The Sun.
London, England, 1819-04-30 00:00:00

FRIDAY, APRIL :30, 1819.

WEYNIOUfq, Apsu.,2s, 1819.

N Saturday last a Numerous and Respectable
MEETING of the INHABITANTS took' place, at the
GUILDHALL, in this BOROUGH, to take into cons►dtra-
tion the propriety of PETITIONING. PARLIAMENT on the
SUBJECT of the CATHOLIC CLAIMS, JAMES BOWER,
Ekq. (Mayor) in the Chair, rose, and read the P.equisi-
tiOn transu►itted to bins; when after sonterprefatory oberva-
Con's. from Mr. E. HENNING and Mr. JoSEPH HORS-
FORD, _ _

11r. BOWLES (of Shaftesbury) came forward and addressed
the Meetin?,- at some length, in favour of the Roman Catho-
lics' Applicatiwy to Parliament, and contended .that they
ugltt to be heard. This Gentleman was proceeding in his
argument, when he was tailed to .order by sereral•Gentle-
men, who observed,.that not being an Inhalatant,'lre hail no
right to interfere, and, by so doing;disforb the unanimity
of the Meeting. Mer 13, replied, wit li•srime warmth, thatlM-

ing visitor, and lii*family haviog •residedsfveral weeks iii
the Town, he was fully entitled to give lusopinion on any
National' QUestion ; this produCed a short discussion, and
terminated by the Rev. Dr. DUPRE% moving, that the
Speaker may be heard, as it would otherwise app.ear that his
sentiments could nut be combated.—Mr., B. then eotered
into a long defence of the: Claiais that Were‘urged by the Ro-
man Catholics, •and :quoted various occurrempes that touk
place in their favour du.singt the reige ctf several Kings, doWn
to the period of the Revolution in uissi inbrdcr to sliew,tluit
danger was likely to enstiefroin'their possessing Seats in iihh
Houses of parliament; and maintained, that asthey shared in
the burdens of the Country, they were justly entitled to par-
ticipate in its political privileges in common with their fel-
low Protestant Subjects.

The Rev. W. WORTH immediately rase-and said nearly as
follows :—I heartily concur with the Learned Doctor, in
wtshing.Mr. Bowles may he allowed to deliver his sentiments
most fully. I should deeply regret, if any one person in this
Meeting should suppose that we ate afraid to hear the strong-
est arguments that can be used, against tho.measure we pro-
pose. l for one, -Sir, am decidedly opposed to ,what is called
Cgthoiec Effignetpation. The term is calculated to deceive
and mislead the t,nhlie ; it implies that they are enslaved,
and want to he iielivered freou -.this slavery ; but, Sir, they
aic.nui•enslavi the.. are :lot ,ted, they are eren tree
from some taose real rainti which :Are laid on the Methodists
aild-Dissenters ; the'l a. ta not reqUired to procure a licence
fat their. Nlinicers, or to. have I heir places of worship regis-
tered. They enjoy coinilete Wirral ion; and I rejoice in it.
But they want to he ~,ratted to power and :Mal. it y ; and
serious l'eastins, ► onstth it as d, Age"' ous to grant them
what they desire. I haVe Lead 11111C11 on the subject, and
have not found one ease in which they had power mill did
no itahu e it. 1 have. 11,1 one ea:e in which they granted
tigration to any ot,er ilenomniation of Christians, if it
were in their power to willniold it. It is not known perhaps
to all present, that a • years 411ee, a propo,al was mane
to grant toleration to -Piotestants in the.' Brazils; it was
argued' Oar the Catholics: Were
,tolerated •in England; arid
other Prertestant States, and why should not-the Protestants
he tolerated. there.
The _Fathers. of the church were-.alarmed, -and succeeded
in getting rid of the dangerous question by this argument :
It other States tolerate the trite Religion, that is no rea-
son why, we should tolerate a false Iteli;ion." Now this is
the true sirit of the ancient-Papists that deluged this Coun-
try woti blood : this confirms what has been asserted by se-
veral, Oignital ies that Church, that t lie Roma
ligion is the same as it ever 14:11,1., atomic it must ever re.
main ; they Wio assert. that it is, changed, deceive thous,' cds,
or WI, -to pleeeive at consider it as datigerunS to grant
thew what they desire, beeituie it appears to nie that every
conscientious catholi,,, who
.possesses power, :must employ
it to the injury of the protestant Religion ; I heir Bishops, it
is weli known, are hound k's' oath to do every thing,in their
power to suppress Heresy, and to exietid the Papal Audio-
tit).

