The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-03-01 00:00:00

"7 person
in denoter,

!oilfield* oandition, sm.
rho Avoid go about to lay th-
t,alaw /stated that the. Protesioat Dissenter _
imartr friends or the Qrseen; that they Formerly
ail been enemies of the Church, but that they
tad. of late sliest* by their coudnot that such
litany no banger existed ; that the main design of
he Bill *unto secure the Church of England, and
Its intention being to exclude from office aueh
weans as were inisaical toolisit-Charch, was not op..
theable to the case of thelii‘enters. Lairs of em-
illation from office thq farther declared, were
Pot laws of puogdsauvett, but of precaution
.gainst the inquiries -if 'portions whose mecca-

lion to power might be alte.ided with danger to
the Established Church. The same reasoning be
[Mr. Peel) thought himself entitlrd to apply to
rite case now under ,eismiderution. But on whet
ground, lie would ask, did Or Right Hon. Oen-
:let-pan propose to administer an oath of any kind,
is it test of loyalty, or as* qualification for office
Du what ground could he, for example, propose
loch ats. oath to persons whose religions feelings
orevrtited them from taking oaths in any case ?
Would it, be said that it did not operate uuau

them as is religious disability ? There were many
persons in this kiogdous, who, from religious feel-
ings 'templed to take au oath iii any eam. The
(louse would perceive that he alluded to thet most
loyal and useful body of persons called Quakers.
Their affirmations, however, were received in eases
which involved the dispose& of property, although
he knew not opon what principle of consietesicy
they were rejected as qualifiestiona fur (Ace.—
If these people were to he excluded from office
because their religious scruples prevented them
from taking oldie of any kind, where was the
ground on which the Catholic could rest his com-
plaint of hsrd.hip ? It was equally a queseinn of
religion with the Quaker as with the Catholic ; hut
in point of fact it was a mere regulution of civil
policy whereby a certain qualifiristion was required
of all candidates fur office ; and if they operated to
exclude one person because his con.cirette forbad
him to take an oath of any sort, the hardship was
as great upon him as upon the man who was pre-
vented from complying with the required con-
ditions by ally particulars which the oath pre.
seined might contain.—(Hear, hear, hear )
It might be asked, what he feared from the Cattle-
lies at she present dry? He would ask, in return,
when he was about to establish a new con.titutional
law, which would leave 110 power of repeal—a law
repealing disabilities and conferring privilege., latt.
tug in its nature and binding on posterity—was he
to lose sight of the daugers which thise disabilities
had warded off? Was it sufficient to say that lie,
had uo fear of soy such daugera at present ?
( Hear, hear, hear.)—He would admit, for the *site
or argument, that no danger was at present to hr
apprehended; but when he was about to make a
law, in its nature irrevocable, wad he not to con-
sider the pest circumstances which had rendered
necessary those enactuieuts which that law would
repeal? The Right Honourable Gentleman then
proceeded to enumerate the dangers of various
kinds which had been .opposed to exist at various
periods, and to have called for the enactment of ie.
strictive laws; these were, the anathema of the Pius,
whew he cheesed a tempo! al at well as a spiritual
juriadictioul the hostile intentions and intrigues of
Philip 11., of Louis XIV., of James 11. after his
expulsion, and of the Pretender at a later pe-
rird. If (the Right 11011. Gentleman continued)
at five different periods of the history of the country,
dangers had existed from which these laws had
guarded us, although he might adroit that hone of
those dangers existed at present, yet was lie to lose
sight of the fact of their past existence, and to
forego his conviction of the possibility of their future
recurrence ?—( Hear. j—Then it was asked, what
hail the State to do with religion ? He would an-
swer, " Nothing at all, while religion had nothing
to do with the Slate."—(Hear, hear.)—But, Wlls
he to be told that religion had no influence on the
political conduct of meu From what part of the
history of these kingdoms was such an opinion to be
derived ? If he looked at the history of this coun-
try—if he searched the history of Scotland—if lie
appealed to the history of Ireland—if he examined
the history of any part of these kingdoms, where
should he find that among the many circumstances
which iufluenced the political conduct of men, re-
ligion was not to be numbered ? The reason
why he objected to gOO% into a Committee
on this subject in 1817, was, because he thought
they never could hope to effect the object proposed
of adopting an arrangement which would give as.
tisfaction to all parties. He would refer to the
Bill which it was at that time intended to propose,
and which had the sanction of the Right lion.
Gentleman, and he would ask whether that Bill,
which in the words of the Right Hon. Gentleman
was " to give power to the Catholics on terms to
I which the most jealous Proteotant could sun object,
nor the moat inimical Catholic refuse to tweeds"—
he would ask the Right Hon. Gentleman whether
lie thought that Bill, if it had passed, could have
been carried into effect in Ireland ? He would ask
whether •the obstruction to its provisions was more
likely to proceed from the Protestants or tint Ca-
tholics? The Act proposed certain securities on
the part of the Catholics, and the intention of the
Right Hon. Gentleman was Oust they 'tumid be
refused admission to the full enjoyment of their
privileges, until those conditions were acceded to.
But was not a public declaration made in Ireland,
that the Catholics would refuse those conditions
becruse they were repugnant to their religious
feelings? And although the Pope had declared
that the conditions were such as might be accepted,
and recommended compliatice with them, the re-
fusal was persevered in. Yet, were we to be told
that after ibis pertinacinos, this, it might be
thought, a laudable adherence to religious opitiions,
were they, he would ask, still to he told that reli-
gion hail no itinlteliCe 111111111. 110 roll.ol'll With
the hKthtical conduct of Inca? The flight flo-
noureble Geroleition sad that he (tir, Peel)
charged the Catholics aids perjury and disl.tyally.
He hoped, indeed lie was sure, that the Right Hon.
Cientlemun could only meats that such atm the
scope or tendency of his argument ; for, God for-
bid that he should for a usoinetit thick or reviving
charges which could only tead to upeu afresh and
inerea.e the exascerbotimi of wounds which time
should long siaee have healed. Ile should be the
last Inan iu the world to charge the whole body of
the Catholics with disloyalty or disiffectiou, or to

