The Express.
London, England, 1849-02-20 00:00:00

midad way state of this . He should lake en
be tie rearm 'tithe - proomdiag
uasdission that would Oke ff,tferenipreme kis sentiments fully on this 11001114011
; to ask hate as th was s salleet mu of the groom, moment, lis
of the 'obis
within Sam few minutes inforralt the bow ftlig
the nature of the measure he was about to
that he would not pews the motion for the house go4Prakte
committee within half an hour of his declared*. Be
thought it was due to the minority, if you pined, hase*.
aciontious minority on this important subject, to consult their
feeling and judgment, to give them the opportunity of cos
night's refiee ion whether they were to make thie Asa&
mental change in the constitution of the country by the ed„
mission of Jews into the houses of parliament. Lis 044
the noble lord (although he would give a most strennoal
oppoidtka, without vexation, to the progress of the
seeasurs)—he asked him for time for reflection oa that
measure, the form and femme of which he believed Ina
not six hours old, and that the noble lord, when he rose hone
his bed this morning, had not determined its shape. Re we,
much deceived if this was the measure originally contra.
plated by the noble lord. If it was, let the noble lord speak
plain'y—let him tell us what he meant by the removal of all
disabilities when he ended with confio log it to the ease of
the Jews. He insp'ored the noble lord, who, in a moment
of indiscretion, had applied the term " odious and hateful
persecution" to those who objected to the exercise of that
power on the part of the Jews which would procure their
admission into the houses of the legislature, to give time
and opportunity to these who wieW to state their reason
for their apprebersioa and distrust of the whole memos
The noble herd, ad capiesadoce put his Roger on a little bit
of history, and said that was his reason for going into the
committee. He (Mr. Law) was sure they would have heard
Nothing of the historical part of the oath had it not been for
the interest of that body whose interests were so ab lag
considerately maintained by tho noble lord. He again se.
treated the noble lord to allow a night's reflection
members before they agreed that he had made out abase
_ _ _____ _ _

M. J. O'CONNELL said that of course he intendtd
vote for this motion, but be must express his regret that
the noble lord, when considering these oaths, did not do so
upon a larger.scale' and reduce all the oaths to a sin*
form. He heel noted two or three points in the oath takes
by protestant. about which there was a misundersheediee.
particularly with regard to the assertion that the Poise IQ
no spiritual authority In these countries. H. would not el 4
one word to the very lucid and forcible description which the
noble lord had given of the misinterpretation which was Wig
to be put, sad had been put, upon the effect these weeds hei
had in preventing some noble lords from taking their sue
in the ether house ; bat there were words in the fade*
oath which had been made the subject of annoyance sad ic.
salt to catholic.. In this house catholic members bat.
palled the least approach to such charges in the mama that
they ought to be repelled bi every henget man sad they
would so repel them again. Tney would not deign to see.
snit to a repetition of anything like the charges that were st•
tempted to be made against the catholic for the port they
would act as to the temporalities of the established chunk
He trusted that the noble lord and the right hon. Ft, ntitroas
who likewise proposed the oath, world be in their pyre
when them bickering• were likely to oocur, and wouEgge
what interpretation they put on the words of the nue
oath, and if their interpretation savoured of the chap et
violating the oath, which hod been attempted to %Mit
against the catholic., he would acquiesce in their dee*
and would resign his seat as a member of this btu..
Mr. BANKES had expected that the right bon. gods.
man, the member for the University of Oxford, would has
risen to give his opinion of the measure now proposed be
had the more expected it, because his hon. colleigue,; thp
hon. baronet (Sir R. H. Inglis) was at this =ram see
bed of sickness, and was unable to attend
If they, speaking with the authority which led
sob
them, had agreed in any respect in the proposition now in
mined by the noble lord, he should have been ready, on the,
the first occasion of the introduction of the measure, re hero
bowed to their authority ; end, although it might have tee
contrary to hie own opinions, on any point involving a qv*
Sion of principle, to admit even the first introductise cis
measure to the house, if he had had the high mullein, ef
the members of the two Universities that he should make tie
acquiescence, he would not have deserted them ; but helm
bound to say to the hoc member for Kent, who was dere
listened to with that respect which belonged to his Wen
and character, that if he should think fit on the proem*
Galion to divide the house, although he should be the sell
one, he would divide with him on the question of the pried
pie they had to consider. It was true that the noblelondie
not put forward prominently the question of principle a ke
did lest year; he involved it with other political mattes els
very inferior degree of importance, and the noble lord Id
knew that if he should have thought the matter of impotence
he would have found an acquiescence in the house income&
ing with him to strike out of the declaration or annals tip.
Hansen anything that might appear, from the lapse of tit,
to be worthy of the public attention. The noble lord ms
perfectly well aware that he was putting the house in ono
degree of embarrassment. He (Mr. Bank's) would ast
accuse him of acting unworthily, but it wee hardly 'worthy
of the high character which he bore from the skeane* Aid
he held, to endeavour to overwhelm another great end in•
portant question, involving a great principle, as he Wan!
had admitted, with ether questions which involved no pris
eiple at all, but were merely questions of convenience eel
arrangement. He die not dith r with the noble Meths
' regard to his historical disquisitions; it was perfectly tree
that no pretender now existed ; that there wan so
vacant throne nor any chance of • vacancy; ad
he had no disposition to alter the daderatin
from Jame the Third to James the First. Be
the noble lord did not act fairly by the home in teckke
together circumstances of such • different amount of imps.
tamps, asking them to go into committee upon matters of a
secondary nature, and at the same time placing before thee
questions of the most serious and vital character. He call
not approve of the oath which the noble lord proposed is
the security of the kingdom. lint oath appeared is Liked
sufficient security on many points, hut fell short in may
safety for the established church. Olen, hear.). Then err
security for the throne, which et quired no security unit*
its possessor enjoyed in the affections of the people ; there
was security for the dispositions of property; but there en
no security. for the established church, not eve. so luck
as was required from Roman catholic members. He bad not
heard from the noble lord, when reading the oath, any rem
tion of a pledge not to weaken or disturb the protein&
religion or government of the United Kingdom.
Lord J. RUSSELL.—It is net in the oath at meat.
Mr. BANKES.—Does the noble lord not propos. to Moen
words to that effect ?

