The National Register.
London, England, 1819-05-24 00:00:00

No. 1184.—Vot. XII.]

THE
CATHOLIC QUESTION.

IN a late number of oar !laper we expressed our in-
tention of again reverting to the Qnestion of the Catho.
lic Claims, fur the purpose of noticing a point con.
neeted with Mr. Grattan's motion, upon which, time
would not then allow us to enter. The cirdinntance
we then alluded to was a short but very animated dia.
cession which preceded the Debate, nn the propriety and
constitutional character of Petitions reedited to Paha-
silent on this suirject by the Established Clergy, professedly
petitioning as a distinct body, and calling therm:elves the
the Church. The importance which attaches to this
discussion is, that tt drained, even from the boldest and
regularly retained advocate of the Rights of the Enab-
4ishmetit, Mr. Kel, a concession that the Clergy can
with no more propriety petition as a distinct body upon
questions of State .polity dun the First Regiment of
Guards ; that the usurped title of being themselves the,
Choirch, is both resitinplous and ;Mom! ; that they are
in fact no more than its paid ministers and servants, and
lastly, that any petition coming from them, of the elta•
racier above-mentioned, can only and simply be consi-
dered as the prayer of so many private indii ;duals
When we reflect upon the tone and tendency of many
of these priestly document*, we cannot help sincerely
wishing that this decision of the House of Commons
may net be forgotten.

The Alermist says it is but tan artarent, that in the
19th century Papal doctrines and discipline are of as in-
tolerant a character as they were in 1564, when the
Council of Trent proclaimed the power of the Roman
I'tee to judge, punish, WA anathematize all who were
disobedient to its will. Now, PS this is a solemn
charge which involves on one hand the best in-
terests of Ilk country, and on the other the character
and the rights of fir•. millions of his fellow-subjects, we
tnist he will either feel the reernsibility lie is under of
staying such an assertion by partieulariziug some of his
notorious and inconvertible facts, atul by answering the
following questiomi, or ht. will admit how justly the best
apology he can render is due to those, whom, in our pre-
sent state of ignorance, eve firmly believe hint to have
grossly slandered. In the first place then, where are the
buntings of heretics, where arc the indulgences, where
are the palace hulls which, in those days of darkuees lie
has mentitmed, agitated, and often •cootribeeed to con-
vulse Europe lit the neat place, in what temporal con-
cerns (if airy government in Europe has the present Pope
interfered? what intlisithi3l, fur Italy* civil allegiance
to his lawful rulers, has the present Pope punished ?
What temporal causes, those of his own temporal
dominions, has the present Pope ever presumed to judge?
and lastly, whom has the present Ripe anathematized
fur want of obedience to his will? if these facts are not
forthcoming, then we must continue to believe that au
assertion has been made which cannot be proved, and
to hope that though such Hobgoblins may still hold
their revels its the brain of the foreseer of evil,
yet that they are all, in reality, pint away like the dew
a the morning, and are now contemplated with as
muen abhorrence and disgust by Catholics as they are
by the adherents of the Church, to which we ourselves
belong. But again, indignation is alive, because the
word Catholic Emancipation is still used, after so many
concessions, as they are called, have been already
made. About words and names it is idie and ab-
surd to cavil ; lest one thing is quite clear, viz. that if
ever these was art;' justice in the claim to the civil