Star.
London, England, 1829-02-17 00:00:00

Lord COLCHESTER said, in presenting a petition
against the Catholic clainsi, he was desirous of stating
to their Lordships that, ehatever measures had been
adopted by the Ministers of the Crown, and notwith-
standing the change that bad taken place is the senti-
ments of his Majesty's Government, upon the great and
important political question so often discussed in their
Lordships House, hi. opinion and his principles re-
mained unchanged and unalterable; nor could he ever
consent to such a measure, although introduced by his
Majesty's Ministers, and corning. as it did. from the,
Thr'ne. He begged to say, that the gratitude of the
nation was justly due to the Noble Duke at the head of
his Majesty's Government. for the great and memora-
ble services he had formerly rendeted to his country.
notwithstanding that he was now likely to extinguish
or impair that gratitude. He thought that he should
have found a friend io the Noble Duke—an uncompro-
mising defeuder of the Constitution, as settled end es-
tablished at the revolution of 1688; bin be was disap-
pointed His Majesty's Speech. as explained by his
Majesty's Ministers. to recommend the admission of
Roman Catholics into the British Parliament, tended,
in his opinion, decidedly to overturn the Protestant
Constitution as established at that glorious revolution,
and to shake the stability of the House of Brunswick,
whose succession to the throne of these realms might
then be disputed by another. the House of Savoy. It
was for these reasons that he should feel it his duty to
oppose, by every means in his power, the measure which
they would shortly be called upou to consider. He
thought that it would not have been inconsistent with
the forms of Parliament if the Noble Duke at the
head of his Majesty's Government had, on the first
day of the Session, entered into a statement of the
general outline of the proposed measure, and of those
securities that were contemplated as a protection to the
Protestant interest of the country s and it appeared to,
him that it would have been better had his Majesty's
Ministers thought fit to wait until they could afford
some tangible statement of it. He hoped. however,
that he might now be permitted to ask the Noble Duke
whether it was intended that the whole measure—that
was, the concessions and securities together—should be
incorporated in one Bill, or whether each was to be pro.
posed in a separate form? He hoped the Noble Duke
would not object to answer this question, and that he
might be also permitted to ask whether it was in that
or the other House of Parliament the measure was to
originate ? Some were of opinion that the question
should be decided during the present Parliamentary
year; but he professed to agree with those Noble Lords
who thought that when the annual money Bill was dis-
posed of, which would necessarily take place in three
or four weeks. his Majesty should then be advised to
dissolve the present Parliame it and call for another, in
'order that they might obtain, in the fullest manner pos.
sable, the sense and wishes if the people, who should
thus be afforded an opportunity of sending their repre-
sentatives to Parliament to decide, with the nation's
voice, upon a question of such paramount importance
to the State. The country would in that case be content.
—He hoped, however, before the question came on
for discussion, Parliament would give the matter all
that due consideration which its importance called for,
and come to chit conclusion which it appeared to him
the only one that could secure saley and protection to
the State. He had taken the liberty of making those
,remarks because he felt that the neceuity of the occa-
sion demanded them, and he hoped that the Noble
Duke would not deem it unnecessary to answer his in-
quiry as to the mode contemplated for bringing the
subject before Parliament, and whether it was intended
that the measure of concession and security were to be
introduced in one Bill or separately. The Noble Lord
then presented a Petition from the Archbishop and
Clergy of the diocese of Dublin against granting fur-
ther concessions to Lb* Roman Catholics.—Ordeted to
lie on the table.

The Duke of WELLINGTON said. on the first day
of the present Session he had the honour of presenting
to their Lordships the general purport of the measure
proposed. and which be then declared he had received
his Majesty's authority for bringing into Parliament.
He should therefore beg leave to decline going. any
(slither at present iato the question—(Hear, hear)—or
of describing. Upon the present occasion. what these
measures were to be; or of replying to the inquiry.
whether the measure was to be proposed in one or two
Bills or which of the two Houses of Parliament it