The Sun.
London, England, 1825-03-18 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

On Tuesday the Bth of March, 1825, a Meet-
ing of certain Parishioners arid Inhabitants of the
Parish of St. Mary hi Leicester, was held at the
Vestry Room, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the propriety of promoting Peti-
tions to both Houses of Parliament, against any
further Concessions being granted to the Roman
Catholics of the United Kingdom—the Rev.
the VICAR being called to the Chair,
Mr. ST ocKnA LE HARDY suggested that a Committee should
be formed for the purpose above stated. This line of proceed-
ing he submitted was more adviseable than having recourse to
any Public Meeting, since the Roman Catholic Question was
one, neither to be advanced nor retarded by illegitimate popu-
lar excitement, hut by a " still small voice" emanating from
the conscientious feelings and convictions of the English People,
No real friend to the interests of the Country would fan a spark
which might lead to a'repetition of the horrid and disgraceful
events of 1780, and great caution was necessary in calling pub-
lic attention to the Roman Catholic Claims, lest angry feelings
should usurp the place of that constitutional expression of
deliberative sentiment which could alone weigh with the
Legislature upon such an important subject. For these reasons,
in any opposition offered to the Claims, the more any thing
approaching to unnecessary irritation was avoided, the better,
since, as Protestants and friends to liberty of conscience, they
were bound to believe that the Roman Catholics were sincere
in the principles which they professed, however erroneous they
might consider such principles to be. The next suggestion he
intended to make to the Meeting, was, that a small fund should
be raised amongst themselves sufficient to defray the necessary
expences of any Petition which might be adopted, (should
such be deemed
.proper,) and of dispersing a Copy of it
as a printed Handbill throughout the Parish ; thus the sub-
ject would have " fair play," as the Parishioners would
have an opportunity of perusing and considering what they
were requested to sign previous to affixing their names. He
should next propose that the petition should lie at the Vestry
Room a certain number of days for Signatures and be then for-
warded for presentation, and should Parliament consent to its
appearance in the votes of the Houses, it would stand a chance
of being read by those to whom it was addressed. For this
reason he should submit that it would be more adviseable to
embody the argument against the claims in a petition, rather than
in the transitory blandishments of a speech. If a system of
petitioning by parishes, were effectively established, little ap-
prehensions need be entertained as to the concession of the Ro-
man Catholic Claims—so decisively would the voice of the
Country be expressed. He hoped to see this system adopted
in country villages as well as in large towns, and the two
Houses of Parliament literally inundated with petitions.—
Surely the_ Protestant faith was deserving of these exertions ;
from " a grain of mustard seed" it had arisen to a magnificen
tree, the branches of which, had long cast a protecting shade
over civil and religious Liberty, and he trusted that those who
had so long enjoyed the benefits of its friendly protection,
would, in the mild and tolerant spirit which actuated its genial
influence, use their best efforts for its preservation.
A Committee having been formed out of the Gentlemen pre-
sent, and Petitions to both HOuses of Parliament against any
further concessions to the Roman Catholics having been decided
upen, certain Resolutions were entered into, and the following
Petition was unanimously adopted, and ordered to be presented to
both Houses of Parliament :

To the Right Honourable the LORDS Spiritual and Temporal
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in
Parliament assembled.
The humble Petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of the
Parish of St. Mary in Leicester,
Sheweth,

That your Petitioners are decidedly opposed to any fUrther
concessions to the Roman Catholics of the United Kingdom,
those already granted having not only failed of accomplishing
their avowed objects, but having led to periodical attacks upon
the Constitution and laws of the country, prejudicial to the best
interests of society, and calculated to bring the safeguards
founded by the wisdom, and protected by the vigilance of our
Protestant ancestors, into ridicule and contempt.

That your petitioners have viewed with the greatest regret,
the advance of a Policy, adverse to a recapitulation of the lead-
ing grounds of distinction between Protestantism and Popery.
Under the influence of this regret, and anxious as far as in them
lies, to impede the progress of Error, and advance the march of
Truth, your petitioners trust that the oath of Supremacy and
the declarations against Transubstantiation and Popery, will
not be removed from the Statute Book ; inasmuch as these
tests give to conscientious and upright Protestants, an oppor-
tunity of openly declaring their sentiments upon entering
'Parliament, or upon the performance of certain important
Offices.

