The Sun.
London, England, 1813-02-26 00:00:00

CATUOLIC:CLAIMS..

Mr. WILLIAM ELLIOT moved the leading of the
Itesolntion passed during the last Session, for
taking into consideration the laws affecting his
Majesty's Itotuan Cutholic subjects, for the yur-
ne of turning to a conciliatory and final adjust-
ment of them.

Clerk having reacrthe'Resolution,
Mr. W. lit,t.tor said, that he find wished the
Resolution to be • ,iad, not only because it was ter,
fermi to by 'a -Petitittir which he held in his hand,
but because it was a document intrinsically im-
portant. It stood as a record of the change which
bad taken place in the opinions of that House—a
Change which had been effected by the removal of
prejudices which hied lasted for many years, anti
which had been overcome after long and elaborate
discussion. During the time. that Clete pre ja-
dices had existed, the house had resisted the opi-
nions of the four greatest .politietil authorities.—
HOwever they might have. differed upon other'.
subjects, Pitt, -Burke, Fox, -au& Wituilfata, were
all [treed on the gi•tnd' question cif' Catholic -
Emancipation.. 'flat House had, however, at last,
haPpily,,been:convietal- of the Sournine. ss of the
policy whith caused the utility of thoSe four States-
men MI that great, question. • The Petition
which he :helcl in his hand • wai from the same
body, who had last year: presented 11 -Petition
to 'l_Surlianntt, he' meant the Rontah CithOlies of
England. Ile then adverted to the isittgallar si-
tuation in which that great body was placed. ,In
Ireland, owing to an illiberal -policy which bad
too long existed, but which he hoped was speedily
to be changed, the'Roman Catholics wore under
still more severe restrictions than in England.,--*
Bet even in England very severe restrictions were
impoie4 on-persons professing the Roman Catho-
lie religion. Those who were the lineal_Aiesend
ants of the old race of Englishmen, who hail an
so ninny OCCions ,performed signal services for
the benefit of their country, were distinguished
from their•fellow-suhjects, not by favours, but by
privatious, They wereexchided from all civil:pi-fie-es,
even front exercising the functions of Magistrates.
ln the army, they were prohibited oat rising above
a titrtain rank. if Roman Catholic, a Lienten-
ant•Colonel iii theArtny, should go to Ireland, the.
penalties Of theittw' would immediately be put in
force against him. The sairle was the ease The
Navy. A Roman 6itholie.of England, who was
an ottiaerin the navy,: might commaml The squa-
dron in Cork harbourl. but if his ship should be
wreeked, and be 'cast ashore on the •- et)tist Cl ire-

ri At,rPt.NNl'..


land, the pemilties would inimedicately'he eril" reed
ag,;iiiist. the unfortumite niem. Such was t,le
tita:iou of those per..)ons WhOSI: Felition
about to prvent. The. late ntili.unt,nt had; for
the first time, expreSsedU ch.toge of sentiment
-the e! jest of considering- the situatioit of tilos
tter;oil.s ; and the prayer (ate the piititi:to. which Ile
teld to Lis hand was, thar the IN;ltIV
CaltV into effect that Resolution which
been pat;sed.by the 011 t - if Was true that the "Fe-
titiouers , well! of religicni ditferent front'ar?.C.
whkh was estal:lished by the laws of the Constr.-
totion; but it Was worth Leolisidcriog, that
religion of the Chitrell of itame did' in nywr re •
Spects resemble closely that of the Church or h,itiy•
land. lie then went on, to enumerate the
servi; es which had op many oect.iotr, I,ceri un-
dem.d to the State by the Homan CaOtolic3.
aricc:,:tors,who bled '',tt PoicLiers, at Agitivourt, and
at Cressy., were of that 14th—the -Sp.artisli A.
nt4titt 51,sy r,phketi by the a.siiitance of the 110-
ml3n C.:},ithMitn;, and it was- the '&scendants qf
those v.'llo.then Jietitioned the l'op,:ry
heen. K,stablisited i 1 Cenada troops 11 tt
fought to support the Papal Chair ;
that time figl-oting for A Poplsh md b th..b.
.side•of :5h Allies. Such
re fuse to to. tt.e,
.grieviiilees which affe“ed th(:!:
fellow-stil.jectsi rat. trti!ed that I.i
the Petition, he held in' h'
*sink (Izep into the heart of ever}" i_l' of
.House. tie trusted that the tioa.e wonid
:deem the pledge which bad been giv'en by' the
Parliantent, and by so do7ng; secure, theinsel''.::
the'botiour of havior: retorecl pence lind
to the British .Empire. , P,, concluded by
that the re6o6n•shOuli,i lie or. thoabie. •
Right „Owl. C.-YbEtte -did; At rise to
the motion, bot to express hi.. 4 surprise
speech of the Hou.Gentlotnan. 3 had L(i.•
all thnQ topits which 'were to hethe•subiect of the
deba,te•uptin it 'question.i.vhieh 1,,,,,171.4 that tu
Come before the House. 'When the Hon.
Mao had 'moved for the reacting of the
of tilt. lest Session, ,heAhought that he meaitt ;t
as' a preihrtinary to the debiltv.:. The Hon.. Ge.L.
tleman, has ins. however moved the 'reading, he
' (Mr. Yorke) rose -to m0.,-c that, (Its toot, as the •
'Petition of the lion. C'QLT:lemati teas disposed
another document should be rcad ; he meant the
9th, I (lib,' and I lth sections of an Act of
Liam and Mary, commonly called the Bill ci
nights. . .
;air_. W. SvITH said, that be 'shook' ilever stand
tip in that House for such aPetitiOnaS that wait n
the lion. Gentleman held in his band. nnles it.
was e.xtendecttb'the whole bony of Dissenters hi
Englmd, who had rights equal to those ofAlle.'
Romaa.CutliolieS .

