and that nothing further could he granted with safety to the Protestant Establishment, we have seen all concessions ge-. nerate at once fresh demands, nail supply the arguments as well as additional means for obtaining them. We therefore apprehend that the measnre, with all its guards, will not sa tisfy the Roman Catholics; but while it will invade the most valuable and sacred Wirt of the British Constitution, it will place ;n their hands a power which will ultimately subvert the foundation of our Monarchy. 11. That with regard to Ireland, we can see no practical advantage to be derived to the great mass of her population by complying with the demands of the Roman Catholics : on the contrary, the avenues to political power being open to the Roman Catholics, the lower and middling classes of the Irish would become more completely the ins'ruments of their Priesthood, and of others, 'in opposing Protestant iiherties and interests; and we entertain bet little doubt that the measure eentemplated would at no distant period encourage an attack upon the revenues of our Protestant Church Esta blishment, and perhaps wholly subvert the Church itself in that part of the United Kingdom. And though s* is secured by the Art of IThion, yet, if the Great National Compact formed at the Revolution is not to !ac held inviolable, it may be justly apprehended that the Act of Union will scarcely af ford a sufficient protection. 12. That we do not consider the Guards and Oaths which have been proposed, an adequate protection against the dan gers attendant upon the admission of Roman Catholics to the power they seek—it being a notorious fact, that the Sovereign Pontiff, so lately as the year 1809, by a solemn instruction ,to the Prelates of his Church, commanded then) to distingnish between the passive oaths which may be taken, and the active oaths which may not be taken by the Roman Catholics of any heretical state ; and declare d , hat all oaths taken to the pre judice of the Church are null and void. 13. That at this period the Church of England in particu lar, and all classes of Protestants, are called upon to watch with great jealousy the progress and designs of their avowed opponents. The Order, of Jesuits, which in 1773 was pro scribed by all the Princes of Christendom for its baneful in fluence upon mankind, under every Government, has been recently revived and brought into activity by the present Pope. In addition to the Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, and almost every other monastic order at present within the United Kingdom, the Jesuits have an exceedingly rich and extensive establishment at Stonyhorst, in the heart of Eng land, as well as others in Ireland : these, in full operation through all their extensive ramifications, are atone sufficient to awaken our attention, and are only a few of the various engines at work for extending those principles which, both in Religion and Politics, arc ever hostile to a Protestant Govern ment. Different pails of Europe f u rnish proofs of an active revival of the dormant spirit of Popery muter tls‘ - ;lnetion of the present Pontiff, in bringing into strong exercise those te nets which mark its intolerance and its hostility to the Sacred Scriptures and to Religions Toleration, while the re-esta blishment of the Inquisition spews that the Church of Rome is not inclined to relinquish any of its instruments and means, boss - ever odious. All these circumstances furnish aVitional reasons for refusing, to Roman Catholics political power in this i,ingdom—the peculiar depository of the purest princi ples of religion, morality, and government, and which, if once destroyed or debased by Intolerance and Superstition, would subvert the power (as it would the spirit and happi ness) of this immense Empire. 14. That a disagreement in opinion amongst the Members of the Privy Council, with regard to the great fundamental principles of the Revolution, is detrimental at once to the Prince and to the People; and the inconvenience:* which have resulted from that disCurdanee in the successive cabinets, with regard to the.admission of Roman Catholics to a share in the National Councils and Government of this Protestant State, is sufficiently apparent. ' But if the inconvenience be chvions in the present state of things, what will' he the state of the Cabinet and of the Country, of the Prince and of the People, if men be introduced into our National Councils, who cannot, in conscience and in honour, agree to a policy predominantly Protestant ? As we deprecate such an event, so we lament that the Prince Regent is at present embarrassed with some Counsellors, whose declared opinions encourage the Claims of the Roman Catholics, keep alive their discontent; and are, in our estimation, inconsistent with the true interests of the Crown,. the rights of the Established Church, and the reli gious and civil privileges of the great bulk of the People of this Kingdom. STEPHEN CATTLEY, Chairman. The Chairman having left the chair, it was resolved, That the cordial Thanks of this Meeting be given tO'STEPHEN, CATTLEY J ESq. for his im paitiality and ability in the Chair, and for his sedulous attention to ;be object of this Society. CITY Bustt4r.ss.—A Court of Aldermen was yesterday held at Guildhall, by the LOAD MAYOR. A Vote of Thanks was unanimously agreed to be pre.t nted to the Lotd Bishop of Oxford, and to the Right Honourable and Reverend Lord Aston, for the. Spital Sermons preached by them at Christ Church, Newgate-street, on Monday and Tuesday in Easter Week last.