Star.
London, England, 1828-02-27 00:00:00

quite satisfied that if the House granted the request of
the Noble Lord (Lord J. ittoseli) ibiiiiiinesiion which
he stated would undoubtedly.get abroad, and doing
so produce considerable, ahheugh peAais yeiy gnin-
tended, mischief.
•
Lord Joins Rus.st..—The Roman . Catholics petitioned. fora rti
peal of the Test and Corporation .Laws, In favour of the,Dissepters.

Mr. HUSKISSON—That might be exactly as the
Noble Lord had stated ; but in.return he would ask the
Noble Lord, whether he could take upon himself to say
that the Dissenters were favourable to the Roman Ca-
tholics? Or he would rather ask if the repeal of the,
Test Laws would not produce as achltional power
against them ?—(Cries of No, no.) Honourable Gen-
tlemen might say, no, no; but he had some knowledge
of the feelings of the Roman Catholics ; and it would
be revolting to his feelings to deny his rights to the
first Doke in the realm and several other Peers,. while
relieving the Dissenters from some supposed or ima-
ginary humiliation. He was satisfied that if this ques-
tign were carried, the Catholic question would be in-
jured—not in the minds or judgment of enlighsened or
liberal men, or educated Protestants; but he felt no he-
sitation in saying, as far as his own opinion went, that
it would lead to an additional opposition to the Ca-
tholic question. Did the Noble Lord opposite (Lord
Nugent) not believe that there was a majority of per-
tons in this country, who honestly and conscien-
tiously entertained apprehensions from the Catholics
having any further civil privileges—even though,
-if they were granted to-morrow, it would not be
without the guarantee of some Test or other? If
then the Test Laws were now repealed as to
Dissenters, was it not clear that the Catholics alone
would be required to take them. He did not mean to
say that the check or the guard of Test Laws should
remain for ever ; but this he would-say, that they were
necessary as a security, for which no other substitute
had as yet been proposed. The Test Laws, be it re-
membered, were introduced to guard against the Ca.
tholics—and he did not deny that checks might still be
necesary in case of danger. At present he was not pre-
pared to part with this security—neither would he con-
tent to treat the question in part and in detail as the
r • Noble Lord had to-night proposed. It was only a few
years ago that a Bill was brought in, by which Catholics
were allowed to hold places in the revenue—and in
that case, a certain Test was retained as a check or
!ward in case of danger. With these views of the
subject, he could not accede to the present motion.
though ably and temperately as it had been introduced
by the Noble Lord. He hoped the discussion of to
night would not lead to any irritation out of doors ;
but though it should,"he was ready to admit, it would
arise rather from the nature of the case itself, than from

Any thing which had fallen from Honourable Gentle-
men in the course of the discussion. He begged pardon
of the House for having trespassed so far upon their'
attention; but he was so sttotigly impressed with the
feelings of Mr. Pitt, on this question as• well as on:thar
that to which he had so often alluded op this and 90%4*
occasions. that he could not avoid thus early Presenting..
himself to their notice. He was a friend cricivit•and -
religious liberty—but he must net endanitetV.Oat-
subject to secure'the success of a part of •thaerirftble, • .
to which he was not averse, further than for. those rea-
sons which he had already stated. His general opinions
in these subjects were well known, and he viewed the
question of repealing the Test Laws, as he, would *the,
repeal of other Laws regulating other matters of gteat
importance, but yet as only forming past of a reit
*hole, which required great attention before they toad -
be altered. He again begged pardon for detaining
the House with these few observations; .and he must. •
for the reasons he had 'stated, oppose the motion of the
.Noble Lord—(Hear, hear.)
Lord ALTHORP supported the motion on the gene-
ral principle, that no man ought to be excluded from
political lights on account of his religion. The onus
probandi lay on those who opposed the admission of
their fellow subjects to equal rights, and not 'on those
persons who supported the admission. The Hon. Ba-
ronet had said, that all men were excluded from
equal power in the State by the nature of civilized
society. He (Lard Althorp) would not say, that all
men ought to possess power, but that all men ought
to be left capable of power—(Cheers)—and that no
man ought to be excluded from power until it was
proved that his possession of it would endanger the
State—to the Established Church he was as mach a
friend as the Honourable Baronet, yet he denied that
the exclusion of other religionists from political rights
was necessary to support the interest of the Established
Church. The Honourable Baronet had taken credit to
himself and that Church for their love of toleration.
Talk of toleration in the 19th century ! Wnat was
the reverse of toleration? Tyranny, persecution, blood-
shed, and murder, inflicted on men for their refusal
to conform to the dominant religion! And yet the
Honourable Baronet takes credit in these days for
supporting toleration, and that, too, in this coun-
try !—(Loud and long cheering from all sides). It had
been said, tie grievances imposed on Dissenters by these
Acts were fanciful and theoretical—then the Annual
Indemnity Bill was theoretical—and the defence itself
of these laws was theoretical—but he would contend
the Acts were practical. These laws were an insult to
a great body of the people, and to the Church, whose
most sacred rite they made a subject of abuse, by '
making it a bait of temptation to the mercenary. This • •
alone was a serious evil in. the eyes of any man who
had any respect for religion. For these reasons he • "
would support the motion of his Noble Friend.'
Lord NUGENT could not see bow it was possible for
'a man to support the repeal of the Roman tathu. lic
Claims and refuse those TT the Dissenters. He was
friendly to the repeal of these Acts, because one man
was allowed to arrive at power and influence which was
denied to another. The latter, indeed, could not tie-.•
come the guardian of his own children; nee was be
•capable of bequeathing property. Was this no griev-
ance to the Dissenters ? The Noble Lend had heard
with astonishment, that the reasons for rejecting these
claims was, that they had been patient forty years.
What a lesson was this to three millions of people in
England, and to seven millions in Ireland !
Lord MILTON observed, that " existing circum-
stances" was a very nice phrase in the hands of a
poli-
tician. He, however, congratulated the people of Eng.
land and Ireland upon the speech of the Right Hop.
Gentleman (Mr. Huskisson) on the subject, of the
Catholic Claims. The Noble Lord desired to know if
the opinion of the Right Hon. Gentleman was also the
opinion of the Cabinet? The Right Honourable Gent's.
man had said that he Should like to see the whole of
the penal statutes touching civil disabilities removed i
and yet, by a Strange anomaly, he refused to vote for
the teperd of these Acts? It might be unphilosophical
for Mr. Thompson to wish to become an Alderman—
(Great laughter)—or for a grocer or a linendraper to
desire to arrive at a similar honour ; but as respectable.
men, had they not a right? The Noble Lord (lot ki g
at the Ministerial bicoches and galleries) then obsess!. a
that, notwithstandinglia conviction, hum the nUmbgr