The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-03-05 00:00:00

rot r-eliit?, astonishment and indigestion. I.ollk At
the English Catholics in those trying period. of our
honey to which I allude, reflecting by their g4l-
- tree toy chivalraot support of your intaitii-
hoot, the noble merest of your cosubset to them.
refer to the conduct of the Ein4lisli Ca-
!' at the time when the very existent eof this
nutty a• a nation was attacked by a foreign invader
the time of the Spanish Armada), *dewiest's under
Oslo 44,1P0/crated banners of the same religion they
of,.fes.eil. Lord Effiogham, who comutauded
51-4 (rib that occasion, and who distinguished him-
„it he Ins loyalty and bravery, was a Catholic—.
1,0,1 Howard, who commanded the northern bar-
tier of the country, was h Pens.
broke, who commanded • large body of nor army,was I
• Catholic; sod these illustrious characters proved I
their loyalty in the ctisis of their country's fate.
Magna Charts itself was the record of their attach.
unlit to the old Constitution of this pawl.—/Hear,
hear.)—pre that ',cession, they preserved the an•
eietit laws of the land by the firmness of
their protest to the imbecile Prince who then
admintstered them. The Declaration of Rights.
which posed at a future period of our history, and
to which we to often refer with pride sod exaltation.
was only declaratory (as its same imports) of the
act of our Catholic isocestors.—(Hear.).—The
unblemished honour and integrity which the Eng.
11. h Catholics uniformly displayed, entitled them to
the reparation they sought for their unmerited
irevsment.--(Heor.)--Where such honour Bud
faith has heed exhibited, what securities were ne-
regain ?—if it be assumed that they had not honour
and faith, what securities could be operative ?
Hear.)—The Petition which I am about to pre-
sent to yogi, Sir, is from the Catholics of Englossd,
whose env, in sunny respects, materially differs
itam that of the Catholics of the Sister Island.--
111otaithstanding this. difference, I am ready to
admit that the measure of relief to be effected,
must be general, and must embrace the Catholics
of the Eitipire.—( Hee:. )—lf the /need of relief
Vine to he confined to England alone, much as I I
feel the real justice of the present application, I
must, a. an honest man, say I should vote against
the separation of the two cases.—(Hear.)—On the
other hand, if upon this great question, the ill regu..
listed zeal of any individual should cast discredit
upon this subject. let us, for God's sake. exonerate
the English Catholics from any share in the blame
of such indiscretion, and protect them from the
undeserved reproach which. if incurred at all. must
he incurred by a different net of individuals. Let
us recollect their community of feelings and into•
rests with ourselves. and, above all. the undeserved
obloquy which your Priest Code has coot upon this
cis.* of the Limes subjects. It is oar duty to
redo...manmade.s from the imputation of that blame
which has been incurred by other men, and in other
times—it is our duty to adopt a spirit of concilia-
tiotiood not of reproach.—(Hear.)—Every act of
disqualification for .the profession of mere faith is
in itself had. Whatever motives dictated our
Penal Code, as affecting the Catholic, it may be now
usete,s to discuss; the object and the efficacy of

these enactments have lung since become use.
less and unavailing fur any good purpose, and
she present times should be relieved front the
odium of perpetuating laws, the operation of winch
is an injurious to the character of the couutiy,
and so galling and oppressive to some of the
JO) NI and distinguished individuals in the empire.
It is in the spirit of conciliation that I present this
l'etition.--it is to the justice, the wisdom, and the
humanity of this House that I now address myself,
end confide its prayer with a 6rm conviction that
such au application for relief cannot be made in vain
to so enlightened Legislature."—(Hear, hear.)
Lord MORPETH—," After the able and eloquent
speech of my Noble Friend, after the feeling and
powerful statement he has made of the case, and
the grievances of the Petitioners, and with the re.
collection which the House must have of the wp.
pests which have been already made to its wiolons
and justice on this subject, I feel that it is unneers.
coy for me to take up your time with any ob.
serrstions in favour of the prayer of the Peti.
tient'''. 1 am sure that whatever opinion may
prevail respecting the original policy or our Penal
Laws, there can be now but one opinion, that
they tire no longer necessary..—(lfeue, hear.)-
1 only wish to take this early opportunity of
uffesing my humble testimony of the loyalty and
fotbeerame which have been uniformly displayed
.by the Catholics of England—of that class who
are debarred by the bail policy of our laws of ex-
'num their talents in those ranks and %winos in
eaciety, which are the honourable reword of le•
gitirnite ambition to other class,* of his Mu.
ray'. subject.. Those opportunities of fair re.
want and hmssiaroble distinction which are ripen
to the great Mill of the people of this cumitry,
are shot to the Catholics alone. I shall only add
111111• word MI to the manner and language of the
:Petitioners. It appears to toe, if 1 heard the words
of the Noble Lord accurately, that the Petition is
drawn up just ss it ought to be, in a simple and
Plain. but yeti's atsostily and perspicuous manner
—(Hear)—it does not enter into the detail of the
specific grievances of the Petitioners, beC3USt they
tueourne .these grievances, to be too universally
known; it make. on mention of the loyalty and
steadfast attachment of the English Catholics to the
Constitution, because of that the Bourse is suffi-
ciently informed by the unerring test of long and
ample experience.—(Hear.)-1 will not unticipate
the deLite nu this important tjuestion. but shall
conclude by expressing my fullest confidence that
is Mouse will no longer suffer the grievances of
-Wirth the Petitioners complain to remain unre.
d.”—(l:ear.)
Dr. Plitt,Listorte...m." Sir, I deem the rte of
the Prtitioneis one so important to all ranks in
so-
cnety, and so peculiarlyattention of
the' attentio of
Parliattient, that. notwithstanding the able and
eloquent winner in which the contents of the Pe•
ttnnn has beet, detailed to the House, I cannot re.
hails from addressing a few observations to you
unriii this sulijeet. The 11,iuse has heard the ge-
t.end cadent- of the .Petition clearly and perspi-
riotously etioril—the Flutist will hear it read from
the table, and if the signritwes to it are alto read,
they will reciii.i.;sr. let the names of the Petitioner!.„
name* the 111(:•1 illiistrinus in the annuls of our
asoutry--sames hich are so intimately blended
and mixed up wish the most brilliant actions in
,eveheXest periods. of our history, that it is
/111 , to discuni.,:ct the association !illicit they