—Several bars of gold, weighing about 1280 ounces, were pro duced and sworn off for exportation.—The half yea: 1y account ot. the produce of the Orphan Fund was presented by the Chamberlain, when the Court ordered the annihilation of 10,8001. Orphan Stock, and tickets to that amount were drawn out of the wheel, -and the Chamberlain was directed to give the regular notice to the parties interested, agreeably to the provisions of the Act of Parliament in that behalf.- The flourishing state of the Abbey Savings Bank, in Shrewsbury, has enabled the Directors to divide a bonus of one per cent. among the de pobitors,, in addition to the legal interest. The depositors are 483 in number, and the amount of sums deposited 11,0361.65. sd. THE SUN. SOLEM QUIS DICEKE FA F,SUM AUDEAT LONDON, trEDNESDAr, APRIL 21, 1819. Charleston Papers, four days later than the last arrival, tVeri received this morning. INTERESTING FROM WASHINGTON.—We are in debted to our friends at Washing!on for the fol lowing political news ; the views which they fur nish of the late Treaty with Spain are interesting, and will only give you the outline of the Treaty with Spain : 1. The Floridas are ceded in Poll. to the United States. The cession includes all the Territory of Spain East of the Mississippi River, ‘l,ith the ad jacent Islands dependent on the PioVinces. 2. The Western Boundary commences at the Mouth of the Sabine River, continues North along the Western bank of the said river to the 2211 degree of latitude ; thence, by a line due North, until it intersects the Rio Roxo, or Red River ; thence along the river Rio Roxo, Westward, to the 100th degree of longitude West from London, 811(1'32 from Washington ; thence, by a line due North to the river Arihanas, to its source in latitinle 42 ; thence, on that parallel of latitude, to the South Sea. The last map of Me- Lisa, improved to the first of January, 1318, is referred to in the Treaty for the line, and you will have no difficulty in tracing it. 3. The 24th J4111131y, 1818, is selected for re gulating the validity of Grants by Spanish autho rity ; all before that day are declared valid by the Treaty, all subsequent to that day are void. 4. The United States and Spain motual!y relin quish all claims for injuries, either national or private, prior to the signing the Treaty. 5. The United States assume payment to their own Citizens of claims to the amount of 85,000,000 ; dollars, to be ascertained by Com missioners appointed by the President. 6. The old Treaty of Limits and Navigation to continue in force, except so far as changed by the provisions of the present Treaty. 7. A preference is given to Spanish vessels, to the exclusion of those of other nations, ill the Ports of ►'ensacola and Augustine, for 12, years. This is an outline of the Treaty ; it will not be printed in form until after the exchange of ratifi cations. It passed' the Senate by an unanimous vote, and a Resolution was agreed to, allowing the substance to be given, The Paris Papers of Sunday last, which were due this morning, have. not come to hand. The French Legislators, if so they may be styled, in their discussions respecting the Liberty of the Press, have whimsically connected with that subject an article (sth) relating to the punishment of those who may malignantly offer insults to the Ensigns of RoyalAnthority,by defacingor removing tbern. This article, which was sanctioned by these same Legislators ,may he necessary, but is not likely to have much effect while the spirit of Jacobinistn lurks in the minds of the People. In fact, the public mind in France has been so completely revolutionized, that most probably it never can be restored to feelings and sentiments of, loyalty. The Legislators themselves seem hardly worth• of the name. They waste their time in ora:otic4 parade and frivolous discussions, and there fore, deplorable indeed must be the intellec tual and moral state of the country when no wiser and better men can be found to manage the Government of a People still agitated by the henvings of a dreadful storm, and which may be expected to break forth with all its for mer violence as soon as the present Monarch is dismissed from all Worldly eates. But, trifling as the French Legislators ere, they are formed of such materials that they m►ay be mischievous in the highest degree, when temptation is presented to theta, and therefore every other State tiltriti:d remain in a defensive polizinn, lzst ~.11t.11"se crews may again occur, which heretofore were so disastrous, so ruinous, and so horrible. THE FoNos.