. .
To the Reformation, under God, -we .are indebted for all
our privileges, both, civil mid.rdigiuus. I rejoice that lam
a triton, but I tin persuaded that every thing which has-coa-
tributed,to -promote-our • Isappiness as individuals, 'and to
us as a Nation to our present exalted raiih, must be
ascribed And- shall we lose, through supineness,
.those inest iambic advatitat4cs which were secured to us by
the blood of our Ancestors ? Shall we submit to a yoke more
'grievons. than:tbatof poses,' which to every Nation that is
tinder it, is
.found destructive to every thing noble and enter,
prizing—every thing that 'can'faise the-ir character as itidi-
viduais, or as a people ? • And if that restless, intriguing,
and tunnoencring Sect rs ftdmitted to power in this Country,
it appears to me,. we :have •no security whatever that we
shall not lose all the advantages we have gained, and he
subjected.to all the'evils from which we have been so happily'
delirered.
I:must apologize to you, Sir, and to the Gentlemen pre-
sent. for making a few additional remarks. I certainly feel
obliged to the Gentleman who has just sat -down, for re-
. ferring- to, several -facts in the history of this Country,
for 1 confess they have produced on my mind an effect
quite• contrary to what they produced on his. You will
recollect, Sir, that all the Sovereigns he has .referred to,
reigiled before the- ever-meindrable period of the llevolution ;
and in say 'opinion, it was not till then thought dangerous to'
adinit Catholics into our Senate, and to Others of. trust; and
let us observe • the' consequences. Is thit Gentlenian, or is
there any inie in this Meeting, willing to risk the re-hiniiiing
of the fives in Smithfield, and all the evils which tlie re-esta-
blisliment of Popery produced in the days of. Queen Mary ?
or of being driven to the dreadful alter native of expelling the
natural Sovereign of these Realms - from his Dominions, or
sulinaittiog to all the abominations and cruelties of Popery?
What a narrow escape had • this Country at that eventful
period ; does any one wish to see it placed again in a situa-
tion of such imminent peril ?
I ant free to confess there is some weight in Mr. Bowles'.
argument, as a general principle ; it is right that all who
equally hear the burdens of the State should equally enjoy
its-benefits; hut v.-firre is the man who is not prepared to
make such a sacrifice; rattier than expose his Country to suoil
dreadful evils, when there is so l ittie to gain, and every thin:;
to lose ? I can answer formyself, Sir, and I think I can
an-
swer fir that numerous body of Cl rigians to which 1 belong.
(hat forbidl that ever the dreadful experiment should be
made. If once the Papihts are. admitted to power and Au-
that ity in this Country (which is what they are must anxious
to then to inc it appears highly probable,•thatevety
deihimination of Christians will be crushed beneath their
polo: aims we.igbt.
Mr. E. HENNING, V.r. JOS. noltsror,D, and the Rev.
Dr. DUPRE, also de,ivered their "entieuesits,' and strinigiy
urged .the necessity of petitinuisug Parliainent on the present
Akcasion, which we are sorry we have nut room to do justice
to. The Er:tiled. 1)u: tog conelmfed' by reading the Petition'
_with which he came prepared, and it was adopted with only
one dissentient. '

