The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-01-25 00:00:00

FING.tL.

Cauudford•lloose, Jan. 22, 1610.
MY LORD—II have the honour to address this
1. ttcv to your Lordship, in reply to that which I
received from you, respectiog tile petit' with
*hick you arc charged. This form of coinmaiiica-
tips' I consider as roost satisfactory to your Lord-
ship. It is also best calculated to do justice to the
selitiments of souse of the most distinguished advo-
cates of your cause, su 1:01eClIfftllee with WllOlll soy
decision has been Lk( n.

I must its the first place assure your Lordship,
that my opinion remains unchanged as to the ob-
ject of your petition. It wool.l. I think, be an mt
of undeniable wisdom and justice to commitincate
to our fellow suhiects, professing the Roman Ca-
tholic Religion, the full enjoymek of our Civil
Constitution. Such a measure, accompanied by
suitable arrangements, maturely prepared, and de-
liberately adopted, would, I am confident, above all
others, give strength an.: union to the Empire, and
increased security to its religious and civil establish-
ments. Your Lordship is well aware, that on this
convictioronly have I supported it. To those es-
tablishments I am unalterably attached; their iu-
violable maintenance I have ever considered us
essential to all the dearest interests of my country.
But they rest, I sin certain, ou foundations much
too firm ; they are far too deeply rooted iii the
affections of that community to which they dispense
the blessings of religion, order, and liberty, to re-
quire the adventitious and dangerous support of
partial restrictions, fruitful in discontent, but, for
security, wholly inefficient.

With respect to the present application to Par-
liament, I knew not, except from public report,
that such a tneasare was in contemplation ; or that
it was the wish of the petitioners to place their peti-
tion in my hands.

I have twice already, at the request of the Catholics
of Ireland, moved the House-of Lords to take this
subject into consideration. Idid not, in either case,
think myself responsible for your determinatiw, as
to the time of agitating the question : a determina-
tion which, in the first instancej had not suggested,
and st hich is: the last I had in my place in Parliamssit
publicly dissuaded. Recent events had in bath
cases imposed upon me a pec-iliar duty, not merely
for my own honour, but in justice also to your
cause, to prove, by my conduct, on the earliest occa-
sion afforded by yourselves, that no change of pub-
lic situation, no prejudice, nocaluinny, no clamour,
could either vary or suppress my opinions on this
great national question. This duty I willingly
performed. Deeply impressed with the import-
ance of the measures whkh I recommended; I hare
spared no sacrifice, omitted no exertion, by which I
could contribute to their accomplishment. And if
I could now deceive myself with a hope, that a re.
newel of my weak efforts, in the present moment,
expeslite or facilitate their ultimate success,
it would be my highest gratification once more to
stand forward as the chosen ad►ocate of national

Cirduinstanced as this question now is, both in
England mid in Ireland, it is, on the contrary, my
deliberate opinion, that no motion grounded on
your petition could, at this time, in any hands, cer-
tainly not in mine, be brought forward, without
'great and permanent disadvantage to its object.
This opinion is founded, not only on the present
known dispositions of Goveroment and Parliament,
but also on the unexpected difficulties which have
arisen in Irel.mil, on the impressions which they
may create, and the embarrassments which they
unavoidably produce.
It would be an invidious task for me to reeapitu-
late, in this place, the transactions of the last three
years, or to discuss the temper and spirit, the lan-
guage and the conduct of His Majesty's Ministers
towards your body; nor would it become me to
censure, though I may be permitted to lament, the
decisions of the Legislature.
To these two topics it is sufficient briefly to have
adverted. The obstaeles which, in the present mo-
ment, they oppose to any favourable consideration
of your Cause, and the advantages which they offord
to the misrepresentations of your adversaries, are too
obvious to require explanation.

