The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-10 00:00:00

TO SIR G. HILL, BART.

SIR,—As I address yon with the almost
respect, on a subject of very great importance,
little apology is, I trust, necessary for the liberty

I take.

In the; last debate on 'Mr. PLUNRZTT'S Roman
Catholic Bill, you are reported to have said that
no conscientious Protestant can take the oath of
supremacY after the passing of this-Bill; and if I
presuine, to doubt the justness of your opinion,
T 01), will, I; am persuaded, give due consideration
-Corny r,asoas:

The oath of iupremacy to be taken by every

Protestant who accepts any important office, is
" that no c:rt,ign Potentate hath or ought to have

any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence,
or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within
this 'realm." Now, I cannot see how the Right
Hon. F. ROBINSON, or the Right Hon. G.
CANNXNO4 orother Right lion. and Hon, Patrons
of the Bill could have declared on oath, their
sincere belief thiii no foreign- Potentate ought to
hale and ecclesiastical or spiritual authority in

the realm, and then in their places in Parliament
maintain and vote, and persuade others to vote
and rnainbin, that the Pope ought to have such
authority, unless they are in possession cf some
interpretation of these words which is not obvious
to common understandings, and with which you
and "I are unacquainted. Nor can I conceive
that those Gentlemen would treat the subject
with the most playful wit and humour unless they
were convinced that we are wholly mistaken.
The explanation said to have been given by the
Right Hon. F. ROBINSON is that,the oath only
asserts that the Pope does not now possess, and
ought not to possess, all the authority that he did
when the Roman Catholic Religion was the re-
ligioft of the State ; but this I take for granted is
only produced to throw a little dust in our eyes ;
for u►:less the words " no foreign Potentate ought
to have any," and those which Mr. Ronxxsox is
reported to have substituted for them, namely
" no foreign Potentate (the Pope) ought to have
all the power he had," signify the same thing,
we cannot receive this interpretation. In truth
it is of so very bungling a nature that it would
disgrace the dullest catechumen of the Jesuits
after his first lesson.

Another hint is given rather covertly, though I
suspect seriously meant : The Right Hon. Gen-
tleman talks very much of wars which have arisen
during the last century, with what view I really
cannot understand, unless it be to draw us on to
this conclusion, that as the wars were not religious
but political, so the oath of supremacy is not a
religious but a political oath. Not to dwell,
however, longer -on speculations of this kind,
which do not carry with them much conviction, I
am compelled to conclude that you and I are most
lamentably in the dark, and that these Gentle-
men have some secret interpretation of the oath,
which they have not yet produced. I most re-
spectfully then, request you, Sir, who are near
the fountain head of intelligence, to procure, for
the , satisfaction of your humble Servant, their
real opinions on this point. I have the honour to
be, Sir, your very obedient servant,

RICHARD DUBIOUS.

P oPEat.--( Leicester, April. 9.)—At a Meet-
ing. of the Inhabitants of St. Martin's Parish,
holden this morning, a Petition against the no-
man Catholic Claims was unanimously adopted
and, numerously signed. Although only a few
hours notice was given, the meeting was both
numerous and highly respectable. The Petition
will be- forwarded to-day for presentation by the
Loan d:IANCELLOR to the House of Lords to-
morrow.--The Dissenters in the connection of
HuNTIGDON, in Leicester, have also
adoptil'd a very decided Petition against the
Claims, whiCh will also be presented to-morrow.

" The Duke of lichtroria is dprofessed Whig,
and Mr. Secretary JEIINING/LIAT an admirer of
Toryism, and worthy partisans:hive they proved
them selVes of their respective factions. Some
memberi of this' pretended Catholic Board hive
lately. boasted of their descent from the heroes
of Runnymede, but we are sure, could we behold
the shad's of those British nobles, the tinge of
shame would he visible Ortjheir countenances at
this.degeneraCy in' their posterity. ' What! fawn-.
ingly approach with grateful heart's the men who
trample on the unprotected Ministers of their
religion ! What perfidy and baseness ! flow un-
like.the noble Barons, whose blood they boast,
yet degrade ! These undaunted Champions of
British Liberty, while they contended for their
own civil rights, secured at the same tirne-the
rights of the Clergy, by making. the election of
Bishops independent of the Crown; but here we
see their descendants ignominiously crouching to
the Boroughmongers, and thanl:ing them for a
measure which, while it grants to them civil free-
dom at the sacrifice of conscience, binds their
Clergy hand and foot, and places thein at the
mercy of the most corrupt system tlfat ever op•
pressed the country."—(Catholic Advocate:) •

DEATIT OF DR. GagGon.y.—lt is with ex-
tierne regret we announce the death of the cele-
brated Physician and Professor of Medicine in the
University of Edinburgh, Dr. GREGORY, who
died on Monday last. His remains are to be
publiCly interred this day.--(Edinburgh Courant,.
April 7.)