The Sun. — London, England, 1817-09-04 00:00:00

brat Air. Pitt, after more mature contiltleration, oud perhaps 'A ftur a more full and niore correct in formation relative to the stale of Ireland, might, in sortie degree at lea.t, change his opiniuti re specting the 'importance or the pritelicabili:y of ti.at measure, which lie once hail in ennienipla- t By practicabilit7, I ir.wi its consistency I with the safety of our established church ; a stoutlard to which :\ir. Pitt illValiably referred.— But, %vita' ever 'tr g)! he thought of this inference, it seems undeniable that a substitute for ihe pre suutt test way a matter of great difficulty, even to i\lr. Pitt ; and no one will presume to assert, that he ever hid in contemplatiou the unconditional aNd witptalitivd repeal of all disabEn4 statutes. His comprehensive genius, his almost intuitive quickness in removing obstacles, and in devising ( ,Erns, upon every subject to which human intel lect is .competent, are %ye.. known and it cannot be denied, that the proposal of a plan, effectual to the pin pose in question, and free from all danger and objection, would have b ee n bi g h t ! ) , to his honour, HS well as ti complete justification of Iris conduct. But he never did propose such a plan—and, after the time to which I allude, he never declared that he believer) such a plitt to be practicable. And who will hope to succeed where Mr. Pitt failed? Who will enforce the necessity of perseverance in a measure which Mr. Pitt abau tinned ? Who will say that that measure is indis pensable, whiCh Mr. Pitt consented not only not to bring forward, when placed in the responsible Sitt{:l6oll pt . first Minister of this country, but, if brought fOrwald trout any other quarter, to resist and oppose R e flection seems to have convinced Mr. Pitt that he hail attached more importance to the mea sure than it really deserved ; for he almost in stantly declared that he would never bring for ward. nor support, the measure, during the pre sent reign. Did this look as if he considered it as of vital importance ? Or . , if he had considered it of vital importance, and had been .couscious of possessing a plan safe and practicable, would he not, when he found his health declining, have left it .in .writing, to be hereafter adopted ? When Circumstances would permit, would he not have communicated it to some confidential friend t I will venture to affirtu that no such writing was tel such communication was made. " It is by no means a matter of surprise, that Gentlemen who favour the Popish claims should wish to avail themselves of Mr. Pat's great name ; and nq anxiety that more weight may not be given to his authority than circumstances will rea lly justify, mus t be toy apology for having en tered into these particulars. 'l a te advocates for the unconditional repeal of the disabling statutes cannot appeal to Mr. Pitt, as of this he had no idea- 7 .nor can it be said that any one specific plan of substitution, which may be proposed, would have had his approbation. The utmost which can be said is, that Mr. Pitt had once a general Pea that a plan might be devised for admitting R►►man Cati+olics to office, and. situations of trust and power, without endangering the Constitution; but there is no ground for asserting that he retain. ed this opinion till his death : and there is a moral certainty that he never did form such a plan, and that he never would have consented to the removal of these statutes, without substituting others which, in his opinion, would afford equal security for the presetvation of our civil and religious li- " Sir, I am aware that any argument, deduced from Authority, however high, is not the argu ment which can or ought to determine the ju.ig- Theist of this House. It is to the expediency or inexpediency, to the danger or security of any. mea sure, this House ought to direct its deliberative wisdom. -Before I proceed to examitie the nature -and effect of these claims, : it is natural I should wish to call the attention of the ['fme to the pre sent situation 01 the Roman Catholics of IrelaNd ; in order: to ascertain whether there be any, just foundation for those arguments, deduced trout tin alleged state of bondage and oppression, anti fur those appeals to our justice awl humanity, by which so many attempts have been made to influence our judgment. I am aware how diffi cult .it miistbe to counteract those feelings which the eloquence just exerted in their behalf cannot fail.,tak have excised in every breast ; feelitigs which, were I not convinced that the picture which has been drawn exists only in imagination, I trust I should ever cherish with delight, and avow with eagerness. " Were we to listen with impartial reli ance upon the representations of the Right Honourable Gentleman, we should be led to believe that the Roman Catholics of Ireland were, by us, condemned to drag on a miserable existence, expelled, as it were, from the bosom of their native country, struggling with all the in ventions of tyranny, and contending against all the machinations of persecution ; neither secured in their property from plunder, nor in their persons protected from outrage ; but