Star.
London, England, 1812-04-22 00:00:00

nr should address the House, tb
ce Lora SELKI
Lean CHAncuton declareda t ,he saw the latter
Noble Lord stand up first.
- The Earl of SELKIRK then rose :he had no ob.
uetion that the Roman Catholics should enjoy all the
civil pr.vileges which the other subjects of his Majesty
; nor because some concessions had been
made to them should it be considered a motive for
' vitholding more. The Noble Lord who had just sat
awn, stated it as his opinion that every religious sect
was also a political party, and that they must, in the
nature of things, act together,
,as their religious belief
was a bond of union. 'I o this doctrine he could not
give his assent. It was true indeed, thatevery religi-
ous sect, when excluded from political rights, acted
together because their exclusion then became a real
bond of union ;—(Hear, hear !)--but if the Catholics
were admitted to what.they now claimed, was it to
be supposed that after such admission they
would
confine their views to the interests of their priests .
Such conduct would be a sort of paradox. Was. it to
be supposed that they would sacrifice every interest
of their own to the interests of their priests? This was
inconsistent with every thing in human nature. He
could not see any great danger from conceding what
they desired; because, even after admission to all their
rights, they would form but a very inconsiderable i
part of the Legislature. On these grounds, he was
of opinion that their civil disabilities ought to be re-
moved ; at the same time, he was far from entertain-
ing such sanguine hopes from the removal as .tie
Noble Mover seemed to entertain. He did not think
they could gain by it the immediate and zealous sup-
of 4,000,000 of the inhabitants of Ireland ; for
he feared that there was a wide spread disaffection
among the people of that country. The Noble Mover
spoke as if that disaffection arose from the few laws
still in force against the Catholics; but he did not be.
Neve it was to be ascribed to that or to the French
Revolution, or other causes to which he had heard it
attributed. He believed that it arose from deep his-
torical causes, which could not be immediately re-
moved, and from that antipathy which a conquered
nation always feels against their conquerors. He
thought, that every feeling arising from a considera-
tion of this kind should be as carefully as possible re-
moved. He believed, that the repealing of the laws
against the Catholics would be followed by the re-
moval of disaffection ; but he did not believe that the
measure would have that magical effect immediately.
The Marquis of WELLESLEY said he was anxi-
ous to have the honour of speaking after his Noble
and Learned Friend who preceded the Noble Earl
who had just sat down ; because he felt considerable
surprise at the manner in which, towards the close
of his speech, he had commented upon a test, which
was said to have been proposed in the County of
Galway, and which it was thought might spread all
over the country. The circumstance was not de-
serving of particular notice, if it were not for the
importance which appeared to be attached to it by
his Noble and Learned Friend (Lord Redesdale).
It was stated by that Noble Lord, as a grand objec-
tion to the motion before their, Lordships, that the
Catholics of die-county of Galway, at a meeting, in
which Lord Ffrench was in the Chair, had agreed to
Resolitions, pledging them not to vote for any man
- who would not subscribe to a test or declaration that
be would not solicit, nor accept for himielf, or for
any of his connexions personally, or through any
other channel, of any place of trust, emolument,
honour, or profit, until the remaining disabilities of
the Catholics should be removed. When his
Noble and learned Friend pressed this topic upon their
Lordships' consideration, he did not seem to be aware
of the effect the test would have in relieving the Ad-
ministration from a weight of solicitation on the part
of those who mighrbe induced to subscribe the test.
—nut, really, he did not expect that such a topic
should have been so insisted upon, and so seriously
pressed forward into the front cf the argument,
nor should he himself have thought of adverting
to it in this manner, if it bad not been for the ear-
nestness with which it tad been.urged. Having thus
touched upon that part of the statement of the Noble
and Learned Lord, he should next beg leave to come
so the itnmediate question before their Lordships,
which was, whether, under all the circumstances of
the case, after all the petitions that had been pre-
sented, and were lying upon their Lordships' table—
after all the solicitations which had been year after
year preferred to Parliament upon the subject—after
all the applications in favour of the Catholic claims
which had been forwarded from various parts of Ireland
as well as this country, and from persons of different
religious persuasions—applications in most points, as
he should contend, favourable ; but whether favour-
able or not, all equally tending to strengthen his view
of the case. The question, he should repeat, W. 13
whether, with all these considerations 'in their con-
templation, they were prepared to negative the pro-
position submitted to them by the Noble Lord who
brought forward the subject ? He should here beg
leave to put a question to the Noble and Learned
Lerd, and to their Lordships generally, a. question
which he should continue to press most strongly upon
their attention, and frequently revert to, in all he
Ibotild say that night, short as he trusted that would
be; he would ask whether any man who felt the im-
portaace of the subject, *ho thought with him, that
without concession to the Catholics, there would be
infinite danger to the Protestant Establishment, and
that concession would create an additional bulwark
for its security and support, could consistently with
ail feeling of duty to his country, bring himself to
negative this proposition ? He was very ready to
allow that in the view taken of the subject by thus
Noble and Learned Lord, such a decision might
be conscientiously made. But whilst he was pre-
pared to admit, that for humanity, integrity, and
honour, for intimate acquaintance with the prin-
ciples of the laws and constitution of the Realm, and
that for most of the other qualities and attainments
that illustrate the character .of a public man, there
was no. man his suporior in the country : he was
bound, from the view he took himself of the questio•
"der consideration, t:o look upon the notions enter.
tuned respecting it by that Noble and Learned Lord
as erro. aeons. Those, undoubtedly, who thought
that the concession of the claims of the Catholics
Would_beproductive of danger to the stability of the
Protestant establishments in Church and State, and as
directly tending to subvert the alliance -between both,
could consistently ceine to a decision against this im-
portant question. Without entertaining any inten-
tion to go into a discussion ea the question, whether a