fix them with any respanaility fur the factious end
intemperate condiact, piOividilels whO might "Me.
an interest in this 010116PPlance of the 4i04.110411116.1
and the perpetwaliostof the violence and auimotne
tie* which they were made the mewls of exciting.
When he was in Mice, and had felt himself
obliged to oppose them, the great body of the Ru-
mors Catholics did ample jitatice to his monves;
and lie should feel himself to be uue of the most illi-
beral= and ungrateful of men, if he could fur a
moment entertain so uuketierous an cotillion. He
did not, therefore, mean ti> charge the Catholics
with ony•feelings of hostility the Coustitutiou—
he did not mean to charge theta with any delibe-
rate design' of overturning the Protestant Esta-
blishment—but, if they were actuated by thole
feelings which were most natural to their situation,
their admissiou to political power could not be
unattended with danger to that establishment. He •
felt that if he, being a warm and zealous member
of the Protestant Church of England, were resi-
dent in a country where the Reunite Catholic retie
gion prevailed, lie should most anxiously wish to
see the, Protestant Church in full possession of
the same privileges, immunities, and power,
as the established religion of the country.--
Judging therefore, by his impression of whit bill
own conduct must be in a similar situation, lie
could not entirely divest himself of the fear, that
danger to the &alibi:stud Protestant Religion of
this country must attend the admissiott tit the
Catholics to equal power. Fur Imoself, lie was
far from satisfied with the present distracted
and divided state of Irelaut!. His fears tOr the
Protestant Establishment would no longer re-
main if he could be brought to believe in the
possibility of removing those fearful and rancorous
animosities which had so long existed in that cone-
try. No man snore reprobated the system of divid-
ing the people of Ireland into parties—no man
more anxiously wished to see them living to per-
feet harmony and union than he did ; but he doubt-
ed the possibility of removing the animosities
which opposed so desirahle a result. He could not
look at this diversified transections of the history of
Ireland— he could not behold the confiscations aild
spoliation of property, which had taken place at
various petrels in that unhappy kingdoni, with-
out feeling that those causes were suffitaeut in
themselves, without the addition of these ob-
noxious laws, to engeuder linstilitie% and enkindle
animosities which presented obstacles to every en-
deavour to allay 11wm, widely cliff- rent from any
which existed in ibis country. km it might be ask-
ed, if he admitted that there were other causes than
this of the disabilities complained of, which excited
the animosities and divisions which distracted that
country, why he would not consent to the removal
of slits one, is) order to abate them ? He would
readily consent to such removal, if be could in his
eninCiellee believe that it would produce so desira-
ble an effect ; but after giving to the Catholics
a freedom of accession to power, lie could nut
look at the contest for ascendain_7 between
the Catholic and Protestant which must ensue
without much dismay, tie then proceeded to
remark upon the tentlealcy of election contests
between Catholic candnlatee backed by Ca-
, thole> tufluenee, and Preeestant candidates esp.
ported by Protestants, to keep alive existing aid-
, mosities, if net to foment new marl more virulent
divisions. Whatever might be thee effect of this
measure upon opinions out of door., he cared
not. If the motion should succeed, and the
consequence should he a renewal of that outcry
which it had fume' ly excited, mid which was
happily now at rest, be should not appeal to that
result in confirmation of his ergumenta, or in
support of his opinions.—(Hear, hear, heur.)—He
was not desirous to undervalue what was called
ptiblic opinion ; but thinking and 'edits( as lie
did, that the deliberative wisdom of that House
was the proper, the only competent arbiter of this
question, to whatever decision that House should
come, the united opinion of the whole people of
England would not tit the slightest'degree affect his
view of the question, or his reliance upon the pro-
priety of that decision.—(Herr, henr.)—eThis was a
' declaration which he had made heretofore, and
which he had found occasion frequently to repeat
to persons who had applied to hen on the subject
of 'stemming Petitions against the present motion,
which he had uniformly recor ttttt earned them to
withhold, and not to set up their own private opi-
Mons in competition with the wisdom and judge-
ment of Parleameirt.—( Hear, hear, hear.)—lle
the fate of the present motion what it might, the
result would not be one of u ttttt 'zed triumph to ,
whichever party prevailed. If the Right Hnitour-
able Gentleman should succeed in carrying it
ti gli, he feared that the effect would be
widely different from that which, lie contem-
plated ; if he should tail, still he (Mr. Peel) should
feel pained by the conviction of the increase of
discomfort which this diSippointment of renewed
hopes must entail nu so large a portion of his fel-
low subjects as the Catholics of Ireland. If, how-
ever, the motion should succeed, he wished the
result might prove contrary to hoi prediction, and
establish the fallacy of the arguments which he
had used, by promoting peace and concord among
his Majesty's subjects of the Kingdom of Ireland.
( Load and general cheering. I
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH said, that the ques-
tion now before them was one of the weightiest
importance, and often as it had been brought he-
fore, and powerfully as it had been heretofore
en-
forced on their attention, never had it presented
itself to that House under so commanding an
aspect as had been imparted to it on this occa-
sion by the splendel eleynence and command-
ing talent of the Right Hotiourable Mover.—
And if the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite
had I I cause to complain of the difficulty
of the task imposed on hum, of following him
through his brilliant career, with view, so much
reversed, how much more reason had lie to lenient
the disadvantages he most eiscimeter io pursuing
the saute line of argument wlitelt had been so
powerfully traced befOre him. Wish respect to
the general argument of the Right Hon. Gentle-
man, he had attnbuted a proposition to his Right
Honourable Friend which he had never once en-
tertained, and had thus engaged himself in so eu-
coutieer with an adversary of his own raising,
His Right Hen. Friend came down with a decla-
ration of rights derived from the fundamental pain-
, ciples of constitutional liberty. He contended
' that all Mila born under our laws inherited from

