Star.
London, England, 1828-02-27 00:00:00

four Petitions ; in 1825, on ie; in 1826, one; n l
and 1823. there was not one; and it was not till th
year 1827 that Petitions in any great number l'iad beet?
presented to the House. It was said, that tests were
not necessary as a qualificati n to office, taut even in
the relent discussion on the Catholic Qu stion, it was
admitted that tl.eir r ligibility should be founded on
their taking some test, rt. offering 56mb Seeutity, before
they obtained so lin,i•ed >i poser. Mr. Grattan con-
sented to it in 1813 ; and the Hnn. Barenet; the Membi r
for Westminster, had consented to a similar measure in
the Bill which he had so lately introduced to the notice
'of the 11,u e.—The Right Hon. Gentleman adverted
to the Bill for the !Wier of the Roman Catholici
broeight in by S r Francis Burdett, and tead the pre-
amble, which stated that the Catholics were to be subject
to the same restriction as the Protestant Dissenters.—
Mr. Canning's opinion on that subject was quite clear.
In 1825. the vestion was raised whether the Roman
Catho is Bill repeal, d the Test and Corporation Acts ?
Mr. Cannin., speaking on the subject, said, " This
Bill is not to equalize the professors of all rellgi Ins in
the State—it is to equalize the rights of all Diseiaers
by the rem val of practical grievances. The Protestant
Dissenters libotir under no real grievance. They ate
admitted t oflice and enjoy other privileges in
mon with members of the Established Church, but
they hold these privilege; sei!iject to the annual Act of
Indemnity, and it the Roman Catholics gain thi,, Bill,
they will hold their ptivileg s on the sante footing
as the Dis enters." Those were the words of Mr. Can-
ning, and the lti:..tht Hon. Gentleman held that it the
Re man Catholic Relief Bill had passed, the Catholics!
would not hive been relieved from tht Test and Corporation Acts.
The Hon. Mendeer hid detcrlbed the political grievances of his own'
country in remarkable terms. In describing the eresent state of '
Scotland with respect to the possession of civil offices the l ion. Gent.
had sa4—" Scothied is exposed to hard penalties, and really the
state of Scotland is th it of the proscription of a whisk nation."--
To deseriba Scntland with reg. rd to civil offices to be in a state of
proacrioion, was ratio ran inflated view of the fact. When the
Repeal of the Teo assn Corp..ration Acts was agitated in 1791,
Sir Gilbert Elliott called upon Parliament to relieve Scotland,
isuffeting, as it was said. tinder those Acts. The two persons who
offered the streogeo opposition to the measure were two Scotchmen,
the Lord Advocate and Lord Melville. They said Scotland had(
no cause for complaint. It was also said that the population of
Scotland on their at rival fis England were subject to the Test Laws,
and that they telt it to be a great hardship arid degradation. The
Right Hon. Secretary observed it was remarkable that the hardship
had not been the subject of Petitions. He bad not beard of a sin.
gle Petition on the subject. The lion. Gentleman said, the people of
Scotland had defended the country at Waterloo—that the Scotch
Greys and the col Regiment had done good service. Who could
.doubt the honour and bravery of the Scotch nation? Whatever
might be the result of the debate, were they to he
_deprived of the
services of Scott:mil ? lite argument used by the lion. Member
in that sense would have no weight. Why gid net the observa-
tions of the llouottrahle Gentleman apply to the great offices of
the State ? Three out of seventeeu Members composing the
Cabinet were Dissenters or Presbyterians, There was not a
heart that beat fur the welfare and pro-perity of Scotland with
more fervour than his own. She had not an individual more
anxious for her happiness than the individual who addressed the
House. A Noble Lord had raid they were often disposed to
look down It. m Protestant eletovion upon the Dissenters, and
that they were too apt to forget that the honour of being a mem
bee of a 4 orporacion was considered by some as much as the
honour of a seat in that House. Nothing could be more natural
thau the. desire to obtain muiticip:l honours, and lie did not know
that the Protestant Dissenters were excluded front those honours
—(Hear.) The Right Honourable Secretary appealed to an
I lotiourahle Alderman, whether it was nee the practice to admit
to office Aldermen and Chiet Magistrates who were Dissenters?
and (Atari ved that hit impression had been, that the right of in-
quiry respecting the Sacrament, as necessary to qualify persons for
etfices. was not generally exercised. lle had just hten informed by
an Hoy. Member who filled the office of Sheriff, that the highest
municipal office in the City of London had been hlled by a Protes-
tam Dissenter. On the question more immediatelybefore the House,
he should say, it was imposaarle to fore-ee what the effect of the
rep..ai would be. Width) the lac. forty years the re had been as little
at religious discord iti the country as at any former period. A
accent change its opiniona must have occurred. An I ton. Alderman
had said thirty nitre- years ago ii a more than •is or seven persons
appeared in favour of the repeal of the Test Lows. On the ques-
tion baying been agitated eat a late occasion in Guildhall, two
only appeared her those Laws. The repeal of those Laws
might di-tutb the quietude, peace, and good will, which had so
long prevailed. 'the Test and Cot potation Laws gave the Esta-
blialied Chutch a predominant superidi ity, and if that Established
Church was to be maititaitied, they could not have a better mode of
showing superiority. Ile was sorry the question had been agitated,
and lie assured the Noble Lord, that if the simian koold be lust
.hia itching would be very implcaaatit. arising front a knowledge that
disappointment must be felt by a body of men whom he held lii the
highest esteem.