Many circumstances compel me to speak to your
Lordship more at large of the recent proceeding. in
Ireland ; with reference both to their origin and to
their consequences. For this purpose, I most bed
leave to recall to your Lordship's recollection, the
grounds on which the consideration of then Peti-
ions has uniformly been recommended to Parlia-
ment. That which you have asked, and ohidi has
been snpported by the greatest Statesmen of our
time, now no more, is not in its nature a single or
unconnected measure. Its object• err, the peace
soil 11,41, n• ss of Ireland, and the union of the em-
pire, to affection, us a ell as in government. Vain,
indeed, would be the ho;:e of ■ccomplis!.ing sucu
pnrlsoees, solely by the repeal of a few reniaini..,
diaquatitication., which, by a strange anonialt , are
•till left subsisting amidst the ruins of a olin:e
code of promriptimi. To impute to you this
visionary pretension, has been the artifice of your
op;ements. The views of your friends have lo!til
wore
With the jast and salutary agtension of civil

rights to your body, mukt be camhined, if trap.
quillity cud union be oar object, other exteusive
awl complicated arrangements. Ail due provlsion
must be made for the invinlahle maintenance of
the religious dud civil establishments of this United
Much must be risme fur mutual con-
cilistion--rmuch for common safety ; many con-
tending interests must be reconciled, many jealou-
sie) allayed, many long elerishtil cud mutually
destructive prejudices eradicated.
Such, at least, have shire).* been my own de-
clared opinitins. When this matter was last un-
der the consideration of Parliament, I haul oc-
casion to dwell, with particular earnestness, on
this necesrity ; I uivited the suggestions of ethers
fur providing for it ; and I enumerated seve-
ral measures which eight years before had been
flu the contemplation of Government, in coi.jum-
lion with which I then cherished the vain hope of
rendering this great service to my country.
Among these measure., I pointed out the pro-
posal of vesting in the Crown en effectual negative
on the appointment of your Bishops. That sug-
gestiou had previously been brought forward in the
House of Commons, to meet the just expectations.
not of any bigotted or interested champions of in-
tolerance, but of men of the purest inteutions and
most enlightened judgment. Men willing to 4o
all justice to the loyalty of your present Bishops,
yet nut unreasonably alarmed at any possibility, by
which functions of such extensive influence might
hereafter be connected with a foreign interest, hos-
tile to the tranquillity of your country. A danger
recently very much increased by the captivity and
deposition of the Head of your Church, by the sei-
zure of his dominions, and by the dechired inten-
tiou of that hostile government to assume in future
the exclusive nomination of his successors. The
suggestion thus opened to Parliament, produced
there impreisions highly favourable to your cause ;
it was received as the surest indication of those dis-
positions, without which all concession must be nu-
gatory, and all conciliation hopeless. To my mind
it had been recommended by long reflection. It had
formed a part of the original conception of those
nit asnres as consequent upon the Union. It was
now spin br.ought forward with the concurrence of
the two inilitidnats, from whose opinions those ge-
nerally prcvaltAlt among your body might best be
inferted ; of the agent of the very persons to whose
office it rekted, and of your Lordship. to whom,
in addition to every other claim to respect and con-
fidence, the exclusive charge of the petition had
recently been committed. What I said on the
subject, in the House of Lords, was spoken in the
hearing of both, and I received from both, while
the impresario was yer_recent on your minds, the
most gratifying acknowledgments of your satisfac-
tion in all that I had stated.

It war never, I believe, imagined by any of ns,
that what then passed could be binding on the
opinions of the petitioners. The Roman Catholics
of Ireland are not a corporate body. They speak
through no common 'organ. Their various wishes
and interests, like those of their fellow-subjects,
can be collected only from general information ; and
any opinions, erroneously att►ibuted to them, they,
like all other persons, are fully entitled to dis-
claim.

