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London, England, 1826-02-01 00:00:00

plan had been organised for fez:Bating the collection of subscrip-
tions in London by palmitin! application. The outline of the plan
was to divide London into sixteen districts, and to obtain in each
the active exertion of six individuals, who would at stated time*
all on their Catholic neighbours for contributi inn to the common
object, the money received to be paid to the funds of the British
Catholic Association, for the purpose of its Defence Committee. It
only remained for him to state. that at a meeting of the Committee
on the 111:11 instant, it IVVI resolved to submit a petition to Perlin.
went with respect to the penal laws affecting English Catholics on
account of their religion.
Mr. Cttna Lys BUTLER rose to propose to the Meeting the
adoption of 'resolution upon which the petition would be founded.
The Larne.' Gentleman denied the evidence of any doubtful alle-
giance an existing ageinst any Roman Catholics ; the charge had
lwen made, and it was incumbent on them to deny it. In 1791,
Pope Pius the Sixth wrote to the Irish Prelates. saving that it had
• never been the doctrine of the Church of Rome to break faith with

heretics, or to violate the rights of any Sovereign. end diet the
doctrine of the Church of Rome livid the murder of Princes a de-

testable crime. In ti;n2, the clergy of France came to the resolu.
tion that the temporal power was perfectly independent of the
spiritual ; this was the first of tour articles which were never tie.
nied. A negotiation took place between Pope Pius the Seventh
and Napoleon; the latter, with his usual violence, demanded the
Pope's signature to the four article*: Pius the Seventh signed the
one, but refused his sanction to the other three. He (Mr. Butler)
must refer to the petition vended to his Majesty on his accession
to the throne, which contai.ted their solemn protestations of their
full and undivided allegiance. It was necessary also to mention in
what adistinguished manner :he Catholic priests had immortalised
their names in the annals of religion. He (Mr. Butler) could not ,
but join in unqualified approbation of the article in the Edinburgh
i Review, which had been noticed by DI r. Blount, and he would
call upon every Catholic and Protestant to read that incomparable
work. The Learned Gentleman observed he had little further to
offer ; it had been said by Edmond Burke that if a man told a
story every slay it would be at length believed: let that, said the
•
Learned Gentleman, be our motto; let us every day repel the ahotni.
nable charge Otitis brought against us, and in the end we shall ileum.
I cupful, fur truth is mighty and will Freud. The Learned Gentle-
! man then proposed the following resolution :—" That the British
Catholics do petition the legislature to restore to thew, till the rights
and privileges of British subjects. They cannot allow a Session of
Parliament to pass over unmarked by their TeNVOISSITINICTIS, in the
unmerited privations anti humulimineis they are condemned to hear.
In free and undivided allegiance to their Sovereign, lidelity to their
61114.111111/11011, and devoted obedience to tits is, du, yield to
none ; and neither in their own awe nor in that of any of their fel.
Inw.subjeets can they consent to consider religious opinions as fit
objects for penal infliction."
Mr. Jonue Dane begged to second the resolution, and said in .
their case it was. necessary to use strong language when Owl were
accused of wanting allegiance ; they had used strong language in
former times, and he was disposed to use still stronger now if it
could be found.
The Noble CHAIR/IAX was abnut to put the resolution, when—
Mr. J. CANNING rase to order, and stated, that as the petition
had not been as yet read he thought there would be a difficulty if
the resolution now proposed should be adopted, as he intended to
offer an amendment to the petition to be founded on this resolution.
Mr. BLOUNT said such would not be the case; the resolution
was for a petition, but not any particular one.
The Noble CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which was car-
ried unanimously. He then said that he regretted that the time
was arrived when private business compelled his preset ee at West-
• minister. His Lordship stated, that-- though of a private nature, it
might by possibility bear on the general question. lie then left the
, room amidst greet applause.
Mr. BLOUNT was then unanimously called to the seat vacated
by Lord Arundel.
The Rev. Dr. Cow xs said he rose for the purpose of propos-
ing the form of petition to be adopted on this occasion, and as it
would be more immediately gone into than it was necessary for him
by the gentleman who would follow him, he would not say more in
respect of it. Ile should obj-et to any petition that did not state
. their undivided allegiance. lie thought that circumstance should
r be fully understood ; because it' any clergyman, or any other per-
: son, felt any scruple on the subject, he would assure them, as a
Doctor of the Sarbonne, Member of the Institute of France, a
Vicar General and and a Clergyman for a number of years, that If
t he war required to sign a petition that would forfeit one atom of his
allegiance, he would retire to his oratory and commend himself to
t God. withdrawing himself entirely from any person requiring it,
but without relinquishing his faith. The Rey. Doctor said that the
t Catholic Clergy were essentially loyal, they had never encouraged
e disobedience, and that lie would rather offer his neck to the hang-
. man than refuse one atom of obedience to George the Fourth. The
, Rev. Doctor then read the petition, to be presented to the Houses
r of Lords and Commons : _ .

