The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-23 00:00:00

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FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1821.

PROTESTANT. UNION; • ' • -
At a MEETING. oflhe PROTESTANT UNION; .(formed 2?al
January. 1813, onder the Auspices of ,the late.veneratile
GRANvithe; seiAtur, Esq. fur the Defence aliti Sooport
of the PRO I'ESTANT 'RELIGI(ON and the 'BRITISH
CO.NSTITL7TION as established at the Glorious Revolu-
tion 1688), held _at the London Ta'vern, 17th April, lady.
STEPHEN (...:AYILEY, Esq. in the Chair;
Jr. w vs ItesoevED,
1. THAT as the Romap Catholics of England
and Ireland have announced a deterininatiut) to
revive,,wilh renewed activity and vigour, their demands.
poWcr,---dettrancl4 which have peen repeattailv resist-
ed by both Houses of Parliament,—it behoves every Protest--
ant subject of the British Empire to coniitler,.with seriousat-
tention, a
question which affects at once both our Civil and
Religious
2. That as the existing Laws afford to the Roman Catho-
lics, in common with their fellow subject's, protection in
person and property, and.the;entire toleration of:their religi,
ous worship, their manifest object is toObtain Political Power;
and, from their- varithis declaratiens and proceedings; we cao-
not doubt that, whatever may be granted, nothing
.spurt of
au Eligibility to Political 'Power, Without limitation or re-
straiut, will satisfy them. In marking the. prugressive...de-
mands of the Itontan Catholics; we observe that they began
sonic years ago with claiming -itunitinities merely provincial,
and colifiried to Ireland .; but they now insist on the right to
an unlimited scare iti the Government of the. whole Brash
Empire, They requite a Political Power which is to affect not
'lreland only, but the administration, at Home, of 'flit whole
domestic.affairs of the United Kingdom, and Abroad in its
foreign relations, Mid ill all its ininietise
3. l'hat the. Protestant Iteligiou is the peat security of the-
public happiness and welfare of this country; foe,. as our
Civil and Religious Liberties have originated in,. and been
preserved by a Pt oteslatit. Constitistion, it. appears to us that
those inraltiable blessings will tioutish with its prosperity,
and decline with its decay.
4. That the British Constitution and Government are es-
sentially and fundamentally Protestant; and by a soleniti na-
tional-compact, at the period of the. glorious Revolution, it
wets declared inconsistent with the safety amid welfare of this
Protestatit Kicgdoni; that it should be governed by a Popish
Prince, or by any King or Queen marrying a Papist, and that
all and every person and persons :that should hp reciniciled
to, or hold communion with the See or Church of Rome, or,
should profess the Popish Religioti, or shou (I marry a Papist,
should be excluded, :inch be for ever incapable to inherit and
enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm; and in all
such cases the people of these Realms should Ice
jabsoltt.! of
t heir. allegiance, and the Crown and Government descend to
the next person in succession, being a Protestantr'also by
the Acts of Settlement which have so happily secured the
crown of these Realcusao. hiS Majesty and his august Family,
it is declared that the succession of the Crown lit the Pro-
testant Line is fur the liappine-s of the Nation, and the secu-
rity of our Religion; and that tin the utaintenance of, these
Acis " the safety of his Majesty's Person and Government
the continuance of the Monarchy of England—the preserva-
tion of the Protestant Religion—the ulaiiitenane of the
Church of England as be law established—the security of the
ancient and undoubted (tights and Liberties, and the suture I
Peace and Tranquillity of this Kitigdom,—du (under. God:.
entirely depend.'
S. That by. the Circulation Oath, settled by the national
compact entered into eat the Revolution fur establishing
the Crowii-on a Protestant basis., the Kings and Queens of
this Kitigdom solemnly engage," that they will to theutitiost
of their puseet maintain the Laws of God. the true proles
(101 l of the Go•pel and the Peulrstant Reformed Religion esta-
blished try Law ; arta will ',rear:rye unto the Bisimps.and Clergy
of the Realm, acid to the Churches committed to their cluir4e,
all such rights and privileges as by Law du or shall appertain
unto them, or any of t bent and we entirely concur ill the
interpretation of that Oath by our veneralae arid beloved So;
vertigo, when he considered that it prohibited his acciiiiesciog
in for gluing political potver to his Roman Catholic
Subjects: although he had, with the benignity belonging to his
character, sauce lotted the repeal of those Penal Laws regard-
ing the Roman Catholics, which affected the exercise of their
Religion and the enjoyment of their property.
