The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-22 00:00:00

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would impute to him any other feelingthaa the
conscientious discharge of his public duty.
Sir H. Payouts. wished to know front some one
of the Ministers of the Crown, why, upon this occoo
soon of calling the attention of Parhinneist, by the
Sorrell ttom the Throne, to all the leading goes-.
nous of our external and domestic policy, the situ-
',non of the Catholics of Ireland had been, as usual,
wholle omitted ? If Ministers would but take
half the pains in establishing an intimate union with
so tunny milfinus of his Majesty's *objects, as they
dill to mar alliauces with the Crowned Heads
or Europe, if-y would tin a snot+ gieater public
fiunit, and inuch tinue real -tretigthand ee-
vonty for the safety sod tranquillity of the country.
It was to no purpose to treat the Catholic Question
as one of tin importance; it had been for the list
16 years by far the most important one, and it would
so continue to be, that had come before Parliament.
Alr. Pitt, by his negocistions with the Catholics, at
the time of the Union, and by his retiring from
office immediately after it, hail first introduced it
before a British House of Commons, and since that
tune it had led to the breaking up of two Adminis-
trations and the dissolution of one Parliament, anti
been connected with the arrangement of every suc-
cessive Administration. No tine could deny that
the Catholics had just cause to complaint of the man-
ner in whirl) the engagements which were made to
them at the time of the Union have beet' viclated,
awl also sal• the various pretexts by which the settle-
ment 4.f question had hero avoided. One ez-
trUfte gir•iug way, as it was to its turn exposed, to
sonit other, until there now remains no ostensible
grounds on which further opposition can be sup-
putted. When it is remembered that no less than
seven of the Cabinet filinisters nut only consider the
concession of the CatliolicClaitus to be wise and ex.
pedielit, but go so far us to take every importunity
to inform the country by their speeches in this
I Intim, that in their opinion, without the settlement
s I ibis question, none of the many evils which be-
long to the state of Government and notety in Ire-
land ran be remedied, it insist appear somewhat ex-
nraordu•uu►y iu the Eyes of the public to see these
are cu Ministers sitting in the saute Cabinet with
those who go just as fur on the opposite side, and
itonotirin that concession to the Catholics would be
followed In- the subversion of the Coustitution. It
Is in vale that an attempt is made by these Mimi--
tete to rstalAligh te th!Oiliction between their obliga-
tions as Members of Path anent, and as Members
of the Go►ernment, for every well-regulated mind
Joust condemn it as contrary to every principle of
political consistency and political honesty. To
adopt the coon* that these occasional friends of
the question pursue, is to leave the question to time
mud chance to work some, at present not forefeet),
orctiouotatiers, to secure its final settlement. But
tins i• a question, which, of all others, ought not
In he lelt to tune and chatter ; for the exclusion of
mil min of his Majesty's subjects from their constitu-
t:on..•i rq;lits ought to b- justified by some sound and
♦islhl- nrioriple of piddle pulley, or it becomes an
net of flagrant tisjoitice raid the height of upotesison
to co,:t note it. Yet without setting forth any such
prioeiole, where Minister*, as individuals, excite
the and expectations of the Catholics, and in
the Cnuncuh of the Regent banish the question from
their coosideration, how can any man 'dace a
rational cootidence in such a Goversonetit ? It
was to be hoped that so end would soon be put to
Ito* system of things. The Petitions which were
Low coming from the whole body of the Catholic',
iissemblert in their respective parishes, would pro-
duce a greater impression than the plan of petition-
ing heretofore acted upon. And as these Petitions
would state in respectful and moderate, but in the
strotio terms of plaiu troth, grievances which had a
real tkisreitre, they would 'thew the absolute neces-
sity of affording relief. The Honourable Member
said, as he wished to say nothing to provoke at this
pert-sad the discussion of this great question, he
should content himself for the present to entering a
protest, in the name of a great part of his constitu-
ruts, against this practice, which was uniformly
pursued by Government, of passing over, without
silty notice, the severe disabilities under which the
Catholics labour. They were not in the situation
of inatiy that come before this House with strong
cases of Hardship, consisting of few in numbtrs, and
broom; but a suisll portion of the public, but it
Intght he tnd, almost with perfect truth, that they
.rest• a whole people, and as such they deserved
ensue consideration from those who composed the
Governmeut of the country.
Mr. 'i•/ERNEY said, he wished to state, that
though he would not on the present occasion oppose
the Address, yet he should by no means consider
bonsell committed as to the assertions contained in
thin Address—to many of the statements contained
in it he altogether dissented. The general esser-
lions iu the latter part of it be considered altogether
mitoutided ; the state of the public credit, and
psitic•uularly that great blot on our credit, the Bank
paper system, he felt it his duty to bring imme-
diately under the consideration of the House, and he
therefore, gore notice, that on Tuesday, the
led of February. he would move for a Committee
to infinite into the stale of public credit, as con-
nected with the Bank paper system.