" That it is with feelings of humiliation and pain your peti-
tioners find themselves again obliged to represent that those
grievances of which they have so frequently complained. and the re-
deem of which your Honourable House has more than once declared
to be advisable, still continue to press upon them with unmitigated
Injustice and severity. Fur the efforts which have been made by
your Honourable House in their favoor your petitioners are
penetrated with the most respectful gratitude, and they cannot but
lament that those repeated and strenuous exertions, worthy of the
enlightened wisdom which prevails in your Honourable House.
and of the generous and just people whom you represent, should
hitherto have failed of success. Your petitioners submit to the
consideration of your Honourable House the extreme and un-
merited hardship of their being compelled to endure the state of
civil deridation to which the enactments of an intolerant and a
persecuting age condemned them. During a period in which they
have been deprived of the most precious franchises of' British sub-
jects. your petitioners have indiscriminately shared with them in
all the burdens of the country ; and they have paid, as they shall
ever continue to tvay to his Majesty an allegiance perfectly um-
served and undivided. Trusting. therefore, to the wisdom and
justice of your llonaurable House, they once mere represent their
ease to it, and solicit the total repeal of the laws by which they are
aggrieved."
Mr. Quite begged to second the petition which had been read
by his Reverend Friend, which he could not but think contained
everything a petition should contain. In the present crises of their
affairs many persons thought a discutsion in Parliament should
not take place this eesaton ; the petition, however, would be
placed in the hands of competent juges, who would use their dis.
creams on that point. It certainly was competent to have intro-
duced a greater number of topics; It might have prayed for the
relief of other persons labouring under disqualifications, but it was
the duty of the Committee to steer the vessel committed to their
charge in safety if they could, and in doing so much caution was
necessary. Mr. Quin said he would leave the petition to make
its own way for the present 'kith the meeting, and should another
I be proposed, he should be prepared to prove that the one he had
I now the honour to second was the best.
Mr. J. Cewstwo begged that it resolution passed at a public
meeting in June last, respecting their co-operating with Dissenters,
should be read (it was read accordingly), and lie wished to know
front the Chairman whether .he had not received a letter from the
Catholic Committee of Birmingham to the same effect.
The Chats maw said he had certainly received a letter from the
Birmingham Committee, in answer to one that had been addressed
to it by him, as to the propriety of petitioning Parliament this Ses-
sion, and their answer was that the petitions should be presented,
but that a discussion should be advised only in the house of Lords.
he letter did not contain one word on the subject of the petition
applying to any other persons than English Roman Catholics.
Mr. J. Caw Nitro said that in offering amendments to the resolu-
tion and petition which had been submitted to the Meeting, he was
certain no one would accuse him of wishing to interrupt the Mar.
moo of the proceedings. Ile had always been most anxious to do
his duty in the Committee, and he should have attended the delibe-
ration on the present petition but that he did not arrive ih town in
time; in fact rot until late last night. The lion. Gentleman said
that if he had been enabled to attend the Committee he should not
have been deterred from bringing forward his petition now,
although the Committee might have decided against him, his ob.
ject being fur the general good. His ( Hr. Canning's) petition
went to enable any person auffering for religious opinions, to join
with the English Roman Catholics in silting that they might
adore their God at they pleased without pains or penalties. It had
barn said that the persons called upon wee of different principles ;
it was teue that hit ( Mr. Canning's) object was to include persons
of all denominations. And why ? Because in his (Mr. Canning's)
view of the case religion bad nothing at all to do with it. There
were other persons civilly aggrieved, arid io principle equally so
with themselves, and who in principle ought equally to have their
civil rights. He hail begged the Chairman to read the resolution
of June last, by which it appeared that the co-operation of all
classes of Dissenters had been required, and which had been
pawed with great applause. The Learned Gentleman said that
by this resolution lie considered the matter was. entirely at rest.
Ile denied that they were actuated by sectarian principles, their
object was to conciliate the great mass—they ought to appeal to
Per/Bement as men suffering for conscience sake, and that would do
more than anything else in their favour. lie contended that that
they bore the most full, true, and perfect allegiance to their present
Sovereign. Lord Liverpool had last year seemed to consider how
he could add insult to injury, lie had said that Catholics did only
half a day's work, and ought to have but half a day's pay. In the
time of trial, when the country wanted recruits for the army and
navy, would not the Irish have been justifi,d in saying, " We have
but half our rights, and you shall have but half our strength." lie
would ask, would they not have been justified in returnitig that
answer? And such was the conduct pursued by Lord Liverpool
to 6,000,000 of men, whom he was bound to respect. He would
make an observation on the word " humiliation," which was to ob-
ject to it. Ile did not feel humiliated bemuse Parliament was tin.
just. It had been said that this was not the time to put forth she
proposition for universal freedom ; and here it was that he thought
the Conimittee erred from over caution, though he would at ot.ce
admit that it was well meant. There was nothing in their princi.
plea of which they ought to he ashamed ; they were open, avowed,
and public, timely, that all mankind should participate in equal
rights.
The Honourable Gentleman's resolution and petition were then
read, differing front that of the Committee only in the circum-
stance of its claiming the co-operation of Dissenters of all detio.'
minetions for relief from the disabilities under which they laboured
in coinmon with the Roman Catholics.
:11r. YesTos said, that in rising to second the amendment, it
was necessary tor him to state his reasons for approving of the
amendment rather than the petition they had hearth It was tits.
graceful to the country that they were made to petition at all, more
particularly at a time when they were granting religious liberty
abroad ; even the Holy Aftierce, remarkable for its arbitrary pro.
ceedinge. was not stained by blots like those which windier country
Lad suffered. In Hanover and Atuertc.t t):cy bad been blesser