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

CATHOLIC PETITIONS.

• Mr. LOCKHART presented a Petition from the Mayor,
Bailiffs, and Commoners of the City of Oxford, against the
Rormn Catholic Claitos.—Ordered to he printed.
Sir W. SCOTT presented a Petition Irmo the Clergy and
Archdeacons) of Biggleswade, on the same subject.—Ordered
to lie on the table.
Mr. WILRERFORCE presented a Petition from certain
Ron,an hol its of Staffordshire anti Warwickshire, petition--
nig against certain provisions contained in the Pills now iu
the IlDnse, respetting the Roman Catholics, which they con-
ceived went to place them and their tel Roman Catholics
itt the situation of criminals, and praying srlitf, lilt lion.

Member did not Concur in the prayer of the petition; but as
it had•beettforlearded to hinr,he had thought it his duty to
present it to the House. -
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE-did notr ;set° oppose the Motion for
layirng this patitiori on the table : .in the contrary, he congra-
tulated the House on the, occasion of its having beets pre-
sented. Pe, front the sentiments expressed by these prti-
tiontrs, would call ilpC4: the House to pause before they went
further with the Bills now in the House, onte:of Wind) went
to give the Catholics what they wanted—the other to imposts'
restraints opt) then), to which they were inn subjected at
present. What reasito could they have fur thirdiing these
ineasoces would satisfy the !lonian Catholics, when, a Peti-
tion like this 'was presented from them, with the name of
Dr, Milner attached to it .?---(flettr, hear, hear t)—What rca-
'son, he Would repeat-it, could they have far supposing that
these me-istn es would 'satisfy the Catholics; and he appre-
hended it was the wiik of the Right lion. Gentleman tosatis-
-ly then] or e:se he did nutknow•what his object was? It the
Bill, which the Catholics-wished to pass into a Jaw, werepass-
ed,,the Protestants, be was sure, could-not lie satisfied, tits-
'less another Bill were passed to impose stich restrictions as
could ton lie other than inipalattahle to the Catholics. Ho
tumid see no reason for two Bills being brought in, unless he
assumeit.that the one which the Catholics desired should he
ple'ssed, wits intended to be permanent; while the repeal of
Tbit dist"ltt period,. was in conteniplation.
fad no doubt, that if these measures were now- pressed, they
oath in a few years find the Catholics coming .:gain to Par-
liament to petition for the repeal of one of :hem. The loyal-
ty and' merit of the Petitioners he would be the last man to
deny. He had a great respect for the Catholics both of
,this
country and of Ireland ; hut still he had ever thought it 15s
duty to oppose their, claims, and be would continue to do so„,
Granting all they demi' ed would, in his opinion; be likely to
-subject the country to the same disasters which had unhap-
pily been experienced at a former period of our history, and
from which we had only relieved mast:llea by means of laws
not like those now in force against the Roman Catholics, but
by such as were in force filly or sixty years ago. OF the re-
peal of those laws which were, no longer in force, be did not
complain, hut he hoped' the House would not take a course
that would be likelyto reproduce the misery formerly known,
For thc Itiuht Hon. Gentleman who had brought these Bills
into the House, be bad, in common with the whole country,
the highest respect, and he regretted that a person of hii
high character and knowledge should advocate the Catholic
,claims knew the weight that Right Hon. Cemtleman
must have with the publie,4butt his suggested no reason why
he should not continue to oppose the measures introdeced
in,contormity with the views of the Catholics. He conclud-
ed again congratulating, the House on the presentation of this
Petition.
Mr. PLUNKETT was satisfied that the fon. Baronet was
sincere in what he had said, and had done what lie conceived
to be his duty to his country by anticipating the debate of that
night. The Hon. Baronet, by mentiiining the raise of
Milner, had saved him from the necessity of calling on the
Clerk to read the first name of this Petition; which he be-
lieved would be found to be that of Dr. 'Milner, one of Ilse
Apostolic Vicars of the Roman Catholic Church.—llt
here intimated that the name of Dr. Milner was not the fit it
of those attached to the Petition.]—The Right Hon. Gentle-
man then desired the Clerk to read over Sortie of the signa-
tures.—The Clerk read as follows
The Rev. R. Hawley ' The Rte. J. Strotigittarto
The Rev..l. Jenk '1 he Rev. J. Milner.
Mr. PLUNK Fxr iesu med .—A I lie desired was, that it should
be seen that the name of Dr.Milner was attached to this Pet,-
thin. He WM not astonished that the Hini.Bart., µht declared
that he never could be brought to submit to make anq'ctio-
cessions to the Roman Catholics, and whose argument weft
to regretthat the Laws which were in force 60 years ago bad
been repealed, should find support in the tinreastit,ing bigo-
try which had opposed the views of the Roman Cat Indies he-
fore. He was satisfied, and he thought the country was emir-
vineed that much good was within reach. But whenever the
good was seen, something was sure to arise to dash the family
cherished expectation. The same evil spirit which, in the
year Isla, had opposed itself to the wishes of the Catholic:
and the peace of the country was again at work. He nn!St
presume the person he li.ohnientioned was at the bottom of
the p.toseilt petition, which lee was satisfieddid-nut fairly 1e.,.
present the feelings of lb. Ituman Catholics of tbrs country.
'the petition presented to the House by the Hon. Menthes. for
Aylesbury, wats signed by seven Apostolie Vicars. There trete
but eight, and the name of Dr. Milner was the only one that
was wanting to that petition. The eighth had been withheld
front that petition in Conciliation, to be attached to that on
the as ppearance of which the Hon. Baronet had ;lots, ceingra-
tailated the House. He did not wish is, say any tliing disre-
spectful of a Gentleman of Dr. Milner's station in life, and
of a person of his reverend character; but there were cer-
tain facts which ought to he stated for the information of
thy House. This Dr. Milner was the Saute Gentleman
who came forward in 1913, when the House was about to
adopt a -measure fist the relief of the Roman Catholic,,
to oppose such at decision, and he considered it princi-
pally through him that that Petition had been rejected.—
This was the same Gentleman who hod formerly Into'
entrusted with the managemeot of the affa'rs Of the
Catholics in this country, but whose interference was now
disclaimed by that body. He had furtherto stafe witl»-espeut
to Dr. Milner, that he (Mr. Plunkett) had in his possession
documenn; in which that Gentleman was charged to have
declered that the day which saw Cathitlic emancipation
granted, would he the day of the downfall of the Roman
Catholic religion in this country. The object Of that Rev.
Person appeared to be, not to prevent the downfall of the
Roman Catholic religion in this country; no, but to prevent
the extinction of religious differences. It had beers a-ked by
the Hon. Baronet how after such a Petition had -been pre-
sented, he (Mr. Plunkett) could hope to satisfy the Itotte,ri
Catholics? To this he rept eJ, that he had never entertained
the chiinerical hope of satisfying everyone. Bigotry, he knew
was unchangeable in its character—ohstinate, and Wind tit its
own interest. This ass uniformly the ease with 1),, try ;
with Roman Catholic bigotry as well as with Prot estaitt bigo-
try. For bigotry time 'followed in vain; it was, as it were.,
stranded and remained alone, worshipping figures al.ieb it
had traced in the sand lung after the waters had washed er6y
res:ige of them away. It was not to be subdued by reason
and ti gitinent, fur, as bad been well remarked by stir Hos.'
and Learned Friend of his, to confute teas only to ,xasperate.
Ile lid qow to state, that he felt it to be his duty to oppose
the ofthis Petition on the table. It was not addressonl
to th.it noose. There was no such body as " The Continuos
of Etigland and Ireland," yet thus :bee were'addressed in this
Poitimi. That House consisted of )he Ilepresent Wives of
Greet Britain and Ireland, and no person had a .ight to ad-
dress them as the Continuos of " England and Ireland," leav-
ing out all mention tit thud part (tithe United.Kitigdom called
Scotland. He then desired that the first part of the Petnibit
should be read.—{The CLElin read the Petition, which was
addreSsed to the United Knights and Burgesses of England
and Ireland.]—He opposed the reception of a Pet.lian so
addressed.

