The National Register.
London, England, 1812-04-26 00:00:00

APRIL el 6 .

one of which was mentioned, that a certain person, io a vote he had given,
had renounced his religion. Of himself, he would say, for he was per-
haps the person meant, that the intolerance of the Roman Catholics a
century and a halt ago, had made his forefathers martyrs to their belief
as Protestants—had driven them from their native land; but he, their
descendant, was not willing to become a persecutor himself, because
through his ancestors he had ssffered prosecution. Having thus men-
tioned his motives, he would address himself to the proper subject.
The simple question before them had been endeavoured to be consi-
dered in a light less pleasant than a tolerating one; but as a question
of toleration he would contemplate it, notwithstanding all the artful
arguments which had endeavoured to overturn it. He was happy to
find, that the time was now arrived, when those strong obstacles that
impeded its progress formerly were removed, and a Catholic might
safely be allowed to support the Government in such a manner as
would show effectually that religious liberty was %% hat he had contended
for. Could it be for a moment contended, the present was a political
question alone, then they would he told. that disqualineation for office
was not a penalty. Could it be tided, that wie n certain Acts pre•
vented a man• from honesty ris:rs to the bight st offices of the State,
that he had not penalties impose upon him ? while the honest am-
bition of gloriously distinguishing lihnselt in the service of his country,
and the amiable hope of transmitting an honourable name to posterity.
were alike denied him, were not these penalties ? To cut of the hopes
cf warming his children's cheeks with a glow of extiltation at abet
mention of their father's name in some glorious achievement, was not
that a penalty ?—(Hear, hear, hear I)—Such a political stigma degraded
the natural erect aspect of man, and all because he worshipped his
Creator in a manner accordant to his owns feelings, and dared to
think in religious matters Ia- himself. He would ask the Honourable
Oentleinati on the opposite Bench, who had distinguished themselves in
the same: profession as Simself, would they hive aspired at the Bar,
had they been conscious of never being able to arise boyond a certain
height prescribed by law ? Where then would have been the Hales,
the Hults, and the Sumerses, the immortal ornaments of their profes-
sion, had they been Catholics? They would have been found stationed
at a certain height in their studies selling out words, while other men,
possessed of less favourable natural endowments, would have been
rising resplendantly above them. He was mu. li surprised in hearing
the concluding sentence from the Hon. Gentleman who had spoken
last from the benches on the oppositeside, because, from the complex-
ion of his speech until the very conclusion, he was led to expect a more
favourable vote to the present motion. All his quotations bad appeared
against him, and he had applied them in a manner which seemed to
threaten no hostility to the motion. From a contemplation of the celebra-
ted work of the Bishop of Maux, against the Protestants, fie perceived,
that the Catholics of the present day had 'attires of a most mild and
benignant natare, in comparison with the Romish believer ot the good
Bishop's times. Now, the speech of the Hon. Gentleman opposite, had
mainly tended to rake up the crimes cif other generations a ainst an tin•
happy people of the present day, believing, perhaps, that by stifling up
amongst the Protestants a sad remembrance of their ancient com-
plaints, their judgments would assume a bias and a partia hot very
favourable to a nation of conciliation and brotherhood. Unless he hael
the belief that the relation of such unhappy transactions would influence
the judgment of the House, to what purpose else could he quote the ca-
lamities which the Protestants had suffered? The Anabaptists of the
present day were a sect as pure as the generality of religious sects, but
would it be proper then to stir up the illiberal minded against them by
relating all the bloody enormities of John of Lisle. They were called
to decide upon the peculiar doctrines of the Catholics of the present
day, when the bloody daggers of the Church of old would not be cast
by an illiberal hand into the scale. kut the Hon. Gentleman on the
opposite side refused to inform them what the present Catholic tenets
were, though he. appeared once on the very verge of divulging them,
till at the conclusion of his speech, he shut up as hopes of future in-
formation on the subject. He wstild reply to the Hon. Gentleman's
observations on the dominion which the priests be presumed held over
the minds of the people, that the disabilities an.: severe penalties in-
flicted upon them, caused to seek for consolation in the bosom of their
religion. They were made to place their confidence in saints and mar-
tyrs by the cruel laws legislated against them. The Protestants alone
gave the priests the ascendancy over the minds of their flocks, and
would they then impute the miscuit f oecasioned by their severity to
the people themselves ? Th., man who indulged the free exercise of his
reason, wouhl easily know that the Papal Snpremacy had scarcely any
preponderance in the political scale. The King of Prussia, Ft carsick
the third, a monarch possessing very few religions scruples, permitted
Silesia to retain her Catholic Universities, and admitted her officers to
be Generals in his service, yet it was never known that he had cause to
repent of his tolerance. He cherished the people, and the Union be-
came perfect. Circumstance were at presents favourable to the Ca-
tho:ic Claims. Their Protestant brethren made the cause mutual, and
we heard no longer from the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, that scru-
ples were entertained towards the motion from the highest quarter, and
there were even hopes, that the Noble Lord, who believed in the un-
fitness of the time for conceding on a former occasion, would give a
favourable vote under the present auspicious circumstances. Under all
thoses happy inffiences, he hoped, a pleasant termination to the measure.
Mr. iueeeit.—" it is as extraordipary a speech as ever I beard.