Star.
London, England, 1828-04-25 00:00:00

the object of his Noble and-Aeamed.Plend's Amend,'
tent, end if he rightly understood. it, with respect to
one part of its object particularly, he must beg to say,
that he thought time ought to be gives to consider
whetkpr it would not be expedient to introduce the Pro.
trstilit"-dielae4tionwhe—fieispoagd.-- He did not believe
eithettkumlhe-frariers-of the clause as it now stood, or
shat.,his Noble and LeirnedFriand, in proposing his
Allterndtnent, had any intention to-prejudice the great
queiticarW the Catholic Claims. The law, as it.re-
*wed admission to Corporations, he believed to be,
ghat the Mayor and Aldermen, and, where such a body
existed, tile-Common Coancil, were required to take the
oath of abjuration; but that the other members of •the
Corp Oration were not so required; and therefore Catho-
Hes' might get in. If he understood his Noble and
Learned Friend right, his object was, that the present
Bill should not affect the Catholics in any way ; and he
agreed with him in the opinion, that, with this view it
would be well to insert the word " Protestant" in the
'deglatation contained in this Bill, which Iseavailed him-
self of this opportunity -to observe, had his entire ap-
probation.
- - - - -

The Earl of ELDON said, that they were now upon
that pact of the Bill which related to Corporations only,
and this was the place where the amendment ought to
beintroductd. An exception might be made in another
part of the Bill to obviate the inconvenience to which
the NAle Duke had referred with tespeet to the Army
and Navy, and other offices of trust. They were now
legislating in favour of the Dissenters; for there was no
conscientious Dissenter but would readily take the de.
claration contained in the Bill whether in office or not ;
but they ought not, under the colour of easing the Dis-
senters, to admit Catholics w political power. Nothing
coaid more fully satisfy him as an inaividoal man, that
this was not intended by the Act, than the declaration of
the Noble Duke. But it was. notnso that they were to
look at an Act of Parliament, and he ventured to say,
that those-who drew up this clause had a view to the
ptomotion of the Catholic question. He spoke in the
presence of very learned men,ind he appealed to them
whether Mayors or Aldermen were necessarily Justices
of the Peace, and whether, unless they were so, the de-
tlarsition against Transubstantiation could be required
*Of them ? and they were all aware of the repeated de-
clarations of the Legislature, that without this, the oaths
of allegiance and supremacy were not sufficient to ex-
clude Cathdlics from office. Could they now retract
show repeated declarations of Parliament, without pro-
inoting the Catholic Question?
The Bishop of,BATH and WELLS said, that as the
Noble. and Learned
_Lord was so earnest upon this
point,. and as they all knew the value and importance
of his opinion, he should be disposed to vote fog the
.amendment,

' Lord HOLLAND opposed the-amendment, and cen•
tended that so far from promoting the cause of the
-Catholics, the Bill, as it now stand, placed the Catholics
is a worm situation than they were in before. The Act
imposing the declaration against transubstantiation had
been construed by Courts of Law as applying to cos po-
. Mt, oacers, and to all the members of corporations;
shit this 'was a question of doubt, and it had been va-
riously ruled. The Noble 'Lord had thrown out an
insinuation as if the framer of this clause had intended
to promote the Catholic claims. But who was the
'framer •of clause ? Why, a Right HOnourable
Gentleman, to whom, perhaps, it was nut quite regular
foehim to allude, but who was distinguished for his
zeal in opposition .to the claims of the Catholics. It
they required a security against: any artifice having
been employed favour of Popery, surely there could
henone better:than the fact of its having been drawn
sp. by that Right Honourable Gentleman. The Act of
Lkion'was not intended to perpetuate the principle of
the Test end Corporation Acts, for the inset tion of the
lords of these 'Acts were proposed in the Act of Union.
and they were rejected. The words proposed were. in
-his opinion, unnecessary, and he appealed to the can-
dour and justice of those who were the most strenuous
opponents of the Catholic claims, whether they would
injure those claims by a side wind, and bythe means cf
an Act intended merely as a bcon.to another class of the
stthjects of the t fat ?
The LORD CHOCELLOR, said, that although he
lid not think them was any thing to call for the -intend-
inept that had been proposed, stilt he felt disposed to
Genstar with his Noble and Learned Friend, that the
ptewsoiquestioss was entirely directed to the Corporation
Act. It was. whether the declaration was sufficient?
tattbit eras inclined frt thigh *hot Without olterstion
o was danger of Roman Catholics being admitted in-
* the leadisg offices .o the Corporation. of the Kingdom.
41kilin law stood, a person in order to hold office was
Wied to tate the Vat's of Supremacy; and the same
rt 0.41 was awl bound m take isle Sacramental Test.
Afore,' if they abrogated the Sacramental Test, such
Prawn would be obliged to take the Oath of Supremacy,
it or more. And if the Oath of Supirmacy be-not
spikiest, it was clear that the declination 'against tran-
itibstautiatioa should be added. He thought that if the
Oath Of Supreosacy were not sufficient, it ;timid be his
*sty to support the eniendeneat which his Noble
fkiend had declared it was his intentioa to introduce.'
lAw Noble Friend bad stated that it hid been admitted
Ili their Lordships that this oath was not sufficient;,
anclAaltiog for granted that this statement was correct.he
*add, of course, feet himself bound to defer to the doe-
Wyse as it was laid down. But though concurring with
bit Noble and Learned Fiieod in this, it did not at all
fellow that he should agree to the motion he had then
made. He would accordingly give his negative to the
present motion; and-suggest that, unless their Lordships
proposed at once to adopt the amendment, the discus-
aim upon it should he postponed to the third reading.
Tbssy might, in the mean rime, occupy themselves in
getting through the other clauses, that all the progress
peasihk might be bade.
The Earl of FALMOUTH remarked, that if the
Right Hon. Gentleman. who was supposed to have
framed that Declaration, did really wish to show his
attachment to the Chnich of England, and his hostility
to Emancipation, he'Must gives better proof of it than
be had done in.that Deelaratioo.
The Earl of-ELDON said, that without pretending
to know who the individual that framed that Declare-
Con might be, he would still express his belief that it
had been dune with the best intentions.. But he could,
not see what there was in the Bill to pleylude the neces-j
sity of their_passing a Bill of Indemnity from year; to.
year. He wished that, is additions, to throquhs of
Allegiance and Somatic,, that the short, rilsration
in t orrtatiOn Act. and the loner rigs to the Test
Atm sireld kg, eMbodied in the Bill ; $4. that the,
4,ggAtino should bp,iiken with the atiditina'that thei
grim eras hotestarst., He iesiaipir, did objjxt p),
disie r* ". °asvary sAallts/ say., ii'wheye* et it
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it was merely recited, that whereas in the reign of