'learnt, however, with deep and heart-felt re-
gret, the subsequent proceedings which took place
in Ireland, in consequence of this suggestion. To
discuss the grounds of those proceedings would be
foreign from my present purpose. Their effect ob-
viously must be, not only to revive expiring pre-
judices, but to clog with fresh meth aaaaa sment every
future consideration of any of the measures con-
nected with your petitions. To myself unques-
tionably the difficulty of originating at this time
any fresh discussion of those measures, sloe., in
such circumstances, appear almost insuperable.
Let me not, however, he misunderstood. IVlicn
I speak of the nertssity or combining, with the ac-
eompluilunent of your wishes, provisions of just
security to others,. I um on less desirous of consult-
ing every reasonal,leapiireliension oil your part.
To the form., intlewl, of these securities, or to
the particular details of the proposed arrangements,
I attaoli comparatively little importance. A per-
tinacious adherence to such details, in opposition
even to gram odleim prejudice, 1 consider as the reverse
of lege•hitiee wisdom. I look only to their sub-
stantial purposes; the safety of our own egabli.h.
menu, the mutual good wi;l of all our fellow sub-
ject., and the harmony of the United
That ntirptite arrangements may be made for all
these plinstosem, consistently with the strictest ad-
herent..., mm s our part, to your own religious tenets,
is the p•rsll I.lols w kola yom have long been labour-
ing to est..l)ll.le, and of whirls I have unilormly
myommemoyiition._

Were it Oaken% ise, I should indeed despair. But
that these objects May he reconciled, in so far at
least as respects the appointment of your Bi.hopa,
is known with %indent able cernaiiity. It is proved
by the acquiescence of your (:litirch in similar ar-
rangements under other “orerimietits, by the sen-
timents which many of yourselves st.ll entertain a•
tii the 1.Mp11,1111 I.lg4,lttli im I9(12, tun.' of all,
by the express elbllftillt formerly given to that pro-
prwiil. in • clechienfirm .hoed by the 0304 comm.
tleraYe of your ON it lia,hor.
I see, therefore, in the present state of this !tub-
er,, much itireapeileit embarrassment, and many
iddficulties, which r,itrweil di.clission, in the pre
•e:A moment, mu.t, Mitsail of smonthing, tnecit
a-
bly agt,rrasate. Torre hnlyrio-r, no ground for
iiltduate tbs. one.,4enient. The sentiment of re-
ciprocal confidence, the sp=rit of mutual concilia-
tion, would smrmuo.mnt far greater ohs, ncle..
But nothing, permit we to rent:ilk it, can in the

mom time be more iejtaiese to
.7sar arose. Wars
any attempt, by partial lied preamibee derisisus.
to prejudge its separate artuterratylissit its AIN.
reserved dtmussioti. No coarse can be ewe grate.
ful to your oppooents. NOW mere ambenessimg es.
your supporters.

To Parliament, whew any more favourable con-
juncture for this diticeasio• shall arioe.'everyiy
formation may properly
.be supplied, every wish im-
parted, every apprehension communicated. There
only, by a systematic and osesprehamsive enrage.
meat of this extensive sobject, can all its dilflcoltieo
be surmounted, all its Maness Smelly adjusted.--'
To be effective and permanent, such aA artange• .
meat must be mutually satisfactory.
This is alike the interest of every member of the
British empire, but to none more important than to
the Catholics of Ireland. The stability of ell ',wit
civil rights, both of those which yea already enjoy,
and of those to a hied you seek to be admitted, eit-
selitially depends on the tranquillity and Isanoony
of your country, on banishing from it every beanie
influence, sad composing all its internal dittereocue.
These opinions I have expressed to your Lord-
ship with the freedom of a tried and zealous advo-
cate of your cense. On thetas grounds alone have I
ever attempted to do justice, to it. To have argined
it on any other would hare been a dereliction of my
own principles.
I need hardly add, that by the mime principles
my present conduct most equally be chive-tad"-
Should the petitioners cooties, to entertain dude..
sire conveyed in your Lordship's letter, that I
should lay this petition upon the table of the flows ,
of Lords ; with that request I comsat hesitate to
comply. It would be highly improper to deny to
mien a body of men the opportunity of submit.
ling., through my 'hands, it they should no desire
it, .m.l at their own time, their wishes to the Le-
gishitioreiff their country. It 'mold be still MOPS
turactlvaltle in a rase, where all my opinions and
till toy wishes are favourable to the object of theie
application. On the measure itself, if any motion
respecting it be originated by others, I shall ant
fail to urge, with unabated earnestness, all the
same seatiments which 1 have detailed in Una lets,
ter. But I mui4 with equal explicitness decline to
be myself, at this time, and ',oder so many cir-
cumstances of such peculiar disadvantage to visor
cause, the mover of any such propeahme. taws
satisfied, that, by this decision, I shall best promote
the ultimate success of thee great smelt white 1
have long laboured to accomplish. ilk teammisfor •
this persuasion I have, I trust, sodiciesitly en.
planted. They way birerroneous, they We at least
sincere.