•
their 'birth an equal right of aditsiiiifidity.toiroteek
'and office; and this tioa bien qttVerttd bj the.
,Right Hon. Gaul:men into a proPoction of en
equal claim of admission to office, ivitlermit rm..
igard to the particular (uddle-atoms of the litillurit.
dual. The Right Hole Oentlemie had stated
that a whole series of danger-.i.ti0.4,.. at differeut
periods hiaa giveti rise to the disabilitteit complained
of; whereas the danger was one. sold the same et
each of those periods; newly, that from the cir-
Curnstance of the Catholic. in this criuntiy being
leagued with a foreign Power, it became danger-
ous to intrust them with office. l'his had been
moat explicitly laid down by his Right 11011:
Friend, in recounting the several instances which
our history prevented-, of enactments deviating from
the spirit of the general proposition which lie hail
advanced, and had expresdy stated that every such
deviation was caused by circumstances of a tempo-
rary nature. The Right Hon. Gentleman sap-
posed himself to agree in principle with the states-
men of the Revolution. They would ore how fair lie
did so. Those stales me n provided by these disa-
bilities tagaiost a present danger; and the Right
Hon. Gentleman shirt he wits of the same princi-
ple and (Tilling,a because lie looked to possible
dangers I:1 futurity.--41fersr.1—They wrre, how-
ever, diameiricidly opposite; they had recourse to
excluaion us a remedy for a temporary evil ;
hut tie would mike such exclusions permaileet
after the danger was gone 4, upon a proapuct of
dangers iii contingency. The Learned Speaker
then proceeded to comment out the nature of the
Test which the Catholics were wilting to erode 1..,
and compared it with tliove which had formerly
been required. Ile eorrinented in severe term, of
repreliresion Liu :he Statute SO Charles I. which
was founded on the foul and malignant perjuries of.
that execrable villain Titus Oates; and cited
St as a melancholy instance of the facility with
which bail and portal laws might be passed,
but of the difficulty in obtaining the re-
peal of a law dint was ailitlat. He then entered
into a warm and unit:baled eulogium on Wit-
ham 111., who had given a glorious proof of a to-
kraut spirit, In coiwenting to the repeal of the
penal laws. issnes had not long before attempt-
ed to repeal the Test -Laws, and had designed
also the repeal of the flabe.as Corpus Act. The
latter lie Might, no doubt, have easily effected ;
for its value hid not then been arcertaitied by twig
experience and frequent ouspefisions.—(Hear.)—
Bot that would oily live given him a civil
control of the kingdom, where.,s the repeal of the
Telt Laws would have placed the whole military
trowel' of the country at his disposal ; lie, therefore,
attempted that and failed. William succeeding in
consequence, notwithstanding the danger which had
so recently threatened him, consented to repeal the
Penal Cm*, hut not the tans imposing disalii-
lilies. He said, however, upon that occasion,
that if after the repeal of the Penal Laws the
Catholics *hewed themselves deserving of further
favour, lie would Dot fell to give it ; by which he
could only alPaa to promise the removal of the dis-
abilities. Bishop Burnet, to whom the Right lion.
Gents had referred for teutimony of IVillisat'a decid-
ed hostility to the Catholics, was precisely the bust
authority in support of his toleitinit disposition, ere
tweedy declaring that the Catholics in Ins reigit en-
joyed a greater share of liberty that. under auy
oilier Protestant Prince. He also related that when
urged to the imposition of greater restraints upon
the Catholics, by certain bigots of that time, alio,
if they erre now living, perhaps would have the
