Star.
London, England, 1816-06-26 00:00:00

^L,
Per

CATHOLIC SVMECTS.

Sr JOHN COX lill'elSLEY, in laying before
the House the Report of the Committee appointed
to inquire into the measures adopted by different
States, in order to reg.:ate the connection between
Sce of Rome an.'. Catholic subjects, con-
ceived that that Repot c could not butt be attended
with the most beneficial eflccts in Ireland. Those
wlto had endeavoured to int:dead the Catholics of
Ireland this subject had unfortunately been hitherto
but too successful. It would be seen, that in the
States which colistitived the great mass of the poPti-
l.tion of Luvepei the Crown, directly 'Or indirectly,
xarcisad an influence in the appointment of Catholic
liaops. In the election by Chapters, there was no
justayce in which the Crown did not ,exercise an in-
fluence. The practice which prevailed in Ireland
was well known to differ from what generally pre-
vailed both in Catholic and Protestant States.

Mr. CANNING was desirous of taking the pre-
sent opportuvity of saying a few words, respecting
the course taken by the Honourable Baronet. Having
been one of a great majority, which on a former oc-
casion pr vented the purpose of the Honottrasle bd.
ronet from being carried into execution, he was de-
Isirous of chewing the difference which existed between
that period and the present. Then themeasure pr,o
posed would have had the effect of impeding the
progress of; Bill before the House ; and rather than
delay a Bill of such consequence in its progress, Le
had.no hesitation in declining the information which
"the Honourable Baronet had it in his power to give.
But on the present occasion, the Honourable Baronet
could not have a warmer supporter than himself;
nor had he the least hesitation in saying farther, that
the information contained in the Report wak neces-
sary to the having the question fully understood ;
and it ought to be fully understood before it was
carried. For deeply. as they were all interested in
the final settlement of the question, that settlement
could only be valuable in so far as it was founded on
the firm conviction and cordial assent of all parties. ;
The Catholics of Ireland had not only objected to the
modifications and conditions which the House might
wish to annex to the boon sought for by the Catho-
lics ; but it had been argued by them, that the pro.
posing such conditions was a singular proceeding in
this country, and that Catholics were subjected to
no such conditions in no other country on earth.
This erroneous belief was but too often' accompanied
by another, that no two religions could exist together
in perfect tolerance and harmony. He was anxious
that this question should be now finally settled, not
on the romantic notion, that with it every feeling of
animosity would at the same time be settled ; but
because he believed that the question was one, with.
out the settlement of which no .other evil could be
radically cured ; it was not only an evil in itself, but
it was made the pretext for many more, and it ag-
gravated them all; and the settlement of the ques-
tion must be the introduction to and accompaniment
of every measure leading to the perfect tranquilliza-
tion of Ireland—(Hear, hear).—The documents ap-
pended to the Report, would *hew that the conditions
which had been proposed In this country; fell far
short of what every other country, whether Catholic
or Protestant, thought it necessary to adopt for its
safety. It had happened to him to be a few weeks
ago in a. part of Europe, stated in many publications
which he had read to contain the seeds of hitter per-
secution of the Protestants, on the part of the Ca.
audio. He found no marks of the existence of any
such persecution; but he had found what was so little
known in this country, that Protestibts were not only
tolerated, but in every respect on an equal footing
with their Catholic fellow-subjects, and even seemed
to have more than their proportion of honours and
employment. He alluded to the department of the
Giroade, which contained a population of 514,000,
of whom the Protestants amounted to 30,000, or
one seventeenth of the whole. Of the seven Members
of the Chamber of Deputies, returned, by. the De-
partment, one was a Protestant. Of the five. Coun-
cillors of the Prefecture, one also was a Protestant.
Of 21, Members of the Municipal Administrations,
five were Protestants. In another Council at Bour-
deaux, seven were Protestants. In a procession
which took place • while he was at Bourdeaux, the
Archbishop of Bourdeaux was first in order, and he
Was immediately followed by a Protestaot Clergyman.
The banker to whom he had been recommended, had
received a patent of noblesse from the present Go-
vernment ; and of four other patents bestowed in the
Department since the accession of the Government
in question, three were to Protestants, and not to
Catholics. All this existed without creating 'any
convulsion, or subjecting the Protestants to any in
human perateutionk It might indeed be said, that