The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-04 00:00:00

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OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC QUESTION

FOR THE SUN.

PART VIII.

Mr. EDITOR,—To an uninformed Reader, tie
word EMANCIPATION, as applied to the. Roman
Catholics, seems to import that they are in prison
Ind in fetters; that they ale clged up like the star-
ling in th, Sentimental Journey, singing nothing but
we can't get in—we can't get in '' Nothing is
nclike !he truth ; yet, as if ingeni,Jus falsehond
could not be.setu through, it has its effect with
ignorance and error. False imprisonment, which
is redres.ed by damages, and exclusion for non-
riniformitv, are as distant as the putt s. , They are
juitly and truly restrained nutter 'he one, for their j

o.re erase obstinacy of prejudice, but not the
They enjoy equal liber!y ,n civil and reli-
gions affairs, but not political; because they lust
for honours •and emoluments, without a due re-
tum. They require every thing, but will reader no-
thing, Trust to 01..4 word of honour is their motto,
which they hoop like cuckoos. Like lovers, • too,
in their meretricious solicitations for favours from

t►i her.

their inamorata' , the more she bestows, the more
they crave; until bestowing the last, they triumph
in her downfal, and abandon her to fate. Are
such men, who hold no religious communion \‘ith
us, but condemn us as heretics, to be let into our
secular temple, as friends in tlisguise; and when
within its doOrs, to elbow us from our scats ?
Forbid it heaven ! It would beat down that huh
wark of safety, the Yes,' ACT, ‘,viielt would he
hard to restore, however their overbearing con-

duct might make i necessary. Their adherence
to a foreign spiritual character, who glories in
sitting on his
,great Master's throne, which he
was forced from, after• speaking from ON mon, as
never man spice( is the abhorrence of a free peo-
ple, %a ho di nk, speak, and act for• themselves ;
and not as the organs of tyrants. under any arro-
gated form of worship. They lament that any
men, as Christians, shot& have divided themselves'
into parnes and sectaries, holding tenets and er•
rors contradictory of each other; struggling reci—
procey for• political and religious power ; some-
times to establish, and sometimes overthrow, the
government of the Church, which, if built ac-

cording to the divine intention of its great
Founder, would be uniform, and finished like the
temple, without the noise of hammer. But true it
is, that so early as oar second Henry, the despotic
encroachments of the Pope obliaed this resolute
King to declare, that his crown should not be
Controlled by the mitre. His conduct with Becket
and his Constitutions of Clarendon prove it ; and
notwithstanding the wild pursuits of our First
Richard, the dastardly submission of John to the
See of Rome, the indifference of onr Third Henry,
the restraining acts of Edward the First and
Third, in whose time Wickclifte stood forth to
open the mind-to truth, it was left for our Eighth
Henry,' and his episcopal Cranmer, to shake off
the Roman yoke, and join the hierarchy to his
crown. Whatever may be said to the contrary,
so distinct is practice from theory, that this union
appears necessary to prevent those mutual infringe-
ments, which too often prove the worst of con-
s,..quences, While the superior weight of tempo-
ral affairs raises and keeps the balance above spi-,
ritual, it may be immaterial whether this union
be in Prince or Prelate ; because his ciril would
prevail over his religious character, and check
those delusions on which is raised all clerical
power. In the progress of ecclesiastical usurpa-
tions, the State, by the resistance of the Magis-
trate, is convulsed, which obliges us to guard

against an insinuating rival, who contends not
against every hierarchy„ but whether be himself
shall be its head. The spiritual power of the Pri-
mitive Church, which was partly- dependent on
the civil, soon after became equal to it.; but as it
obviously trampled on the latter, it was confined
within certain limits, for the sake of liberty ; as
the contest was not whether it should be srpa7
rated. from the civil, but whether Prince or Pre-
late should have sovereign sway in Church and
State. This was well digested and settled on our

peaceful and glorious Revolution. If the spiritual
principles of the Roman Catholics and Protestant

Dissenters were less inclined t Qabsolute monarchy
on one side, and a republic op the other ; if they
were well affected - to a mixed and limited govern-
ment,' like the British, their compliance with a
test might
_be immaterial. It their religious
form of worship, and their democratical temper re-

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Atilt
:'Crsl4r4
i-if,, Nik.-yrii, N i fv--- - A
\''4. ''''Cit'-'-',"" '''*-< r ',, •
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PRICE SEIrFNPENCE.