•
Lord NUGENT said, when lie brought forward the pt titin
of the Catholics two years ago, the petition was signed
the eight Aipostidic'Viears, and the !ter. Dr. Miliwr bad
si,z„ed With the others. Ile. h,,wever, ttit,tiglit it right No
withrfraw his name the day liefote it was p esent ed. What
his object must hare been, and what his views in doing so, t
would leave the House to jiidge. Eeery WIC who Collid act as
Dr. Milner had acted he %scold williosty ;care to the company
of the Hon. Baronet.

Sir G. -HILL was of opinion, that Doctor Milner, in com-
ing fOrward as he had done, to declare his sentiments at
inn-e, had acted more fairly than the Irish Prelacy and (;lee-gy
did in 1813. They did nut let.their fei•lings transpire iml9,-
diately, hut ultimately rej. vied thele.l4llrt! there DrUpOSVd.
When such bigotry,and obstinacy had been displayed in itsl:3,
were they now ait bout the slightest proof Ittat any change
had taken p!ac c in the disposition of the Catholic; rt,gise '1)
0111. Pititega/it tOliSt413110:1 ? ditti.:ult to prove
that the measures now. lie,ore Parliament wou!d conciliate.
the Catholics, and it could wt rnantained 111..0 they-had
any value at all if they did not proinAe puliiical titentisirly
and union.

111 r. WILBERFORCE would be sorry that the petition
should lie rejected for anj• little formality in the w,,rditig of
it. He believed the objection of The Right Hun. Gentlemen
to he valid. He, fur his own part, was against the contents
of the petition, hot to reject It on sttih groutiff,a m.uld,
feared, aggravate the exasperation which prevailed, and lie
thought- it would not be well to avail tin inselves of a
cal &feet, %Abell so much► stronger grounds uttered for oppi.s.
tog Ihenit,vcs to its prayer.

PLuNKErre.n•vii,,...l to withdraw bls opiwsitioa.
Mr. J. ..\IITI.I ;LcFeist:re wan) italues attiaclicd