The Petition wits then ordered to lie on the

or TIIE IRISH 12()NT.N GATT. TOLif,

On the motion of ,the Right Hon. Voratti.;„
theCle'rk then 'read the 9th, 10th, nod- 11 th
thins of au Act of and M:Ary, cbunnonly
called c. The Bill of Kights.'•''
Mr. GitivrTma.said, that ,the statute which had
just Own been read, was sei entirely consistent.
with the onalitications which he wished to be
Made in the conces,d,ins to the Romau Catholics,
thift...he intended to make it the
,preamble of 440
'Bill which he proposed to draw up on the subjeet.
The Protestautsshould their establisinnenis
conipletely secured, while the Catholics to: alit en-
joy the advantage of Inil liberty., and thus, religion
would be. made to adinhaSter security to the Con-
stit The motion which he should SubMit to
the House would be---that the House should re-
solve itself into a, tommittee, to consider the
Jaws alfeCting the Roman Catholics, pursnant to
the re',;olution which had' been read. He Itite'a,
that its that resolution was one which
passed by the old iarliantent, it
.was not
on the House yet he• hoped that*he'wou'd.not,
be'deeated guilty of itrty great impropriety, by' re .'•
ferki;tg to that resolution in his motion. 'He ci.z4;
at any rate, hope that his motion NVolliti: not b+.
objected to on that aceonnt. He had to lament,
(for it would have been affectation not to -lament
that they wete very numerous, and he would. adA:,
very reSpeetithie petitions presented to the ,HOUsi:.
against the claims of the Irish Catholics. • IfeJa.
that' such prejnclices existed ; ',but
hoped that the -tiqie.,Ni'4:,not very- evrnotti is lit:i
ticey WOW' be cntirely!'overenrati;' He earden7i
ed ,tlie violence .tonne persons,
talked of these Protestant Petitions.—He should
certainly -do . otherwise. He would talk of 'them
with recpectilieetinsc he .respeeted the persons,
although i* condemned thcir prejudices. He'eonii
Sidereti them is persons who W‘ere indeetrhostiii
to the Claims of the CathOlici, but as he Consider
ed that the cause of their hostility was Oft) nature
licit likely to be permanent, be Would Wish them
to be considered as, persons who at a future periol
Would he friendly to the interests of those per-
sons whose claims they then opposed. lie would
consider them as persons whO would in due time
abjure the prejthlices by which they were tit that
titne actuated, 'and who, being convinced of ,their
error, would cordially unite with 'their Catholic
fiAlow-subjeets . against .a
common enemy The
object of all shall(' be concord and harmony ; for
there was nothing justify Men in turning reli,
giou into a matter of discord ;`nothing to juiitify
those passions which had, caused revelation to
cot he amongst men as ► firebrand,, and to Infic
it opirate against all the principles of integrity
and of humanity. He hoped, tlmt ultimately-the.
cause fin which he s pleading might succeed.
He thought that this hope was sanctioned by what
bati,happened in the eases of farmer concessions
to the Roman Catholics of Ireland. In the yeas
1792. the claims then made by-the Catholics were
numerously 414 formidably opposed ; yet during

