Star.
London, England, 1829-03-04 00:00:00

COUNTY OF LEICESTER ritriTio:4

Mr. LEIGH KECK s old he was entrusted with the
preseiotati in of a Petition from the county of L icester
signed by 19,20) persons. lie haa also a small Petition
to preseist from a part of the county. He was ieques.ed
by his constituents to state not the i.O Orris. but the de-
scription of persons who had signed the petition, and, in
aces idance with that request, he should infer m the H su e
that tie county petition was signed by the Lord Lieute-
nant of tl;e county, by the tligh Shea iff of the county, by
two Lail), by six Baronets, by 30 covey Magistrat s, by
the magistrates of the borough of Leicester. by 135
clergymen, and the temaioing signatures nese those of
the gentry, freeholders, and inhabitants. The instruc-
tions circulated wit't respect to this petition were, that
it should not be signed by any parson undor fourteen
years of age ; that it should be signed by no person fur
another; that every person who signed shou'd irises t the
place of his residence, and that no marks should be al-
lowed. The last instruction was the only one which had
not been uric ly complied with. A few marks had got
into the petiti .n in consequence of the positive deter-
mination of some persons who could not write, but who
would nit be excluded from expressing their opinions
on this subject. He believed no person would venture
to say that there not was an overwhelming majority in
the district from which this Petit on came against
any !wither concessions to the Catholics. The its-1
'habitants of that part of the country were keenly
alive on the subject. He did not assert that there
was unaninoity, nor could it be eapeaed on any
subj ct a great county, but lie boldly asserted
that there was a decided majority its the county of
LeiCester opposed to what was called Emancipate°,
and in favour of the object of the Petition. It was
necessary for him (Mi. L. K.) to trouble the House with
a few observations on the subject, as he knew that an
opinion prevailed very generally throughout the country
that Members sitting on the Ministerial side of the
11 use were afraid to declare these reel ss ntiments. For
his own past, it was only necessary for him to state that
he had seen or heard nothing to induce him to change
his opinions—(Hear, hear, bear). He was identified
in feeling as well as in interest with his constituents.
Such being his sentiments, he thought it his duty at
once to declate that the conduct of his Majesty's Mi.
'tasters had not been such as would induce him to re•
pose the confidence in them which he had hitherto
professed and felt. He had felt great confidence in
the Noble Duke at the head of the Government. In
como oft with every other mass in the country he owed
that Noble Duke much for his signal and splendid ser-
vices; but the limit conduct of the Government on
this question had shaken his confidence. He made
this declaratism in the bold spirit of independence.—
He owed no man, near no Government, any obliga-
tion; but he had been willing to serve in the Par.
liamentary ranks under the Noble Duke as long as
he adhered to those principles which he (Mr. L. Keck)
considered advantageous tr the country and men.
tially necessary for the maintenance of the consti-
union; but when any Moister departed from those
priuciples, he ceased to have his support. There was
no man in whom he had hitherto felt more confi
dente than in the Noble Duke, and if he refused to
advance him his confidence on this occasion, it w.is be
cause he could give his confidence to no Minister under
such circumstances. He felt himself bound, at a period
like the piesent, thus to declate his sentiments. It be
conscientiously believed that the measures about to be
proposed, but still unexplained, would lead to the gins
neral tranquillity,no man should hail them with morn
pleasure; but lie could not for his soul bet:es e thost they
could produce any such effect. He had se rived a cii colas
from the Catholic Association, through their Agent.
which removed all doubts from his mind on this sub-
ject. From those letiers it would appear that nothing
but unqualified Emancipation—Emancipation without
securities.— would satisfy t,e Roman Catholics. Ile
was convinced from those levets that the Catholics
did not view this merely as a teligrous, but as a
political
question. lie leered that if political power
was ranted t r the Roman Catholics in this country.
* would be 'thieved to the i ju y of the Protestant
Church. In c.rtclusion. he bailed that he and those
friends that agreed with him would fired tliem•elyeb
nisi-Aitken. As liNg as he crior.cientiontly held those
opinions, however erroneous, he trusted that the same
credit ses u d he given to him its was laimetl lot utter .
Ile ace for the best, and though his views mig,ht ap-
pear trim, us to of era, he could may say that they
were ,:fclated by li, judgment. Such were the stun i.
Menus of the otiose.. u- r.d re pect.4ble body whose
petitions he had ow ti.e !mixr of p. esenting. They
lucre distated by no bogotted views, but the petitioners
iOnt erred that they west upholding the estalslishe.o
ensit.urison. as 'hey vette bound o do.
AY CAVE contended that this pet ti is

ought not to be taion as a decivis• proof chit the poo-
p e of Lacestershise were adverse to the measure et
concession. He WAS the more aronished at what hasi!
fallen from the Hoo. Member opposite with respect to
•his reprehension of the conduct of his MAjest7's Go-
vernment, when he recoil cted that about 12 months

since that Hon. Member had given in his adhefion to!
the Noble Lord's (Goderich's) Administration, which
was perfectly well known to favonrahle to the Ca-
tholics, and that lie had nut hr,iteed to solicit f that