To the principle of equal laws, to the object of
national conciliation, I am invariably attached. Hy
me, they shall pryer be abandooed. Sae say per.
sonel exertion' which I can make, foe petrifies of
such inestimable benefit to my costar', onset grew
be regulated by that discretiori, which Y am equally
determined in every situation to reserve, onfortered
by previous engagements, mod the faithful exercise
•of which toy public dray imperatively ?whisk me
to relinquish. 1 have the honour to be,
With "invert. rr.peet tied regard,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obed.ent herniae tenants
-GlisiMil4l4e. •
An article baying appeared in 711 e" Dairies
Eremitic Put, of the lMth intitant, and eopertt
in Tue GLoat, of the 22d, and Toe Barton
Pause, of the 43d instant stating. « That
an English Baronet, a Member of the Hesse of
Commons, had proposed a Bill, making it imperil.
tire on the R. C. Bishops. whenever a vacancy on.
curs, to return to the office or the Secretary of
State a list of candidetett, from which any
tionable person is to be struck tJit, sad the vacancy ,
to be filled by one of the approved candidates"—
We have authority to irate the folkwing facts:—
That no such Bill had been prepared, or intended
to be moved in Parliament by the Member sup.
posed to be alluded to.—Nor has he been apprized
that it is in the contemplation of any other Mem-
Ler to bring forward such a Bill.

The mis-s-tatenteut has evidently stint from the
following circumstances :—.Some time after the
discussion of the petition of the Irish Catholics, is
the last Session of Parliament, and the appearance
of many publications in Ireland on the subject of
what is termed " The Veto," or proposed virginity
on the part of the Crown. the Member alluded to
drew up a sketch of regulations, founded on these
proposed by the four Metropolitan and sits senior
R. C. Bishops of Ireland, in 1799.
This sketch was conemnaicated. as a wetter
mere private ingestion. to game of hi., trieuiis of
the R. C. Clergy in Ireland.—He had con-ulted
no person whatever in framing the sketch, nor cap
it ever communicated to any Member of either
House of Parliament, till • considerable time oftor
it had been mentioned to those Catholic (needs,
and therionly to • very few, as a sketch, *object to
any amendment.

it was %toted, at the PIMP time. that, in the opi.
Mon of the author of the sliteteh, 6' Me proposal of
the Prt'atee, In 1799, seemed to have been made
with less cireenispeenon than might have been es.
petted—as the presentation of • candidate to

verninent, after a canonicaleleceilon hod taken place
in his favour (as propn.fert in 1799) necert linty plac-
ed such person in a penilel state of degradation, it
rejected :"—that " the freedom of elert,4.n
much h-tter secured by the amended
than by the mode prescribed is the
Roman Catholic Prelates—which,

no security;"—and further. •• its it
that no undue tneueace or interferei
iudirect, should be asuoied or es,
Rat of the servants of the Crows.. in

the prejudice of ,itlyimhridn,l CAM
elert.ou."--cert at it provisiong wt.re
which it "$. conceived would elle cluai

