Star.
London, England, 1812-04-25 00:00:00

would it be proper then to stir up the illiberal mind-
ed against them by relating all the bloodrenormities
of of Lisle They were called to decide upon
the peculiar doctrines of the Catholics of the present
day, when the blood daggers oPthe Church of old
would not be cast 14 an illiberal hand into the scale.
I)ut the Honourable Gentleman on the opposite side
refused to inform them What the present Catholic
tenets were, time he appeared once on the very
verge of divulging them, till at the ccnclusion of his
speech, he shut up all hopes of future information on
the subject. He would reply to the Honourable
Uentlernati's observations on the dominion which the
Priests be presumed held over the minds of the peo-
ple, that the disabilities and severe penalties inflicted
upon them, caused to seek for consolation in the bo,.
som of their religion. They were made to place their
confidence in &Ines and Martyrs by the cruel laws

legislated against them.—The Protestants alone gave
the priests the ascendancy over tbemindsoftheir flocks,
and would they then impute the mischief occasioned
by their severity to the people themselves ? The
man v. ho indulged the free exercise of his reason
would easily know that the Papal Supremacy had
scarcely any preponderance in the political scale.—
The King of Prussia, Frederick the Third, a mo-
narch possessing very few religious scruples, permit-
ted. Silesia to retain her Catholic Universities, and
admitted her officers to be Generals in bis service,
yet it was never known that he had cause to repent
of his tolerance. He cherished the people, and the
Union became perfect. Circumstances were at pre.
sent favourable to the Catholic Claims. Their Pro-
testant brethren made the cause mutual, and we
heard no longer from the Right Hon. Gentleman op-
posite, that scruples were entertained towards the
motion from the highest quarter, and there were even
hopes, that the N:.ble Lord, who believed in the un-
fitness of the time for conceding on a former occa-
sion, would give a favourable vote under the present
auspicious circumstances. Under all thnse happy
influences, he hoped a pleasant termination to the
measure.

Mr. FULLER—" Mr. Speaker, the speech of the
Hou. Member was the most extraordinary I ever
beard in the course of my life. I was astonished to
hear him, who it at the head of the Dissenters of this
country,. and who indeed may be said to be retained
Or them, speak in the .way he has done. I thould
like to know, however, from the Hen. Member,
row he came to swallow the test oath, before he
came amongst us?"—(Crier of order; order.)
• Sir S..ROMILLY.--0 !qr. Speaker—Whatever
'that Honourable Member can.say, Will not rouse me
to the use of any unparliamentary language. Where
the Honourable Member got his information respec-
ting me, I cannot possibly imagine, ; but whoever
told bfra that I am, or ever was, retained for the Dis-
senters, told him u gross falsehood. As to my being
at the head of the Dissenting body, I have only to
Fay, as a piece of curious information for the Hon.
Gen:leman, that I was educated in the Established—
that I am still cf the Established Church ; and that
do not believe, that even out of curiosity, j ever was
in a Dissenting. Meeting-house in my life, 'Perhaps
alieHon.Gentleman now understands how I swallp wed
the Corporation oath."—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. WILLIAM SMITH said, he was one of the
few persons admitted within the walls of the House of
Commons, who acknowledged his constant atten-
dance at a Dissenting Chapel, but let the Honoura-
ble Gentleman be comforted, there was nothing in
the oath to prevent a Dissenter from being a Member
of Parliament, though be could not be a Justice of
the Peace or an Officer of Excise. He conceived that
be might, notwithstanding what was held by some
Gentlemen in that House, argue this as a question of
right, for he could not see upon what grounds we
had a right to establish a religion contrary to the prin-
ciples of the religion of the majority of that country.
We had not done so in Scothuid, we had not done so
it Canada ; yet he would not argue this question, as
he felt that although he might have the majority with
him upon it, he greatly feared it would not avail him
any thing. If an adequate provision was made for
the Roman Catholic Clergy, in his opinion, nothing
would attach them more sincerely to the Govern-
ment, andadd stability and security to the established
Chinch.
Mr—FULLER, in explanation, said, be had un-
derstood that the Honourable and Learned Gentle-
man (Sir S. Roniilly) had undertaken to defend the
cause of the Diasuners, in that House ; if he had been
misinformed, he was sorry for it, and very ready to'
beg his pardon • but he must say—(Sere a :aural
cry of Order ! Order! Stole! Silo fe ! obfiged the Honour.
able Member to sit dawn.)
Mr. HERBERT (of Kerry) rose, amidst a loud
cry of Question I Question ! from which he was some.
time inaudible. He did not see any danger arising
from granting the concessions the Catholics sought. I
Here the cry of Question. ! was reverberated from
all parts of the House, and strangers bad nearly all
Withdrawn—when
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
.wished to know from the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Grattan) whether he meant to refer The ques-
tion to a Committee of the whole House, or a Select
Committee

G RATTAN answered, thakthat was a matter
of subsequent consideration.
The CHtiNCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER

continued—the Right Hon. Gentleman did tint ap-
pear himself-to know what he meant by the present
'notion.

Mr. GRATTAN again rose, and said he thought
it would be better to refer it to a Committee of the
whole Houses .
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, he thought that would be the most preterable
mode, but he would ask, what was to be referred to
that Committee, were they to call witnesses to their
Bar, or what other mode they were to adopt he knew
slot, for the Right Honourable Gentleman had not
condescended to give the House any information
upon that point? .He thercfore considered this mu-
Uon calculated to mislead the House. He denied
that (from the opinions which had been commuui-
cated to him) the majority of the Protestants of Ire-
land sere in favour (A this measure; but he did not
deny that a time might come when, by prudence and
education, these clauns might be conceded ; the One
/night come when he hoped a ccnticietabk change
-.w0:11,1 sake place in the Roman Catholic mad; the
time nrgiit come when they would. renounce the au-
-9r44 t4t 4',.91)!? !)4(1 hopes that this period, - - • - • • -

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