The Sun.
London, England, 1813-02-08 00:00:00

KENT COUNTY MEETING.

CATHOLIC CLAIMS.
• On Satitrday last a County Meeting took place
at Maidstone, to consider a Petition to Parliament
against the Catholic Claims. r •
• At one o'clock, Mr. 'SVELLs, the High Sheriff,
opened the business of the :Meeting, on temporary
hustings in the High-street.
Colonel .1. W. STRATFORD then came forward,
and said, that having had the honour to introduce
the important subject of the Catholic Claims to
the attention of the Noblemen and Gentlemen
who signed the Requisition to the ,High Sheriff,
he would now take' the liberty of proposierg,
" that a Petition be presented to both Houses of
Parliament against those Claims," the concession
of which, in his view, of the subject, would
amount to the subversion of the Constitution, and
would be in direct opposition to the Act of Set-
tlement, which our ancestors had so wisely pror-
vided for the protection of the Protestant Es-
tablishment. He. concluded .by moving the Pe-
tition.
Sir HENRY HAWLEY seconded the motion. He
professed himself a friend to religious toleration ;
but be never would consent to open the doors ut
political power to a body of men whose principles
were-, he thought, in direct opposition to the sprit
and genius attic. British -constitution. He was
afraid, that by admitting Catholics to hold seats
in the Cabioet,. the consequhce will bc, that In
'process ortime they would Gave' a Catholic King
on the Throne, and would revive xll 'those, reli-
gious antnicsitiea which bad tinctured with blood
the earlier. pales of our history.
. The Petition having been read, and the question
put. by the High S4erifff '
Lord TRANET rose to' move as an amendment,
an Addres of a far different nature.
Mr. J. StvtiTo seconded the Amendment.
Lord DARNLEY spoke at some. length in favour
of the --Amnidnient.
111, kAItY then addresSedthe Meeting. He
' profosed himself willing to extend to the Ca-
tholics every necessary religious toleration but
in a constitutional point of view, and as a. lover of
-the ample in which-Russell bled, be 'must' oppose
their admission to an unlimited share in the pull-
cal power of the,country.
Sir E. KNATCURULL also avowed himself a
determined opposer of Wliat were called Catholic
. chin's,
Colonel CALca&r-r, in speech of considerable
length, supported the amendment.
After some further desultory debate, the amend.;
mot was negatived by the she'w of hands; there
appearing, hOwever, to be a very' considerable
numberof votes in its favour, the original ques-
tion was then put, and carried under the same cit.-
-euattanees. •
It was then agreed, that the Petition should be
presented to the House Of Lords by' Lord Camden,
audio the Commons by flie County Members.

THE Pora.---The following was published in a
Paper of yesterday, as an, extract at a letter from'
Paris, relative to the late reconciliation between
NAPOi/EON and the Porn

" The public . will, no doubt, have informecl
you of the reconciliation which leas at length
taken ,place between the Pope and the Emperor
Napoleon lam assnr'd, that the former refused
to listen to any overtures At an adjust-
molt of their differences, without a prelimi-
nary stipnlation 'of the restitutiou of the
patrimony of Saint Peter to the Papal See,
and an entire recognition of its rights of inde-
pendent tempornl sovereignty. 'Po this stipula-
tion Napoleon, after much reluctance, consented.
This important point being 'gained, the HOly
Pontiff .made little difficulty as to other matters.
Napoleon's divorce from Josephine, and his mar-
riage with the present Empress, have obtained the
Pope's sanction, and before the close of February,
Maria Louisa will be clowned by his Holiness ns
Empress of France, and her 8(01 as titular King
of Rome ; it being. distineey understood that this
appellation is to convey no more real authority to
Napoleon's successor over the territories of the
Church, than that of King of the Romans did
to the' Emperor ofi Germany. There will be a
grand Jubilee here upon this occasion, and I un-
derstand that a very pressing invitation has been
sent to the Archdukes Charles aod John of Aus-
tria, to' be present at the ceremony of, the corona-
tion. The Pope is entertained by the Emperor.
And Eminess in the ino4t distingoished manner.--
A &rialto Consultant will speedily be passed, de.
daring the Empress, in the event of the death of
her spouse, Regent at the Empire, during the
minority of the King of Borne. It is understOod
that the Emperor will, by theiame instrument,
be empowered to confer the same dignity upon her
in case of hit temporary Absence from France."