Roman C h
.n..r from_ 110 Ch rind!
Such were she rnolryt• si.•egne4l--ey
hi r conerivelf he hr.l ore claim

hts sinet.ity, by thoN, to whom the eki
Kinnlly communicated. In ,eery
porture from the foopo-ol of the R.,
Bishops was wholly on the side of the
It ham hero preruesrd that No
proposed. or Is intended to be moved
by the Member al laded to, or within
by any other Member, with referent

_, .........,
jest-it ti, therefore, uortzeeaikry to

I

wded pr. %Peon-,
proporti of the
to feet, iiifordeff
t was ext.eibt.nt
pence, direct or
3terel-pti on the
n ineour, or to
iditlaite in sock
also sketched.
doily uncreative
mine infractor.
-end the aka-
be orodireel toe
itketeb woo too-
point, the de-
:‘,inoo C.:Menke
Cothune.
His L Iss• been
in Parhani.nt
his kainoteiig•,
rice to thin suo-
D add wore.

commoAr HALL.

---
The Livery uirt, yesterchtv, for the purpose of
Aping into consideration the Iteport Jf Ow Sheriffs,
TA/IMO to the sisphosti 111 l u.M.tr h them tit the
Secretiry of State's other, to litermitit the nine
when HM Majerty scotibt deem it convenient to 1...-
mire the Et. sAtitioils of the C. 1111 l nom Hrlt, eatcied

into on the 9th 'mimic.
The Loan M sr on took the Chair at one o'clock,
and ?meted tlw purport: for which the present meet-

