The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-17 00:00:00

[MORNING HERALD.]
A report, if correct, of great importance, pre-
vailed yesterday. It is, that the Earl of Liver-
pool had been summoned to Brighton on Sunday,
and had an audience of the King, upon a ques-
tion pending in the Upper House of Parliathent
that the probable result will be his Lordship's
retirement, and the elevation of the Marquis of
Londonderry (Lord Castlereagh) to the situa-
tion of Prime Minister. We give this rumour as
it has reached us, certain only of its existence,
but unable to confirm or contradict it.

• [MORNING POST.]
An immense number of strangers attended the
House of Lords.yesterday to hear the debate on
the question of the second reading of the Catholic
Bill. The crowd was so great in the lobbies, that
immediate ingress could only be procured by a
most severe struggle, and very considerable.in-
convenience was experienced even below the'bar.
Earl Grey presented Petitions in favour of the
Bill from the English Catholics in general, and
from the Catholic Peers of Englisnd. The Earl
of Donoughmore then moved the second reading
of the Bill, which was opposed by the Earl of
Mansfield,
,who proposed that it be read
this day six months. . The original motion
was supported by the Duke of Sussex, the
Marquis of Buckingham, the Bishop of Nor-wich, and the Earl of Harrow by ; and the'
Amendment .by the Bishops of London and
Chester, and Lord Redesdale. At half past
twelve o'clock, the Earl Of Liverpool proposed
an adjournment, on the ground that on a ques-
tion of so much importance, it was necessary.
that every individual should have an opportunity
of expressing. his opinion. The suggestion was
adopted, and the Debate will be resumed, and
probably concluded to-night. The general ex-
pPctation now seems to be, that the Bill will be
rejected, by a majority of about thirty. Such in-
deed', we understand, . was the calculation made
yesterday evening by the friends of the measure
themselves, at their chief place of resort.