the very next S, stliath Parhattlentgmttel t..-en
more than had bee,i az;keti, Prejudices twit ~,
time yield to reason. On the 406-Catholic Pe-
'titions he should obserie, that their views of the
Catm.lics wtte mistalett. Ile Avila aware, that
th mention of these Petitions was good, but
they were the offspring of ignorance. The way •
in which *Telly of them b tl been drawn up anti
f
slirned, w,,,,, by ordering t. .' Sheriffs-to call meet-
ings of the Protestant Wm. ;tants of different dis-
tei,:,s Be objected to a w:blic officer calling' to-
gether people by sects,nittTt especially by religioli
sects. It' was calling; ogether one part of . the
subjects to petition .againS\t. another ; or rather
one portion ofthe inhabitants ofa country to petition '
against the rights and interests of the whole. In
desiring Parliament not to concede to the tlaiinS
of the Catholics of Ireland, they desired them to
pass oh treland the perpetual sentence of being a
divided colony. They did more, they, ))y dew-
ing Parliament to pass such a sentence, dirt iiii-
pose the necessity of causing Great Ililtain to be
tor ever .t divided Linpire. The petitions, might
be considered as consisting- of three clauseS : the
Ist, Praying that the Catholics be excluded from
certain offices-2d, That Ireland ht, for ever a di-
vided Country-4d, That Great Britain be in pi:r-
whin a divided Empire fie begged the House
to consider to what consequ such a sentence
Ayoub{ lead. The tone in Which the Cutlin\i6 had
urged their claims' had been
,objecced to. To
this he answered, that the question was not
about the tone. The question %vas not Wile-
titer Mr. A. or Mr. 11. spolae‘ to this or
that person in a. tone which . Wal tniteption7
able or noxious. That wits tint the quesCon',--
The. question was, whether the great hod), of 4.-i,,,
tholics were to be enianc.iptited ? Tlie qutist,itip.
was not whether the Catholics were, or were tnet.:,
out of:temper ; hut the question was, whk*,
. .
ito Catholic!

