Star.
London, England, 1821-03-01 00:00:00

FALL OF MURAT.

Lord CASTLEREAG II said, that having been asked on a
former night if any accredited Agent of the British Govern-I
meat sanctioned, by his presence, the military trial and exe-
cution of Murat, he had answered by declaring, that he had
never heard the report before. Having thought it his duty to
make further inquiries upon the subject, he would lay the result
of them before the House. His Lordship then read an extract
of a letter from Sir W. A'Court, in which that Minister stated,
that no British Agent was present upon the Council of War
which was held to determine the fate of Murat, and that his
death was the same exactly as that which be had previously
destined for the adherents of King Ferdinand, as appeared by
the Proclamation found on his person; so that the House would
see that there was a complete negative given to the assertion
upon which the Hon. General had founded his question.
Sir ROBERT WILSON said, that the explanation was sa-
tisfactory so far as it went; but the Report to which he had
advlrted stated, that a British Agent was present at the Cotocil which sent Murat to a military trial and execution. His
question, therefore, referred to the Council at Naples, not to
the Council of War.

Lord CASTLEREAGH said, he could give a still more de-
cisive negative to that assertion. He had no hesitation in de-
claring, that it was utterly destitute of every colour of truth.
CATHOLIC CLAIMS.

Mr.WODEHOUSE presented a Petition from the
Clergy of Norwich against the Catholic Claims.
A similar Petition was presented from Exeter,
Ordered to be printed.
Dlr. R. FITZGIBI3ON presented a Petition from
the Catholics of the County and City of Limerick,'
praying restoration to their Constitutional privileges.
Mr. S. RICE supported the Petition. It was upon
the ground of justice. that he formed his opixion
that the Roman Catholics were entitled to the full
benefit of their rights. They had shewn by their
patience that they were deserving of those privileges
which had been so long unjustly denied them. He
would vote for going into a Committee on this ques-
tion, but he would do so with a perfect disposition'
to secure the rights of the Protestant Church, which,
in his opinion, could not be better guarded than by
adopting a liberal and generous principle of policy
towards so large a portion of the community.—The
Petition was ordered to be printed.
Mr. WILDMAN presented a Petition against the
Roman Catholic Claims from the Borough of Col-
chester.—Ordered to be printed.
Lord R. MANNERS presented a similar Petition
from certain Freeholders of the County of Leicester.
Mr.CALCRAFT asked if this Petition was agreed
to at a County Meeting ?
Lord R. MANNERS said he did not know; it
was delivered to him last year—( Hear, hear).
Mr. CALCRAFT repeated this explanation, which
lie considered an extraordinary one.
Mr. NOLAN presented a similar Petition from
Nottingham. The Hon. and Learned Member stated
that he did not concur in the sentiments of these
Petitioners.—Laid on the table.

Mr. HARVEY presented a similar Petition from
the Clergy and certain Inhabitants of the Colchester
Division of Essex.—Laid on the table.

It n•as observed that the Clerk read only the Peti-
tions against the Catholic Claims ;—the others he
passed over.

Sir J. MACKINTOSH supported the Catholic
Claims. He was not surprised that the Roman Ca-
tholics had, year after year, :petitioned Parliament
for redress of their grievances, and he hoped they
would continue to do so until their prayers were ob-
tained. Nothing could have been mole untruly re-
presented than the principles of the Revolution, as
they were stated in this Petition. The Petitioners I
took it upoa themselves to say, that those prin-
ciples by which the liberties of Ragland were secured
were principles of intolerance. It was a violent mis-
representation of the fact, and a slander upon the
character of King William—(Hear, hear).
Sir T. LEf lIBRIDGE presented a similar Peti-
tion from 'Bruton, in Somerset. He agreed in the
sentiments of the Petitioners. If a Committee should'
be gone into, he had no doubt it would turn out to
be a delusion, because he could conceive no see,urity
for the Protestant Church which could satisfy a rigid
Catholic—(Hear, hear).