The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-24 00:00:00

*toy of every mercantile and trading interest now in existence, and
by its. operation will become most destructive to the fair and just
prospects of numerous classes of his Majesty's trading and mer-
cantile subjects.
" Your petitioners humbly submit, that nothing can be more
unfair in principle, that, because there is at the present moment a
redundance of capital, so dangerous a monopoly should be brought
in contact with the energies of persevering and industrious trades-
men of all denies.
That its enactment will tend to disturb many large vested in.
terests, which, although (by your Honourable House) they may
be of secondary consideration In matters of national importance.
yet your petitioners humbly hope, before this Bill is allowed to
pans into a law, your Honourable Moue will be run, satisfied of
its absolute necesaity, its real practicability, and its national ad-
vantage, before you will allow those vested interests to be dis-
turbed.
" That your petitioners humbly submit, the passing of the Bill
will be a direct violation of the Usury Law, now in existence, in
giving power to a Loan Bank Company to advance large sums at
more than legal interest, under the specious pretext of extra charge
for •• warehouse room, insurance," ecc., which, if granted, will
be to confirm such usurious views.
" In addition to those public grounds of objection to the Bill,
your petitioners have other and more direct claims on the protection
of your Honourable House.
" That the Company to be established by this Bill has other
views for the employment of its immense capital than what may at
first sight appear to your Honourable house, one of which has
been shown by a public advertisement of the deed which has been
signed by the Company ; eidelicit, to establish a " sale depart-
ment," to advance money upon all goods intended for sale, and
which goods shall be sold by the Company, deducting usual coot-
mirsion, &c.
Your petitioners beg to direct the particular attention of your
Honourable House to this subject, and to state that such intended
department for the employment of Oar capitel is a direct and in-
jurious attack upon the most material part of their business.
" That your petitioners have most of them been many years
established in business as auctioneers, niary have large vested
interests in the adaptation of their premises for that peculiar bui-
nese, and all who have auction rooms are necessarily in expensive
occupations. They have, at a considerable expense, and long
period of exertion, formed their several connections in business,
and upon the proceeds of which (to the greater part) their present
support and their future prorpeets entirely depend.
`• Your petitioners humbly submit, that if this Bill be allowed
to pass into s law, they must unavoidably suffer incalculable injury,
it being justly reasonable to apprehend that individual teeniest
stands little chance of success against the united efforts of many
thousand shareholder., with millions at their command.
That your petitioners submit their case to your most deliberate
consideration, and hope it nay not be considered as assuming too
much, in respectfully reminding your Honourable House, that in
their official capacity they very largely contribute to the revenue by
their numerous annual licenses, and that the amount of auction
duty, of upwards of four hundred thousand pounds, annually paid
by the auctioneers, is collected by the Government at a much less
expense than any other tax paid in the same proportion ; and it is
fair to presume, that the revenue will materially suffer in both
these respects; the licenses of a company will bear but a small
proportion to the prevent, and the want of energy in a public corn-
pary must reduce the auction duty, compared with that to be de.
rived from the individual exertions of a large body of men.
" Your pe:itionera further pray, that they may be heard either
'by themselves or their Counsel at the bar of your Honourable
House, against the Equitable Loan Bank Bill passing into a law.
" And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray."
Mr. 110BHOUSE presented a similar petition from certain In.
habitats of Covent-garden.—The petitions were ordered to lie on
the table.
EAST LONDON RAILWAY.
Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from certain Carmen
against the East London Railway.—Ordered to lie on the table.
SOUTH LONDON DOCKS.
Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from Robert Brudell
against the South Lonrlnn Docks—Ordered to lie on the table.
CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION BILL.
Sir F. BURDETT brought up the Report of the Committee
appointed to inquire into the diaqualifications affecting his Ma-
jesty's Roman Catholic subjects ; and moved the first reading of
the Bill.
Mr. Secretary PEEL inquired of the Honourable Member for
Westminster, whether the Bill about to be read a first time was
framed in conformity with the petition presented by the Hon. Mem-
ber on the Ist of March.
Sir F. BURDETT replied, that the Bill now about to be read
a first time was founded upon the Resolutions agreed to by the
House about three weeks since.
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE could not allow this Bill to be read a
first time without declaring that he entertained the same opinion on
the subject which he had on all former occasions when it was
brought forward. He would not take up the time of the House
by entering into a discussion at the present stage, but he thought it
his duty to declare that he objected in tofu to the Rill. It was the
more unnecessary for him to enter into the discussion, as the Right
Honourable Gentleman opposite (Mr. Peel) had mentioned his
intention of taking the sense of the House upon it at a future
period. He thought the country was under great obligations to the
Right Honourable Gentleman fee the manner in which be had
taken his stand upon this question of awful litiptiejouce. Other
Honourable Members who agreed with him, buf were not possessed
of the talents of the Right Honourable Gentleman, naturally looked
up to him, and were of course disposed to act with him in his en-
deavours to support what he (Sir T. Lethbridge) considered the
spirit of our constitution. The Bill now before the House, the
Hon. Baronet said, was founded on the Resolutions agreed to after
an elaborate discuesion, in which the subject had been treated by
the Honourable Baronet in a manner creditable to himself and
advantageous to those whose cause lie advocated. But it was pro-
mulgated that the Bill was not only founded on the Resolutions
which had been agreed to, but upon the suggestions of some lion.
