Star.
London, England, 1813-05-12 00:00:00

and did credit to the soil by which it had been nou-
rished. The Honourable Baronet's motion implied
the necessity of making circuit of the world—of ran-
' sacking every quarter of the globe—of deriving in-
formation from foreign Powers, by what process it
was difficult to divine. But when the Hon. Baronet
made this motion he could scarcely be prepared for
the commentary of his Hon. Friend, upon his text.
His Honourable Friend had called on the House, not
to delay the progress of the Bill, but to pause !—to
pause until reports should be received from Africa
—to pause until intelligence should be obtained
-from America—to pause until the result should
be ascertained of a commission to Canada—to pause
until some dextrous Ambassador (it was to be
hoped the Honourable Baronet himself) should in-
veigle the Archbishop of Mohilow, with his patent
in his hand, to explain the nature of his dependence
on the See of Rome—to pause until an interminable
labour should be completed—to pause until the Hon.
Bart. should empty on the Table of the Committee
the full fraught stores of his mind, and the bursting
contents of the box before him ! But it was not
' alone all the learned lore which the Hon. Baronet

all catholic Countries in Europe, and that this
stitution was to be extended to Ireland. And was
this intelligence now for the first time communicated
to so vigilant a Government, he meant of cou-se no
particular Government, by an individual Member
' that House And was this the State that it was !.)
necessary to maintain for the security of the Prates.
tant Church, and which allowed of the establishment
of the Order of Jesuits abolished in evciy Popish
country in Europe without injury or detection
This was really the only novelty in any shape in the
argument of his Right Hon. Friend or of the Hon.
Bart. in the whole of his well-known speech, whizit
he now brought forward in order to interrupt the
course which the House was disposed to pursue, be.
cause he had in vain addressed it to them with a vevr
to induce them to adopt the course he wished to r:•.
commend. Some stress too had been laid upon tlrs
circumstance, that only a certain number of the Ca-
tholics had taken the oath which had been enacted
twenty-three years ago. One would suppose filial
this statement that the act was peremptory in imp its.
ing the oath. If the Hon. Baronet had I.)oked at the
title of the act he would have found that it had been

had treasured up in his mind that was to be laid her passed to relieve his Majesty's Catholic subjects from
fore the Committee, but all the numerous works on certain disabilities or conditions, one of which cnndi.
theological controversy in existence that were to be tions the oath was. What would the House think
consulted before a decision, such as the motion of the of such an argument ? What would they think,
Hon. Baronet contemplated, could be come to. He if any Member were to write to his friend in the
was sure the Hon. Baronet was perfectly sincere in country to learn how many Protestants in a cr.
his wish to bring the subject fully before the House; tarn district had taken the oath of allegiance, if,
yet h. observed, in the wording of his motion, a re- upon its being found that only three or any small mon•
serve which pointed to the production of various other ber had taken the oath, it should be proposed to nlace
papers besides those which he particularly called for. that district under military superintendence? The
He was not so deeply read upon these subjects as the case was the same with respect to the Catholics.
Hon. Baronet; but this reserve in his motion seemed touching an oath which was not an infl,ction but
to be founded on the precedent of an author whom qualification. If, as he hoped would be the c.oe, this
the Hon. Baronet bad quoted in his book. That Bill should pass, would it be endured that it should
author was Malruinus, who having written a work, next year be proposed to disqualify the Catholics, in
De omnibus rebus, produced afterwards a postscript to the event of their neglect of taking the oath it pre.
it, De quibutdam aliis.—(Loud laughter).—The Hon. scribes ?—a neglect likely enough to occur in conse-
Baronet then proposed that all this course of Theo- quence of the improbability of the occurrence of a
logy, as well as the contents of his box should be general election, though perhaps not so likely under
thrown on the Table, only with a view to delude the the present circumstances, that would operate to ex.