Noaleman sn appnintra, at for a pait) tor whom he telt
i..t•r•stel—iHrar.)
Mr. I.EUH KECK was as moth sorpti•ed as it WAS
po•sib!e for any taw to be at re observations of the
Hon. Member. was at a lots lot some time to

itnagine w at request he had made which the H n.
Memner was alluding to. He supposed, however, that
the allus.on was in reference to ail application made by
him (Mt LeshKock) for a situati.ln in the Stamp-office at
Leicester fora person named Gregory. That per bell was
n-t connected with him in any way whatever. He was
totally indifferent t► him, and he had only foruarc'ed
A tecommendati .11 in his behalf; but, "afore doing so,
he distinctly sated that it must not be considered as
t.erst.n.l (Arent', f r that if it was 63 t ffeted he torrid

not Accept of it. Pie individual, however, got the situa•
tiro), and he (Nlr. Legh K ck) was glad of it, for he
hebeved him to he a worthy man. Is rd Goderich, how-

mill, WAS newer more mistaken than if he considered

that be (Mr. Legh K-ck) considered this appointment
a: imposing any political obligation on him. obli-
gation, however, wet" some:lnng like that which the
Honourable Member alleged, last Session, that he (Mr.
Legh Keck) owed to him. 1,1 the ordinary course of pub-
lic duty he (Mr. L. K.)thought it necessary to correct one
of the many mistakes into which the Hon. Member had
fallen with res,,ect t r the corporation of Leicester, and
the Honourable Memher con trued this into a personal
attack, and wondered that he (Mr. Keck) could be sr,
ungrateful. He had known the Honourable Member
from a boy, and all his natural feelings induced him to,
feel kindly towards him. He ft are! the Hon. Member
would Sol no friends as rt-..aily a, those he had lost;
but the Honourable Member had no friend more i ce.e
than he was bef re the unmerited attack which the Ho-
nourable Member had th uAlit fit to make rat Win. He
begged paid tie for troubling the Horse with so much
of a personal naime, but these retrial ks had been forced
from him--(Hear, Ilea.).

Mr. OTWAT CA E s id, if the Hem. Member had been Ms
friend, he had never received any practical prow of his friendship.
—(Order, and cries of " Questioii. ')
Sir C. II AsTi NGS gave his cordial approbation to the senti•
meats of the Petition, watch he was sure was the general some of
the people of Leicestershire. He believed, too, that the signatures
were very respectable.— Ihe Petition was uruered to he on the
table, and to be prlnted. _ _

111 r. LEGH KECK presented a bimilar Petition from Nar-
bormigh...._...

Mr ICP.IP presented a sintihir Petition from the Protestant
DiNeaten of UW(I.