Lord J. RUSSELL—They are not in the present nth
Mr. BANKES.—Yes, but when the present oath IV
framed there were none but protestant' in the house. (dui
hear.) When persons of other persuasions were adman
than the protecting clause was introduced. (Hest, hut)
They were now going to re-model this oath to admit ea
Jews—men professedly disavowing our doctrines, sod—but
it was a paudul subject to dwell upon, and showed the
convenience of admitting persons of different religiose Mi.
nions into one assembly like that house, red thus penning
the free expression of opinion. (Hear, hear.) Bet Ids?
admitted such men they should at the sane time take mu
security for the established church, and therefore he speed
with the right bona:member for the University of Cambridge,
that the noble lord bad no right to ask them to consent to so
oath which should expose the church to the unarm des jor•
Under these circumstances if the hon. member fee LW
thought fit to divide, he (Mr. Henke') should offtsieli p
out with him, although he had not expected a division tbe
night. Government had taken them by surprise and no/
must yield, but on another occasion they would be bests
prepared. (Hear, hear.
Mr. GLADSTONE.—Sir, after the appeal wlidl
has just been made to me by the honourable saute
for Doreetshire, I feel that I cannot shrink fen
maintaining my opinions on this subject, and is so far e
the main principle. laid down by the noble lord see ein.
corned, I em bound to say, as the right hon. member fie tie
University of Cambridge has said, that my opinions ben os•
dergone no change, except indeed that they are cosfirmed
redaction since the last discussion on tbli subject, and I Le
still convinced that the civil and political claims of die In
to share in civil and Political duties ought not to babe:ref
because his religion differs hem our own. (Cheep') Aai
with reference to what has fallen from the hon. member ix
Kent, I must may that in my view we are not, in retied fo
the admission of Jews into the legislature, abandol*g
duty to the Almighty, but rather acting. in strict Una*
of that duty by giviu effect to the principles of Waal iv
ties. (Cheers.) But although 1 think thus ce
ltd
main purpose which the noble lord has in view,
it to the hones whether there axe est
cleat grounds for going into committee indepseiled.
that main purpose. The second purpose of the ad* 10
respecting the alteration of the oath, al Is
importance to the constitutional question !Vim WO
the Jews, is still not undeserving our attend" hut a lb
to=of sufficient Interest to induce even these CYO
to the Jewish claims to unseat to our Of le_
committee. We mast all feed that when oaths 131 1011 ar
seription are taken in public by large names of
under associations not favourable to religious feeling. *Pi
is a tendency in them to degenerate into mere formaidlo-
(hear, hear)—and that tendency becomes aggravatedislA
portion as they are imposed beyond the nesemidm'af
case. (Hear.) I should say, then, that if in oar mob thenn
any passages of irrelevant matter—if there bowels 'Mal'
the lapse of time and change of eircurnelansies have come*
pauses no actual meaning—we are, in proposing a email*
to investigate the nature of that oath, taking • steg °LW
no means insignificant importance. On the highestuli
rig we are reminded that our words should be few ,
those solemn sots which have reference to the Deal, oi2,
cannot but say, in looking at this oath, that it WO":
only be made more intelligible than it is, but also MGM
nearer to the standard of propriety, according to a,
all oaths should be framed. Therefore I Tenure to "'
pesos a hope that as the purport of the noble lord's Pt
peed, quite apart from the main question, is me iniedroW'
be diaracter, it will meet with general consent,
110 gentlemen will remember that they are in no fur
esnemitted by sending the bill to committee.
spot to the general plan of the noble lord I shall sot els.:
into any detailed observations, but merely szlow.t.v
gabbed= that it differs from a scheme which
or three weeks since was propounded, appose*tb
authority, in the public. journals. I frankly owe that,76
noble lord's intention to retain the words "on the true WS
of a Christian," for ell members except those of th;7l
persuasion,..ka afforded me much satisfaction. Cane
the solemnity of the duties we an called upon to p'ric'e"
think we should approach them under the most ,
sanction ; and, although I do not attempt to dopy 0? T;es
;;
of the oath taken by the Jew, yet I think the noble
done wisely in not reducing the standard which hens g";
been fixed as applicable to Christians. I would make
suggestion to the noble lord, and I think it is a peceurl47,
sequence of the alterations he proposes. He WM.= te
elude those wards in the oath of supremacy Which "'"