The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-05-18 00:00:00

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No. 7,007.


PARLIAAf E.VTAnr I NTELLIGENCA.
110 USE OF LORDS, Torarrao, MAT 17.
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The space below their Lottahips' bar was crowded to encase long
before five o'clock ; the reporters to the public press were kindly
accommodated by Sir Thom** Tyrwitt, with that portion below the
bar which usually remain* unoccupied.
CATHOLIC CLAINIS—PETITIONS.
Lord ARORN presented a petition from a parish in Northamp.
tooshire, against the claims of the Catholics.
Lord KING presented a petition in favour of the claims of the
Cstholica from the Congregation% of-Unitarian Dissenters of the
towns of Tawiatopk and Cullutnpton, in the county of Devon; and
another from certain Memhers of the Church of England of the
town of Stroud. in Gloucestershire.
Lord SYDNEY presented several petitions against the claims of
the Catholics, from various parishes in the county. of Kent.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL presented petitions of a similar
nature from Liverpool, containing 13,MX1 signatures, from Had.
dingo'', from the Scotch Presbytery of the city of London, fr,im
the inhabitants of Stirling, sad ham the Protestant Dissenters of a
parish in the tanloAo of Illswkk•
The Dube of BLCKINGHA3I presented a similar petition
from Vannodniii.
The EMI orENNISK IIiLEN presented II petition to the same
elbet SVGA the realty of Monaghan.
Petitions of a similar mum were presented by the LORD
CH.INCELLOR, Been the parish of Clerkenwell i lien the
clergy, perish officers, and inhabitants of St. &Aileen • porit.h,
Southwark; from the Protestant Deese:nem of_ thewhim of
Grange, In Herefordshire; from dor Prosimot Dliti of oho
chapel of Bell. street, Raddiffe.highway ; Prom the lishollima at
Ms town and borough of Southwark ; from the View, Clemeh-
' wardens, and inhabitant* or Olney, to the countpot Barb t road
from the Minister and Congregation of Percy-street Chapel, to the
county of Middlesex.
Lord KING said that before this petition from the Percy-OWN
chapel were laid upon their Lerdwhips' table, he had to remark that
there was something peculiarly extraordinary in the way in which
it wamgot up. The Minister of that chapel had made an address
to his congregation from the pulpit, in which he informed them
That a petition against tke claims of the Catholics lay for signature
in the vestry-room, and he reommended females as well as males
to go and sign it. Now, their Lordships had been told that the
clergy took a religious view of this important subject, and this was
indeed taking a religious view of it, when it was mixed up with
divine worship, rid when the people were told to " read, mark,
learn, and inwardly digest it."
The Bishop of IAiN DON, in • low tone of voice, entered into
an explanation of the facts. He said that the Clergyman did not
isise the notice to the congregation until after the sermon was o er,
and that be had not done it with any improper motives. Ile was
a pima and worthy min, not likely to be guilty of any intentional
impropriety. lie had considered it as an important question, in-
volving religious and theological considerations, and in this respect
he (the Bishop of London) concurred with him. The matter came
hetore the Legislature in a different shape, for there it assumed •
political character, but the Clergyman in question had never meant
to regard it but as a religious subject.
The LORD CHANCELLOR observed, that at the conclusion
of his sermon the Clergyman had certainly informed his conger.
gatian that a certain petition lay for signature in the Vestry-room,
where all who thought proper to do so, might go and sign it. He
Lad, it appeared, informed the Bishop of London of what had
taken place, and if that Right Rev. Prelate had been satisfied
in his conscience, he (the Lord Chancellor) did not think the Noble
Lord (King) should be dissatisfied in his mind.
The Earl of CA RN AR VON said that if such an act were to be
taken as a precedent--if the Clergy were to be permitted to intro-
duce great political subjects in which they were interested, into the
pulpit—and if sentiments of' the kind were to be mixed up with
divine worship, he felt assured the respectability and influence of
the Established Church would be at once gone ; and the Churches
of that establishment would become places fur debating meetings.
To his astonishment and d• , he had heard the Right Rev.
Prelate palliate thetarnduct of this gyman, and couple this pal.
limion with a panegsric on his drummer; and he would entreat that
Right Rev. Prelate to consider whoa the effects would be if political
questions were to be thus blookd with the worship of God—a
Ciergyman were to call his coopegation into the Church, not for
the purpose of worshiping the Creater,but in order that they might
he induced to' sign petitions. What would the Learned Prelate
have said if any of that Clergyman's petitionets had risen to oppose
4 ere
his opinion, and a brae ling had MANI ill the Church, while
that Church had bees osemmeesiiiie e he • debating society.
DifEring as he d id.l cote aehmfeten die Dec Prelated he were
in • Church,and heard a Clergymen Ins *option give notice that
a petition lay for signature in die Veatrproous, praying for tolera.
non as devoutly as the Right RemPrelate* prayed for intokrance,he
should conceive it his duty to rise immediately and condemn the
conduct of such a Clergyman. If the Right Rev. Prelates were
so dead to feeling, it became the duty of every individual of their
Lordships, who professed and felt attachment to that Church, to
take it into their own hands and rescue it from the partial neglect
of those to whose care it was more especially committed. It was
his opinion, that to the exertions of the Clergy was owing the
number of petitions that had been presented against the claims of
the Catholics ; but he hoped the Learned Prelates themselves would
deprecate such interference as that to which he had been alluding ;
or were it otherwise, not only thin, but all political subjects would
be introduced into the pulpit, and the Divine Service would become
polluted.
The Bishop of LONDON disclaimed any interference or in.
euence on his part to procure petitions on this subject: he had
carefully abstained from any such acts, and would always abstain
front it. With respect to the Clergyman who had been alluded
to. he cer.ainly had not censured him, nor did he feel himself
called upon to censure him.
Earl SPENCER said that, with the highest respect for the
Right Rev. Prelate, he thought the Clergyman ought to have
been censured for committing an act so unwarrantable, so dis-
graceful, and so shameful as the act he had committed. He
heard the fact yesterday, and heard it with astonishment. lie
did not believe that any discussion on the subject was intended;
but if Clergymen of the Established Church were permitted at all
to introduce such topics into the body of a sermon—
The Bishop of lA/NDON said that the Noble Earl was mis.
taken : the Clergyman had not Introduced the observations into the
body of his discourse.