—A fall of one per Cent. has taken place in the Funds since the Commissioners wera served yesterday ; Consols were then at 73. Th is morning they commenced at 72i tor the Account, but from the it sales -thrown upon th e market, they fell to 71 7 6; the depression is a" tributed to the present stagnation of Commerce, arid the reports in circulation respecting a Loan' The Commissioners gave for Reduced, still were served generally by the Jobbers. The Friends of our (,resent ESTABLISHNEta rte CHURCH and STATE, and there can be no wi se ' reflecting, and honest subject in the British D'P e minions who is not a friend to that Estab lish' ment, will feel particular pleasure in reading tbe . RESOLUTIONS passed by the Members of r i ' " ° ".. PROTESTANT UNION, at their recent Meeting'' That body was originally formed under the a u " spices of the l a te G RANVILLE S HARP , E , q • on e ()( th‘e most amiable, benevOlent, and intellige° characters that ever adorned this or any ot her country. A more rational friend to freedom , h e '• inanity, and religion, history has never recorded' and it is with no slight degree of pleasure vre form our Readers that a biographical account c' this truly estimable tnan, and' of his meritoriou s la boors, may be expected nom his fr iend oE , floarte, Esq. a Gentleman whose characteV principles, and objects are congenial e and wi t " I : . abundantly qualified to disch a rge the ' o ffice wi t " honour to himself and to the subject. At the Me et ' ing of THE PRoTEsTANT UNION on the 17th inst. the RESOLUTIONS which passed cfearly P rav‘ that this re.pectable body of real friends to ulcer' country and mankind act in full accordance wit the principles of their venerable Founder. r f RESOLUTIONS, indeed, speak so well for t he°. selves, and comprise with so much j u dgtu eil : ' perspicuity, knowled ge , an d comfort'', th e main points essential to a d ue e l uc id at i o n of the su ject, and so forcibly poi n t out t h e d a ngers in vie‘ r c e that no comment o r cornmendAion o ur pa r can be necessary n n th e occas i o n. The renoved at tempts of THE PAPISTS to obtain a full Wuticilt (ion in the Legisl a tiv e A u th or i t y of the Sta te, render it an imperative duty on all friends t" :heir country to adopt every measur e tl ' t 1 111 .;: be deemed necess ar y i n or d er to Ptt )tel CONSTITUTION. We therefore have this day serted the proceedings at the Meeting i n hu' re tion, and recommend them most eArtiestiy 10 I s attention of the people at large. The rA riss. r enjoy the fullest latitude for the exercise of • RELIGIOUS FAITH, and therefore all further .704 stands mast he founded solely on araarrint' ., i a desire of regaining that power which they - for me r theJ SO fatally abused, and which, sooner or la ter, would assuredly employ for the. ante dhs 4 ' ir „ i .. purposes. They o bj ec t t o p o litical disabili ties. v WV ° cause they will not be satisfied with" . ' ° - abilities; and considering that they litiv e maintained that their Religious Creed is ABLE, and THE thAD if their Clue , eh INFA l ' t ' ffies it would be madness in the British tjuv" : l , ftlg to grant any farther concessions to them' liar been, we may confidently say, the nec uli3 o his of THE ScN to devote its col u mns tO i l s ' o bj e c't• cussion of this most i m p ortant a wl We have bad communications of the nWsrl o ot . able kind from many authorised 1.00" 13 - e : ts doa ,red Church, as well as from m an y of oiden"i" 41e . h •ven e 1 Laity, which, on th a t su bj ect , , have g i • tie " cided pie-eminence. ,to our Journsi• s of mate connexion and IN DISS OLUBLE sit s it ren der CHURCH and STATE in this CooarY': other questions •inferior in importance to 0 ,1 utUr n , great foundati ft' of nor happiness, e t security, and, therefore, we shall e - Oitt inue ' 0 911' ceasingiy, to advocate the C a use of' a Pg °, c . ontra ril ASCENDANCY. As long as We have over this Paper, it shall be open 10 the t A e be il Esgi ers of- that Ascendancy, and we e'e ( 0 0, es` LUTIoNs OF THE PROTESTANT UNION c o uter i ted semial importmiee. that we shall n o t , be to insert them merely once, but 3 11 ' lt 01 rePri niaV b • as opportunity shall offer, in hope's that tliCy r Britl" circulated throughout all p a rts of fire r minions, end thereby fully limpress the y whic h subiects with a sense of the brinnine' s t 1 t beit . enjoy, and of the danger w hich they _ , i f ?Or posterity would certainly be invoiv.et ol d pei , were tig.lin to be pa r amonut the S . t ate . % iro poS Mimed to overwhelm the Country v" 11 , ) faiW• illg pomp, its net fill delusioos, its aost tiesto, and its destructive follies. 1 , 3 ,t ; T" DUKE OF YOUK.--Yeste rday the folio'i; wn 4 issued lespecting the state of t ' L f ilacfoizt) has been celled in again 1)"!'e YoRK. It will be seen that Sir 14 04 t e Itoynl Duke's health : ri‘ " WINUSOE. CASTLE , APRII. 20.-1-114 Royal tlighne- t t o Dike of York continue free from fever., and is. proceedius recovery as favourably as possible. to attend to • " lIENRYIIALFOIT. " V. MACCIRLAJOK: THEATRICAL REGISTER. Performed Last Nfzrht. TUEATRE RAVAL, Dauay-I.Ara..—Himonr. Principal Gila raclers by Mr. H. Keaible and Mts. W. West. After which, Abudab. 'cif RATITE ROYAL. CorENT:tnittw.m.—The Heart of Mid-Lo thian: Georze Robertson M 1%111 acreAdy ; NInd:!:, Mis. C. Kenitile . . 'After which, Fortutiatus and his Sons. TO CORTIESPONDENTS. BRITANNICUS, Letter IV. to-morrow; also ANTIkAPA. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT TWELVP. O ' CIATK. Bank Stock .. I Bank L. Ann. 18 15-16 13-1 G 3 per Cent. Red... . 714 a India Stockt . 220 3 per tent. C0n5....721 71', F India Bonds; 38s. 365. pr. 31 per Cent . so Exch. Bills, ed......35.-4s. pr. 4 per Cents B9 Ditto Commercial... 20s. dis. 8 per Ct. Navy Ann. 10411 a Cons. for May.....72iNh 72 103 i 104 MM ARRFVFl , —)lti'aterford, 1 Guernsey and Jersey, I Hamburg.l4. DUE—I Guernsey and Jet sey, 1 Sweden, 1 Haniburgh, 1 Holland. HUM WATER AT LONDON !MIDGE TO-MORROW. Mornimg, 4- minutes after IC.—Evening, 11 minutes after 1. t [