Star.
London, England, 1829-03-06 00:00:00

(Hear, hear). If discontent arises-if there be'sOmething in the
Roman Catholic religion which cantiot be satisfied—if there is
something so intolerant that the battle must be fought—l say, W,
see shall meet on very different grounds; the conteerwill be of a
• .different tiatuna-me shall fight the..battle to much greater *deem,
' cage. , Sir, me shall have a .greatefotrength to enter the' contest,
and that contest under sticheircumstances must be Actotione,bt the
feeling of the public asdemoostrated by the•petitions ptesented to'
the Horne.. Ili them I see a rock.of liberty which noesower 'caul
upset—l stein this measure that we may rest unwed of the sup-
port of every free man--of every Government--and under every
dime. The Right Hod. Gentleman then' moved that the House
resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to
.take into
consideration the laws affecting his -Majesty's Romin Catholic
tubjects. '
A greet number of *Members left the Haile iminedlately on his
sitting down.
The question baying been put,
Mr. BANKER rose to address the l'tonse, but the
confusion which prevailed in the House rendered the greeter per.
Lion of his observations inaudible. The Right Honourable Mover
bad called upon those who opposed him id answer the position that
things could not be permitted to remain in their present state.
With that answer be was furnished by the speeches of the Right
Himoureble Gentleman' himself, during the last ten or fifteen years.
• This wee a day of triumph for the Catholic Association, but one
of humiliation for those who, like himself, were attached to the
Protestant FataMiehments ollatbe country. he then referred to
the conduct of the Government it respett to the Act ofi 525, and
contended that it they were honest in the conviction of its neceesitc
they wetw bound to have. come down to Parliament for other
falters. The question was a mixed one, religious and political,
and the Constitution prevented its separation. He saw great clin-
ger In the-admission of Catholics to both • Houses of Parliament,
end that was now the question. Upon that, ground he would take
his stand, and options the measure to the utmost of his power.
Mr. O'NEILL addressed she House against the Mo..
ken' and quoted from former speeches of Mr. Peel and the Duke
of Wellington, passive setting forth in the strongest light the dan-
ger of conceding to the Catholics, and showing that the lisevitable
consequence of such, s step MUD lead to the subversioin of the
Established Church. He had itched nothing which junibed. the
, dotage in the Right lion.Reesesary's principles, or which proved
that these dangerous measures were likely to have the effect of
tranquillising Ireland. On the cemetery, the last tuidatiortiof that
Catholic Association were directly in• the teeth of the Govern-
112 CD% and be must therefore congratulate them upon having brought
forward a measure to create an instantaneous rising -in Ireland.—
The' Hon. Manisa contended by observing, that the attempts of
his Majesty's Government to chitin the measure down the throats
of the people might be met by opposition they did not eipects'• • ,
Mr. THANT said, the principles of the Constituthm
were so firmly established in his mitid, that al the eloquence the'
Right Honourable Gentleman had displayed during !our bourse
bad not been able to remove them. The Right Hunourabli 'Geo.
tieman had certainly not made out' a case to 'warrant the awful
change in contemplation. The great pleas of necessity wire a
I divided Cabinet• and ungovernable House of Commons. in 'the
endeavour to prove these points, the Right Honourable ben.
tleman had so bewildered himself, that it was impossible to
make a strong impression en the House. They had b cert. told
the Protestant Church wouhl be protected by securities. His
Majesty, in the Speech, said the Protestant Establishment' was
to be secured._ He asked what were the securities? No Sects.
rity Was offered, and after beating what had been stated that
night, 'he rieeer'would rely on any Minister for securing' time,
Protestant E tablishment. Great dependence might be Pieced
on Roman Catholics by the Right Hon. Otutlenuit, but theft was
a great difference between oaths which formed the foundation of
religious opinions, and those which were to con/Goats good will to
Protestants. He could never admit that the dcdaration propelled
by his Right Hon Friend was at ail likely to contrail Roman Ca-
tholics, whed they took their seats in that House, in suyinestion
which might concern the interest of. their own. Church. 'lle pre.
tended securities were nothing more than' a matter of delusion.—
There was not one of those school-boys "boiled been chatedwith
signing Petitions sent to that House, who would not know that if
Roman Catholics were admitted to Parliament, they would betas
bee to act against Protestant, as they were on a former Decade's.—
, The lion. Member, speaking as a Protestant, would rather give up
the connection with (rased titan admit Roman Catholics to Par-
liament. He could assure the House there was DO diminution of
feeling throughout the country. Hostility to the measure was
strung, and it would ultimately prevaiL
Sir IL INGLIS said, in risnig to deliver his sent.-
menu, his anxiety was increased by finding aU the grounds changed
upon which she question had previously rested. The discussion
bad been introduced 'by his Right Hon. Friend upon new and dia-
dem propositions. It rested nut upon the argemssts urged when
ft was last brought on by an Honourable Baronet (the Member foe;
Westminster), but was bottomed on expediency. It w,u nut to
rest at it formerly did, on tile right of the Roman Catholics to ask,
and the right of Parliamoot to refuse; bat it was said !ardente:it
Must coined,- botany the intenist-of.the public tequired coateasion.
