Star.
London, England, 1829-02-27 00:00:00

Mr. HART DAVIS—I Mow se seell Wag.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL bad seen stated in the
Bristol newspapers the names of several boys who had
signed the petitioo. Was that not a ground of inquiry?
What was the question at issue? Not the taking away
the rights of any Protestant ; nor was it proposed to
touch the property of the Church or the privileges of
the Clergy ; but simply whether Catholics should he
admitted to the enjoyment of the Constitution c3nsis.
tendy with-the safety. of our establi.husents. All the
great geniuses of the past age, Burke. Pitt. Fox,Wyad.
ham, &c. had concurred in opinion with the most easi
neht Statesmen of the prevent day, that the claims of
the Catholics ought to be attended to.
Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE begged leave to say
a few words. He declared be was always ready to do
ample justice to the motives of the Noble Lord and hie
Honourable Friends; but be must say that on one or
two occasions they had attempted to cut down the ad
pression of public opinion when in favour of that side
of the question to which they were opposed. IS boys'
under ten years of age bad been permitted to sip the
petition presented this evening by the Hon. Member far
Wad, be perfectly agreed with the Noble Lord, that
it was an absurd act, incapable of justification. Bet
the House had heard the Hon. Member for Bristol did
dare, that be did not khow that any such signatures
had been permitted. Under any circumstances k was
not very credible, at least be (Sir T. Lethbridge) dill not
believe that the practice couldhave Wes carded to any
extent. But even if a few boys had been allowed to sign
the Petition, of what importance was that, as competed
with the great fact, that the petition had been signed by
98,894, persons? Of that somber the incalculably
greaterisottion.must have been legitimate signatures.
Mr. BRIGHT said the Petition contained the names
of many perioos as well educated as soy Members of
that House, and it was *ls, signed by the middle and
lower classes, who judged by their feelings hew**
knowledge of the past—(Hear). When Members ease
to that House it was not namely as the representatives
of the Learned and the great. but of the common people
also—(Hear). And they were bound to pay weaves
to their imerests-and their feelings—(Hear). The pre,
sent Petition be declared in his conscience e
Amen the unanimous opinion of the people of
The counter Petition was signed by respectable persoes#
but not near so netnernes as thit now presented.
Mr. OTWAY CAVE said the converts. to Catholic
Emancipation had been deemed miraculous; but the
converts to universal suffrage were still more extra..
ordinary. He had a letter from Bristol which stated
that the Petition had been sent to the gaol for sigma-
tams, and received forty.srren signatures of malefutere
in prison-4 Hear).
Lord MMTON said he did not mean te deny that
the feelings of the people of Bristol and the west of
England were adverse to the measure of Catiltilia
Emancipation, which be attributed to the seagloway
conduct of a Catholic tyrant in that coastry. . Pall.
were three classes of opinion on this pigsties—those i•
favour of it, those opposed to it, and the indifferent—
and he was confident that any two of them joined to•
gether would greatly outnumber the third. He bad n
Petition from Halifax is favour of the =Were, signed
by 9.000 persons.
Mr. BROUGHAM bad received many '
statements
on the subject of the present. petition, but he did not
think fit to repeat them, as it was net tight.. isrlth
opinion, to examine too setepulously into the manor it
which a couple of hundred additional names may havd
been procured to a petition. He admitted that the pi,
titian tormented the feelings, if not the "ideas, of the
inhabitants of Bristol ; and if such a petition bad come
from Sheffield. or Birmingham, or Manchester, be would
willingly take it for the expression of the opinions tithe
inhabitants of these towns; but no such petition bed
come from these places, aor would comet be was sure.'
Mr. BRIGHT might have admitted, in the beat of
debate, that the petition eontained double signatures i
but he certainly did not know that each was the fact.
The Marquis of CHANDOE ted Petition
frees dee fillowig 'ben t to the Cabello+
keel littlegkeenaj ;sDahl item the hameenste of Okege*/
fm. as Mar e% Welbeltiod : the of leaseatee ; 00
patio bubo coven ef Dephish ; a In the deem of lieo
sew: AIM, Saks ; I. Peter's, W ; St. Asses, Serb /
a4erd
a perkh k Oxford; Road, Bab; Clergy at the dues!
of Moho ; the Cent of the of Wycombe; Own '
Wen*. moo; Clergy of xOM. sobs prated.
blr. C. N. PALLMER presented two Petitions hem
Cobham, and a Parish in Surrey, against any farther
concession to the Catholics. The Petitioners armed
their regret that Government should now yield to fear
what they would not previously yield to reason; and
they urged that the measure of emancipation ought,"
to be conceded to the tranquillity of Ireland, ask equally
the Government to consider the trawling
of England.
Mai ENRY MAXWELL presented ',titian ISOM
.he Catholic Claims from the Protestants of Lovghelll,

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