House (he used the term delude in no offensive sense) cite the Catholics to qualify at once for a franchise so
that there would be all the documents necessary to much the object of their just ambition. The oath was
be produced, if his motion should be granted.— not compulsory in the former Act, but this Bill made
For to take that motion in its most restricted state, it imperative in the Clergy, which was not the case
did it not call for information respecting the nomina- before, to take it. The argument from the oath not
tion, collation and institution of the Catholic Clergy having been taken was inaptly and unfaithfully
in all Roman Catholic as well as other countries in brought forward ; and he believed it would be found
Europe ? The Honourable Baronet might smile when that in Ireland the whole of the Catholics had taken it.
he assured the House that this would require at least He would have no man amuse himself with the idea,
one hundred folio volumes to be laid before the Com- that the present measure was of a temeorary and pas-
mittee—a mass of information which would require sing nature; tor if he now lost the opportunity—now
the most serious consideration, not a little heightened at a moment when thcy stood on the pinnacle of the
by the able comments of the Learned Chairman, as affections and feelings of their Roman Catholic court-
he was sure the Honourable Baronet would be, ad- trymen—of doing justice to them—and of adding to
dressed to a listening Committee or rather to a de. the security of the empire—it might never return.—.
spairins quorum. Since the Honourable Baronet Let him not believe that if he trod one step backwards,
had given notice of his motion, he had endeavoured that the ground might easily be recovered. As there
to inform himself of the books that it would be neces - was a tide in the affairs of man, so was there a tide in
nary to consult ; and though lie could not pretend to their opinions and feelings, and he would caution them
give a perfect list of them, he should submit to the to beware how they let the moment pass that migla
House a scantling of them. First, they should have be used to allay the heats and animosities which tended
eleven volumes, folio, of Erasmus de doctrina Ecclesia, to enervate the empire. If they were to tread but one
an Author who was designated Dr. ildmirabilit. Then step backwards, who could tell what might hereafter
they should have the works of St. Augustin, which , impede them in their endeavours to recover it—who
consisted also of 11 folio volumes. Next they should I could tell what clouds might then obstruct the cheer-
have the productions of a famous author whose writ. ing prospects that now opened to their view; wholcmor
ings were perfectly familiar to the Honourable Ba. what might then prevent the union of those handswhaa
rune, Thomas Aquinas, called also Doctor Evangeli- were now stretched out, nearly touching each other?
Cur, of whom from the style and spirit of his works it As to the election of Bishops, it was arranged that
had been said, " animew aussulini ernirane in aquinam." five Noblemen should adduce testimony of their
—This learned author had produced eighteen vo- loyalty. If the Catholic Clergy were to have solar'',
lumes. Then they should come to his great rival, that would be a fit object tor a new Bill. But lie had
Dem. Scotus, who had contended with Thomas almost forgotten a very interesting point of the Hon.
tooth and nail, and who had also his surname, having Baronet's. Some of the Bishops, it seemed, were not
been styled Doctor Subtilis. He wrote twelve folio canonically elected ; and therefore new difficulties
volumes on his controversy with Aquinas. When arose in the event of the appointment of a concurrent
they had all these works, they should, in the words of establishment. To settle this point, the proposed
the Hon. Baronet, but have arrived at the threshold Committee would have to read a few more bouks in
of the information desired : they should gain nothing addition to those he had already mentioned ; and
till they came to consult the works of the great Bel- amongst the rest s‘ Magnum Bulerian," 8 vols. folio,
larmine, a writer who had published a work o del and " Cratinus," &c. 9 vols. folio. Such being the
auctoritate Pont corium in secularibur," being the very' difficulties, he would advise them to keep out of the
point at present at issue between the Hon. Baronet Committee. But testimony to the loyalty of the
and Dr. Milner. How could that House in a Com- . Bishops would be all that could be required—
mince come to any correct decision in the matter of the testimony of five of the first lay Roman Catholic,
dispute between the Hon. Baronet and Dr. Milner, if Peers. When the doors were opened to the Peers,
they should not proceed to the consideration of the I it was so arranged that they should he alike in.