iIsoUGHAW, Sir FRANCIS Be ItOrrt, Mr. D. W. HILIVISV.
and Sir T.l). Acasan, rose at the same time. There were loud
calla for Mr. BIIIIUGHASSI continued for seine time, so as-to prevent
any other Member from, being heard.
Sir T. ACLAND at iength add.essed the Howe.—
Ile said he would not have trespassed on the House had he nut been
conviiiced that he would live nu chance of being heard after his
Houourable and Lao-tied Friend. Ile was anxious to make what
suggestions he had to advance-, how that the House was it: temper
to hear them, atter tie cone:that.; y tote of his Right Honourable
Fele: d's speech. TI-ere was one reflection growing out of all that
had passed; it was this—that there was tar less aiffereece between
the parties than was imagined. His Right linoourable Friend,
whom he was, he suppmea, to regard its the chits opponent of the
Dissenter's, had frequently pressed it upon their attrtalott that there
was tie practical grievance for the Dissenters to complain ot, oil the
one hand, and that the Church bad no practical benefit to boast of
on the other. Then the question was, on which side should the
indulgence- be granted? If the Church bad not a substantial benefit
it was out worth keeping ;cer tainly not when it excited the jealousy
and discontent ut others.—(Cheers.)—But did this apply to the
other side? WAS it the rate with a grievance that was not sub-
stantial? Such was the cut stitution of our nature, that he believed
it must be admitted a grievance was not the less a grievance because
it was itot a substantial ona,—(l.oud cheers)—and he should ad-
duce his Honourable Friend near hint (Mr. Ferguson) as a proof
to his Right Honourable Frieni (Mr. Peel) of the truth of that
maxim—(ttar, bear.)— Ilia opinion on the Catholic Question had
always been the same, and ft bad been somewhat different from
that of the friends of religious liberty in general—his opinion had
always been to give to all religious sects such liberty as we. practi-
cal and consistent with safety. Farther than that he would not go.
And as he then had caught the eye en his Right Honorable Friend,
the Secretary for the Colonies, he would tell hint that the success
of this motion co-night would tend greatly to strengthen the ground
upon which the Catholics stood.—(laud cheers.)-111. Right
litmourable Friend ( Mr. Peel) had made it an argument agah:st
the Dissentets, that for the tact ten years they had nut pressed their
claims. But he tie led not te.l his Right Honourable Friend that
at was the practice of wise men to press their suit at such times as
they might have reasonable hope. of being listened to.—(Hears)—
So the Diesenters had been silent for the time he had mem ioned,
but having remained quiet for ten years, and now, upon their own
views of their own interests, having marshalled themselves. and
come forward in steer gth to demand their rights, what did his
Right Honourable Friend expect would he their feelings for the
next ten years it they were rejected this night ?—(l.ouil clieethig.)
—lie could assure his Right Honourable Friend, and lie spoke
from a foreknowledge of the workings of the human character, and
front that only, that if it was petitions alone that lie wanted to con-
'ince him that the Dissenters war alive to their interests, lie should
not lack that proof.—(Cuntinued elteers.j—Let hint 'met the forth-
coming claims of this body by anticipation. lie hailed, as the dawn
of better days, the very temperate spee eh which his Right Hon.
Friend had made on this subject. Ile (Sir T. I). Acbiid) never
had to qualify for Office but once, and then it was for the office of
Magistrate, and he confessed that his feelings on approaching the
table at which he was to bold spiritual communion as a creature
whh his Creator, for earthly and secular 'imposes, bad retained a
mastery over his mind ever since, and given a decided stamp to big
objections to sects tyrannical and undue exercise of authority. His
Right Honourable 1-riend had told them that there were Dissenters
in the Cabinet, and that a late Lord Mayor of London had been a
respectable Dissenter. All that he saw in these facti was, a new
instance of the minecessary degradation to which these individuals
bad been subjected on account of their religious sentiments, and the
only atonement that can be made to them is, to relieve their suc-
ceiors from such a necessity. He had a proposition to make to his
Bight Honourable Friend, with a view to the settlemeut of the
whole question before the House, and if he would agree to it, be
promised him he should have la le cause to complain. His proposal
was, that instead of renewing the Indemnity Act nest month, fur
the usual term of one year, his Right Honourable Friend should
pint the Dissenter's suspension from the operatioti of these laws