borne down with af flictions which they cannot alleviate, and over whelmed with sorrows which they cannot avert ; in poverty, amidst surrounding affluence, which they cannot enjoy ; in slavery, amidst universal freedom, from which they are excluded ; in misery, amidst pre-eminent blessings, in which they are ( loomed not to participate. q Such is the portrait exhibited for our com miseration, and such the condition we are called upon to ameliorate. But can any one, unin fluenced by prejudice, can any one, uninfiamed by passion, for an instant, contend that the represen tat.ion is just ? On the contrary, are they not go verned by the same impartial laws, associated in the saute intetests, and members of the same com munity with their Protestant fellow-subjects ? Is Rot every encouragement afforded to their indus try, every regard paid to their•welfare, and every el:.crtion made for their happiness, equally with ourselves ? Are they not in the undisturbed pos se,ssion of their religion ? Is not their hierarchy protected, and are they not, by law, secured in the Complete observance and u nmolested celebration of all their sacred rites ? Is there not a College founded and maintained at the public expense, for the sole anti exclusive purpose of educating their yomh,.aecording to their own principles; and in stillim; into' their minds their own doctrines and t4nets l-Lave they tint even their share of poli treolitiflu.eiire ~.hv.the unqualified admission to the eite:i.,e franchise ? Iu short, though, for reasons which we shall come to presently, the higher ranks are precluded front attaining some of the most ex alted stations of power and of trust, can it be sail that the body of the Roman Cathol:es are not its the perfect enjoyment of all the accumulated blessings of our in.:Anil:tie Constitution i• " Without entering the necessity of a Church Establishment ; without arguing the duty, incornhent upon i-very Governm;:nt, to provide for its seem ; because I believe they are truths which few, it ahy, :itemisers of this House will be disposed to deny, and without 110 W considering n het her the d salinities which exist are more or less than arc essential for that pstrpiise, I will. assert, as an incontrovertible position, that no laws, enacted for the preservation of the national religion, can be oppressive, no conditions, an nexed to the profession of a different religion, can he unjust, either in a moral or ill a political point of view, provided they neither affect the freedom of the suliject, nor diminish the security of his property ; provided they exclude him front none of the comforts of social life, and impose no re straint, upon the liberty of conscience. it has been frequently said, and cannot he too often re peated, that all offices are created, not for the be nefit of individuals, but for the advantage of the : and if the majority of those whose 10-tppl- IIeSS is the object to be promoted, and whose - sen timents and principles are to direct all the civil and political yegulations, shall determine that, for certain situatious artificially crest • (I, certain qua • lifications shall be is, cessary, those who shall he disqualified can have no reasonable cause to chin plain of hardship, nor of any real grievance hey may indeed, with justice, look for puttee , ik , ts, hot they ought not to expect eonfidenee, !icing defi cient its the very foundation of coati tachment to those provisions which would tie en trusted to their care. " If, then, the Roman Catholics cannot claim these concessions as a right, is it expinietit, as an abstract question of policy, that they snoop! !ae conceded? Here a field of aiscossiou open. , t o our view, as houndlessin 1(5 extent, as it .s in its nature ; a labyrkth, tlirtiuvh %%11 , 6, rt e may travel in safety, if we will hearken to ..xperience as our guide, but in whose intricate mazes a e may continue for ever to ,%.4wier, if we stiffer Our selves to be beguiled by speculations, however plausible, or theories, however ingenious. "I would nor have trespassed, even for a mo ment, upon the time and patience of the Honse, by detailing those facts which so loudly and so unequivocally proclaim the spirit inculcated by the Roman Catholic religion, had it riot beets for the forcible and eloquent panegyric 1 hare this even ing heard, ann heard with astonishment - , pro nounced upon that religion. I ant far from wish ing to sound an alarm unnecessarily, but I cannot, when I hear the voice of history speak one uni form, consistent language, be deaf to her warn ings; I cannot misunderstand her admonitions.