impudence to cell themselves (liamgcnitii—(l-fror)
he answered, that " if he imposed fetters upon es-
thetics at home, he could not have the face to fight
for Protestants abroad." —(Clieers.)—The Learned
speaker then proceeded to remark upon Mr. Peel's
application of die words of Lord Somers, which he
contended lie greatly misinterpreted. He exposed
also in clear and forcible terms the absurdity of the
Right Hon. Gesit.'s arguing from the exclusion of
the Quakers, which lie cottectitled was a vicious rx•
ample, and proved by experience to have heels
founded on an erroneous calculation of the effect
of their principles, in justification of the roetinued
exclusion of the Catholic's, which was a still more
iniquitous measure, and by experience also proved
to be ecersary. He thou :Livened to the charge
revived against the Catholics in the Petition of the
Clergy of Leicester, of admitting of mewst reserve-
tiou, which rendered them unfit to be misted on
oath; and raid he would nut discredit the chinch of
which lie was a member, so far as to impute to
any great portion of its clergy, so foul, so scan-
dalous, so uncharitable an opinion of a huge
end exemplary body of their fellow-subjects
and fellow-christians.--( Load cheers.)—The ques-
tion was, would the danger of the Church of Ire-
land be increased or diminished ? He consider-
ed an alliance of Protestant and Catholic tie best
security, and in support of this principle he would
appeal to the experience of ages. Did we hear cf
liopi-li plots In England when Popish Peers were
admitted into the House of Lords? Indeed in
the reign of Charles 11. there was a real Popish
plot, for the King was himself a conspirator;
and lie thought that that circumstance affixed
the most indelible stain on the Catholic ie.
ligion, which it ever stistained. He had heard
the Sight Honourable Gentleman speak, and he heard it
with infinite patisfictiou, of the approaches of the various
glasses towards harmony. He hail spoken of the recent
disturbances and commercial jet:wanes, but lie seems to
have forgotten the real canoes of all the miseries the people
tortured, the triumphs of the conquerors over the cuu•
filleted, the unfortunate distinction between Proteatast seed
Catholic, that has protracted their discontent' to the rely
hour in which they were then sittiNg.—(Hear, hear L—And
what du we, a leti suppott this mutton, piupuse? It is to
abolish awl design these udinst badges of distinction that
have so lung existed, and ID thug into the llamas the last
remains of that triumphal car, which one part of the netettu
display as a triumph over the remainder ef their countrymen.
He towleistood his Majesty MOW ilSiellied to visit liettud
shortly. It is a strange feet, that he is the only Komi that
ever stalled !reload as a favour. This was a most dowlfol
peculiarity. Even Ring William, the liberator of Holland,
the plaster of England, sad itf Eeirespe, isupeared 111 Ire
laud ad n emigre reir.—! flier, hear.)--Ilia preseeti 111.i.,ty
thou was the lion king that visited ketone'. Ile bulled and
treated that, as the common father of all his subject., list
would not go amongst them to enjoy way letup...tory
poptilarisy, that Ite omelet appear sinsougat them Pas I/ a
I hearer of a tuition), freedom, the guardian of our excellent
Coosttiution, mud the protector of the rights and interests
of all his sobjeets.—(lust cheering.)
Mr. PEEL explaioed.
Lord BURY could soot, on this OCCIWOIII, content hint.
'elf with a silent vote. He csitundered the exclusitto of as
smithy excellent persons flume their just rights, Mote era. I
and inspolitic.—(llser,lbetir.),—thr, their loyally sad idled,
me to their Sovereign, they bad milkiest' prouta.-.

~;4 ~,r„ fy.yr.,4.

~~.~

• 1
1

~~
~,;~

•
•
1
4,

.
•