. _
in atiy.of their proceedings the -0111iM
could 'be taxed with a want of allegi`mice ? If there tholic was alwavi tile setae, hut not the Criminal
was any thing inconsistent With loyalty in their Ca'helic. The Pe. titioneras. cOntiory• to all the
proceediogs, be would he the last man to propose evidence of experience, contended, that no change'
that their claims should be gritured, But, if the. l could take place in their conduct, that they !mist
da4a n.ot so—if the ncoede cattolaes eintld. be enemies to th..: realest at tCh ch. They Were
not he charged •'with any acts of disloyalty or at enemies of the Protestant Chinch. But wit.; it.
went of allegi;:nce, than they should he allowed natural t hey alwttld feel' irk ne's hip for a Churchtbat
tb have that, which by the cornthon law they Scorned hostile to them, that seethed Thecontider
bays it right to posSete,. D'',d they riot for poli- theinterests of bOth taS I'lmill-el/Ude Thee..w:ere
tient power, and was that the cause, why they not the entaniva of such a Chiireli•,bittthat Church
were to be eimderneed to be iheprived of their was their enemy:. wiethl ask. who part of the,
Civil rights'? If it was its4(..al whilt the 7 did, or doctrines of the. Roman Ciithoties was subversive
did not wish for, he would answer, thty did trot of the Ptotestaut religion Was it purgatory, Or
wish for this or that hut tor tlijrVierties. 1 absolutiott, or extreme unction 1 The petitioneis
The Catholic Petititioners as,ked fro- prott'et:!on, said that they were encinies to the State ilnitto the
the prote,stallt Pialtioners aslital for power. The Onvernmeata 'that they were enemies by wine',
Vrotestants desired in 'aseititiliniey to govern art°. ph. he could not understand how the same
then sect; the 6itholirs Okired not to •.be go- sons couhl be friends in fact, hut eneertie4 in prin.=
verned by arts sect, .but by the law , they desired eiple.. Could they be considered enemies to the
tint to be tried by jeres of partizans. Though State and to tile Geyernmeut, who had obtained
the Protestauts knew, that if the chitlins of the l the th,inks of the house, for their In avery in de-
Ottliolies were Kr anted, and if p 4 sorb of tat fending both /It theylvero comics, Oleo let their
religioa were allowed to sit in ParliarAent, GI,- Petition he referred to a Committee, and let the
though Protestants knew that if this tvcre the. ' petitioners al; tinst them support their ellegationa
ease, evert tlett the major part of the .1.1011,,e in that Committee. Their comics produced against
would he Proteatants, and would make laws for. them'the. Councils of Lateran and Constance, and
the Church a;.(1 for the State ; yet they, leaved '.rant, in support of their iictuisittions; he, would
that they should be governed hy,CathOlies,. The produce a strouger mid a better anthority to re-
Protesteuts asked for the ascendancy ()fa sect t the Att.. them ; he would produce their practical loy-
. for the the law. the alty against nil this infamous and abondeable ae-
Protestants desired to I;Overn the:Catholic Clow* cerations unjustly thrown upon them, It was said
and property, and to exclude the Catholies them- thet they and their principles were unfriendly to
selves from did .blessings of the Conitituion.— liberty / Was Alagint Chamt no proof of at-
Their arguments were, that lleinbers of the tachi!,:ent to liberty? Did the Declaration of Rights
eurcb of4oglarol alone should have seats in ellataiti 130 principles that sliewed ct love of
Parilionent, If that were the ease, it would be liberty I The. Deekration of Rights established
necessary to have all the Scotch Members, and all no new laws ;• it (oily cotetirnieti hews tang ISeforF
those who Were Dissenters excluded ; yet the .established, and established by those very tabu-.
donstitution admitted them ;ill. Such was the in-, lies who were deelaredeneinies to the state and to
consistency, of the arguments Willa the Calm- liberty; They were not the cite:ores, they elwatis
lies,. The Protestant Petitions stated, that by shewcd themselves the ft. aids of. liberty., After
the Constitution the Parliaments were. Protestant. such proof ttl their ettachmeat, it svits, still said
Isiit could it be supposed that the founders of the Oaf they neist continue,eneaties„ because •they
'Uonstitittion erected a fabric, upon principle 3 with were swayed by the. eintons of their Church.—
which it was ioconsistent it V. tvi true • Unit the Those catons, and the doctrines they inetticated,
