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

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

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any answer, without deigning even to examine their complaints ?
stice would not permit it. lie could not forget the time when Ireland
• was flattered with a predeliction, which was now no more, when she
was led to look forward to a period that would heal the wounds of the
Irish nation, and put an end to all her grievances. They felt an attach-
ment, a fondness superior to allegiance. Was then di ;appointment aiel
mortification to be the result of all the expectations they had so lotto
indulged ! Was the flattering vision to die,ppear fur ever, that idler 4
fire by night, and that cloud by day, that had conducted them throoeh
the wilderness only to settle them in a more hopeless, more sterile and
barren waste ? Was it thus they were to repose their confidence in the
pledge of princely faith, and was this the return they were to receive
for that unlimited confidence and affection ? He would have required
at that time more than a miracle to have induced him to believe that
this would be the result of all those flattering promises.—The expecta-
tions were most sanguine, and the disappointment was immense. But
this was not enough; the Union efforded also another subject of the
severest disappointment. By acceding to this measure they svere pro-
mised Emancipation, and a participation in all the privileges of the
Constitution. Had it not been for this bmn held out to the Irish, they
never would have got the Union. He did not even ask the letter of thO
bond, but, as an honourable nation, they must fulfil its spirit, or the
name of England, that had so often sustained them, must be covered
with disgrace, and perish for ever ! You have a population of sixteen
millions, and out of that population would you strike out at once four
millions ?—You, a wise nation, an enlightened nation, fighting for your
existence, and would you extinguish at once, without coloide-
ration, without inquiry, one fourth of your strength; and you do
it for what ? for no reason, for the Eucharist, for the worsh;p of
the Virgin, for Transubstantiation, for the Seven Sacraments; for
no cause whatever, if not the deeth and annihilation of the British
empire. The day you sign our doom, you sign your own : it is a law
of nature. You make partial laws and a;k them to be obeyed. Yea
make laws contrary to thoseof not ure and rea«); God does not so. With
equal propriety you might say, a mon shall not have a seat in lholia-
ment because his complexion is black, or that no man shall be a Ge-
neral whose complexion is brown. Parliament has a right to make
laws, because—because they are the gueedians or privihe ; but they
cannot make laws destructive of the priviteees of waich they are the
guardians. There are two species of laws, the municipal laws, and
those of God inimitable and eternal. Parliament may modify the fors
mer ; but, if it violates the latter, it exceeds i:s bottods, and its power
is on a falacious and false foundation. • You °nose the Almighty. You
strike •od out of the ecclesiastical consitothoo and liberty out of the
civil.—This was not the province of leg d legiAttion. He rejected the
policy of founding our empire on jealous) and haleness of mind. He
appealed, in support of the claim; cf the Roman Catholics, to
the field: of Spain and Portugal, which were eraeed with their blood;
he appealed to the deep, over which our navy thundered ; he ap.
pealed thus,_ to those who called on ooe meo to cut the throat of
the Other in metaphysical war, and he would then ask them to
save a country from such a mean and such a ihseustful degrada-
tion. - If they did this, they would have to say to Ireland, „'"e are
both saved it we unite!"--and Ireland have to say to tl.em,
" You have given us our civil liberties; in return we devote our pro-
perties and our lives to your services."—(Lsod cheering lioni eccrg
part of Mc Hoase.)—He concluded by moving, " That a Committee
be appeinted to take into consideration the state of the Laws compo-
sing the Civil Disabilities of tke Roman Catholic Subjects of Ireland."
1)r. DUIGENAN observed, the only way to meet the ciero.tu,:s of the
Catholics, would be to do away the Constitution as established front
the reign of 'Queen Elizabeth down to the preqent time ; and lie would
ask, what would then become of the bule;;:r%, of the iurch? These
were the ordinances of ancestors ; but modern philosophers and modern
orators wished tor their repeal. 'the Sovereign at his coronation had
sworn to maintain inviolable certain laws, yet it was now recommended
to repeal them, for the sake of obtaining what was delusively called Ca-
tholic Emancipation. if they obtained t his, the Cer onetion Oath would
I not only be done away, but the very essence of the Union between 1 ng-
land and Ireland would be destroyed. Such was the meast•; e i.roposed
to be adopted for the gratification of the ambition of a set of sohjeets,
whose religious opinions were in direct hostility to the State. \\ hat ad-
vantages were then to be procured by this subversion of the Constitu-
tion ? The Catholics claimed religious liloo ty ; for God's sake, did Gen-
tlemen know what these people were ? they were the mast ierolerant
set in the world, more intolerant even than the A lahometaos.—(.l Cough.)
They allowed no liberty of conscience? if they did, why wa- the in-
quisition established ? Why was the first article of the new Constitu-
tion in Spain a denouncement of itoolerer .12atiesl: every religion but
the Roman Catholic ? lie had no doubt hut that, if they hid great
power, they would matte use of it, and he was:: (44 %/lilt. that their au-
inanity consisted in their impotence. They ha.l, therefore, to, right to
come there to petition for that which :hey elreaoy had in the irsot com-
plete manner.—There were on the t.IL.e petitit,s, soul to be foeo t:
Protestants of Ireland, in favour of the i:e Ituee; seso rat
counties, which he could name, that refused to saso such pet etote,. He
also knew, ;hat private emissaiies had been seat to erotestant fe. met ~
who told them, that if they did not, sten the peti:isn taear houses d
their property should be set on lire. fe l!ublio, too, wilt ve • here et e
many lhotestants in the retail bu.siecss, einissetres weie sent aheo;

Heir property should be set on lire. PI l!u!Jui, too, wht
I.lny utotants in thc. retail hu.,izcsi, Welt: sent tvi'•

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