tug wits convened.
Mr. Sheriff WOOD then rO.lO. amidst loud 0CC114.•
maritime. Ile lamented dist tae painful task hail
devolved to I of commituicating to the Livery
the contents of a letter addressed to the Sheeilfr of
Lonilmo from the Secretery of State. The lan-
guage of the letter 111.44 Indeed calculated to rouse
the indigitetion of thine who retreated the liherty of
their country. and who mterised one of its most
important privileges. the right of petitioning. l're-
yams to in. reialiog the letter, he would Inn dy
state the reception hr hid met with during his ne-
gucietion with the Scretery of State. Immediate-
ly after his order from the l'ounnoit Ilan, at the
het meeting, he went. attended by Mr. Sheriff At-
kins, to the Office of the Secretary of State. Ile
coeceived this was the only ineaas of an approach
to His Majesty. Upon, tolittiatiag lii• vote!' to the
Secretary, he was tohl that Hie Majesty did not re-
ceive petitions on the Throar from any but Bailie%
Corporate, Of the Colleges. sinless through some
one of hi* Ministers. It sat rather ituprubahle,
that Ministers should anbinit to His Majesty a pe-
ttiton charged with complaints against themselves.
He then strongly represeuteil the established riehni
of the City, but iii vain; he could not he int.,-
deiced to Fla Majesty's presence, without stating
the nattier of his application. The lirsolutipia of
the Contemn Hall were then mentioned, and an
assuranee, that the Attilresa cou it lie received
ui
no other 'lmposer than as formerly, was the 'maser.
The Worthy Sheriff ended with declaring, that
the conduct of Sheriff Atkins folly corresponded
with the directiotis he hod received from tke Livery,
and that he had used his matt exertions.
Mr. Sheriff ATKINS 6.0;3, he was ever willing to
gratify the Livery. as fir as was COlllieef eft with
the performence of Ins official duties. He was
conviuced, that, in the character of a private 'artist-
Anal, he should be honoured also with their atten-
tion and support.
The Reports of the Sheriffs was then read. and
• letter, addressed to the Right Hon. It. Ryder,
by the Sheriff's, and shin the answer-4a the farmer
letter it was stated, that the Livery hail resolved In
present to Ills Majesty, iu iwrsosi, a copy of their
Resolutions of the gt i inst. cud reetiestiug, if they
could not be received ou that day. that a day
should be appointed far the pet seating of the seine;
the amwer specified that His Mapiety no: re-
ceive any Adilreescs front his subjects, in person,
except they came from Unties Corporate, or the
Universities. If Ili. Majesty del so, he ennui!
be subject to very great ineouventecee, from the
repeald •pplicattons of oilier classes of his sub-
ject.. His Alajeste's infirmities had prevented hint
from holdilig politic levers, but his Secretary should
be always ready to receive and present in Ilia Ma-
jesty the DeaolottOna of theCornmon Itall,ohenever
it woald suit their comenience to offer them.
Mr. PATEL?. spoke et some leogth. He repro-
bided the conduct of Mobsters, who adled to the
*blowy attending it, their u iwarrantehle attacks
upon the Livery of London. It was desirable, at all
inset', that ■ firm reliauce should he placed in the
Livery of London ; that was nut to he obtained by
yielding up their rights. (Loma applieses.l It
was incumbent upon the Citizens to coihur in one
eOntrOott cause. The offence soistst them was great,
and it because them to etyma their indignation in
the most feeling iiniuner. Upon every occasion
which demanded the interference of the citizen* of
Loudon. they were ever rosily to sweat' with their
purees and Utile svorils. And it was their right to
inveatigate the expenditure of the millions that
were wasted is fruitlrss expeditious. The loyalty
of the present Mittirtere resembled the loyalty of
those in the reign of James 11. ; a base coin, which
cannot hear the standard of the British Constitu-
tion. The ouly run de foe the removal of those en-
gines of destruction was that of petitioning : the
clitzens of London had the right. and they should
exercise it. It about.' he remembered, that • Lord
Mavor of London was amongst the Barons who es-
tablished oar lilnerties, by °lea 11l ll g ,Wairea Marfa.
Four Resolutions were then reed and carried is
the affirmative, mem coo• the substance of which is
as follows:
*. That it appears Ibit %Arras did Weed the Se-retary of
Susie, for the purpose at delivering lido the hand. of Ilia
Majesty the flesolut,ons of the Common Hall, of the nth
lastest, sad were rehired screw to the Royal Presence.
a That His slaiesty's Miniaten, in denying the Sheriff
adwoasion to His Majesty, acted coon," to cetebti.tira pre.
(vacate. and is direct or it, anoent and relvialite
ivileses of the ntetrolea, and ,olted the lawny of
Lmeos, by *bit% tbele hamaiwateen to eatable* a viessW4 awn
appear, sod an additional straw to that coodart already
marked by oalwrility sail incapacity.
Thst the Livery enter sot's a entente protest splint
the aforesaid isisevati.ois
a. flat the Livery. too isg been tvilited is ell their exer-
ti,lere to procure as interview with His Majesty, by which
the ewe of their coiraphoste niche be restored, do con
eidilia er
irowieet of aliosswis sea *spud violates of their pri-
elites&
Upon the reeding of the sieetwiti of the above De-
solutvons, Mr. Sheriff ATKINS roar, and spoke at
sever length upon the rights and privileges of the
Livery, and his own never-cemung exertions to pet •
serve them. lie would not assert he haul an ob-
jection to the Address. Ant would beg leave to any,
that the refusal of Iles Majesty to accept it tin the
throne was by no mesas unprecedented. lit the
year 1775• • refusal was given. He instanced many-
other periods, at which the Addressee of the Livery
were attended with sin better success. The Secre-
tary of State was ant censorable, as it was the act of
Hit Majesty.—'Here he was ihterrepted by lead
greens sod Aistes.J
Mr. Vl' stemmas said, it grave lion deep regret
that the worthy Sher:rf did out obtain as 11,4100111.
!uptertip,orwic. as if he stud stAfe any thing farther.
It vett/tidy eau-t trod to the service of the 01110111 e. He
(Mt. Sheriff it hail attempted as history of
tins rights tme Livery, sod spoke with teeth upon
its prieleges. At the time of Alderman-Wilkes,
there was an obstrection to the peoceodinga of the
mconereuence of the ill success of one of
`sin Addreftes, but ham that moment it never re-