Coostittition required a Prote.stapt ascendancy were ,fin•esworit by -Catholics.. What was the
het the aseinilaecy was to be derived front the' alumna of the doctrines said, to be contained in
King being ri.otestitot, that was the trite Protes- these canons That the Pooches! the right of de-
Vint aseendancy, in Parliament the. plurality of posing Princes, and thet no faith was to be kept
Protestants was a sufficient ascendancy, and that With lieretieS, ..The deposing IIOVVeV wars treason
plurality would allow a coustitatiotial co-exist- the regicidal poster was treason and Murder. Ile
enee of Cittliolicsan, Parliament. In that manner, denied that stub deetrilies helonged to Catholics.
by•the plurality ot, Protestants, the true Ile. iletied those. Wito mailtethe c. arge to support
proteittaht ascendancy would be preserved,' While it by any other eVidetiee, Onto by canons which
the country would be strengthened. 'The pi2ople Were futile in themselves, which were an insult
were identified by privilege, and fleet liteittific:t-. to reason atilt society, anti whicil they c,,te„ecs
tion made them a part of the State, iron Would theltiselveS, abjured upon oath. In opposition to
go to kat:et the Church. The Protestants sorb proof, arttllO the persons who brought them
wawa to thitilt that a few Catholics in Perlia- forwerit, he .would quote the opinions of the;
rntstlt would be formidable,. but four millions of • cipal Root ot CathOlie I,lxiversiti.es of Europe, of
CAtholles out of the :Parliament were no to be re- Satalllaitem, of Donxy, of Paris, of Linlyaile Tite
.girded. He 41ellied that these islandi litut grolvn till(6tioti was put to then; with respect to the de-
to a great etiipire•unrier the 'pains end penalties posing yower•of the Pope, and the doctrine of no
imposed upon the Roman Catholics. Wlieri the faith with- hereties, They all not oolydeoied and
COntirittltioll urns 1110“) St lost, l'tCOqr;•;. rejected, but scorned the iniiitttation,of snub 00e.
•
ed by in eking; coceessions, at different tunes,- to trines. And with respect to the 'deposit% power
ttl Catholies, ;kite pains and penalties by Which' ii particular, it sties •so abominable, that they
tee cathotics were ;e2;e;rieved, bad beert inipo,,el said they were,almOst ashamed to refute. it. To
after the lloreolution, anti the toinbiess weicli thew that the ,simte scat du; opinion mailitahlecl
eattaed these, Was what . the Protestaote wished aml inculcated at the.Rotnau, Catholic 'Seminary
e'lottld he made the tale by which their procail- at Mayrfooth, he would read some extracts from a
lugs should be r regulated, Ilot hook eoitled Tractatto c c Eccksia, • which was
suede some persotts silt, that the coiv.:essif)s di' re- pat into-the .hands 'of! the Students in that,Semi-
moval of these naini Lon! pcualties oidilhe sub; miry, Vert: .the Right liou. Gentleman read an
,ve,!fsiee of the Constitetioe. vo.,te,ika poi, extract, 'denying that Christ had giveit to the see-
tioners said that.in lii laud
,telprttti6ii w4s pee- cesSors of St.'-',Peter any power-over the tempo.
feet ; it evens tile reverse, ' J Catholic countries ral concerns of Kings, Or that‘ the Pope had a
Oroad, the toleration of Protest.4.its was- right.to free.subjects, from their allegiitilLe. In
perfect than the toleration of Catholics in this the same treatise it was remarked, that though.
Protestant,kingdom. The case Stood übilied t some Popes 'had put much power in practice, they
there was toleration for Prototants with gnali;= ne*er asserted it asat doctrine, of the church-, and
. ,
fications ;in this country there was nro,cei tOkTii- it was sh4Wc.,(l, that in earlierages the Popes 10.
don, but instead of qualification, pains aryl' penal- tolerated the doctrine °of obedience to the. Litt
tie -Yet this was' called perfeet'toicr:ition,-7 the Emperor, because in thi.in was vested by
The Diet of Unngfll y provided thattlie Protestants, ri4ht all temporal authority. lii this bOolt also
should -enjoy the. notate e.s.crciSe`saf,' their leligion, tlie doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope eves
with. the tibertyotibuioing churches with ,:;t.te acid it Was asserted that, no Pope ever
• • .
it as an article. of the Roman Ca
alsOthat all public: charg!s, offices, alter honours maintained
i
should be opera tO natural bout Atthitlet, high and tholie faiths There, w s another; docoment
which -. of some . Importance the 1.10-•'