Members; for instance, the suggestion of an Honourable Gentle-
man connected with the Admiralty (Mr. (eroker), that the Roman
Catholic priest should receive a pecuniary allowance, lie had no
acquaintance with the contents of the Bill derived from actual
knowledge thereof, but he believed, and had reason to think, that
it did not contain any provision for the popish clergy. There was
another question which had been much the subject of attention out
of doors, and one which, if carried, would alter altogether the
character of the intended measure. The question to which he
alluded related to the elective franchise ; but to that moment he
was unable to say with certainty whether he had or had not been
rightly informed as to the contents of the Bill; he understood,
however, that the Bill, generally, was founded on the Resolutions
which had passed that House; that it went to alter the tests, and
to take out of them certain words which were objected to by the
Roman Catholics, thus opening to them the superior public offices,
and admitting them to seats in Parliament. Henessit appeared
that the present Bill was the same, or nearly the same, with that
which on a former occasion had been carried through Olio House ;
there was therefore no objection to it on the ground of novelty ; but
he held against it other objections of a much stronger nature. He
had heard urged by the Honourable Baronet with that force and
talent which are peculiarly his own, and he would add with that
moderation and good feeling for which lie stands so eminent, ar-
guments of a powerful nature—fascinating arguments (a laugh)—
arguments to strong, that it required no small counteracting force
to resist them ; but still they were not such as would induce him
to abandon the support of what he conceived to be the vital spirit
of the constitution. Ile had heard that the essential points of the
Roman Catholic creed were not to be taken into consideration. It
was alleged that these hail nothing to do with the subject whatever.
They were told that thou who attempted to touch on these points
were no better than ideots • but notwithstanding this censure so
pronounced he would adhere to the old opinion, that the creed of
the Roman Catholics was most material to a just consideration of
the question. He had heard of new lights having been thrown
upon the subject; he wished those lights might be brought to a
focus soas truly to illuminate. Ile wished that the House, pre-
views to the expected discussion, should have before it the notes
and minutes of the evidence delivered before the Committee above
stain, from which, as he hod been informed, much was to be ex-
pected. lie had lean 01 from those who were well acquainted with
the subject, that the grounds which; in a religious point of view,
be, and those who thought with him, rested on, were, according to
the evidence before that Committee, cut from under their feet.
There had been examined there (as we understood him to say)
four bishops of the Roman Catiuslic Church—men distinguished
for their high talents, learning, and other eminent qualifications;
and, as he had been informed, those Right Reverend persons had
gone such lengths in their testimony as to set at defiance, and trip
up all that had been previously written or said upon the subject,
either by other or by themselves. Doctor Doyle and another
Right Reverend Doctor had been examined. The former person
was generally understood to be the author of the writings which
appeared under the signature of " .1. K. L." These writings he had
read with a great deal of consideration, and he of course looked
upon them as containing something like the authorised opinions of
the individual in question. Ile was one whom a Roman Catholic
would deem it almost heresy to differ from; yet he could not see
how that individual could reconcile the inconsistencies which sub.
sisted between his et idenee and his writings. They were incon.
sisienctes which must strike the most casual observer. From these
sources (the evidence) it wan, that the new lights are said to have
sprung, under the influence of which they were to reject what had
been heretofore received as authentic, but which they now were to
learn fur the first time was no longer worthy of attention. He
asked pardon of the House for anticipating what should, at a
future seine of the proceeding, come more properly under their
consideration. lie hail had to present, and should have still to
present, many poitions on the religious portion of this great
question: The whole essence of the matter in dispute lay in the
religious question. As regarded himself, if he had any erroneous
opinions on the subject, no one would be more ready to come for.
ward and freely acknowledge them than he 'should. He regretted
the apathy which had beep betrayed by Members of that House
in reference to this great and important question. It was by no
means in unison with the rime feelings of the British people.
Mr. PEEL would not take the sense of the House on this the
first reading of the Bill ; but he would not therefore be understood
to relax in the slightest degree the opposition which at a more con-
venient dine he should feel it his duty to offer. He it felt due
to the House Dot to interpose any obstacle to its having before
it, in every point of vies, the measure to be brought under its con-
sideration. Ile thought it would be better to postpone until the
second reading the debate upon this Bill. Ile wished to repeat
that his opinions on the subject remained unchanged, that he
would accept no Collllll7olllile. On the second reading he was deter-
mined on taking the sense of the House, end on giving to the Bill
an opposition similar to what he had heretofore offered to measures
of a like nature. If the Bill should be read a mond time, and be