The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-05-06 00:00:00

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PRICE Sv,VKE-I'vN4 E.

remembrance. their Lordships might possibly call
to mind a statement which he had made to them i 4
lefe, of a case of very considerable hardship, ai.
(tensile an individual of the tame of Wright. Thus
man had distinguished Isitnself in the navy by a
course of meritorious service. rod hod !oat six bro.
timis, who had fallen in promoting the honour of
the country. With his Chime of putout' event.
heightened sod enhanced by this sacrifice of his
family. he required some distinction from Wiseu an.
try, mid the Lord's of the Admiralty, acknowledg
ing the force of his Rppeat, promoted him to ttie
rauk of master and commander in the navy.
line
pf this promotion, fur which he had pmd large a
price in advance, lie was unable to 011ie ativoolugP.
fur his conscience prevented lieu from sub.clib-
ing to the oaths and declarations which were re-
Toted of him previous to his adolissiou into office.
The hardship of this case strongly excited the
sympathy of the House. and lie was of opinion that
the statemeut of it hail Annie effect in inducing the
Noble Viscount opposite (Lord Melsill..) to intro-
duce the measure to which he last ellittled.—
That measure relieved Officer* both in the army
and navy from the necessity of taking I edam oaths
previous to their admission, and placed the Catho-
lics on an equality with other gissemere from the
Church of England, with the exception of the
duties required :ry the Test and Corporation Act.,
het from the penalties therein prescribed they
• were relieved by the annual Indemnity Act, as
certainly as the mouth of March occurred,
w racer
successive year, He had witnes-ed tai' progress of
that measure. Which passed silently pod oimposairif
through Parliament, with great satisfactioil ; be
had hailed it as a proof of the growing liberelity
of the uge ; but he felt also no slight peromal gra-
tification, for this measure was the same in prin-
ciple as that to which the 4dministration of I (307
had fallen a secrifice.—lfiase, hear.)—He owneo,
that he had felt it silent exultation iii aitisevsng
that measure ; for he saw by it that justice had at
length been done to the motives of the Act lie kid
introduced; and that the clamour and 'olio-
dice excited against the Administretioa of I so-,
were wholly without foundation.—(Hear, hear.)—
He did not wish to indulge in improper triumph out
this subject, but he trusted that In f.ittare strong
impressions would nut be adopted susideoly front
clamour and prejudice, without allowing s. • lion-
&One for discussionand
The Noble Earl then remarked, that the Rums'.
Catholics of Great Britain were sulO,r:t so many
disqualification* from which those of Ireland were
exempt. It was a matter. of strict right that this,
inequality should be removed. but he s:tould freely
state, that with this he should not be satisfied. lie
looked on behalf of those person* wlat..e
he presented for nothing less than a foss
harticips-
tiou in all the honours of the State ; he should
not be satisfied with a limited and imperfect
*inn to all the advantages of the Brinsli Constitu-
tion. And what time was ever better
lated for a calm ond deliberate consideration'
of this subject than the resell! ? The 1-Lid
of that religion, who for so long a period hod
been exposed to the capricious tylanny of the
greatest enemy to this country, was sow restored to
his political power, chiefly by the exertions of the*
country ; and no less from iodination than from
duty should he be expected to co-operete. if secele
rities were deemed tiecessary, in the arraiweinent of
this matter. The country was now in the enjo)..
tuent of peace, wheti every exertion tusght with
safety be made to confirm the security and tratseltid-
lily of the empire. How far the great body of the
Protestants *9014 concur in such a measure, may
be collected from the cumber of petitions pretwout
ed by thetp in favour of their Catholic fellow...ob-
jects. The present appearance of the country vise
gratifying. but it should not be suffered to decease
them. Peace now existed. but the jealousies and
mutual causes of disagreement which ever :Filer
between states, prevented them front eistertaining 3
hope that peace could be of long coutinuance ;
nor could it be forgotton, that. doling the
dapgers of the late vow, all their &16. nine.;
were enhuuced and incressed by the state of
the rioter kingdom—and would it be wise its
Statesmen, looking to the state of France
one side, and of' America on the other, ingot' to
encounter such dangers ? The conduct and de-
meanour of the people of Ireland were now peace-
able, and he doubted nor they would so conthitte ;
but it would not be wise to moot too confi-
dently on the outraged feelings of human na-
ture. or believe that hope long deferred would
not induce sentiments of alienation sod tjo.4tart.—
He called ow the Ministers to sa). when the values
were so nicely ba'anced, as on this *abject, whether
the question should longer remain in such suspetisc.
with honour to toiriorelere or safety to the State.--
(Hear, hear./—lf a patient endurance of unme-
rited evils—if a peaceable demeanour unity,- it,r
operation of a law, felt to he universally n00n...it...
if au exemplary display of all the untied chits
flintiest the Catholics of Great Britain to the 1....
vourable atteotion of Parliament, those claims she v
eminently pursevsed. The religion into telight sib
followers as, to regulate their conduct could 1.01
he bad although, Ili a Protestant, be
could not accede to *mile of its stfoctriorb; hot
there was nothing in Os practical lessons which
would justisy Parliament in dicludiug its profess
sots from the enjoyment of those blessings uttered
by the British Constitution to all who had the oda
vantage of ,being bore mutter its protection—(Haar,
hear.)— Noble Earl concluded by inovilig
' that the Petition be trail.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose, not to anticipate
the dtecubsion which would take place on the ino-
tion of which notice had been given by a Noble
Lord opposite, but to catlike a few observations
wi
'unwilling that fell frpm dm Noble Emil (prr) ),
which. his mind, required tonne explanation. fie
could out mean to ray any thing agatost the Pet,.
not), which was expressed in respectful teethe, end
bore the signatures of men highly estiinside
public and private life, pith some of whuttt