The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-18 00:00:00

`land, in passing the Bill now before theit Lord;.
• ships, had proved 'that theyoipon mature reflec-
tion, were satisfied not only that no danger was to
be apprehended from conceding the advantages
tiow proposed to be given to the Catholics„ but to
,admit them to Parliament,. and to. the situation_
-from which they had heretofore been excluded,
would give additional security to the Constitu,-
maintaintheThrone,and afford the strongest
suPPort to the Constitution. It was now fel-
their Lordships, in like manner,• to apply them-
selves to the consideration of this important
question. Their Lordships had to consider
Whether they were to continue to impose on a
large class •of their fellow-subjects a degrading,
insulting, and penal 'deprivation of a right, to
which they had, if not an older, at least as old as
the Protestants, and not a weaker claim than
that of any. man who sat there. The_ conduct of
the Catholics, however, had not been such as to
deserve. reproach, or to jestify the suspicions
entertained, of them. He would instance the
conduct of the Seven Catholic Apostolic Vicars,
and ask if any of their Lordships could point out
ITY thing in the character of any one of them
that did not favour the presumption, that they
might honourably, safely, and beneficially to the
Collutry be permitted to resume their just and
threditery rights. The rights now claimed for
„eul, were their just and. hereditary rights,
1-1 r •Ivhich no man ought to be
.deprived, un-
;ess he had proved himself unworthy to en-
?Y them, or unless it was shown that some
utuninent danger would attend his continuing to
possess. them. He then described the persecu-
tions to which the Catholics had been subjected
by Acts passed in the reign of Charle's—
. °T the delusions of Titus Oates, and unjust and
absurd accusations of guilt, supported by the
most perjured witnesses that had ever ventured
before a public tribunal. It was_ on convictions
°f impossible guilt that the Catholics had been
disqualified and disfranchised, and was it for
the Parliament of the present day to continue
}lose unjust laws in force against the in-
• nocent posterity of those who had been
• r!nurdered in other times ? Was it fit that
those whose innocence Was known, and who had
been the defenders and the supporters of the
• Constitution in times of difficulty and danger,
should still suffer under laws so unjustly enacted
'against their ancestors ? While they content-
" 4iPlated with horror the murder of Lord' Stafford,
would they continue to punish his descendants
for a crime which they could not by possibility
have been guilty ? But it was common, in cases
Where guilt was manifest, after a considerable
tit had elipsed,.to restore the successors of the
Person convicted to 'the enjoyment of the for-
feited honours of his family. But here was a
.case in which a body of men had been deprived
of their, ancient rights by the worst decision ever
.o.o4nourkecl, founded on the evidence -of the most
`Perjured and infamous witnesses that were ever
examined, and they were now called upon. to
determine whether or not they would continue
against the innocent posterity of the sufferers
that psnishment which had been so unjustly
",:wardel. He could not entertain that dread
• •of ,
tne consequences of admitting Catholics
tO ?ornament which many professed to feel.:
1„1-4-le Could not. persuade himself that the' mo-.
• shat the Dukeof Norfolk and the Earl of
urrewalatiry took their seats in that House,- the
tY of the State would be shaken, the pillars of
zneeonstitution destroyed, the Church Establish-'
• ioetnt overturned, and the whole country thrown
•1. n a state of confusion and ruin. The Catho-
h
pi e coniideredi were entitled on the princi.::
• r
tot, °I eternal justice to be admitted to Partin-
re 't ; but if this were not the case—if he were
stf:ning on the question of expediency and policy
...b,ne) still should he contend that they ought to
.st.ouriestored to their rights; unless imminent danger
a „.(1 be shewn to be the probable result of such'
tN, sure. But was such the case ? No. He
INru not persuade himself that one of those who
t
• th.o 4 him entertained the opinion that any im-
danetit
danger was to be feared,. and instead of
shipgsfs he thought it must be obvious to their Lord-
nst:to -.that honour to themselves and benefit to the
,„
'..ents •
were likely to be ihe immediate conse-
• i
theip'es of their admission to' Parliament, and in
a ParticipatiOn in those councils which they had
,ilinght to share. He hoped it would- be borne in
ssasci) that the object of the framers'Of this. Bill
site conciliatioo. Any thing that bad 'an Oppo-
418,,itendency he disclaimed ; and he especially
111, pairned all wish to
.create .disunion. between
lia,„s'atholic Clergy and the Laity. The in-
roi "re Possessed by the former over the latter
• t„ gilt) in the hands of- a prudent Government,
to made a most powerful and useful engine
j),oPr..ornote the general good. -wished to
`acid
the general tranquillity by uniting,
hot not by dividing the Catholics.... He had
vies
smallest wish to conceal any of his
Le ! on this question. He considered it to
It_ot essential importance, that all securities that
tovre really necessary: should be 'Obtained,
thi_kleet any danger which the adoption of
'.rneasure might preduce: When -they pass'.
tve.a. Bill of so much grace, concession, and
teas diation, he thought they might not un-
ich onably call for securities on those points on
securities might be claimed even if no such
eeatsure were in existence. But the more he re-
Convinced
on the-subject, the more thoroughly was
47,,a•onvinced that the passing of:this Bill would
. rd one of the greatest, if pot: the...greatest of
apprehended no
to the present establishment: He
• ttrided no danger from the bigotry of the
Catholics, nor did he see any reason for suppos-
41g that
any whatever their designs rnspight be, there
.cause for fear from the additional means
71i! h this Bill would give for carrying them
Into effect. If
.they
,ettemAited 'to overthrow
should consider
establishments of the. country, he
consider that they
were enabled to
• make su
• Cil an attempt, not by the Bill,. but
caYe_ the privileges previously granted. If he
re asked wh- • • • -
4 securities Were necessary, he
Would 4...7 the first of all securities . would
e obtained by
best proved the that course being adopted which
care of the Government to con-
'll4 th, int
interests of the.
count, he
population of the
%uPpier;',f4s„th.is would unite Cl! classes` in the
weir common Constittitieli.. He Wo's