Mr. JOHN WOOD presented two Petitions in favour of the
Catholic Claims from Lynaiiipton and from Charley.
Admiral EVANS presented Petitions from the parishes of
Cionmare, Comm, and Kilteren, in the county of Limerick;
against the Catholic Claims.
Mr. CURIItIS had some similar Petitions to offer to the
House from that important town, and considerable too in point of
population, in the county of Sussex, he meant the town of Brighton.
It was signed by' nearly 8,000 persons. He believed the people of
Sussex were twenty to oar against the Catholic Claims, in which
opiniao be entirely coiticiJed.
Mr. HEN It V 11(1W.11tD presented a similar Petition from
Worthing, but stated that he believed the opposition to the t a-
thuhe Claims in Sioux had greatly decreased since the declaration
by GUVerllllSclllt.--The Pentium were severally untried to lie on
the table, and to he printed.
Mr. A. D.% WSON presented Petitions from the Catholic in-
habitants of Drogheda; fsum Macclesfield, in Cheshire; and from
several parishes in Louth, for relief horn their civil disabilities;
and one against the Vestry Act.
Captain CUST presesittsl a Petition from Whalley, in Lana.
shire, and from twenty-four ur twenty-live other parishes is that
county, in one of which Stony Buret College was situated, against
the Catholic Claim..
Mr. DU NCOXI BE presented Petitions against Emancipation
from different places in Yorkshire and Nottingham, amounting in
the whole to :lit, an.l then said that, as the Right Hon. Secretary of
State for the Home Department was not in his place, he begged to
ask the Eight Honourable Chancellor of the Exchequer whether
the Right lion. Gentleman would bring forward his measure on
Thursday neat, and, if so, what the nature of it would be, as no
notice of it had yet appeared on the books of the House?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he
could only state what he bad said oil a former evening, that on
Thursday the Hight Hon. Secretary of State for the Houle De-
partment would make a motion to give effect to his Majesty's re-
commend,ttion. It bed not appeared on the books, from the Right
Honourable Gentleman nut having been returned.
Lord CASTLEREAGH presented two Petitions from Down
and Derry in favour of Emancipation.
Ile Clerk of the House, in reading them, was so accustomed to
sn opposite prayer, that he read them as l'etitions against Eman-
cipation. which excited no small laughter.
Mr. R. TREVOR presented two Petitions from Wales against
Emancipation
Mr. SLA N EY gave notice, that after Easter he should move for
a Select Committee to inquire into the burthens imposed on those
who supplied the middle and lower classes with malt liquor. Tbr
Hots. Blernber then moved for Returns relative to the relief of the
por,frona January 1827 to January 1828.—Ordered.
Mr. C. PAI.LM ER presented a Petition from a parish in Sur.
rey, and another from the parish of St. John, Southwark, against
Emancipation. He could not agree with those who said that Ca-
tholic Emancipation was inevitable, when it all depended upon a
deterininatiod of his Majesty's mind, against which millioos of his
subjects were petitioning —Petitions ordered to be printed.
Mr. 0. CAVE presented a Petition from Leicester, signed by
bye thousand persons, in favour of Emancipation, and some others
from several parishes in Leicestershire ; alaosome from the Roman
Catholic inhabitants of parishes in Ireland, which had been en-
trusted to him by Mr. trCesinell, whom he hoped soon to see in
that lima. Both liogLiod and Ireland were greatly indebted to
him for his exertions.
Sir C. II ASTI NGS said that several signatures to the Leicester
Petition bad been forged, and others obtained in a ptitious
manner.
Mr. 0. Cove, Mr. Huss. and Mr. Alderman WAtTli MAW, Calkil
upon the Honourable Gentleman to give his authority for so grave
a charge.
Sir C. HASTINGS said that a list of forged names had bus
given him, which be bad at boots. Two of the names was
Satchel and Cooke. His informants were men of as much so-
spretability and wealth as the Honourable Gentlemen who pap-
*anted the petition was said to be.
Mr. 0. CAVE said that he happened to have a letter in his
pocket from Mr. Cooke saying not only that be signed the petition,
but that he carried it about for signatute.
Lord G. SOMERSET presented a Petition from Chepstow
against Emancipation.
Mr. P ROBY prevented two Petitions from Parishes In Wicklow,
in favour of Emancipation.
Mr. JERVIS presented a Petition praying for an alteration of
the law repr.:lng settlement by hiring.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. Alderman WA ITH MAN presented a Petition from a Dis-
mining Congregation In Carter-lane, in favour of Emancipation.
Lord 110 rHAM presented a Petition from Leominster against
concessions to the Catholics. The Petition, the Noble Lord stated,
bad 700 signatures, which it bad received in three days. and in.
eluded six-sevetiths of the male population of that borough. It
was the first coricerning Catholic Emancipation that had ever come
from Ltontinster, is cause it was the first time that the inhabitants
felt themselves bound to express their opinions on a question that
for the first time came bettor Parliament with the aid and sanction
of the Government. His own views agreed with those of the Pe-
titioners, and he regretted that he could not conscientiously vote
with his Bight Hew. Friend (Mr. Peel), with whom,on sU other
occasions, it was his good fortune to have concurred.
Lord UXBRIDGE presented a Petition horn Dunning, in
Perthshire, against the Cothube ClAißuk—To be printed.
Lord G. SOMERSET übtritarti leave to lobos in a Bill.to alter
and atiutid the Bill of last S:ssion relative to Madhouses.
Mr. HUME moved for a vatiety of Returns relative to Light.
house.—Alter a feW words from Lord Lownsaa and Sir C. t, ota,
the motion prasisiteed to.
Mr. 140.11 R • DRUMMOND moved for leave to bring In a
Bill to render more easy the Recovery of Small Debts its the

Shatirs Court hi Sceciund ; Which, after I liar Morns from Mr.
Han, in commendation of t►e in, in, grimed.

WADS AIM NUM
ST A. GRANT brought up the Report of the Commhtee '
Ways and Mean Read. and a Bill ordered to be brought in.
Sir A. GRANT brought up the Report of the Committee of
Supply on t►e Ordnance Estimates, which were agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. Earns MI/unit, the Hone resolved
itself into a Committee on the Settlement by Hiring BM.
The Report. after some observations from Sir J. Getman, Mr.
SIANcY. and Mr. lil`gveta, was ordered to be considered on taw
47th; the Bin lh the forint tiros. to he primed.