--- 1 intreat those who advocate the cause of the Roman Catholics, to compare the persecuting spirit of their religion with the benignant spirit of ours; their principles favourable to despotism, with ou-s encouraaing liberty ; their arrogant in fallibility with our acknowledgment of the erro neousness of human judgment ; their ingoisition with our trial by jury ; their rod of iron %snit our sceptre of olive ; anti then say whether, 'upon the terms they propose, union eau long exist, or har mony can long prevail. Recourse can no more be had to the excuse whiCli was urged a It w. ears since, that any change has taken place in the na ture of their principles ; tor, independently of the absurdity of supposing that infallible doctrine - 8 sire liable to alteration, we have now the most posi tive and distinct assmancei of their own writers, that their principles are unchanged and unchange able, and therefore applicable to all times and to all circumstances. " I have said, if the proposals of the Roman Catholics arc granted, hat mony and concord can not long prevail ; but will they obtain even a 'tem porary existence ? Will the Roman Catholic gain in content, what we lose in security ? Will even a momentary cordial conciliation be effected ? a conciliation not confined to the narrow circle of those who will he immediately benefited, but which shall be generally and universally diffused through the people ? - a conciliation which shall soften na tional preja , liceS, shall temper misguided zeal, shall still the clamours of disaffection, and shall beget confidence and friendship in the room of jealousy and mistrust ? These concessions, it is true, may add power to the powetful, may in crease the wealth of the wealthy, and gratify the ambition of the ambitious ; but will their effects be felt by those who are struggling with poverty, perhaps groaning under oppression, arising from a totally different cause Irons that of which. they are taught to complain ? Tue mansions of those interested few' who have derived advantages from the successful result of their perseverance may, for a time, resound with the celebration of their victory ; but will the feelings of gratitude per vade the humble dwellings of the .poor.• I mean not, Sir, • to assert that there are 510 persons who would be contented with the con cessions in question, but • I contend that the number of tliose who feel any strong interest noon this subject, unconnected with any ulterior object, is exceeditig!y small. On the other hand, what is the number of those for whom danger is•to be apprehended ? it is no less than the whole Pro testant population of the United Etlipire•! • • And what is the advantage proposed for the public 1— It is, that the public may have the chance of being benefited by the service .of persons, in a few si tuations, from which they are at present excluded ! •And what is the danger to be apprehended for the public ? nothing less than the destruction of our civil and ecclesiastical constitution ! And would it be right to expose so many to danger, for the sake of gratifying so few ?'would :it be wise to risk so much for the chance of gaining so little ? Has this or the other Protestant House of Parliament been found incompetent to the dis-, charge of its important duties ? Have there been wanting Protestants of skill and courage to coth mand our army or our navy? Have there been. wanting . Protestants of learning and. integrity to preside in our courts of justice and equity Have there been wanting Protestants of sound -consti tutional principles and distinguished political knowledge to fill the great offices of stats - ?"_. [To he eontinued.l - POLICE INTELLIGENCE. QUEEN-SQUARE. E TABLES Tu R N ED.—A curious examination rook place at this Office, arising out ot the'fol lowing extraordinary circumstances : James Moore, 'of North-end, Walham-green, plaisterer, having a few days ago had a dispute with two men of the same pl.ice, named John Brice'and John Boulton, - words ran to such ti height that at last they came to blows, and to use their own phraseology, the upshot was, that Moore gave them hoar a good hiding. The two beaten heroes accordingly obtained an assault wartant each against tl►eir conqueror, and he was taken into custody- by race, the officer, oil one, and by Smithers, an extra co►►stable, on the other. When brought to the Office the assault vas completely proved upon him, and when asked what he had to sav in defence, defendant boldly answered, tl►at :t was no disgrace to give a man a hiding, hut he defied any one to say he was a thief. Now he knew both these as well a , son►c whets ot their parish, to be thieves, and one of the plaintiffs, John Bolton, was the com mon receiver. and bought every thing which all the rest boned—for they were all known to be boners B, int!, asked ‘t hat it ‘vas he knew Bolton had teceked, lie said the truth should come out, 811(1 he •A as determined to give them a " flatland tor their Olivt.s," and posisttely charK.ii thew with robtsiitg the gorleit of Mr 3pplis, a Gentleman re s at WAlican, gri•vo. of seretal bushels of valo4lde arp'es, called French pippins, for the iliscoveiv of whirls toldwly a iewaid of six gui neas vtas he next dad cried about \Valliant-green and the vi hide parish of rulhahi, by the Beadle titero Moore being then sworn, stated, that about this time "twJvemon!h, as he was going home froon the Crown puhlic-hoise; in passing by Mr. Jerh's garnen„-be.heald the ,shaking of the tree; he trot o n-the wall, and saw the plaintiff anti John Brice, in company with. Thomai Bury and Win. 13,:niton, both of the same parish, shaking apples from Inc said tree, to the amount of several busltel3,as be thought. They put them into a sack, and took them to the cottage of