the Emancipation, as it is CaWad, of the Roman Catholics of
Great Britain wit! Ireland, may not pass into at Law. The
objecti6fts which we, in common with every true Protestant
in the Realm, eatertain -against such a ipeasure, are, io our
opinion, founded noon- the Mast solid reasons of Civil and
Religions polity. The genius and spirit- of the Papal Hie-
rarchy we consider to Ile the sante at this dirt/ as it was at the
very beginning. That it remains
.uii-changed through all the
revolutions of Inn itan affairs. is tfre -Ition and constant boast
of this aspiring and despotic Chinch. We are fully convinced
that she is still at deadly issue with emery GoVetaiminit which
stands in 'opposition to her corrupt doctrineS, and universal
sovereignty. The Protestant'Religion, av it•is. established in
this happy Nation, is the particular object of her hatred;
and, whenever the power is placed in her hands, she
*ill not be backward in exertin, that zeal and those
arts and that violence,, of which, 'the flakes are so
deeply marked in History, to crush our primitive and
evangelical faitlia We reflect with. gratitude and veo-
neration wain the memory- of thoSe acute and judicious
Statesmen, who erected those Barriers iv hieb- Must for ever
secure the.lteformation, if the spot loos liberality of the pre-
sent age does not. overthrow them in a fatal mouton.
1 We brg-i,actire your Honourable House, that we do not
easily suffer our minds to Ale alarmed with visionary fears;
14)41)4 the real state of things, and we draw our condo-
.sions from the, experience of _the past. The temper of the
Romatrelforctaawe have seen, is 'ever- restless and encroach..
lug; never sartsfied with a granted Moo, but still aiming at,
more, till she ,pas gained her tilaiiitate object, till she becuma
the Mimi:mot RelLgion. The plans of the Rumanistsa formed'
bV rile maciiinattionVV'sitasnaimimate pOlicy, are progressive
all the way; 1 tire 'env) of nor mild and gracious Sove-
reign, watching theiticreasing liberality of the times, and in
too mail cases. perhaps, the indafereoce to any or no reli-
gion, they applied to Parliament for a relaxatiott of the Penal
Statutes. Their Petition was granted; and they. nisiv possess
the fullest immunities, as to pains and questions, itt the en-
joyment of their property, and in the toleration of their reli-
!glans worship. We must recall to your Honourable House
their soietnn protestations at the time, that it the Laws which
affected their persous and property were repealed, and all.
restrictions remored front the free exercise of their religion,
they would require no more—they would remain fully satis-
fied with this ample indulgence. But,- after a very short •in-
terval, they came again to Parliament, and insisted oil their
right of admission to zn unlimited share in the Govertimeot
attic United Kingdoms. They have agitated, and harassed,
the two Houses of Legislature, Session after Session, with their
Petitions, or rather with their stortlyclaitus. Not discouraged
by reiterated repulses, they have returned to the charge
with undiminished obstinacy, with a view of extorting at last
the important, concession from the Representatives of -this
Protestant Nation. They did not come iii the style and pos-
tureof humble suitors but in the attitude aniel language of
Claimants to au timinestionable -.right. They rejected with
disdain the very idea of }Restrictions; and, lii their body of
Irish) Deli-gate's, menaces, of a nature not equivocal, were de-
nouneed, if their introduction to Political Power were not con-
ceded without conditions, and without limits.a .
We sobinit. with the profoundest respect, to your Honour-
able Hansa, that, if this Bill
_pass into a Law, and the Ro-
nmoists -be admissible ter a part in the 4dininistrat ion of the
Government, we cannot discover how our Constitution in
Church and State can long be secure. We are not able to
see how the Act of Settlement, which fixed. the Succes-
slot, to the. Thrope in the present Royal FAIHiIy, can
remain on the Statute 'Book unrepealed. We do not com-
prehend, if a Roman Catholic may be Prime Minister, or Se--
cretary of State, or Lind Chancellor, or Lord Chief Justice of
England, or 'Memlier of Parliament, or of the Cabinet and
PriVy Council, by what equitable. exception
.the Sceptre of
these realms may not, in future, be swayed by a person edu-
cated in the principles of Popery, or converted to its duct runes.
Friends as we are. to Toleration, properly understood and
qualified, we would gladly forbear to touch upon their tenets,
it those tenets did not in many instances strike at the root of
our :and Religions iiistitations. 'They are, indeed, in
point of fact, otteely iitcompatililewitlatheir existence.
We are aware this? a distinction has beedinade between the
religions and political opinions of the Irish Rowanists. But
twitting-can be more unfounded and visionary than such a
distinction. The sentiments, dangerous to all civil liberty,
and to all civil authority, which 'they are taught to maintain,
are' to them religions opinions in the must huterud sense,
and of" the niosi sacred obligatiein.•'•They are as bind-
ing. on . their 'consciences as the most fundamental ar-
ticles of iheir faith. They are enforced by an authority
which they assert to he equal, if not superior, to the
authority: of the Gospel—that their -Church, -The pre-
sent Pope has solemnly declared, that
.all .oaths taken to
the pi I:jot:lice of that Church are. troll and uof 1. , So the,
Franciscani,' the Dominicans, and so the Jesuits have taught.
Their faith, at this day, agivei in every tittle with all • the
Articles and Decrees made and Confirmed by the Coolie's! of
Trent. The Creed of Pope Pitts the Fourth is finfiadait iyoki
these Articles and Decrees. This Creed 'condemns, rejects,
and anatheniatizes. all Heresies and- Heretics, and athratst
that tio matt, consequently no. Protestant,• can be saved, who
is not its the pale of " this true Catholic Church."
We think, also, that Political Power in the hands of those
Religionists who will net acknowledge the Ecclesiastical Stt-
pi (limey of the King on the Tnnae, but swear allegiande to,
'a foreign Potentate, not only to his spiritual jurisdicium,
but to the Royilltiew of St. Peter, would lie fraught with the
moat tenant dangers to the Constitution anti Government of
this kingdom, which have so close an alliauce with Protest-
.antism, that if one-he destroyed, the other moat inevitably
sharells fate. \t e know that it may lie asked—Can sach an
event be expected? Is it to lie iMagined, that a people, so
eolightened as the English, . will embrace again the -doctrine
of Popery ? We cordially wish that it were not in our power to
answer these questions: but We have a'Snbstantial FACT be-
fore our eyes. There is now a College tit Jesut rs at Slimy;
horst, near Preston, in fall rogour and activity. This Order,
the most pernicious to society of all other Orders in the Ito-
mish Church, has been suffered, 'at a time when it was ex-
pelled fromovery Popish Kingdom in Europe, to grow up
-silently in this Protestant country !!! Such has been the ex-
traordinary success of their efforts to make proselytes of the
Population around than, that, although at first they could
not assemble more than a dOZelt hCCUTTS they have now
erected two spacious chapels, each containing a congregation
of anore TWO Iwo thoU,Vadd converts. This extensive Cattle-.
.giate. Establishment-is supported byan estate of more than
eleven litindretfacees of land ; and nearly the whole of the
neighbourhood are now turned to Popery. It a pool be re-
quited of us for our alarms at this Bill, here it is, written in
the most legible characters. This fact speaks, more forcibly
than it volome of arguments,- the -necessity of repelling im-
mediately their pretensions to civil soil political influence.—
The Protestant Church, in our humble opinion, has
a right, from the Law of Nature, to protect the fences
of her serum its', and nut consent, through a misguided no-
tion of liberality. to throw tht in down, and let in her un-
appeasable enemies, who would infaillibly compass her utter
destruction.