Earl SPENCER continued.
He was told by a person of great
vcrscity, that the Minister in question had given the notice at the
end of the sermon, and then he added the usual blessing to the con-
gregation. To a sincere friend of the Established Church such&
proceeding was most painful. He condemned it in the severest
terms, and hoped that a similar instance would never again occur.
11 brevet the general character of the Clergyman might be, yet the
bt Reverend Prelate ought to know that such an interference in
Melt was most improper. He trusted that the Right Reverend
'relates would consider any such transactions as decidedly wrong,
and severely condemn it.
Lord ROLLE said that the Act was certainly wrong, and
should be condemned; but he believed the Priests in Ireland
*min the constant habit of doing the very same thing as that cool-
osined of in this Clergyman.
Lard CLIFDEN said that the Noble Lord was mistaken.
7'br Priests certainly did address their flocks from the pulpit,
but not against the Protests-ti. There never was • calumny
more monstrous; the Irish Catholic Priests preached peace and
Rood order. lle remembered a saying of one of his late Majesty's
fury Council (Lord Barrington), and he agreed with hint, that
when politics were introduced into the pulpit, the Clergymen who
istrodueed It ought to have their ears nailed to the pulpit.
Lord LILFORD stated, that when he first heard of the conduct
sf the clergyman alluded to, he made inquiry into the fact, and
then mentioned it to the Bishop of London. He regarded it as a
desecration of the Church. He agreed with the Noble Earl (Earl
bsencer) in all he had said, and he should have been greatly pleased
if the Right Rev. Prelate had pronounced on it any, even the
slightest reprobation.
'file Archbishop of CANTERBURY said that he felt it his
duty to condemn every reference to politics in the pulpit. In the
pment case the clergyman alluded to had acted improperly and
irreg,larly. (Hear.) He hoped it was a solitary case, and that it
might not occur again. (Hear.) His Grace then presented a pcti-
non from Norwood, in Surrey, against the Catholic Claims.
Petitions against the Catholic Claims were likewise presented
By the LORD CHAN('ELLOR' from Chipping Wycombe
(backs), and from some parish in Sussex.
fly Lord ENNISKILLEN from the County of Monaghan.
BY his Royal Highness the Duke of YORK from 12,000 inha-
bltants of London and Westminster, and another from Cardin:
Ily the Bishop of LINCOLN front a town in Hertfordshire, and
irons the Dignitaries of Lincoln Cathedral.
Hy the 111%hop of LONDON from Hornier.
Lu••By the Duke of RU f LAND from a town on the County of Rut-
c:.
ny the Bishop of C H ESTER from a town in Chi shire, from
‘‘erTington, and from the Dissenters of Trinity Hall Chapel, Al-
doll:ate-street.
fly Lord KENYON from two places in Denbighshire.
By the Duke of NE‘VCASTLE, from a place we did not hear.
It) the Earl of RODEN, from Lambeth-street chapel, West.
annrer; from St. George's, Hackney ; from the Dissenters of
tnon.street Chapel, Surrey ; from the Dissenters of Crown-street
(hotel (Middlesex) ; from a Baptist Congregation in Middlesex;
and tram the Baptists of Shouldham-street Chapel.
liv the Ilishop of ST. DAVID'', from T. W. Dixon, &Curate
in the diocese of Killala.
BY the Bishop of GLOUCESTER, from a place we could not
kew.
And nine petitions from different places by the Earl of
BRAFTF.SBURY.
Lord CALTHORPE presented a petition from a numerous
7e) of inhabiters of Birmingham, in favour of the Catholic
4 timts. The Noble Lord read a letter, which stated, that efforts
but been made by • clergyman in Birmingham, in one of the prin.
e!PalFhapels, to procure signatures to an Anti-Catholic Petition.
bleb unproper interference ought to be reprobated. Ile believed
''t the greater part of the educated population of the empire was
lei:trout of the Catholic Claims.
Petitions in favour of the Catholic Claims were presented by
L. 4.1 KING from the Unitarian Dissenter, of Tavistock ; from