a man named Lame Jock, who is since deal ; they were met there by the plaintiff, John Boulton, who pur chased the whole lot for 2FI. per dozen. -Being asked how he knew this, he answered, that be gbt a short laddcr, and looked over the top of the window shutter, where he could she and hear all that passed, without being seen by them. The above suns was the price fixed by plaintiff, Brice, and agreed to, and paid afterwards by plaintiff, John Bonbon. The mode of ascertaining the amount, he said, was as follows they came to a dozen, they put the 12 apples apart by themselves, and continued to proceed till the *hole were counted ; and'when this was finished, there were left on the table 145 aPpleS, which sheaved the number of dozen's. He saw also on the table a one pound note, and several shillings in silver, which plain tiff, John Bonbon, paid to plaintiff, John Brice, and which .witness supposed was the price of" the whole; ,The•apples on that tree were well known in the neighbourhood to have a very superior fla vour, ,and were, he believed, worth a great deal more. Some of the partits not being in enstody, the prisoners were remanded for turther examination. The Magistrate desired flu - A proper not ice should be given to Mr. Jephs, of the prisoners being in Tothill-fields Bridewell, and it is supposed this nuexpt vet' discovery may he the means of leading to others, •which may tend to relieve the apprehensions of those living in that unfortunate ueiglihourhood, iu %i hick it appears, by r,peated exaMinations at this Office, more. depredations in the articles of fruit and valuable plants have taken place within the list " six months, than al most all the other quarters •round Loudon put to. gether. • GUILDHALL. WARNING TO BROKERS.—Yesterd3y Thomas Nichol, a broker, appeared before the Sitting Ma gistrate, to answer the complaint of Jane Cos grave, for having exacted an illegal sum in exe cuting a warrant "of distress contrary to the provisions of an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament, which enacts," that if any broker, or other person authorised to execute a warrant of distress for any sum not amounting to 201. shall take or demand more than 3s. for the levying such warrant, and 2s. 6d. per diem for possession, that such broker or other person shall he subject_to the - payment of three times the amount of such overcharge, together with costs." The debt in this case was but 91.115. the possession two days, and, the demand, instead of Ss., 265. 6d.—The facts being most satisfactorily proved, the broker was . ordered to pay the full penalty, amounting to V. 15s. sd. and costs. MARLBOROUGH-STREET., FORTUNE-TELLING. —Yesterday Anne Williams, a retailer of future events, of much celebrity, at No. 4, Ford's Cottage, Edgeware-Road, was brought up by Plank, charged with fortune-tell ing. The defendant was committed to the Ses sions as a rogue and vagabond. The defendant complained of a man named Kelly, a tall man, who skulks about this Office as a kind of informer, having, with another man, who called himself a Bow-street Officer, obtained 61. of her a few days since. They went to the house under pretence of t a king her, and she gave the money not to do so. The Magistrate said a warrant might be bad "against Kelly. On Thursday last the trunk of an American fir tree, drove in front the English Channel to the mouth at the Exe, was towed into, port by some sailors. It presented on the water a very curious appearance, and attracted a number of spectators, being on one part 'entirely covered with clusters of Lepas's, in shells, alive, vulgarly called Bar nadles. The tree was about 20 feet long, and very thick ; in sawing it up, it was found to be perforated like a honey-comb by the tirado worm, which is ot. alight pillow colour, four inches long, having'a slrerrstrew of the consistency of ivory or bone, with Which it penetrates the wood. - NOVEL AND INGENIOUS ROBBERY. We stated last week that a quantity of brandy had been stolen from the bonded vaults in Seel. street : the following particulars of The very novel. and ingenious mode by which this robbery was • effected, have since been published " Government have vaults in Seel-street, a feyp doors above the Catholic chapel. These vaults are situate under the premises of a rectifier, and ad• join a cellar in his occupation. A considerable number of pieces of bonded brandy had been for some time deposited in the vaults ; and applica tion was made on Saturday, the 16th ult, for per mission to bond a quantity of puucheons, con taining ruin. The officers of excise, we understand, having suspicion that all was not right with regard ,to the spirits already in the vaults, determined to examine their condition before granting the• desired leave. Accordingly they were opened on the following Monday ; when • the Offieers found that the original contents of seven pieces of brandy bad been drawn oil, and re-filled with water. Sur- • prised at this unaccountable chetwastance, as DO force appeared to have been used upon any of the three locks with which the doors, as is cos. tontaty in these cases, were secured. thky examined every part of the vault. Atter