Spectively, that justifies a test, as pi CSC, lbeJ,Aly
law of our StTond Charles. The only groom' on
whielt dissent is supported is the right of private
judgment. Our faculties are not bestowed to be
stationary; but should be exercised in, the pro*.
ati.,n of every impression ; yet as the knowledge
and. profession of our Reformed Religion cannot-

be advanced Witho►►t a Clergy, who cannot be

suppo!ted «ithont a legal p►ovision, which can-
not be made Without a legal preference of one.set
of men to ano►her, a test is unequivocally and in-
dispensably nee( ary, as a I;ne of circunirallation
against the Jesuitical designs of every Dissenter
from the. Esoblished Church.

. „ • TERRX FILIUS.
(7'o be .

From the LONDoN GAZETTE, FEB. 3.

Foreign Office, ,Fehruary 3.

His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been
pleased, in the name and on the.hehalf of his Ma.
je.ty. to approve of 'Mr. William Lake as Consil
in Falmouth, for his Mitjesty..the king of the Ne-
therlands:

PARLIA ME NT.

MUSg tOltDs, TUESDAY,
FED. 3.

Y'INANCE.-13.1N 1%. RESTRICTION.

The Earl of LtityputtnALK moved for the pro-
duction ,of a vasirtq of Documents on the subject-
of Finance :7;AS the Amount of the net produce
nl the tcni.oiiiiated Funds in each year, since
181 I -;----fhe itnititurt of :the Tales within the saute
period.; di..tinguishing the•heads of Cnstoms,' Ex-
cise, Stamps. &c. ; tide amount of the Funded and
Untun•led Debt ; Prices of Stocks at various pe--
Timis within the sane interval, &c.
The Noble Earl said, he was induced to move
foY this extensive information with a view to en-
able their Lordships fully to understand and to de-
cide as to the real financial circumstances of the
country at present. It- was a subject that im-
periously called for the fullest and most impartial
inquiry in Parliament, as involving, together with
a topic (to which he should shortly after refer),
floc only the present, but the fate and future pros-

pects of the country, of, any. that ever came under
the consideration of the Legislature. With a
view, then, to bring the particular topic to which
be alluded to more Billy to the knowledge of the
House, he would also move for: n account of the
numbers and amount of Bank Notes in circula-

tion at different periods, distinguishing those
above 51. and also. the prices' of Bullion, the num-
ber of Dollars, and pieces of Eight, in circuit.
tion at different periods. The Noble Earl hat,-
int: moved for those, in addition to the fore-

going,
Lord KING adverted to the declaration said to.
have bee' made in the other House of Parliament
by a high ant horit y, vt hi v h appeared to him to he
of the highest possible importance ; respecting
which, therefore, he felt it his duty to tt quire a
clear explanation from a Noble Earl opposite, to
which he was the more induced from the con-
sideration that the most extraordinary reason
asig,ned might be only the ostensible, and not
the real reason. What he referred to was, what

bad hero said, by a Right Hon Gentleman on
the subject of a resumption of cash payments by
" the Bank'of England, and the reason said to he
assigned by him why that most desirable ,ereot
vas -rick soon likely to take place.' The reason
assigned was, forsooth, because great loans were
going forward on the part of another country.
if, in former periods of our history, such a thing
were to be said of the• Bank of France, as that it
bad deferred making payments in cash because
certain lons were going forward in Germany or
any other EnrOpean country, would not, he as•k-
ed, such a reason or pretext be perfectly scoffed,
at.? As long AS this country remained without a
regular currency in specie, • there would, he must
contend, be no certainty, no stability its dealings

cir transactions of any description. if the paper
currency were will to be persisted in, :all those
incalculable: evils and inconveniences whicft the
country had suffered for more than ten years,,par-
-ticularly in respect to the depreciation of credit,
!would certainly, again arise, and in an .increased
41e4ref:. And as long ,o; such a system should

prevail, sb long would it re►nain doubtful whe-
liter Government could "pay tl►eir debts; if they
bad not the means afforded by such issues of Paper