G. That the Iwo Houses of Parliament, as well as the Privy
Council, and the Great Offices of State, are inseparably con-
fleeted with, and into' nee the whole administration of the
Government; mid that a measure Which. shoal(' have for
its object the introduction of Roman Catholics into the great
councils of the nation, if not contrary to the letter oftlr( Bill.
of Rights, would be manifestly so to its spirit: as it would lie.
subversive of the great leading principle. upon which the
Governmeitt of this realm was settled :attic Revolution. We
therefore are of opinion that it is necessary to exclude
Roman Catholics (their principles having undergone no a1t0...•
ration since the Revolutioo) from all otlices of Legislative and
High Pclitical lamer.
7. That rendering Roman Catholics eligible to be Priey
Counsellors, is to create the means of suriountling the Sove-
reign himself with Ministers of State whose religion most be
hostile to his own right of succession to the Throne; and by
investing them with a Legislative capacity, the means are
provided of giving them, if not a majority, such a curisitle.,
rattle party in Parliament, us, under some-circumstances,,.
would render it impossible to I esist their measures, and might
endanger the Interests of the Established Church as well ets
other estimable institutions of the Country, and tho•e Rights
and Liberties, both Civil and Religious, which Pt utestants uuld
sacred.
8. That, although the Roman Catholics did not constitutes
tt majtaity of either trouse of Parliament, when, by the Sta•
Cate, they were, excluded theta fruai, yet that measure was,
declared to be necessary " fur the safety% of his Majesty's
Royal Person and Governsnent ;"' and they were rendered
ineligible to sit in Parliament, " forasmuch 'as. divers. good
laws had been made tor preventing the increase and dan.:er or
Popery in this hingdunt, which had not bad the desired effect.
by reason of the free access which Popiilt Recusants lead Ito I
to his Majesty's Court, and by reason of the iilierty which
of late senile of the Recusants had taken to sit and .mote
Parliament." •
9. That as the, administration of the laws greatly offsets
both the rights and property of the Church • of -England,' as
well :is the civil and religious lib, rties of others ion within
her pale, mid con,idering the avowed and- intolerant pinch-.
ptesot the itonian Catholics with regard to those who differ.
from them. its mutters of religion, We 119 11,1 t think it would,
be compatible with the existroce•of those rights aliii liberties
tteittritst ..their ititerptetation- to
.11.0mait Catholic Judges;
whose decisions must necessarily be iulluesiced insuine degree,
by their peculiar views and opinions.
10. That as the ailiiiissitio of the Roman.Cath lief to !eels.,
!alive' power, and to those offices which, guide the State,
could nut be granted without great danger;: neither would
the plan which its advocates proeosed Ur the last
have the desired effect of conciliating • and allaying - the ela-,
moors of the Roman -Catholies. "I. hose advocates.proptised to
guard their nn'aistit es by rest fictions ;
ot Itontn. Cat holies.
profess theruselv.s insulted by the suspicions implied in those
-restrictions. The same tensonittg.is now applied .as,was, first
.used, when a. t elaxation of th e. Pettal LAWS, and 0: tler.adva
hot Secretary of
tages, were prayed; 'aid
State for Ireland declared, When time Electiee Franchise was
granted in 1793,1115 t. the concession; then 'made • would satisfy
every rational Catholic in the 'Kitigdom, arid,tbat nothing
further -could be granted With satetrto the lii:otestant Esta-
blishment, We have seen alteoncessionsgetierate at 4ltit.eflicsli
detuaiols, 'allfh supply the ar4:111/.161,ps, V.!till as athlitivna I
oceans fur 01,taining !tterfore,apprcliend that the
measure, with all its guards, will not satisfy the Roatati.Ca-
holies ; but While itwill Meade the must valuable andaacred
part of the British ( onstitution,•• it will place in their-hands
a power which will ultimately, suttryrt the foundation of our
Monarchy.
•. 11. That with regard to Irelands we can see no practical.
advantage to lit• de, ived to the great mass of, her. population.
liv-tourplyine:Witli'llie demands of the Itonton Catholics : pfd
the contrary, the at:tomes to political twwer being Open to the
Roman Catholics, the lowerand mittdling,eloss,s f.i OP.
vi ii Id heeouie more completely the itistrunients of their
ir"t' and of others, in opposing' Protestant liberties
interests;and i
and we entettain but. little . doubt- that the
measure no distant .ptriudyncoura;:c
contemplated would.at
an attach upon the revenue's .tit .our Protestant t_litirch
Est abltsliment, and perhaiis wholly subvert the Church itself
in that prirt ot the. United Kim:dont. - Arid though she is se-
cured by the Act of Union, yet if he Great National.toin-.
pact formed at the Revolution is riot to he held inViolaltte, it
niay. br justly apprehended that the Act of natal willscarcely
afford a suffiCient petit ectitii..
• 12. That we du nut consider the. Guards and Oaths which
have been proposed, an adequate protection against the dati-