The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-07-14 00:00:00

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civilized world. By division, has power of the
common enemy been increased. and disunion has
consummated the overthrow o' the proudest monar-
chies of Europe. It vias an idle id •a. to supoose, that
the relief prop ised to the Catholics would he irju-
rions to the Civil or Ecclesiastical Constitution.
There was nothing attacking the tondamentaii of
the Constimtion in wh t was iot.nded for their re-
lief, any more than in the tormer concessions which
bad been granted them. If no regard was now
paid to his recommendaion. the hour would ar-
rive. when the question would come home to the
mind of every one; for the present was not the
time, when dangers impended, to encourage rut-
ciples of dpunion. If Parliament adopted that
system towards the Cash et which the resent
Ministers were pursuing, the Jahger; to this coon-
try were not only great. but, in his opinion, inevi-
table. He had now dischaiged his conscience
towards Parliament and his Country, and probably
this might be the last time when he should have
to address their Lordships on the subject.
Lord HAWKEiBURY began by remarking
the variety of subjects, foreign to the question, which
had been introduced in the speech of the Nob*
Lord. With regard to the more immediate autied
of the Indemnity Bill. he agreed with the Noble
Lord who had just sat down, that, in a que.unii
which feinted to a breach of the law, the justifica-
tion was not to rest on precedent merely, but to be
considered with regard to the nature of the question.
In ;were Government,. however chnuitutcd, cases
would arise, which were not provided for by law; but
when such cases have actually arisen, it had been
the universal custom of Parliament, to look with
candor tand fairness. when the knecutive Goverh-
ment had applied to them for a Hal of indemnity.
He would willingly agree that the justification
should stand upon the reason and nevssity of the
case, and that it should also be submitted in inc
wisdom and discretion of Parliament. In this re-
sped it made no dificience whether the law teas
broken thrutagO for the purpose of restraiz.t
or indulgence ; fur at all events, when the
approbation of Parliament was applied for, it
was incumbent on them to inquire into the
reason why the law WAS broken. In the present
instance, he had no hesitation to say, that the
law was broken through for the sake of indulgence.
The Noble Lord went into an historical detail of the
various temporary ads regulating the commercial
arrangement between this country and America,
subjeft to the acknowledgment of the independence
of America. The Cider of Council was an in.

duigen:e to the peopl- of this country, who could
lint twee immediately tran.terrtd their property

from American to British ships; it was An insiti!-
genet alas to the A • oeric its, upon whom it would
bare been hard to pin in tolee the navigation A 4,
at a time when a treaty was peading between this
eon:lily arid Am.:lies. But the Nable Lord ob.
jrttra to this measure, as connetting it with the dis-
solution of Psi-Bement, and Ise asked, whet neces-
sity was there for tueh a step ? In his opinions
events justified that dissolution; and it a dissolution
of Parliament were necessary, it was fit it should
take place whilst the events that occasioned jr were
fresh in the people's mammies. Here the Noble
Lord eivered iota a minute statement of tke causes
which occasioned the late change of Ministers.
Herehareed them, :Our their dismissal, with calling
upon Parliament for an opinion, whitb, if given as
they desired, would have tended to criminate His
Majesty. or, at least, to criminate those whom His
Majesty called to Isis Councils. The question was
not only as to the Catholic WI. bat the manner in
which His Majesty had hero used with respect to
that 13111: His Majesty ktad, therefore, made an ap-
peal to the people at %mgr. as well as to show to
Europe at large, that His Majesty had formed a
stros-st and efficieet Government. The question
between His Majesty and his late Ministers had been
brave t to issue by the late Ministers themselves.
He coneriitted His Majesty's present confidential
bervante wets justified in advising the King to dis-
solve Paeliament, and that at the very time when
thr, did ; nor could this Dissolution have taken
ftlaee at the time it did, without a necessity of a
breach of the laws in the present instance, and which
now called for a Bill of Indemnity. In the nu-
ii erons addresses, the sentiments of the country had
been decidedly pronounced, and that in spite of
every effort to counteta4 them: the sentiments of
both Houses of Parliament, by large majorities, had
been proved to be in unison with chat of the coun-
try Ilse Noble Lord said, he had heard with
pain thelaiter pot of the Noble Lord (Grenville's)
speech, which was calculated not to unite bu: to
excite feeling and suspicions in the breasts of the
Roman Catholics towards their Protestant bre-
Chien. It was impossible to see what beneficial
conclusion such suga:estions mild lead to at the
presfr:t moment. or in again going over the suhje't
of the Catholic Question, which lad been already
en amply discussed. lie believed that all ranks
woiild glow with enthusiasm to re•ist a most formi-
dable enemy, and who was rendered still mere so,
by recent cireurnstonces ; and assuredly no differ-
ence of opinion tespeaing the Catholic Question
was sufficient to justify the Noble Lord's de-
claration, that we were a divided people. He
trusted and believed this would not be found
to tw the case ; no, not with the Catholics
thems lees, when the question was to support their
country against the common enemy; for they well
knew. that even under some deprivations, their State
Was that of indulgence, compared wish any boon
the eneray might hold out to them. Both in and
out of Parliament there might be a diviscsii of sen-
timent upon atuesnons, but with respell
so a foreign enemy, ers was:, and he trusted ever
would or, an uniteil people. For his own part, he
had always thought that it was most fair and
for Parliament not to hold forth expectations
seh.?li could not !ix prep ...fly realized ; he should
thilik.it would be ni.:st prodant for Noble Lords
to al-sraM from speeches in that House which could
have no good praaical tenlency. The Noble Lord
then proceeded to refer to Mr. Pith's sentiments and
isondst4 on the Catholic Question, and contrasted
the latter wish the condmo of Ills Majesty's late
Ministers on the same subject. His Majesty's late
Ministers had urged on the sulijaft in such a man-
ner as had committed Paiiiainent to deliver an
opinion, sok:ch. he owned, hsa better, under any
other eire.shisranees. have been Avoided. Io these
- a- -- Os. bid, Catholics AS OWiDig

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