14vr, withotit any .respect 'religio"-b.
the resolution of a Popish diet. It Wag asked
Avhether the law Of this country did ri9t grant as
much. toleration to Catholics p.s the 141:v, of any
Catbolic country did grant to Prote;tants, ‘vith
the acqUiesceuce of the Catholic Chttielt ? Sane
Catholic Got!erainents eve not only qualification
but tree toieratiurtio their Protestaift and
the Catholic Lhurch acquiesced in the saint:

was
man Catholic . Prayer-Book. In this book
there was a passage stating, that if a Gene.
ral Commit., much less st papal consistory, SiTQUitt
Tiresume to depose al Kiug, or free hi.is spbjei;t3
From their' ulluiikume, no tlioltc Was bpulid to suli-
mit to it, nod that Catholic's may renounce nport
wtth thc dotarine of deposing power as sabyer4;y4
of the fundamental laws, and destructiie of di

: . . , . .
the taW of this eouatty only gav-e toletltion ivith pAr.'t and ortier.a society. Ili this tool; .it was
,p4ins and penalties, nut merely a privation ofci\iil: ' allf,..wed that the Pi,p, wa,.; spiritual Held of the
i;,%abehise. ne would beg leave to ask, whatiwtre , (lilt ti, but his infillibility and jurig;liction over.
' ihiqual temper and principles of the cathotir,,lfio,:. th‘3, temporal pow er .of Pyinces were denied ; rind
!. dy 1 IVlany of the Petitioners against those lithos . miner; it; c oncluded, drat if the Pope shot It pre
seemed to he totally igour:tot of the fitto,;,Jtie. ttpitl-to wirhdrarT subjects fronv.their alleg!nnee,
Anti•Cetholic Petitions, many of then' atl,t,:-
`-‘lll,tlie- u grond of heresy in the Prince, suet: ,:13-
:
stated, in general terins, that the principles terhe-,:Mutation oil the p;tr,t of the Pope wv.s yain; and
Catholics were the stir. now OF ill the Worst of • :Sii6111(1 have no effect, and tit it Catholics itCre
times,, as in the tout, clthe massacre, or any other bound to defend the. King er en" against the Pope
i attempt to Invade his domi-
leriod at which ti ,oe priaciples were supposed to himself, should he
hare presided. Was this rettsonahle.l was itinst? nious. As for the King-kitling- power, it,wisad7
I-VHS it fair Or ettildiki to 6.ay,,, that after the pros. witted by the Roman Catholic Church to halms
tration ofthelthinhjition—kafiv;the;Vnion which pious., and it was declared to be contrary to the
Europe witnessed, of pr,Aely,ll.44iiici c Atboiies, laws of God and nature by the Council of Con-
stance,- There was another fktrong proof that the
le;igiied in the same cause;--after-th't; .fall of the
Pope—aftcr toleration had been etitahliShed in Catholics 7were not destitute of allegiance, he
every grefir country in Laropc, except Great 1111- tne:nit the oath of the 33e1 of his. 11.1:1jesty. Here
tail) ; was it fair to aszett, as the Anti-Catholic this Right Hon. Gentleman read the oath. He
Petitions tiiiiv OW ' their principles were still the would Flow ask what further answer was neces-
sfunel The Pet.itioners asserted that, the present sal to the eharge4 brought against the lloniAn
Catholics find their fathers plitertained, and must Catholies ? The fietitiOns might itslert wil,q.. they
ettertoin the same opinions.' This Was a monstrons i •pleirsed., lie was eertahr therwere goo;I in Vela—
mis-,tlternen tof the tact. The 'Catholics had es 7 tion, though not good in tirguttient. If Lora I,; in-
tahlishrt their allegiance by nßth, atilt abjured by gal-, or any other Catholic:, w.ere tolndier the Ott-
that oath every prmciPle katributed 'to thtnn thut thor of tt pamphlet accusing him with•prioriplrs
could be ;tlipf,.e.l, dang,srous to the Constitution. Gangerous to the Constitution, would Lord Ellen-
Th,it oath was ',formed by Prottf;tants, and by that borough, or any other'Judge, starer him to quote
oath the principles of the Catholics were finer-, j the Council of Constance, and say that he did not
t;rined. Basities the disatOwal upon 'oath of such, i ine:.lo to direct the .charge ugaiußt the individual,
principles, the C.lttholirs said further, that' they but against hill) as one out of in m illi,s. professitig
.felt. ealleti-npon to definifther uncest,os on .whoin - snob thingerous doctrines ? PersolliS such as the
saeh imputations were nnjustly thrown. :T.1.1t Ca..: Catholics wilt representcd to be, would be desti-
antics denied di theit ancestors were sttoh'frai:.• Itote of all the principles hy which society was held.
tees as they were repl.esente;l to he, that they . t9geth'er. The charges against thcin.were such as
maintai Inet:. tilt:
doctri .es charged upon t hem,:to the . could not exist in the., nature of thingS., lit a
tic troction of all order an_ II le.w. 'l'll 'e petitioners contention for power, however, such alleges, loy.i
~,,,;:liniit their Claims. supposed them to protess such accus::ttions, NVCrieXtrClTlely miturai. There
mineiPle,, which principles,the Citholies,denied was another answer to all such charges.—
'n 4.1111, .It was said that their Church always Mt answer was; the Christian religion it-
ntinue.l tht same its its thictrines.. The true Ca- self. 'Front the Clergy who, petitioneo 9gainst

