The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-03-06 00:00:00

HOUSE OF CoVMONS.

A great snultitnde of strangers asormhled, this
evening,. in the avenues leading to the GAllrry, in
expediation of hearing the dievussion and lusher
exalni6ation t.f win-wows on the Westminster Elec-
tion ; but owing to a Ballot and a Call of the House
taking place, the dont' were not opened till about
tall-pad ill. On the adinission of strangers into
th, Gallery, we lotinet the House engaged in a
toaversiticn relative to sonic irregularities that bad
been commired, nr .t occasioned by persons
lorcilily entering through the body of the House, by
uhich some 31:sitber;%/ere Itkly ta be injured. Oa
a nompiaint brut.; male by an lion Member. who
bad nearly been thrt.s.-n &wit by t`le sudden irrup-
tion of the multitude at the print:A*ol entrance from
, the lobby,

_

The SPEAKER intimated, that it would be the
duty of the Serjeants and Messengers at all times
when they perceived the avenues to the House crowd-
ed wall strangers, to protsf. the Members from
injury, by having a proper gusid of constables,
ianerwise they should be answerable for the Goose-
q Tenets.
On the motion of Lord HOWICK, it was ordered,
that there be laid before the House an account,
shewing the time of service in the Navy of Thomas
Weatherhead and William Drake (two of Mr.
Paull's witnesses, lately erimined on the charge -
against Mr. Sheridan); and also An account of the •
anion-at of the pension that has been greeted to the
said William Drake.
On the motion of Lord HOWICK, it was or-
dered, that the House be called over upon Tues.'
day next; and that the names of such Members as
were absent upon the ballot this day be reported to
the House to-morrow ; and that such of these blest). •
hers as shall be absent upon the °CU occasion, shalt
he taken into custody, unless a special excuse be
. • . , - —• •
made fur their nos attendanee. •
A Message from the Lords intimated their Loscle
:.hips' assent to the Sugar Drawback and the onyx
Warehousing Bolls, Scc.
neystme C!.7IIOLICS.
Lord HOWICK 106 C and addre,sed the Kettle,
upon this sulejeet, nearly as tollows:—" Sir, / rise
in pursuance of the notice I gave some tame ago
(bat which entice was suspended by an alteration I •••
found necessary to adopt in my proposed to•`fr! of
procedure), to move for leave to being in a Bill to
secure to all His l'elaj-st,,'l, liege LI IT aS :he pri-
vilege of serving in the Army are Navy, under no
other condition whatese•r, het that' of taking the
oath prescribed by ACI of Padiement, arid for rho
purpose of entitling them to the free exercise
of their religion. I should' have thenr.:ht that a
proposition of this sort, w.,ich seemed so evidently
expedient and advantageous, was not likely ro meet
with opposition; but as some irclinatien has been
lately f.;531911, on the part. of some Honourable
Gentlemen, to throw obstacles in the way of so
desirable an o'eje.ll, I mn', upon this (lea-
sion, use the freedom of trespassing somewhat
upon the patience of the House. in explaining the
real ohjea, nature, and extent of the measit-e now
in agitation. I shout ! imagine, that in times like
the present. it would be acknowledged by every
one, that it is highly proper and advantageous, to
unite in the coenmen cause all deseriotie: s of per-
sons Who live under the potation of cur gl ,rieus
Constitution. This pi opeitien, I think, can admit
of no dispute, and therefore ice:rely needs any ar-
gument to support it ; but, if any thing can dd to
its weight, it would be a GovernMent tin-ling itself
in the situation of contend.ng against a newer
ing at universal derniiiicrn, and, at the same time,
deprived of the assistance of etry cerrideratele
portion Of Ilireiblieets of the realm, prevented by
the operation of a law from contributing to the
genet al defence. Ido net mean to dispute, that it •
may not be necessary for eve: y Government to im-
pose particular constraints, waea they find them
convenient for the security of the country, when
they are dietated by the sttnngest principles of ne-
cessity. These are tretles which ,Ire incontrovert.
ible. to general, the adve: se opinions which have
prevailed upon this suljed, have been caused from
a euppiesitiun, that the religious opinions of the Catho-
lic. were connected with some political prilkieles el
attachment, which rendered their interference with
the Government ordefence of the country prejudicial
to the State. Upon inquiry, itwould he found, how.
ever, that that very attachment to their own prin-
ciples, rendered the hest possible security to Govern-
metit. Ia Litter times, the principles of exclusion
have been clearly illustrated and defined by a wri-
ter of great merit, I mean 1)r. Pale-' , whose
strength of mind, love of jes:ice, and depth of
tl.nught, will be found displayed in his writings, with
extraordinary clearness and perspicuity. I should
have no objeetion to submit to be regulated upon
this part of the suhjeCt by the principleslaid down in
that theological dissertation. Eut in this time of
extraordinary difficulty and danger, when it is so
peculiaily necessary to ergage all classes of His
Majesty's subjeas in the defence of their country,
it cannot surely be disputed, that it would bo ex-
ceedingly unwise to persist in leaving an large a
proportion, as that of the Catholics et Great Britain
and Ireland, sill jetted to laws, which prevent their
partaking in a share of the blessings of bur glorious
Conetitutton. I feel myself relieved; in a consider-
able degree, upon this part of the ritejed, because
a great majority cf Soldiers and Saitors, already
in His Majesty's service, and particularly in the
latter, are persons of that description to which I
allude, and I think yen cannot imagine it right to
sanetion, by connivance, what you natant not deem
right to sane:Lion by law-. Trere is enetner ground.
which Gan hardly leave an objetion to something
being done. and that is. that by a law of the
'rich Parliatucnr, passed hi the ',est E'!l3, His
Majesty's Catholic subjelfts are permitted to hold
Come.• ions in Ireland. while they cannot
do so in this country. Is it not proper and
expedient to extend the same privilege to
both countries? Such then is the objet of this
Bill. which goes to allow all His Majesty's subjeels
to hold such Commissions, without any other re.
striation than the oath therein contained. here
cannot possibly be an; danger attending this mea-
sure, and, therefore, 1 shalt not advert ;ninth to the
arguments that have been used upon this head, but
shall confine myself chiefly to the general symptoms
of ° policy both in u egerd to Ireland and this country.
At the. Union of the two countries, we did find
that armlet anomaly in the lawe, elistieg in the
two countries, that in the one the Roman Ca-
tholics had privileges in the army, which they bad..
not in the other. In censeqnence of the Irish Aft
of 17.0, the Rennin Catholics are enlisted to
hold all manner of c immitaions in the army, except
those of Commander in Chief of the Forces, Master-