In deviating from the course of former proceedings, the onewity
should be pressing.. It ought to be eapediency approaching to,
Mao:tits Necessity—(Hear). The expediency of the Right lion.
Gentleman wei founded on the state of Ireland, and a statement of
the 'vita of a divided Cabinet. • Upon the presumed dilliceldesot
-lbw Government the Right Honourable Gentleman had -resolved
to bfthlge on the liberty of the' subjectimad the principles of the
Constitution. The fist point to which the Right lion. Gentle-
man drew the attention of House was the state of ,Ireland.'
He had described the state of parties in Ireland to be sods that it
affected all the telethons of social life and the administration of
justice. He begged to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman whether the
evils in Ireland were co-existent with the Catholic Claims? aad
whether the removal of disabilities would remove those effects whkh
he (Sir li. Inglis) believed were not connected with them He ap:
pealed to the Right Hues. Gent. whether in any period ei Irish his
tory there were not found scenes of social misery ? He should con-
tend that the evils of Ireland existed long before the sword of Bag
land wai drawn in Ireland—before England trod upon the sell of
Ireland. Distress and disorder had prevailed in every period of Irish'
Newry: They had displayed their l'esp-of-IYay Beyi, White Boys,
the Bands of Captain Rock, and every description of violence bad
been resorted tu, in order to find out arms. No man had ever before
suggested the suspension of the Constitution as a cure for the evils
of that unfortutiattecountry ; but it was only a suspension of the'
Con stitutiou which the Government recommended ; the proposed
measure involved the total overthrow of the Constitution of 1688,
Tobias had remained unobanged during a century and a halt. No
material atteratioi had been made in the Constitution since the
Revolution. 'ln 1655 it obtained the greatest purity. In order to
make out his case. the 'Right Honourable Gentleman should-have
'proved that the evils in Ireland were greater than st any former
occasion, and that he had applied in vain all the resources in his
hands with a view to the removal of those e%ils. But what.'after
all, were the evils said to te? Some persons amid not get their
wheat cut; another could not get cis hay cut. There were other
evils of a different character, but none to justify such an aiteratiou
of the laws as that proposed by the flight ilonoorable Gentleman.
The second ground" for the adoption of the measure was the divided
state of the Cabinet. Ii had been stated by his Hon. Friend, that
if his Right Hon. Friend bad only professed that he retained
•his opinion,, be might have persuaded his 'colleagues to unite
against further concessions.. Ile certainly thought, the attempt
might have been made. Toe Right ilea . Gentleman asked whe-
ther it were possible to form a Government united agahtn the
question? `His opinion was, that such s Government mightThave'
been formed. He should nor hove ;shed- the Right Heim. ind
Gallant General to change his opinion, because that Right Hun:
and Gallant Officer had always been consistent, but be would ash
the Right Hon.. Secretary whether it would nut have been better
to ask the Ministers to change than to change the Constitution,
against the impression witch be admitted be still felt? The third
grcand of expediency was the evil tubing from the present
state of the Government, end it was urged by the Right Ho-
nourable
,Gcntlemtn that he ale uld have been left in a minority
upon the question. It was rather remarkable that the dresd of
minorities should he so strong, because the fact was, majorities
upon the question of late had been diminishing. Mr Canning's
majority was :29--laet year ft was only six; so that it was plain
inajoiiiies bad diminished. if the Right Honourable Gentleman
' dad used the irifiueoce whicio.belonged to the Minister of the
Crown, and had directed that influence to the bringing forward
talent which was to be found in that Route, it would' not have
bees necessary for the Right Hon. Gentleman to strike Ms odours..
'there would have been encnitt to rally round him; but the Right
Houourable Gentleman had been led away by an idea of evils to
make concessions, whilst thole evils were not of the magnitude
supposed.. He was not one of these who were insensible to the•
horrors of a civil war ; no man could look with pleasure at civil
war; but the Honourable Baronet denied that was the alternative.
There was no appearance of it. When we Consider the van
superiority of toter which the Government of the toontry pea•
sewed, he was the more surprised at the strange determination of
the Government to surrender the Constitution, and Protestant As-
eentkusey. They would have had force enouglet to Out down
Popish Agitators, and to have secured to the Proustian, ol Ireland
sad England that which their ancesten purchased with their blood.
Civil war was to be avoided; but be saw, unfortunately, by this
measure, a chance of civil war. It might occur in this country in
a few days--(ilear). He Thought with the Hen. Member for
Dorset, *at they were only extending the sail fa h future day..
When the eau day came, it would be found theyled placed Is the
, hands of the Romaaestbelics power. Ii migist he foetid Decamp to
I.Mo:esthete xad admit would be Wed Ost Amy bail dialed