Star.
London, England, 1819-03-05 00:00:00

should be

Lord biOt that
, various dis-
cussions which the Catholic Claims had at different
'times undergone, and after the long, able, and power-
ful statement by his Noble Friend this night, it would
not be requisite for him to add another word, but
that, he wished to take this opportunity of expressing
his approbation of the uniform conduct pursued by
the Roman. Catholics. The language of the Petition
now presented to the House, was, he understood,
plain and simple ; he was informed that it did not
enter into a detail of the Petitioners grievances, nor
into a profession of their loyalty, for to do so he be-
lieved was not requisite.
Dr. PHILLIMORE thought that the subject of
the Petition was so important, that notwithstanding
what had been said by his Noble Friend, he hoped
he might be permitted to add a few words. The'
names subscribed to the Petition now before the
iirse were many of them identified with the most
brilliant period of our history by their achievements
in war and their counsels in peace. Although the
descendants of these great men were not at present
allowed by the laws to be equally distinguished, yet
in times of turbulence and danger they had pursued
a uniform attachment to the Constitutioa both in
Church and State. He wished that every one who
opposed the Catholic claims would read the history
of the times when the laws against them originated.
'The cause which produced these laws having ceased
the effect also should cease. The necessity for them
having ceased, they ought to be removed. It would
become Parliament in time of peace to recompence
that class of citizens which had faithfully supported
the country in the time of its greatest danger.—The
Petition was then read.

that Parha-
their duty to
tends to irri-
some ne.
Of the most

Mr. W. SMITH said, he should be the last man
in the House to offer any thing like opposition-to the
reception, of this Petition, the prayer of which he
hoped would be granted to the fullest extent ; but he
had felt himself called on by what had fallen from
the Learned Gentleman, to correct a statement made
by him, namely, that these petitioners were the only
class of people in this kingdom labouring under
these or similar disabilities in consequence of their
non-conformity in religious doctrines or opinion..—
'This, however, was not the case ; for Dissenters, of
which persuasion he himself was, had for many years
Nen subject to the Test and Corporation Acts, and
hence were equally subjected to these disabilities aqd
the obloquy attending them. He was as incapable
of holding any civil or ecclesiastical situation as any
Roman Catholic ; _the only privilege persons of his
persuasion enjoyed which Roman Catholics did not,
was that of being capable of sitting in that House.—
He wished the Petitioners all the success their appli-
cation to Parliament merited. •

The Petition was laid on the table.
DEFAULTERS.

The Scutum •T Aims informed the House, that pursuant
to the orders of the Stamm, he had taken luck, custody Mr. T.
Loso Witutatee and Ms. LAWSOX, in consequence of their
being returned absent when their names were called oval. on
Friday last.—(A laugh.)
Mr. CANNING rose, and tnoved they should be discharged
out of the custody of the Serjeant on payment of their fees
which.motion was immediately agreed to.

LATE WAR IN INDIA.-VOTIC OF THANKS.
Mr. CANNING.— 4, Sir, in rising, pursuant t a
notice given some time since, of my intention to pro.
pose to the House a Vote of Acknowledgment for
the gallant and splendid services rendered to their
country by the Marquis of Hastings, the Officers and
Troops under his command, during the late Cam-
paign in India, I wish the House mfectly to under-
stand, that this vote of acknowleent is proposed
merely as a tribute to the military conduct displayedmed
in that campaign, and not in any wise touching up-
on, much less sanctioning the policy; which dictated
that war. I feel it necessary the more emphatically
to state this in the same way, and for the same rea-
son, that I was particularly desirous the papers laid
before this House, by order of the Prince Regent,
should be some length of time in the possession of
Members, so as to enable them to come to the vote
altogether freed from any apprehension that there
might be involved in it any distinct approbation of
thesolicy of the measures pursued during the late
campaign for the safety of the British possessions and
those of oar Allies in India. The object therefore of
the present motion being to acknowledge the conduct
of the army and its gallant officers, and the vote being
intended to recognise only military services, I shall
proceed to state very succinctly the relation in which
the British •Government in India found itself placed
towards different Native Powers of that country ; in
doing so I may be permitted to express my own opi-
nions and sentiments as to the policy of the Measures
adopted by the Governor-General on that Occasion.
I therefore repeat my anxious wish, that the House,
in coming to the vote I shall have the honour ti
propose, may leave out ar.d dismiss from its consi-
deration altogether, the preliminary observations
with which it may be introduced. My reason for this
caution is obvious, and is one of peculiar delicacy. I
well know the habit and impression of the House in
its mode of appreciating successes obtained by our
troops in that quarter of the world. I know well by
erpertlmce that, however uniformly successful our
military operations in India have been, they have not
less uniformly been considered unprovoked. Lcannot
•dieine why opinions of this nature have prevailed so
generally, or .taken such deep root in the minds of
many ; but this I do believe,that iipthis instance, as
well as on former occasions, a case might be made
out as clear for the justice of the British cause, as for
the successful prowess of its arms. In looking at that
vast country, which had become in later years the
arena of the most splendid successes recorded in his-
' tory, and in which our possessions originally con-
sisted only of a simple factory for purposes of trade,
but which had, by successive additions, swelled to
the size ofour present immense empire, containing a
surface of a million of square miles, and nearly one
hundred millions of inhabitants,' the greater part of
whom were either actually under the British audio-
tit', or connected with as by close alliances, it is not
,certainly.to be misdeed at, however it may be iv-
reek% Aut. preitikke, aboaki.have arisen' ageing
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tars whom he represented were not able to bear cessity, for its existence, and that necessity of th
mesent Taxes, and conmquently very incapable imperious nature—Wear, hear).
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