Star.
London, England, 1817-05-17 00:00:00

c„, to go, into a Comtisittie:in araeistimek.for some
r,115 which it ?nigh: he well to adopt. The measure
wcr ?!.men•lett .could not be ventured neon without
mfunciatioental change in ;dr •sststisW ; arid
, eh .1 change he was Aut .pigparech .
to press :•e the Constitution, and to-kegii. the
-1:; We' on ihr rock which it had. been placed by the
4,;^n, and Item which •hetruiterfp in Goo, it'
• ...eel be eispl.ictid. •
GI:1:,Y said, however exhausted the House
• tre.t :::t. subject might. lie, after the several,;,:ci,:st I (LT.:tent I\l-obl:.! Lords who had . pre-
v ;; this subject; he lrli he' could not re-
oriie it to ;,!r tself to give a silent vote upon that'
veo qriestion, ie auppori oT 'which.
juj ,:n.tys felt equally interested and, equally.
loves,. 'these observations should be.but few, and
math :,5 a record of his zeal and earnestness
iiinilrted, in his humble opinion,by ink
th: it:vest principles, but the soundest policy.
710.;, L.,,:tisltips had not this evening: been -wearied
cet wifit .1 recapitulation of those objectionable te:tets
Catholic religion, such as their being absolved
]stn the necessity of keeping any faith withiberetici,
sad tho.e other monstrous doctrines; which, he
a nod f., nbserve. on other occasions, bad formed
ec.msidvrable a proportion of the topics of objection
gout granting the Catho!ies.those privileges and
they sought in The petition now before
*fir Lordships ; but though lie had not heard those
ors, which he hoped were now for ever coniittned
punted oblivion, he had felt much pain and sur.
by !he course of argument pursued by a Noble
prise •
Lor,: and Right Reverend Prelate who had preceded
4tri in the debate. They had made no objection,
ru;, vi an extraordinary nature, to the demands of
i)eir Catholic fellow.countryrnen. What I was it at
to period of general information and general rea-
r:wig habits, that the House of British Peers was to
racoon the monstrous idea that the Protestant yell-
,
I'lll an nu: such a religion as might, with safety,
pat to the Catholics that power a Catholic Govern-
rent had thought it expedient to grant to a• Pro-
t:11:ot be.tly under similar circumstances ?—(Hear.)
::at! should it be listened to with any degree of
ritocr, that though a Catholic State could grant
ortylete toleration, nay more, an equality of rights
ad privileges to the Protestant, we corld not, from
de I:ature of our religion, act .squally generous to
Catholic He thought, and until this evening
to 11.41 never heard any thing to shake his cotiiietion,
.::tt it our religion differed in any thing irons the
relieiou, it was in thelitieFality of. its doe-
sees and of its Professors—(Rear, •hear)...-It had
Teen stated, that -when the Greet Duke of Guise fell
ly the land of the assaisin; 'hi the time of rho reli-
pcus divutes in Fr-mlo;4li* the Feign of the
asel.st enemy of the Reformed Church, be exclaim-
ed to his assassins—
!L Mark now the difference 'twist yoitr faith and niine '
" Your's prompts to dteds of violent:, and blooll • •

" Aitt mine to deeds of mercy and forgivenessrl •
(Harr, Hear. )—A sentiment in itself so• noble, that
introduced into oile of our best.theattical
pie..., the play of Tamerlane, with, the mostmenea al
approsation. Was that House then to be told. some
centuries after, that the Protestant. religion. Wis,sfrom
its name. incapable of doing a liberal or a beuetieent
actiaii.—incapable of granting to their Catholic fel-
low subjects the free exercise of their religion, and
the full enjoyment of their-civil privileges and rights?
—(Hear, hear).—The question befere,the House was,
shether.their Lordships should gir into a•Comiiiittee
:a viusider the state of the 14404 retail-re to their Ca-
tholic ter ow subjects ? They first should 'decide,' as
aught undoubtedly to be first decided in altiestiOn of
this importance, whether the ladrs,,as they at present
toed, imposed upon that class of' his Majesty's sub-
jects restrictions front' the effect of 'which that body
ought to be reliesied. It had been ;aid, that nothing
lad been pointed out which it
,was incumbent on
Parliament to change or medify--(Jhae,.. hear).—
Was it necessary to recapitulate those enactments,
which must ever be considered, whilst they remained
is it, to be the disgiace of our Statute Book 3 He.
could never admit thatan exclusion from power was
toleration; it was a denial of rights,.whicb ought to
he open to all subjects of this realm, indiscriminately.
lie was of opinion, that all such exclusion; if not ins.
teed by a paramount state necessity, was unjust, and
destitute of all support. upon equitable principle.
What answer ,could possibly be given to such a state-
ment? Perhaps it would be said, this was a Govern.
meat essentially Protestant, any that itvias impossible
to concede hat was asked, withast subverting the'
tondamental principles of the British Constitution, as
tettled at the Revolution. He must reply, that the
rinciples of that Monarch (William the Third) who
had so justly been applauded and eulogised from the
opposite Bench, for his principles of goverdnient as
veil as conduct in the field, were completely in fa-
vour of general toleration ; if he were'prevented from,
Pitting them into execution, it was not his fault.
What had been adduced from Mr. Locke, as autho-
rity for the continuance of the exclusion of Catholics
from the full benefits• of the Constitutioe., was no
longer applicable: the great point of Objection with
r..
Was, that as they were, by their religious tenets,
hound in allegiance, and firmly connected tsith the:
rattily iif the Stuarts, who contended for the Crown,
they never could be considered stable or firm ad.
h"eatS of a Protestant King or Protestant Govern-
This bugbear bad ceased to exist, and in
'..it point 01 view there was no reason to suspect the
Catholic would not be a true and liege subject to
the family now on the Throne—(Hear, hear.)—
.Noting had been stated from the opposite Bench,
bet an apprehension of a vague and indeterminate
!auger. The Noble Earl at the head of his Majesty's
Usaernment had argued, that if the Catholics were
kdmitte‘d to the full enjoyment of the tights conten.
c 4 for, it would be no longer in our power to secure
Protestant Parliament. He would ask, were it now
Church • Parliament ? Were not the Protestant
"fetchers returned by Catholic. constituents, and must
tie; not be cinsidered to sit in the House of .Com.
!Ilona: representing Catholic interests ? He had
ever heard until this night, that those who were in
itlat lowest and last stage of national degradation,-
tnulling from i surrender of rights, influence, and
authority, of which they had once just reason to be.
rood, ought to consider it a source of consolation,
the midst of other distressing recollections, that
they.r sail retained the names, forms, and symbols of.
wut I:2Le of happiness and liberty they. once pot-i
1410;4 (Hear hear.) They -had been cquaidted
but.might6be te ctsel perhaps, that !Mb thitj