considetable search, they discov, red that one of 'he [nicks, of whip i the arch is formed, had been distothed, and that a corresponding hole had been made in the floor of the first story of the warchouse above ; but, as the hole made by this means was too small to admit the body even of the most diliduntive person, they were still at a loss to account for the man ner in which the brandy had been drawn off They continued their se,art it, and d:s.covervd that en trance had been pitted through some kind of sub. terrancati passage under the floor of the vault, which is covered with bricks. Nov comes the - ingenoity of the matter. A hole, several yards its depth, had, it appeared, been excavated in . the:. adjoining cellar ; then the brick-wall, which se parates it from the bonded-vaults, had been . broken, and another hole, of like dimensions, worked, in a lateral 'direction, under the flour of the vault. Into this hole a very strong wooden frame, of about the height of two yards, and about two feet in breadth, had been intro. ditced : the side towards the cellar had an aperture sufficiently capacious to admit the body of a man the one towards the vault was entirely open : the top was covered with the same bricks which had formed the part of the floor of The vault above it : on each - side of the frame an iron wheel was placed, with various other pieces of mechanism : and the whole of this ingenious machinery was raised above the level of the floor by turning a wheel in the contiguous cellar. By this means a person introduced himself into the bonded-vault. The pieces of brandy were then,. it is supposed, rolled direct!y under the befora.! mentioned aperture in the arch of the vault, the brandy drawn off by a species of pump, and, by', the same channel, re-filled with water. .Several of the workmen belonging to the preldses have been examined at the Town-hall, and di,charged; there not being evidence of any of them having been concerned in the busioes.s. Such a robbert must have requited several agents Co accomplish it ; but the ingenious author and dexterous direc tor of the fraud remains hithettcs undiscwitted.--•. (Liverpool Advertiser ) SHoCKING 00CLTRRENCE —Yesterday, abon: nine o'clock in the notrning, John, the infant son of Mr. Howell, of Mary-le-bone-lane, was crawl ing on the floor 5 while its mother %vas pouriog some boiling water into a pan which was on the ground, during the time she went to fetch some cold water to put to it, the child fell i to the pan of hot water head foremost. Tl:e mother return ing, snd finding her child in this 10.11 ible situa' tion, tan off with him to a surgeon, but who , could render him no assistance. Tile child expired in a few hours atter. • FATAL ACCIDENT.-Yesterday morning Tho Miles, .a dust collector, ,iA• the employ of Mr: Smith, of Battle Bridge, was accidentally kii;ed in the following manner :—He had drove a horse and cart up Guilford-street, St. Pancras, and did harness becoming deranged, he stopped the horse and got on, the shaft of the cart to put it in its proper situation; while he was doing so, a water plug, which was a few yards before the hoisc, flew out, and the•water ascended in a stream; the horse took fright, threw Miles off the shaft .under his feet, and kicked hint violently on his breast ; the wheels passed over him. He was taken in a, dreadful situation for surgical assistance, but be fore he could receive any aid he exp;red. He has left about a 8 0 years, and several children. Out O Monday sennight, an old woman, age d years, ‘vho has resided many years av Liverpool, died atter a short. illness. Intelligence of her death being brought suddenly to her bus . .. band, who was about the.same age, he sunk doWn anti expired in about five minutes. • COAL MARKE'r, SErT. 3. Ships at Marliet. Ships sold. Price. 57 Newcastle .. .... 56.. • 37s. 6d. to 455. Oa. 14 Sunderland l4 3l6s. W. to 425. 01' 2 Stone C0a1............ .0. —s. Od. to —s , Oa' 1 Culla _.....-- BIRTH. On Tuesday, the Lady of Robert Ross, Esq. of Canter uty-place of a daughter. MARRIED. - On Saturday last, at the New Church, Mary-le-bole! Christopher Wilkinson, Esq. wholesale tea-dealer, _Basing hall-street, to Ann, daughter of Thomas William Hodssom Esq. On Tuesday last, at Hendon, Mr. 'Robert Slade, of Hu nterj street, Brunswick-square, to Elizabeth, second daughter , John Tyler, Esq. of Cross-lane, Thames - street , and Heudoi" Middlesex. DI ED. At Tcneriffe, on the 27th of July, David Lockhar t,, aged 80. tU On the 26th ult. Mr. John Partridge, many years of Bank of England, and late of Stamford hill, aged 50. • .VAC At her teat, Twickenham, on Sunday night las t, the VAC countess Huwe, aged 75, widow of William Lord Viscourd Howe, daughter of the Right Honourable William Conov,; of Castle-town, in Ireland, by Lady Anne Wentworth, tid e daughter of Thomas Earl of Strafford. • -"---"-"--"--""""-." g LONDON: Printed by J. B. CARSTAIRS , of No. 29, G r ° Ormond-street, Queen-square; and published by "Suit SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South Molton-street, at THE f e w Office, No. 112, Strand ; where Advertisements, o. Letters. (get (pust-paid) must be addressed. , " I