Ciirretiev

The Lir( of LIVERPOOL observed, be 'shoal()
not think of detaining their Lordshilis.upon topics
Nvhich were so far from being regularly before the
Douse, were it not from what het oneeived apart
of -what had fallen. from the Noble Lord. He

would, therefore, again repeat, that there existed

not the least-difference of opinion with respect to
the policy adopted in the course of the last war,
in reference'to a suspension of cash payments by
the Bank. With respect to the important consi-
deration of the Bank resuming payments in spe-
cie, be was always of opinion, and had always
sated, that it would, on the return of peace, he
the interest, not only of the country, but of the
Bank itself, to return to cash payments with as
little delay as unavoidable circumstances would
permit. He would, however, say, that not only
in his 'declared opinion, hut in the Opinion )tr
some of those who differed from hint as to the
particular mode, such a return was, from the ne-
cessity of the ease, a consideration of great and
peculiar impot tance. . Whatever reason may have
fallen front any perscin, the measure was to be con-
sidered witit.reference. to the particular time.- As
to circumstances. which-may .fall out, they were
What could not., generally.speaking, be taken into
calculation at the time, and which .could not he
considered. but with a regard .to theirpartictilar
merits. With respect to the subject generally,
he could only state that he had every -reason to
say that he believed the Bank was fully resolred,
and had made 'every. preparation that circurn
stances would allow, for the purpose, when there
was nothing in the sitnation of the country, or in
a view of foreign policy, that should delay their
resumption of cash payments, and of this he could
assure the Noble Lord. There may undoubtedly
exist causes, or there may he circumstances con,
steeled whit the transactions of other countries,
which may make it a fair question for political
consideration; whether there may or may-not he
an adequate reason for delay., What the Noble
Lortl heel alluded to:hact no inflaence in producing
any effect of the kinds but it was still his opinion
that bothihe disposition and the ioterest oft bat cor-
poration, as well as of the country, was, that cash
payments should . be resumed. Any thing that
might happen to alter these determinations
would evidently be a matter of distinct con-
sideration.- ''
Irortl Ilona briefly explained.
'The Earl of 'LAUDERDALE had no inclination,
at piesent, to enter into a discussion of these
topics ; but a part of what fill from the Noble
Earl appeared to him to be of so alarming a ten-
dency, that lie felt it his duty not to let it pass
Without saying a few words on the occasion. In
a 'discussion some time since on the subject, those
who had had doubts as to the capability of the
Bank. to resume its cash payments in the course of
two years, were exclaimed against but when he
saw that the Bank was called upon to pay such
,sums, and on the other hand, had a right to de-
mand the payment of other large sums, fie thought
some more distinct point than that which was

given would .be PrOnoiintia trpan the subje.A.—
They were now told that'the Bank, not withstand.-
ing-the' price- rrf ac calculated in notes,
was perfectly,prepared. All he could say on that
point wag, that some at least of ti►e Bank...bi-
reetOrX,rraf this d►►y hold opinions of an opposite
nature. He would now come to what he Nettled
a most dangerous position : the NPhle 1"'"4
said, that though, in his opinion, the Batik could
pay, and that the internal , slate; of the country
was .SUCh.,aS tP.render„it. politic, yet still some-
thing which he hinted, and which may be under-
vood as refe•rting to certain loans to he mark on
the part of f,►reign countries, may tend to render
it impracticable. This; he Conceived, in plain
English, to be tantamount to saying, that it was
the 11Alliamept at France which had to tell, the
Batik of E,n►gland whether or not it could resnn►r-
its payments in cash The same• might be said
in a- ease where it might please the ,Governmeot
ofßussia,or.of Prussia to negocinte loans. Such
might be-as good 'a reason for influencing a deter,
ruination 'of the Bank, as such a measure oil the
part of.
,the Government of, France. All these
considerations more titan ever convinced him of
the necessity of having a full -and impartial in-
quiry instituted into the siihjece, and on which
the Directors. of the Bank themselves ought
certainly to be examined. lie. put it to the
Noble Lords themselves to consider the de-
gree of responsibility, beyond that to which any
Ministers had ever yet exposed themselves, iri
holding a line of .conduct. with respect to this de-
licate and important subject, which seemed, in its
present aspect, so pregnant with inimiorts• con-
sequences to the best interests of the country.
. . The Motions.proposed as above by. the Noble
Earl were then agreed to