From these consirkrations, which fill us with the mo't just
and awful-appreltensions, we dutifully, but. earnestly, i rn;,lore
'our Honourable House to arrestAfie evil, before it grows too
strong to 6e controuter7, by rejecting the Claims of the Ho-
man Catholics to Political Power. Thus shall our minds, and
those of our Protestant Fellow-Subjects, be al rest from tneir
uneasiness for the sattly of our pure and holy Re ligion,which
is far dearer to us than our.temporal estates and property, or
even 'than our lives. And, as in duty bound, we shall -ever
pray.

Resolved—That the smile be fiLirly engrossed, and be laid
at the Towri,llalL for signatures, until Wednesday next, the
28th of Avid instant. -
ii.vpoleud—rhat the Bight Honourable the Ear! of Digby,
Lord Lieutenant of the County, be request:it to present the
Petition to the House of Lords; and that Nlasierton Ure,
Esq. our 016 st Member,.be also requested to present the.
Petition to the House of Commons, and that he and the
Right Hon. T. Wallace, Willi:tar With:Jars,- and T. F. Box-
ton, Esqrs. Members for this Borough, be requested to sup-
port the saute.
3. BOWER, Chairman.

Mr. Bower haring left the Chair, it was resolved unani-
mously, that the Thanks ot this Nlecting be given hi the
Chairman tour presiding ►►t this Meeting, and tor his conduct
i►► the Chair.

• Both' Petitions were this morning. forwarded •as voted,
.itzhefi by tip-winds of SOU inhabitants' in the course of two
d,Lys.
- .