[BRITISH PRESS.]
The Bill for the Relief of the Roman Catholics
was last night discussed in the House of Lords
anxiously and elaborately, upon the motion for
the second reading. Previous to the com-
mencement of the debate, several Petitions
were presented from various classes of the
community, and all parts of the empire, expres-
sing opinions respecting the measure favour-
abl and unfavourable, according to-the interests
and inclinations of the Petitioners respective-
ly. Of these Petitions, the most remarkable,
and that w/hich, under all the circumstances, ap-
peared the most entitled to the attention of Par- '
liament, was the Petition in favour of the Bill
from the body of the Roman Catholic Peers and
Gentlemen of England, all of whom avowed their
willingness to accept of the bounty of the Legis-
lature under the conditions prescribed in the
Bill. Such a declaration from so distinguished a
body of men, accompanied at the same time by
an expression of their. gratitude to the other
branch of the Legislature for the progosed indul-
gences, ought to be a sufficient refutation to the
miserable quibbling of those who oppose the
Bill under the pretence of its not proving Fat; !-
factory to the class of perseps who are most in.
terested in its operation.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Arum 16.
CATHOLIC FETITIONS.
The Bishop of Oxro.no presented a Petition
from the Archdeaconry of Oxford, against the
Roman Catholic Bill.
Petitions to the like effect were presented from
the Parish of St. Peter's in ths,. Dist, in the city
of Oxford ; from the parishes of St. Qeorge, in
the borough of Southwark, and from :St. Olave ;
from the parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate : from
the Eastern part of the county of Sussex, and
also from the Inhabitants of Lewes ; from Six
Thousand Residents in the Town and Neigh-
bourhood. of Liverpool ; from the Archdeaconry
of Bathaand the Deanery of Stovve ; from the
city of Bristol ; from Great Torrington ; from the
city of Leicester, signed by 12poo persons;. from
'the Congregation assembling in Gate-street Cha-
pel near Lincoin's-Inn-fields.
The BiShop of Nonwscu felt it his dirty to
present to their Lordships,. in favour of the Ro-
man Catholic Bill, a Petition signed by fifty-
four Clergymen belonging to the Established
Church, who yietded to none of their Reverend
Brethren. in attachment to that Chuqh, but
hoped they were as Warmly attachecr as any
others., In tendering this Petition, he, trusted
that their Lordships would finally be induced to
consider and concede the prayer of it, as nothing
but what endangers the. safety of the Constitution
could justify those restrictive laws, which the
Petitioners now referred to, one mornentiong-er
than the occasion might require.
After the petition had been read, purporting
to proceed from certain of the Clergy of the Arch-
deaconry of Norwich, it was ordered to be laid
upon the table.
A counter-petition was presented. from Liver
pool by Earl GREY, in favour of the present Bill
The
,Earl of. SHAFTESBURY: presented Peti,
tions against the Catholic Bill, from Newark,
upon-Trent, in the County. of Nottingham ; the
Parish of East Deerham, in the County of Nor,.
folk ; the inhabitants of Hammersmith, in the
County of Middlesex ; and the Mayor and Cor.
poration of the Borough of Woodstock, in the
County of Oxford.—Laid on the table.
The Marquess of LANSDOWNE preaented Peti-
tions from the Roman Catholics 9f the Borough
of Falmouth, and the City and County of Li-
merick, expressing, it was understood, their pro-
found gratitude for the relief intended to be
granted to them, and trusting to the wisdom of
the
.House to alter those clauses which they
thought inconsistent witlatheir religious. scruples.
Laid on the table.
The Earl of DONOUG,IMORE presented a similar
Petition from the Roman Catholics of Galway,
and stated, that certain resolutions had been pas-
sed by a most respectable meeting of the.Catho-
lies of the County of Kerry, highly approving the
first part of the Bill, but objecting to the clauses
contained in the second.—Laid on the table.
ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLICS.
Earl GREY held two Petitions: the first-was
from his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects in
England, stating that they felt the- utmost sense
of gratitude for the acts which had been passed
:already for , their relief, and praying that the
penal laws which still remainedlin farce against
them might be cancelled. They appealed to
those who were acquainted with their practice in
Religion, as well as in the moral duties of life,
to say if there was any thing in '.their conduct
which incapacitated them from enjoying all the
rights of British subjects. They stated that no
cfais surpassed them in loyalty : that they had
lately joined in proclaimit°r his Majesty Sove-
reign of these.realrns, and that to him alone 'they
had sworn, and would ever swear.-obedience and
fidelity, as the-only Sovereign avhom they would
ever acknowledge. The other Petitiois Was.
from several English Catholic Noblemen, amongst
whom were, the,Duke of Norfolk, and the Earls
of
.Shrewsbury, Arundel, and Staurton. ad-
dition" to the sentiments expressed by-the 'Conner,
they declared, that they considered the oath
proposed by the present wait, as perfectly -con-
sistent with the principles of their religion, and
that if the Bill should pass into a law, they would
take that oath in the terms,in whic it was now
worded, or in any others,which itm.ight please the
House to word it. He (Earl G.)had "great satisfac-
tion in presenting- these Petitions,. both on ac-
count of the character of the Petitioners and 'of
the temper and nature of theirasentiments. He
felt it his duty to answer the appeal which they
had Made, and to state, from the repeated oppor-
tunities for observation which he had enjoyed,
that there did not exist in his Majesty's domi-
nions a class of men more distinguished fur their
merit
:and virtues in all the walks of life than the
Roman Cathoilics. This was even conceded to
them by that who opposed their claims; for
he recollected the Noble Earl at the head of the
Treasury declaring, on a former occasion; that
he knew no men more entitled to approbation
and applause than his Majesty's Roman Catholic
subjects, and admitting that their religion could
not be charged with thsese sinful feelings former-
ly imputed to them, and which, if they continu-
ed, be
.(Earl Grey) would allow would form a
sufficient bar to further concessions. The Opposi-
tion of the l'ioble Earl rested on different grounds,
which it would be for the House this night to ex-
amine, and on which it would have to decide. Of-.
ten as he (Earl G.) had entered into the discus-
sion of this important question, he would endeav-
our to abstain from addressing the }louse this
night on the subject, unless colnpelled by a sense
of duty so to do, as he well knew that any exertion
of his must proVe ineffectual, when 20 many more