Your Petitioners consider it as a great mistake to suppose, that
any material change has taken place in the principles of the
Roman Catholic Church. Judging from the public declara-
tions of her leading functionaries, it appears, that the same aver.
sion to Protestantism—the same arrogation of exclusive faith
and salvation—and the same desolating system of intolerance,
are still upheld at her altars,'which were so much dreaded and
guarded against by our Protestant forefathers. Under such
reasonably
aChurch asked,rcfw
howh canwhich
th) b
Roman
.
, •
circumstances,Catholics
be admitted may
to notlegislate he
lieve to be heretical and schismatical, or for the maintenance of
that religious Toleration, which it is the interest, as well as the
duty, of a Protestant Government to foster arid support ?
In early periods of English History, when Roman Catho-
licism was the religion of the Country, it was invariably found,
that during the reign of a valiant and politic Prince, the king.
dom was distracted with disputes between the Crown and the
Papal See, and that during the sway of a weak and puaillanni-
mous Sovereign, the Pope trampled on the rights or both the
Crown and the People. If then, these were the results in unen-
lightened days, and when no difference of opinion existed as to
the authenticity of the Roman Catholic religion, your Petitioners
venture to ask your Lordships, what may be expected in these
enlightened times should attempts ever again be made to bind in
galling chains of religious slavery this once free and happy
country ? and supposing such attempts as unlikely to be made,
or if made, as improbable of SUC.TCSS ; your petitioners venture
further to ask, whether it is not the bounden duty of Parlia-
ment to render them impossible, by maintaining inviolate the
laws enacted when similar efforts were made, aided by the in-
trigues of foreign Courts, and the arbitrary proceedings of Po-
pish or Popishly-inclined Princes ? • • • •
Your petitioners' cannot close their petition, without implor-
ing your Lordships to withhold your assent from measures at
variance with the conscientious feelings of the English people,
and the adoption of which, (it is to he feared) would occasion
which
to obviate.
tbyhvoeivamrt
ee. apsetFti
iroteirso
eresi
sake
eul vsoet
fs
shtpialeaveteu
aby
toei euvner
rot her
le)
ephemeral
reyntdeitis saesn
itani
dot nNe,
nas
ntai
aid;
Lordships will not put in jeopardy the happy days which now cast
their meridian splendour around this prosperous country ; and
fellow-men
sacred
wish
Tisroo:fothc,:j
tretec
itiisalgu,nimbodut
ibtsul
humbly but;,
oiselerdl
toleration'—and
nee self-preserva-
tion—from sa
from motives by no means of hostile aversion to Roman Ca-
ioners
tholics onnit i
cic:issef
nraozis.mee:
leadl
anlsoad,
from x desire to see buried in oblivion , past differences and re-
but, earnestly
•
pray, that no further politieal pririlegeebe 'granted to the Ro-
man- Cetholics of the United Kindom.
AoJ your Petit;Jners gwill ever pray, Etc.
•

FOR THE SUN.

SMALL DEBTS' BILL.

M►t. EDITOR—The deiitteraie progress which
has attended the measure now before Parliament

for effectuating a more speedy and less expensive
mode of recovering Smill Debts, seems to have
reconciled it to general approbation ; but as there
will ever be found amongst the aggregate of a
community some to disapprove of what the ma-
jority sanction, the following observations are
submitted in order to reconcile all who prtfer
public benefit to individual feeling.

The Bill under consideration is not the off-
spring of modern► inquiry, although it is likely
to meet the immediate adoption of legislative ap-
proval. The Report of the Lords Committee in
1809 clearly shews the necessity of a measure,

which is calculated to bring justice nearer to every
man's door than it was wont to be, when ex.'
ponces were a prohibition to its approach. The
legal charges to obtain the recovery of a small
demand, have too frequently heretofore amounted
to a denial of justice, as will be evidently con-.
firmed by a perusal of, the following extracts.
• After stating that minor debts are pursued
with mischievous rigour, the Report shews, that
" a creditor, acting blindly under the direction
" of his attorney, overwhelms the debtor with.
" costs, and leaves him a -wretched sufferer io
64 prison."

