The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-28 00:00:00

BRITISH AND IRISH CATHOLIC MEETING.
On Saturday. pursuant to a Requisition, a General Meeting of
the British and Irish Catholics was held at the Freemasons' Tavern.
to take into theit consideration the propriety of petitioning the
House of Lords against the Bill for the Suppression of Illegal
A,sociations in Ireland. At a few minutes before one his Grace
the Duke of Norfolk was unanimously called to the Chair. He was
surrounded by Lord Smarten, Lord Killeen. the Hon. Mr. Preston,
Sir Thomas Estnonde, Bart., Mr. Coke, M.P. (of Norfolk), Ale
Grattan, M.P.,&c.
The Noble neißlSele rose to address the meeting amidst gene-
ral applause. He said he would ern trouble the meeting further
than to express the great pride anti happiness he felt at being called
to preside at a meeting composed. as that was, of both English sad
Halt Catholics. Nothing could give hint more joy than Pilled
them united, as they then were, in one bond. (Applause.) He was
convinced that if they contieued firm and resolute, they must Nue-
teed i! obtaining those rights which had been so long and no UN-
justly withheld. (Great applause.) Ile was rejoiced, too, at seeing so
many of his Preteatant fellow-countrymen around him ; their ex-
ertions' united to those of the Catholics, could not fail in obtaining
justice for his injured fellow subjects, and in adding to the stability
and greatnesa of the empire at large. (Great applause.)
Mr. BLOUNT read letters from the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord
de Clifford, lewd Arnndel, and Mr. Francis Canning, of Oxford.
expressive of their regret at not being able to attend the meeting.
One of the letters, Ale Canning a, we believe, expressed strong
hopes that the proceedings of that day would show, that the feelings.
and Interests of the English Catholics were in unison with theme
of the Irish Catholics. It also declared the strong obligation the
Catholics in general were under to the Asiociation, and particularly
to Mr. O'Connell, to whom it was principally owing that the ques-
tion of Emancipation was now made a prominent feature in domes-
tic policy, and that the attention of all Europe was drawn to it.
The writer concluded by expressing his joy that all were now
united.
Lord Seer. it TON proposed the first Resolution. It was declare-
tory of the irdisputable right which every man had to religious
liberty, and declared that the Catholics were at all times anxious to
concede to others what they now asked for themselves. The Noble
Lord bespoke the kind and liberal indulgence of the meeting, while
lie said a few words in support of the Resolution, which he felt he:
based on the great principle of liberty of conscience. He felt it
must meet their support, for it touched on a chord in harmony with
the wishes of the assembly—not alone of the Catholics in England
aid in Ireland, but in harmony with the wishes and feel-
ings of every enlightened and liberal man, no matter to
what country or to what religion he belonged. He felt that
cn the present occasion he had before him those whom he
might wifely and boldly call the virtual representatives of his
Catholic fellow-subjects; and for thus assembling to promote the
liberal and Christian feeling involved in the Resolution which he
would propose, no man could rebuke them, no man could put them
down. (Loud applause.) In advocating such a principle, he was
advocating a cause dear to them all. There was one accusation
against the Catholics which, in his own name, in the name of the
Catholic body, and in the face of the country, he felt him-
self bound to repel : it was, that the Catholics in general were not
sincere in their professions, and that they clothed themselves to
the garb of toleration, and decorated themselves in the phi-
mage of liberal sentiments, for the mere purpose of covering,
and at the same time prosecuting, their ambitious views, and of
attaining their selfish and private ends. This accusation he would
repel, not by argument, but by facts—not by assertion, but by tin-
dence, and by the united testimony of kingdoms and mighty empires.
Europe, Protestant as well as Catholic, proclaimed the sincerity of
their sentiments, and the truth of their declarations. Was it not a
fact—a notorious fact, that wherever Catholics were united—that
wherever liberty prevailed, Catholic as well as Protestant blood
was shed in its cause ? (Cheers.) Let him not be understood ea
claiming any extensive merit to the Catholics for their warmth in
the cause of liberty,--all he asked was, that it should be admitted
that the inspiring spark of public liberty had equal power on Catho-
lic and on Protestant,—that it was not the growth of this culture or
of that,—and that when in Catholic as well as Protestant States the
spirit of toleration was to be found flourishing, luxuriating, and
spreading wide its branches and its foliage,—and that wherever it
was known to exist, peace and good order, strength as well as na-
tional and individual prosperity, were to be found collected
and sheltered beneath the security of its shade. (Loud applause.)
That they would see in all kinds of government, where toleration
was cherished—in the government of Austria, Prussia. and Russia,
and thanks to their good Kings in Bavaria and Hanover. (Loud
cheering.) They would see it too in the mixed constitutions of
France and the Netherlands. They would see it in the Republican
Cantors of Switzerland. And they would see it in the United
States of America. Titus would they see it on this side of the
Atlantic, and on the other, (cheent—they would see this liberty of
conscience surrounding this island—incompassing it as an ocean.
Thus stood England alone intolerant in the wide and expanded
ureverse of toleration. (Applause.) In speaking of the political
advantages springing from toleration—as examples were more
ogent and more forcible than assertions---he would appeal to the
example of the Hungarians, who, after being restored to their
rights, became the firmest supporters of the imperial throne, which
before they had weakened, and had actually at one time invited a
Turkish army to attack the capital of the empire ; and sorely so
Catholic denied that there was any one act which did more consoli-
date the distracted empire of Henry IT. of France titan pawing
the celebrated Edict of Name ; and what sovereign ever dice
more to scatter his empire than Louis the XIV., when, declining
in his energies, more, perhaps, from excises than age, he revoked
that eelighteued and liberal edict (Loud applause.) To that
revocation the intelligent men of all countries attributed the first
leading and efficient cause of the dnwnfal of the French Monarchy.
