The Sun.
London, England, 1828-06-10 00:00:00

MR. CANNING'S PENSION BILL.

The Doke of WELLINGTON moved that the Mouse
should go into a Committee on Mr. Canning's Pension

The House then went into a Committee upon the Bill.

Earl GROSVENOR said, that he misunderstood the
period ut which this pension was proposed to be granted.
lie thought if his Majesty were advised, and if he
were, he (the Noble bud) would not oppose it, that
it should commence from the time at which Le was so
advised.

Lord REDESDALE gave his assent to the passing of this
Bill: He took this opportunity of calling their attention
to another family greatly requiring and deserving their
Lordship's benign► consideration—he meant Lord Gifford's
family. (Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord knew that it
was much against that Noble Lord's inclination
that be had consented to discharge the public duties that
wets imposed on him ; but he yielded to the earnest
solicitations from the highest quarter, and in doing so gave
up a most lucrative practice, by which he might amply
have provided for Lis family.
Lord ROLLE was happy that subject had been brought
forward by the House now : lie intended to have called
the notice of the House to it ere now, but circumstances
had prevented him. He could bear testimony to the most
satisfactory manner in which Lord Gifford had discharged
his public duties.
Lord GODERICH said, that after the death of the
Noble Lord, his Majesty was advised to grant to his Lady
or his son (he forgot which) the utmost extent both on the
civil listof England, Scotland, and Irelmol-, each grant being
benefited must essentially by the Noble Lord's services, the
utmost extent of pension that the law allowed.
Lord ROSSLYN considered, that if it were nut com-
petent for that House at once to atford some assistance
to the late Lord's family, he thought their Lordships
ought to lose no time in recommending his Majesty to
get his Ministers to propose some measure to both Houses,
by which he should be enabled to grant to that family an
income adequate to the station they were called upon to
sustain ; the 2,200/. already allowed being altogether un-
equal to that purpose.
The Report upon Mr. CANNING'S Bill was received
without amendments.

Tl►e Duke of WELLINGTON moved that this Bill be
read a third time to-morrow.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CLAIMS.

On the motion of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE the
following Order of the Day was read :
" That it is expedient to consider the Laws affecting his
Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects in Great Britain and
Ireland, with a view to such a final and conciliatory ad-
justment as may be conducive to the peace and streugth of
the United Kingdom—to the stability of the Protestant
Establishment—and to the general satisfaction and con-
cord of all classes of his Majesty's subjects."
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then rose, and spoke
to the following effect : —My Lords, I rise, pursuant to
notice, to call your Lordships' attention to the important
Order of the Day, which you have just now heard read, on
which I feel it necessary to offer to your Lordships tome
observations, nut less in reference to the extraordinary im-
portance of the subject itself, than to the CIEAOIII which
has usually, if not invariably, been pursued, whenever a
communication of so much importance has been made to
your Lordships by the other House of Parliament. Although
I am ready to confess that, having before presented the pe-
titions of my Roman Catholic fellow subjects, I feel that,
as far as my duty respected that most numerous and most
respectable body, that duty terminated with the presenta-
tion of their petitions, anti that were I not to rise now to
propose to your Lordships to take further proceedings, in
compliance with their prayer, I should not discharge the
duty which I conceive 1 owe—not to the Roman Catholics,
but to the whole of the subjects of this realm—Protestants
as well as Catholics—(l'lean )—a duty which impels me to
address your Lordships on behalf, not of a part, but of the
whole community.—(Hear.)—l say, therefore, that I
should not feel myself justified if I were to refrain front
particularly recommending the measure which I am about
to subnsit to your Lordships, convinced as I am that it is
necessary to secure the Protestant establishment, and to
promote the general prosperity of the country.—olear.)___
I consider this proposition as entitled to your Lordships
deepest attention, upon the broad ground of expediency—of
expediency, I ant glad to say, in the outset, having heard it
said already to this House, on another important question,
that expediency formed the strongest ground for con-
sideration and concession. I do not know what duties
we have to discharge in this place if we are not
to be influenced by considerationS of expediency. I
do not know why the two Houses of Legislature
should sit if not to adapt laws to the altered state of the
times. Now I contend that it would be impossible to
legislate upon any thing like solid principle—that we should
nut be doing any thing like the discharge of our sacred ob-
ligations—were we to continue to exclude front the benkits
of the Constitution any portion of our fellow-subjects
merely upon the grounds of their religious belief. lam
ready to assert, that neither in the Gospel in which we
believe—in the morality which we cherish—nor in that
free Constitution founded upon Magna Charts, which we
enjoy and venerate—is there to be fousud any thing which
not only does not require, but which does not permit, the
exclusion of any of the subjects of this resins from the en-
joyment of civil or political rights, on grounds other than
that of expediency. It is therefore incumbent on those
Noble Lords who oppose the principle recognised in the
Order of the Day, to show that the objections upsm which
the privileges of the Catholics were withdrawn still con-
tinue to exist, and if they do not so continue to exist, I con-
tend that that the restrictions ought also to cease.—
(Hear. )---I am encouraged in my anticipations of success
front this liue of argument, by recollecting the manner in