Then follow two instances of persons in the
nferior station of life, or as the late Lord Stan-

hope said, amongst the industrious Bees of the
Community, on whom the procedure for the re-
covery of small debts, operates with the most
dreadful severity. In one case the original debt
was 7s. for absolute necessaries, and the costs
and charges accumulated the demands to
111. 17s. 11d. In the other the original debt was
75.4 d.; also, for necessaries and the charges were
121. 13s. 3d., for which respective amounts the
parties were confined in gaol. In another case of
debt 2/.11 s. the defendant had paid one instalment
of 10s. and, failing in the second, an action was
brought against him in the Court of King's Bench,
for the 41s. balance, and wherein the coats
amounted to as much as if the debt had been as
many pounds.

The Report proceeds to state, " that there are
64 many local jurisdictions for the decision of
" Small Debts, several of them, no doubt, mai
" work well. The plans have been all good ia
4t theory ; some of them useful, as long as the
" disinterested zeal of the promoters controuled
" the proceedings ; but their powers became per,
verted when those persons no longer existed
"to regulate the application." " Others, there
" is reason to fear may have been from the onset,

projects, ~vi:11 interested MPII to secure

_
" themselves a lucrative practice; and it is need-
" less to say what would soon be the effect of It
" jurisdiction framed that view." "It might
" be practicable by a selection of the best prove'
sions.of some of those local 'Acts, with
proper
".guards against abuse, to- frame a general and
" useful system for the immediate detertnioutioa
" of such minor claims."

A Bill was shortly afierwads brought 01',
ward in the House of Lords, by that excellent
man, and able Senator, Lord Redesdnle, ery
titl?d," A Bill for the more effectual Recoveri
of Small Debts." His principles were approved, but
it did not pass in Parliament, on account, as may be
readily conceived, of not having originated in the.
House of Commons,where the objects of the same
measure are now in considerable progress. In
evidence of the disposition and lege I opinions of 1)•
Noble Lord, then Chief Justice of the King's'
Bench, and now deceased, * the followiog
obJervation is submitted to notice. Upon the
introduction of a Local Bill for Recover'
ing Small Debts, his Lordship said, that " COl"
siderable mischief resulted from the number
" of bills passed for erecting Courts for the Re'
" covery of small debts, wherein not cheap jor
" tice, but cheap injustice was dispensed. It
" would be infinitely preferable to legislate 111
" this-respect upon some general principle aprl,l"
" cable to the whole kingdom," and his Lordsh'l7
seemed to contemplate provisions for rendering
the County Courts efficient for the purpose.
The same opinion prevails amongst many
vent Lawyers of the present day-. and should tbe
general measure now before Parliament take
place, it will be productive of the most salutaq
effects. Vexatious proceedings for minor debt
in the superior Courts, ‘N ill no longer harrass the
parties with oppressive costs, Por will those Courts
be as heretofore interrupted or crowded Wilt":
trifling and insignificant causes. The Courts "
Westminster Hall, the Judges on Circuit, awl lb'
Bar in general, will approve of the Reform
must be advantageous to the Public. And the
more speedy as well as less expensive Adaliul;
stration of Justice, will only be objected to °;
low retailers of the profession who have enter:
tained hopes of profit from nefarious and destroc,
live litigation, but who are too few and too colt,
temptible to have a voice likely to affect a ques
lion of such public and general interest.

w. :tf

Temple, March 16, 16'25.
• Lord El4nbo?ougli.

BIRTHS. -,
'On Sunday last, the lady of W. Chilton, Est,, of Hai'
street, Brunimick.square, of a daughter. ... : ~jt•
On the 17th inst., Mrs. I. W. Ilodgetts, of Burton-0'99'7
place, of a daughter.
_........--?

• • • MARRIED. strifig
On Wednesday, the 10th inst., at Olveßton, J. D..AI°
Esq., of Liverpool, to Harriet, daughter of the lute Jobri
Eq., of Olveston, Gloucestershire.,

of
On Tuesday, the 14th inst,DlE at D Brighton, in the 67th Ye tic

his age, Lieutenant-General Dorrien; of the Royal Reg) .5,
of Horse-Guards, in which he had served upwards of 44.1i.,e
On the 12th inst., Mary, the widow of Lieutenant SA""
Knipe, of the St. 117thshm
On Thursday, the Eliza, the only surviving daily
of of Mr. Malcolm Dunnet:, of Cheapside, in her 21st yOpel
On the 14th inst., in Chester-place, Lambeth, John 0,14"
Esq., aged 75.

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