Star.
London, England, 1821-02-24 00:00:00

. -14
• *

t -.

'

rift
Vi Alt& AlfrffrAßY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 23.

The Royal Assent was given by Commission to the Queen's
Annnity Bill, the Malt Duty Bill, the Grant Transfer 13i11, and
the Longitude Bill. The Commissioners were, the Loan Carar-
czu.oa. the Earl of SMAITIMIUDY, and Lord RI:DEIMOS&
Mr. Mimi, from the India House, presented Accounts of
the ]Regulation passed by the several Governments of India In
the year le 1 9.—Ordered to lie on the table.

Tug CATHOLIC QUesTION-
The Earl of DONOUGH MORE said, he had several Peti-
tions from his Catholic Countrymen, which he meant to pre-
Sent to the House ; and which complained of the grievances
they laboured under, in being excluded from those constitu-
tional privileges which other subjects enjoyed. This exclusion
ethended to four-fifths of the population of Ireland, who had
committed no crime to merit such disability, except that of ad-
flawing to the religious faith of their forefathers. This was not
the first time he had bad occasion to present Petitions of the
same sort; but he presented them now with an increased con-
fidence, because he considered that there was now a new and
Ottpledied Parliament, and a Prince on the Throne whose mind
did not appear to be possessed by any of those conscientious
scruples which had influenced his illuserious predecessor; and a
Prince whose conduct, whilst be acted for another, might ap-
pear to have been dictated by a wish to follow the policy of the
individual whom he represented, and not as abiding by the im-
pulse of his own judgment. He wished that-the Petitions he
had to present might proceed paripessu, in both Houses of Parlia-
ment ; while at the same time a precedence should be given to
the other House, because in that House one step had been
gained in favour of the Petitioners. On this account, he had
delayed presenting the Petitions for some time, until he learned
that in the other House a notice had been given, and a day
fixed, for taking the subject into consideration. He should
therefore now take the earliest day for bringing the subject for-
ward; and he should fix on Thursday, the Bth of March, for
makit g his motion in favour of the Catholics of Ireland. ile
wisheu to add, that it had been intended to present these Peti-
tions in the last Session ; and that they had been sent to him at
the time. But the important subject relating to the Queen then
occupied so much of the attention of Parliament, that he did
net think it fit to obtrude any other subject on the House at the
time. Ir was, then, in pursuance of his advice, that his Catho-
lic friends deferred putting forward their Claims until the pre-
sent time. His Lordship th.n presented Petitions from the fol-
lowing Maces :—A i.etition from the Catholic Inhabitants of the
united Pat ishes at St. Mary, St. Thomas, and St. George, in
the City of Dublin ; soother from the Catholic Inhabitants of
the united Pell tsbvs of St. Andre..v, St. M.ark, St. Anne, and
St. Peter, Dublin; from the Catholics of the City and County-
of Waterforti ; arid the general Petition of all the Catholics in
lidand.—The Petitions were ordered to lie on the table, and
their Lordsh.ps were ord-Ted to be summoned for the Bth of
IMarch :I:xi—Adjourned to „Monday.