The National Register.
London, England, 1813-03-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MoNnAy, Mallen 1.
Several Petitions were presented against the Catholic Claims, and
the I °cal Tokens Bill *int through a Committee, without any
amet.dinent.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2.

T' e Local Tokens Bill was read a third time and passed.
Various Petitions were presented for and against the renewal of the
East India Charter, and against the Claims of the Catholics. Adjourn.
ed to Thursday.

THURSDAY. MARCH 4.
ne Marquis Wr.u.est.cv, in a kw words, postponed his motionon
the War in he Ptliinsula, to the ieth of this month.
Some further Petitions were presented relative to the East India
Ch,•rter and Catholic claims.

FRIDAY, MARCH 5.
No business of importance occurred this day, and their Lordships
adjourned till Monday.

110UE OF CO:IMONS.

MONDAY, MARCH I.
The Insolvent Debtors' Bill was brought down from the Lords, awl
read a first time.
Mr. Serjeant ONsLow presented a Petition from several Tanners
an :I Shoemakers, of Guildford, praying the repeal of the Tax on Lea.:
titer.—Ordercd to lie on the table.
tvr. A Merman ATKINS brought up the Minutes of Evidence taken
bef re the Weymouth Election Committee.—Ordered to be printed.
CATHOLIC QUESTION.

The debate was resumed on the Catly.lie Question.
Sir J. NFW?OIIT spoke in favour of going into a Commttee ; de.
ni,•ci that any danger would arise from removing the restrictions on the
Catholics ; in the kingdom of Hungary, he said, Catholics, Luthe.
rai.s, and Calvinists, ail equally enjoyed civil and political rights.
I t was a;ainst every principle of reason to suppose, that ► hose who,.
under restrictions, hid been proved Iv) al, should cease to be so when
those restrictions were taken oft:

. ..... _
Mr. WELLESLEY PoLE was an earnest advocate for going into a
Committee on the subject, as a mild and proper course, breathing
universal good will, without pledging any human being to a singlc
grant which his conscience might. disapprove. It was impossible
things could remain as they were at present:
Mr. R. PEELE. combated at great length the arguments which had
been advanced to prove the Catholics might safely be entrmted with
po'itical power ; and was totally adverse to the concessions demanded:
Mr. R. WARD said, that t.r the last fifty tears the Catholics had
shewn themselves amongst the most hyal of his Majesty's subjects.
Tins fact, this practical result, was all that, as a Statesman, they had
to look to. It was an old adage, that the blood of the martyrs was
the seed of the church ; and so every kind of persecution (and all
religious disabilities cam:- under this head) had a tendency to rivet
opposition, and strengthen attachment to a sect. It was not ijieir
religion, but our law ; it was a common grievance, not their common
faith, which bound them together, and widened the separation between
them arid us.

Mr. Carew, of Vt'exfpri, followed on the same side.—From long
residence in Ireland he cculd assure the Honse. that the gto‘eral dis-
position of the people was devotion to the Government mid Constitu-
tion of Great Britain.

Mr. KYoLR said, that for himself, while the Cathol:c rel;gir.n
remained what it .was, he should always oppose the claims of .the
Iris! Cathelics.-
• . .
Mr, Maasli spoke in favour of the motion.
Mr. Wit ['MEAD addressed the House at great length, and spoke
with mu, :h severity on the arts practised to obtain signatures to the
PctitiJns presented against the Catlioligh and of tht; manner in vfkich
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