The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-17 00:00:00

part of the Bill. Originally he had introduced
words declaring that the law proposed to be re-
laxed should be abrogated ; but he had cut out
these words and inserted others, which he hoped
would be found more conciliatory. The next
clause stated that no other oath should be taken
than the following ; and then went on to state
the oath. He proposed to substitute another
form, buLhe would just make a few observations
upon tiN prNeut law, as it affectedsßoman Ca-
tholics, with respect to the inheritance of lauded
property :—They were originally shut out under
the term Papists; but even at the present time,
the taking of any oath was not necessary to the
acquiring of laud. lie would rather abolish all
distinctions of oaths ; but at present he must be
content with the explanation of the oath required.
He was not prepared to say that every Roman
Catholic would adopt the proposed explanation,
for there were some who probably would not.—
Then they might complain, that the present Bill,
so far from being a relief, was comparatively, an
additional difficulty ; but he had formed the
clause so as to steer clear, if possible, from all
objection, and he had framed it thus :—Every
person desirous of taking the oath, should apprsar
before the proper Officer of the Court of Justice
in England, Ireland and Scotland, and then in
open Court should take and subscribe the existing
oaths ; and that it should be lawful for every
person so taking the oath to require the officer to
read the explanation proposed by the Bill, which
explanation the officer should be required to read
at the time of the taking of the oath, This clause
be trusted would in all respects be satisfactory.
The oath would be taken under the old law,
and the explanation would be no part of the
oath :—(llear!)—but the officer was required to
give the explanation at the time. The clause then
went on to say that no other oath should be re-
quired. The Rt. lion. Member then referred to
the Oath of Allegiance takers in Ireland. lie
thought there should be no separation of oaths;
but if it were denied by the Protestant that the
oath should be taken, the Catholics, he conceiv-
ed, would not object to take it, though it was
conceived somewhat of an affront to desire it.
On this subject also he would with pleasure re-
ceive the suggestion of any Honourable Member.
Having explained the Oath of Supremacy, he
arrived at the Clauses of Exception. The prin-
cipal was that which went to disable a Roman
Catholic from holding the office of Lord High
Chancekor, Lord Commissioner, or other great
office mentioned in the Act. Be thought the
Exception ought not to be carried any farther,
because as all eminent offices were in the gift
of the Crown, it was obvious that the Crown
had the means of being satisfied of the loyalty
and integrity, as well zs the ability of every
Catholic, before giving him any appointment
of trust. He was aware, however, that he
should here be opposed by a Right Honoura-
ble Member, of whom he never could speak
but in terms- of the most perfect respect. He
understood that that Right honourable Person
wished to carry the exception farther, and to pre-
vent Roman Catholics sitting on the Bench.—
(Here Sir William Scott, to whom the Right
Honourable Member appeared to address him-
self, bowed assent.)—He regretted it,' because
ii these distinctions and jealousies were kept up,
little or no real good would, he feared, result
from the present measure. He now came to the
second branch of the subject :—He alluded to
the laws relating to the intercourse of English
subjects with the See of Rome. This inter-
course had been carried on for spiritual pur-
poses' for many years, principally upon the
appointment of Roman Catholic Bishops.—
Though the approbation of the Bishop lay with
the Pope, he did not practically appoint. those
Bishops ; and as the danger from the intercourse
in question was merely theoretical, he cen-
ceived a theoretical remedy would be sufficient
to meet it. lie would however say a few pre-
fatory words upon the mode of appointing the
Bishops. There were three modes. The first
was an appointment by the Bishops to fill up the
vacancy. The second was by the Dean and
Chapter ; and the third by the Parochial Clergy ;
but all these modes were to the exclusion of the
Pope, who exercised no substantial right on this
subject. On this head he should provide an oath,
declaring, that the person who took that oath,
denied all right in any foreign power to over-
throw or endanger the policy of the Church of
England. He should then go on to provide the
mode of appointing the Bishops. This mode
differed very little from that which was suggest-
ed in principle by the- Bill of 1813. By that
Bill, it was necessary that all persons who
were appointed by the. Crown to fill the va-
cancy should have taken the necessary oath be-
fore the occurrence of the vacancy; but by, the
present Bill he proposed, that it should be
sufficient if the Oath were taken before the
appointment of the Crown. He thought this
measure would be cheerfully agreed to by all.
It was now proposed that the Commission issu-
ing from the Crown to fill up the vacancy, should
contain an equal number of Lay PUMAS -with
the Clergy ; notwithstanding an objection which
it was understood that the latter had to the in-
terference of Lay Persons with these matters.
Since that time the Pope had signified his assent
to this arrangement, and there was every reason
to suppose it would be generally approved of.
fie remembered that on a former occasion, when
the Roman Catholic Clergy refused to permit
this interference, it was said, " give us the proof
that what you desire will, be accepted, and then
we will legislate." But was Parliament to go
about inquiring what would be accepted by the
Roman Catholic Clergy ?----(Loud cries of hear,
hear, hear !)—Parliament would do what it con-
ceived to be just, and would feel no doubt in
the acquiescence of the subject_ to the laws of
the Constitution. He had one more observa.
titan to make respecting the appointment of
Bishops :—he should himself have preferred a
domestic nomination, but on inquiry, he found
the Roman Catholics had, no settled principle
of nomination ; and he trusted that, on the whole,
the present Bill would put tin end to the present
great and important question. Having addressed
himself to time points of relaxation, he came to
consider those of security ; and these he had