The Sun.
London, England, 1818-04-03 00:00:00

CATIIOLIC CLAIMS.

The varintis al-ticks which have 'appeared or

this subject, one of vital importance to OUP pre-
sent Establishment in Church and State, has, we
find, attracted the particular attention of our Ec-
clesiastical Hotly to THs Su N, and we have
received many communications from almost
every part of the Kingdom on this subject.
We say our present Establishment, from a full
-conviction War, if the CATHOLIC CLAIMS were
granted, that . Establishment, in due time, would
cease to exist. A most valuable and respectable
Correspondent, who feels and thinks as we do
on the subject, has sent to us the following
40 ESTI ON S and unless they receive the most satis-
factory answers, we trust that no Legislator, of
any rank or degree, will be so rash as to propose,

or in any wanner to countenance, FURTHER CON-
CESSIONS to POPERY.

EXTRACT from the PAPERS published iu
By the PROTESTANT UNION.
The Protestant ria iell having no party hostili-
ties to niaiutaiu,• nor partialities to gratify, are
anxious that the questions relative to the Roma❑
Catholics should be fully understood, and that the
course which is best adapted to the general bene-
fit of the country, and therefore most consisteßt
with the safety of our Protestant State, should be
pursued.

To this end it appears necessary, that the ex-
ienl of the claims should be ascertained, as well us
'the present situation and principles of the claimants.
If those claims and principles are not incow'
patible with the safety of the State, or its civil and
'religious liberties, no prejudice can arise to the
claimants from their full developetnent ; but a
great advantage would result to the country, be-
cause what it required might then be granted
without any suspicion of latent evils ; and the
jealousies and fears naturally springing up, where
there is not a perfect assurance that the Roman
CatholiCs maybe safely admitted to political power,
‘vould be effectually prevented.
The Roman Catholic Church and its Members
have been considered as hostile to 'the Protestant
Establishment. if that hostility has ceased to
exist, and Roman Catholics and Protestants are
'capable of that cordial co-operation, ‘vbich, in an
equal participation'of power, is absolutely neces-
sary for the tranquillity and welfare of the whole
.Empire, -the knowledge of this happy circum-
stance Would f;cilitate die -object of" the Inittan
Catholics, and allay the apprehensions of the
Protestants.

At present there does not seem an agreement
as to the-se and other facts important to this great
question, and till they are settled the controversy
mast be endless.

The Protestant Union assume no right to cate-
chise the Board of the Catholics of England, or
any individual Roman Catholic; but they think,
that, waving the question of right to make these
inquiries, the Romail 'Catholics. would consult the
peace of the United Kingdom, as well as bespeak
its confidence, if they would frankly and midi's-
guisedly answer those questions respecting the
political or religious Tenets of the Church of
Rome which are calculated to aEct -a Protestant
State: the Protestant Union do not wish to im-
pute Tenets, hut to inquire into them, and, there-
fore, they will venture to ask those questions only
which are relevant. The questions will refer to
the English Roman Catholics alone, and will not
be extended to the Irish Roman Catholics.
FIRST—As to the present Situation of English
Roman Catholics.
I. Have not the English Roman Catholics full
religious toleration, so that they can worship
God agreeably to the dictates of their own con-
sciences ?

Have not their Ministers full liberty to preach
and to teach their own doctrines I—And are not
such Ministers exempted from civil and military
duties ?—Are not these benefits secured to them
by the Statute 31. Geo. 3. pp. xxxii. ?
2. If the English Roman Catholics do not think
that they have full liberty to use their own wor-
ship, and propagate their own tenets, they are re-
quested to state wherein that liberty is restricted ?
and what specific Legislative Act would be a suffi-

dent remedy ?
NEXT—,/s to what the English Roman Catholics
Claim.

Question 1. Do they claim that Roman Catho-
lics shall be eligible to hold every office in the
State, without restriction or limitation
2• If they do not, what offices will they be con-
tent to remain ineligible to fill ?
3. Do they claim to be eligible to boll the office
of Commander-in-Chief of the Army ? Or Generals
of the Staff ?—lf not, to what degree of rank do
they claim to'be eligible ?
4. Do they claim to he eligible to fill the office
of Lord High Admiral of England And of Ge-

neral of the Royal Marine Forces ? Or to wha
degree of rank do they demand to be eligible in
those services respectively ?
5. Do they, as Roman Catholics, claim, the
right-to purchase Advowsons, or the right to pre-
sent to Ecelesiastical;Benefices. in the Church of
Engl4'bil ? Do they claim hg eligibility toy
possess
the patrouNge- of-the Protestant N4tics.naf Church
of England and Scotland, respectively, to an
extent (vial to that exercised by his Majesty's
Pro:est ant subjects ?
6. Do they claim eligibility to sit in both Houses
of the Imperial Parliament ?

7. Du they claim eligibility to fill all the highest
offices in the departments at the law, -as well as
those which are subordinate ? Do they claim an
eligibility to be Sheriffs, Magi.,•trates, Justices of
the Peace, and Members of all Corporations ? To
be Judges of all our Courts ? And, more tspe-
cially,•to be Lord Chief Justice of Eugland, and
Lord high Chancellor ?
8. It they do, do they demand to exercise all
the patronage over the departm•mti of the law
which is appended to these high offices ? And,
particularly, do they demand to exercise, without
limitation or control, the patronage possessed by
the Lord High. Chancellory in presenting to Liv-.
ings in the Church of England ?
9. Do they require to be eligible to sit in the
Privy Council, and Cabinet, to be l'rime Minister
to the King, and to hold all the highest offices
of the State, whether in the household or else-
where ? If not, • they are requested to state the
extent of the offices and patronage, which they
claim to exercise. •

10. Do they demand, that, in case, at any fu-
ture period, the Crown should happen to descend
to a Roman Catholic Prince, as licit., such Wo-
man Catholic should be eligible to ascend the
Throne ? Or that a King of this realm should be
at liberty to adopt the Roman 'Catholic Reli-
gion ?