the Catholics, it would appear,• that the opi-
nion they entertained of that religion was ;litter-
eat Moot they prayed, and when they petitioned.
theirprayers they say, that their 'Deity, in hu-
man shape, hod come into the world, to teach
and to reform it'; from, their petition it would 4p,
pear, that he had ;Abandoned his revelation ; and
that in all the countries of... Europe, the Chris-
thins' were in a worse state, with respect to -moral
feeling; even than savages themselves ; that in fact
the Deity had fled from every.part of Ettr.ite, ex-
cept perhaps Holton d oiOd the Colleges and C o itora-
lions of I,3igland.—lt was but natural, however,
that those Gentle:nen should suppott a system by
which all PO.ker and profit was' given to them-
selves. The God they preached in their petitions
did not .upoear to be the same to Whom they pray,-;,
ed, 61 *otherwise; their, charge+ against the Ro-
-I.Dati (iatholics must be false. fie entertaioed
the gretite4tresPeet for the petitioners against the
110 than Catholics. He did not at all dispute theii.
'Motives ; but he helped, however, the time would
come when they would feel no unwillingptsi ,
act in concert with their Catholic brethetittiagaitist
a common enemy, and in a Common conic. The-
proposition %Vas this----to exclude for ever from
civil franehiseS suob as professed the Roman Ca-
tholic Religion. And what was the argument ?
Why, 'because Itornan Catholics were :traitors and
Joardetere. if Stich argtimeots were suffered to
contiiiite' in force, if the) were suffered much
',longer to mak their appearance in speechei; 'nod
parophiets, and 'petitions, he ,feared the ' conse •
apienee would be, that the two countries Wedd
seold each other ont of their connection. If such
arguments il%!re too frequently .and too stretiu
ously pressed upon the Catholics, they mnst'be, at
length forced into a belief of doctrines which
they now denied, and what would be much WOrse,
.they may he forced to ail upon Ahem.' In his
opinion' they had the elements of concord before'
them. They saw the. great body Of t'e 'Catholics
,petitioning for liberty, and a great 'part of the,
rank and property of the Protestants supporting
their tit:mantis. It was objected that the C.Mtlio.,
proposed no condition. They bad no ocea-,
siou to do so. It was the business of that House.
to legislate for them, and propose what .eimolitions
they thought necessary.' The Catholics Said,
the, thought no.eonditiOns necessary ; that they
likabefore given every security it was in their
power to give. They bad, hoWever, no indispo
sition to 0 reconciling step, to the grant of any
thing that was not essential to their Church ; they
would not, however, coniii.tion their liberty.--
They would grant every security necessary to the
'Protestant Church, provided that seenrityivas not
derogatory to their otim. And it was the busi7
nets of Parliament to find out that, by which
both' may be United. A great proportion of the
PrOtestatit Petitioners did not, say to that House,.
exclude the Catholics for es r; day 'ill ty NA id,'
take care of our church at the sante time that you
legiinate for another. Such language I.'itS
wa3 rational: It shankl be attended to'. lie
would not however believe that "the Church of
England was an enemy to the liberty ofthe'Catliti-
lie. He :could not believe that the, poople of
lard ' were enemies to that liberty; He would
Have Very little to fear to repose liimc'elf:and his
caiiioon the gOOd sense atubthe integrity 'of that
people.. There were some petitions' that went
poiot blank against 'all concession to the Cobb-
lies:, and told 'the linuse that their bhjeet viitS the
security the'ProteStant Chttch. In the imporC-
ot 'that object he fully asreed With'thein; but
he differed in,theAneans of Sectithig it. They
would not say to .Parliament that such' security
could.be only gained, that that ehureli..cotild be
. .
only noon .arced by the th 'and exelitsioo
Of their u,taolic brethren, lee would tneet the
wishes of all the Petitioners, ho tvcittd rerticive all
their apprehensioM shoot the 'Prbtestant Church,
and stir to thew, you shalt eniov even after con-
ecisslOoidi the -iidviiiitageS .you petition ftir--the
soceer:sioit ot 'a'PrOtestant 'Mike, an episceop,,il
Church hoth unit ,li-eland, and ,the. 'ise-
cttrity of toe Church of Scothrtid. wOold'es-
stablish nPcotestant ChUteli a weft ns 'Protes-
tant Crown H

would root to the foundation
of the island the principles upon 4•lich their se-
curity wai rested: 'Mt iligerenee Vas that the
Petitioners would secure.- those blessings by pa-
tronage', and he would secure thew :hy.ittenggea-
tibn. That principle. should ..be titat,te tito.grot
support bflh 0 the Cluvch and stge,
brill & in a Will,. open to sany..provision, proylAcit
the Protestants: would not condition the liberty of