The National Register.
London, England, 1812-02-02 00:00:00

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1812.

N°,., 214.

POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

No. 201.

CATHOLIC QUESTION.

Earl FITZWILLIAM'S motion for a Committee to take
into consideration the State of Ireland, has occasioned the
expression of sentiments from a high official quarter,
which seem portentous of great political alterations. The
present object of the Catholic party has been defeated,
but the Catholics themselves will only derive fresh hope
and confidence from their overthrow. They have ob-
tained what has caused no small portion of public astor
nishment, an acknowledgment from one of the heads of
Administration " that the removal of their restrictions
would not only not be dangerous, but would sford an
additional security to the Protest ant Establishments
of the Empire, and more particularly in Ireland." We
own this opinion appears to us to require explanation.
Waving all other claims, and considering the question
merely on the ground of security, we cannot conceive
how raising a captive antagonist from the ground, break-
ing his bonds, and arming him with every power of ac-
tion, can be conducive to the safety of his opponent. We
shall..however, defer our observations on this important
:object' till-we have room to enter into it more at large.
We shall now only unfold the grounds on which the mo
tion was, founded, supported and opposed, and pluck
frskm every speaker the most marking and novel atp,u-
ineAts used in defence of his opinion, so as to . give at
since a concise though a general view .of all the se.nti-
ments expressed on the momentous question of Cathol:e
emancipation.

After all the exaggerated accounts which we have re-
ceived of the discontents of- Ireland, it might reasonably

have been expected that the basis of a motion to inquire in-
to the state of that country, would have been some import-
ant fact relating to crying evils or to threatening dangers.
In the speech of the Noble Mover, all our attention and
ingenuity have only been able to discswzr the three Follow.
ing grounds, intended to justify the proposed inquiry.
Ist. The newspaper report of a pretended interference on
the part of the Irish Government, with the selection of
juries ; a charge proved to have been unfounded by
the decision of the Irish Court of King's Bench. 2(31y.
The differences created by the opposition of the Catholics
themselves, to the execution of the laws. And Sdly.
The assertion that the doctrine of transubstantiation,
could have no influence on their political attachment and
loyalty. From these reasons, which we confess have
produced no conviction on our minds, the Noble Mover
Vl. V. N 2. CCX.nr.

Pmer 9

attempted to establish the urgent necessity of an investi-
gation into the state of our sister isle, and of the complete
emancipation of our Catholic brethren. The weakness of
these arguments, was so evident to every Member of the
House, that all the supporters of the motion, unable r'
stand on this foundation, endeavoured to form aoather in
its stead. A Noble Duke strongly reproved the
rant spirit which seemed, he was sorry te say, tt.-
among the people of this country, while the -f
knowledge had dispelled it in every other civilized
on the face of the earth." Apprehensive.lest his
should not be plainly understood, he exposed the
of his party in so open a manner, that every man of sense
or religion, who had suffered himself to be deceived by
the speciousness of political logic, must now start with
terror from the object which he was blindly pursuing.
" Had those views been accomplished," we are told,
" we should have heard no more of Protestant ascendency,
the only ascendency acknowledged, would be the ascen-
dency of virtue, talent, genius, and devoted zeal, in the
cause of civil liberty, and national happiness." This
declaration, which we have extracted from the speech as
reported in the newspapers, needs no further comment.
Another orator, equally at a loss on what ground to
support the motion, dived into t 1 volume of the Penal
Laws, and gravely declared that such a code would be a
shame to the Mahomedans ! He expatiated particularly
on the cruelty of the Game Lotus of Ireland, and ob-
served, that 4, they were so 'dreadful, and held in such
detestation, that not one individual, from the very dregs
of the people, could ever be induced to inform against
ary violater of them. 'Was it not, therefore, expedient that
the claims of the Catholics should be made the subject. of
inquiry ?" The Jockey club, we believe, take cogni-
zance of such matters, and we would advise that the
subject be brought regularly before its members at their
next meeting, when they rn be induced to pl.epare a
petition for the repeal of such' Mationedatt code.
On such different and arbitrary grounds was the ITlee..
tion for an inquiry,. nto. the State of Itihtnd Supperttli.
'f lie following were' the chief arguments urged against
it :--,, The Catholics in Ireland had
.lately assumed a tone
of menace and of contumacy whichAvonid have rendered'
P. different conduct in Government, t 6 that Which it ptir.
sued, mean, temporising and pusilanimous."
The righr of petition " had never, by the Government
in Ireland, been refused to the Catholics more than to
the Protestants. It was not sli'e right •of petitioning but.
the manner which was used in nrenaring the petitions
that Government resisred—a riv,de of petitioning by a
( Convention. Such a mode had iwver been recognised or
tolerated by the Legislature, arid. would haVe been AA*
objectionable in i'rotestaot ate Catholic b041y.."