Thanks be to God ! that fine monarchy has again arisen from its
ashes--and there is not one feather in its wing ruffled to prevent it
from continuing its natural greatness. With these proofs of Ca-
tholic toleration before him, he spurned the unjust imputation that
the Catholics were not sincere in the expression of liberal feeling,
and that, in reality, they were the advocates of absolute govern-
ment. Was it not strange that the English Government neglected
using liberty of conscience—that grand engine and power-loom
whiclicould not fail to strengthen the country ? In that species of
machinery. and in that alone, were they surpassed by foreigners.
(Applause.) The English excelled in the application of the tome
of steam, but used not the steam of the liberty of conscience to
their fellow men—that force, which, beyond all others, could
make them malleable and fusible. (Applause.) On the Irish,
particularly, would it bare such influence on them, the high tem-
perature of whose feelings rendered them more alive than others to
kind impressions and liberal treatment. (Loud applause.) The
Noble Lord thanked the Meeting for the more than courtesy with
which he had been heard. He would conclude by proposing the
Resolution ; he was sure it would be found in unison with their
own (Carlo, and with the growing feelings of his Protestant fel-
low subjects. (Applause.)
Lord KILLEE x, in seconding it, assured the meeting of the full
concurrence of the Catholics of Ireland in the liberality of senti-
ment expressed and avowed by his Noble Friend who had preceded
him. The Catholics of Ireland entirely concurred in those true
principles of civil and religious liberty which distinguished thee
brethren in England. The Catholics of Ireland felt and justly
complained of this attempt, by a new penal enactment, to add to
the urjust oppression and insult of which they had been so long
the objects. He deplored such an enactment in a time of profound
tranquillity in Ireland—when the people bore their burdens pa-
tiently, and exhibited no symptoms to justify the application of
fresh coercion. The Noble Lord then defended the Catholic Asso-
ciation, of which he was a member, and positively disclaimed, on
their part, the slightest idea of their (or any of them) desiring a se-
paration of Ireland from Great Britain ; they disclaimed the mad.
new of such a project ; and he, for one, would declare that he
would never act with a single individual who could harbour it.
Both countries were embarked in one common cause, and must
stand or fall together. (A pplause.)
The Resolution was then put, and unanimously carried.
The Hon. Mr. PRTSTOW, in moving that a petition (which was
read) be presented to the House of Lords, founded upon the pre-
cedingßesolution,took the opportunity of declaring his concurrence
in the liberal anti tolerant principles which bad been expressed by
bit Noble Friends who had preceded him.
Sir Twos. EDNONDE, Bart., in seconding this motion, also ee-
l:tressed similar sentiments in behalf of the great cause of civil and
religious liberty. He declared the satisfaction with which the Ca-
tholics of Ireland would hail the support of their English brethren
in the ptomotion of a cause which ought to be comumn to both, and
the consummation of which would accompany the extension of jus-
tice to them, with the better establishment of general security for
the empire at large.
The question upon the petition was then put, when
Mr. O'Cow weer. Nees and was greeted with loud cheers. He
commenced by requesting the would be seated—(many
had stood on the hack benches when he rosel--as he feared lee
should have to trespass for some time upon their patience; a de-
claration which, when once avowed by a speaker, was genteelly
carried by him into erect. (A laugh.) To lay before the English
people the bitter grievances of his countrymen, he had left his
home and family—had suspended the profitable emoluments of
his profession (though he would nut dwell upon his private loss)—
he had made three sacrifices, to do what 7—to make an appeal to
English justice—to petition, for what?—to be heard before Ott?,
were condemned—tohave their statements looked at before they
were silenced. In England, and before her Parliameut, had he
sought justice, and the Legislature had spurned his petition (hear),
and this was the answer which a British House of Commons hail
given to the humble petition of seven millions (for that was the
amount) of Irish Catholics, who merely supplicated that they
should be heard before they were puntahed—tried before they
were condemned. (Hear, hear.) That petition for justice, the
British House of Commons had, in the ince of Europe, spurned,
and he had to return and tell seven millions of Ills oppressed
countrymen, that for them the code of justice was closed—the ftn-
tish House of Coir.mona for them could only provide proscription.
Wear. hear.) They dealt not in this sweeping and compendious
rejection with the black slaves of Africa; and let them not think
the people of Ireland would submit to perpetual degradation
and oppression. ( ilea.) To the law they were bound to submit,
and to this fresh accession to penalty they would bow their heads
like obedient though injured subjeces ; but no man could expert
their submission in silence--no man could tear from them the
solitary indulgence of complaint against grievances still to be
borne ; they would, at least, lie hoped, be allowed to clank their
chains in the ears of their oppressors, and remind the authors of
their wrongs of the extent of their infliction. (Hear, hear.) In
coming here to vindicate the Catholic Association from the calum-
nies which had been heaped upon that body, he had even of eyed in
their behalf to prove a negative. It was usual for the party who
had a new law to enforce to justify its necessity, instead of call-
ing upon the party to be affected by it to show his innocence ; but
the Catholics had conceded to the Government that great first pries