question with the doctrines of Bellarmine perfectly ' terested with the Protestant Nobility in guarding
by heart ? Let Gentlemen but reflect, what profs- the triple Constitution from harm when they should
ciency they could hope to make in this study, consi- be admitted to all the splendid advantages Id
dering their other avocations of business; or what' Peerages. The testimony of five such men he
time it would take before they could attain the same was sure would have more weight than that of the
degree of information which the Hon. Baronet, partly Lord Lieutenant ; and thus had they good seat-
by learning and partly by inspiration, had already . rity for the loyalty of the Catholic Bishops, without
acquired. Yet it was not only this learning that they troubling themselves with any Thomas diquinasly ways
were to seek in a Committee, but also a knowledge of ascertaining how they were concocted. With re•
of the practice of foreign nations respecting the insti- spect to the second point, he maintained that great
tution of the Catholic Clergy. He was inclined to jealousy ought to be entertained of correspondence
believe the Hon. Baronet to be serious in his views . with Foreign Powers. But the law required altera-
upon this point, but he doubted much what power tion. As it now stood it was high treason to re-
that House could have to compel the Primate of ceive bulls and indulgences from Rome, yet bulls were
Austria or a Bishop of Mohilow to attend the pro- daily received from abroad without the fact being no-
posed Committee. He was yet to learn what autho- ticed. And yet this was the state in which the Cnams
rity it possessed to enforce the attendance of another pion of the Constitution would have the laws remain,
personage, more necessary than that of any other to saying that the whole was threatened by touching a
such a purpose—the Pope himself.—(Hear, hear.)—' part, or at least till the Honourable Baronet returned
The Honourable Baronet's motion also called for from his circuit of the world. But the security of
information respecting what took place in our own the State must no longer slumber in obsolete black
colonies; but there was no excuse for their being • letter; and even if the present measures were cruno
ignorant, as they had only to look for it to the Act of bled into dust, he should not cease to exert himself.
Parliament. He had listened to the speech of the Hon. In remarking on his third point, he said the new
Baronet, not only with curiosity, but with patience, clause made it imperative on Catholics
and he could discover in it but one argument— an ar- point a commission of five
gument which at first view seemed to have some force ^ to approve the Bill, and if st
in it. This argument was, that if the Bill before the within given time after the passii
House were to pass, they might see a Lord Mayor the provisions of it were to fall
going to mass with the mace and sword of state borne ' As far as his communication e:
before him. But if the Hon. Bart. had only looked English Catholics, there would be
into the Act of 7- Geo. 111. an Act not touched by icence in the claims as they now
the Bill under consideration, he would find it enacted dition that might be proposed
there, that if airy Mayor, Magistrate, or officer atten- be in the friendly spirit of conciliar
ding the same shall go to any other place of worship had time to receive so full an asst
than that of the Church of England, he shall be dis- but from that quarter also he was
abled from holding such employment. He had also teration would be proposed
watched with equal attention and patience the speech i spirit. All that he had heard had
of his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Ryder) and could i hear)—nor would those
discover only one argument, and that too, which , to retard the measure in that
in his mind operated in a different way from that in i considerable number without door
which it was applied. His Right Hon. Friend on of their conduct. But whatevr
the authority of the statement of the Hon. Bart. had should be done in the face of
observed that there had been established in England obscurity, which, in the langua
an institution for Jesuits who had been expelled from better to the thief than night

the Catholics to ap•
Catholic Noblemen
such was not done
passing of the Act,
all to the ground.—
extended among the
be a cheerful acquits.
stood, and any 3c1..
on their part would
iliation. Ike had net.
surance from IrtianJ,
vas assured that no al-
in a conzumAcious
ad exceeded his lwixs
ose who ende ivourci
t House involve .11
doors in the apriov3l
rver was to bt done
day, and not i 9
rage of Homer, v.'
;ht. He trubte4 lig