Star.
London, England, 1805-05-14 00:00:00

, vvi-Fu sc79l

PARLIAMENTiIR r PROCEEDIM,S.

•!-107SE OF COMMONS, MONDAY, MAY 11.
• .1
Cern :al FITZPATRICK gave not:ce. that the motion of Lord
'H. Pei r,lative to offices in Scotland. held by Lord Melville,
he quitted to the Houfe cn Friday heat.
A Miff...,J was delivered from the Lords Rating, that on his
own tequef Lord Harrowby had ohtained perrniP.ion to attend
before the Committee of Naval Enquiry. On the fubjecl, of the
14tfiJge of thi, Houfe, rcquefting 'perrniftion for Lord Melville
ro give evidence before the Committee, their Lordthips requeßeel
an immediate conference with this Houfe in the Painted Chamber.
A Committee Was immediately appointed to confer with
their I.oi,lthips. and the refult of their deliberation was, that
wa: it ompatible with the regular order of the proceedings of
the UPprr !lode of Parliament, to permit one of its Member& to
attend before a Committee of the other Houfe, after Refolutions
of a feriou. nature had been paffeel againft him, the fubjeCt of
which was immediately conueCted with that on which hi. atten-
darce wai required.
Admiral MARKHAM gave notice, that on Wednefday lie
Mould move for the Naval Papers, of which he had given a previ-
ous
On the motion of Mr. ROSE, the Houfe, in a Committee, went
through the Bill for regulating the office of Paytmalt r of the Forcea.
Mr WI, STi.RN propored that all Gentlemen upon the Coln
Committee thould have 70tes, tqlielt was agreed to.

CATHOLIC 0,y1ISTION•
The Order of the Day having been read for the
Houfe taking into confederation the Petition of the
Catholics of Ireland, the Petition WAS read to the
Houle, on the motion of Mr. Fox.
Mr. FOX then, being called upon by the Speaker,
rote told spoke to the following, effea I ri'e, Sir, or.
the prefent occafion, with to incoolidei able degree of
anxiety, in bringing before the Houfe a meofure of fo
much importance, and pregnant with fo many great
and eventl ul confequences,dillant or immedia.e; in a
degree, indeed, as to exceed in magnitude any mea-
fore which it ever has fallen to my lot to fubmit ti
the confideration of PalliAmem. On the other hand,
while. i am confeions of the importance of the talk,
am confided becaufe the duty is agreeable. 1 cer-
tainly do fed, that alter the haraffing duty, of pref
hug ino,6hie,, and cenforing malverfaiiimo which are
wit oole diferarehil to individuals, eat allu to the
country, it is Mire telaxation on entering upon a fuh•
left, on which, far fool: exercifing the painful ofriee
of an accider, I am called upon to plead the canie
ludic.., of policy, and of v.-itliom—that I am call-A
upon to ad vecate a nieatine, which, in ray opinion,
mull fo eminently conhibute to the flrength and
power ef this Emeire,withont taking from •nlitto
:Any pi IS it, sir. advantage, or enjoyment, which an:
reallmable man can believe i;e otig'.l each:lively to
enjoy ; op 11-:e c.ourary, the poffeffion of all which
mutt ne doubly teemed to every dais by the cone
Intmication. Such appear to be the natural etieas of
thole meafures to which I have now the irtomor of
drawing the attention of the Houle, and loiwevcr
embarrailing.the queilion may be to lonic, and how-
ever don:oral it mayelx o; others, at feed it will be
admitted, that the prineililes on which it i:, agitated,
and • n which the conchifiims hey point are ',minded
Iron, fentimetos of general good will ~o icon:-
mon atieni That the queftion is one of :N• lira
irnpor once .Fill not be &Med, when T Itate triereiy
that the Petition which I tiov: opele for your con
titivation does in fact inc hide the ciainis of at kali
one filth in number of all his Majetty's Foot:peon futi-
le& ; that it comprehends the w ithes of be• weer three
and four miliions of perfons. Happy I ant, however,
as 1 have already hinted, that I do not mei; the
claims of the Petitioners as bollile to the tights or
enjoyn.ents ef others ; and if the Houfe upon due ex-
amMatiun of the claims of the Petitioners, thall ex-
tend to them that jullice which they appear to me to
deferve, I than have been instrumental iu pet foi ming
a let vice molt effential to the fecutity,. the gt camels
and the nen...eal weal of the Empire. Upon matters
In vatimis and extentive to thole to whom the Peti-
tion natm ally draws our attention, it may he difficult
to ch ofe where to begin. The roll argument, how-
ever, which occurs to me. fprings from the numbers
of thole who are interested in the fate of this Petition.
Indeed, bad I not undo-flood that the fobjein had
given i ile to doubts and debates, I lb oold have
thought it impogible there could be a qmlliori o !te-
ther, neon generai principles. fo large a portion of his
Majefl‘'s fajtit,. were etaitltd to an equal loose of
political privilenes w wit their fellow-Citizens. Piolitips
the gent:el Indy not be difputed, but it will be
urged thee ;et: tieular circunillances may jial.ify an
exception. Upou this point I ninft requea the :toe
tion tit the Houle for t few minutes, vt4ich may he
ufeful to clear our way before proceeding farther.-
-What I am about to date may indeed teem to be
matter of theory rasher than of pratliee. It may
be thenht then, roar there may be come difference
whether we date the claims of the Catholics as rights
to be ;tekn wedged or in.Mlf,encesto be conferred.
I believe, however, that as to the praEtii al conclu.
lion, those will be little difference, and that in the
theory the difference will be more in winds thin in
reality. For my own part, I cenfefs lam pethaps
more inclined to adhere to the form of fpeaking,
which was more in fafhion al.not a century aten than
now, and to fay broadlv, that I confider rights to
power, to cemality of Jews of privileges, to be
paramount, that they belong to all the members of
-.lie State. At the fame time when 1 lay down the
rnciple generally, I do not deny that the lupreme
the file: may fometimes juitify excel).
•ions to the rule. This fobjea has been confoitted
by many able men in the clolet, and laid down by
forne with more, by Come wilt leis, generality. Dr.
Vaiey, a vet iter undoubtedly of great ability, though
he Mclines to pot the theory difleiently in words from
that form which uccors to me as preferable, hays of
the cuiyinel right of Governn.ent, that it is "a tight
to do whatever is nreelfary for the general weal."—
But, on the other hand, it cannot be denied, that the
re, ple have a right not to be rettrifted, unlefs where
ren:ihions are neceffary on fome, for the general
good of the wen therefore, will bring us
to the fame •praaieal inclusion. I fay that men
have a rielit to be free from unequal tea iricl• us;
t, I do nut deny that unequal reltri&ions may, in
tome c:rcr.mttauces, be jullihable. It reito6lions are
utioecelfary, they ought not to be couOuuz‘i utak