Star.
London, England, 1829-03-05 00:00:00

particular pleasure in learning that a numerous and
respectable body of his constituents had resolved to
petition Parlipment in fateibr of these measures tovhich
the rjoble Lord, as a member of an united Adminis-
tration, bad determined to give his support.
sir JOHN LOWTHE'R then presented Petitions against As
C.atbelic Mhos tree Netherby, sad three other places in Camber.
land, and ens Own Annandale.—Ordered in lie oo the table.
Sir ROBERT HERON presented a Petition from the united
parishes of Claypool*, Weetkorough, and Doddington, in favour of
the Catholic Claims.
Colonel LOWTHER, in presenting a Petition from the Clergy,
Magistrates, and Gentry of Lansdale. against the Catholic Claims,
declared his Intention to vote against the Intended measures of
concession.

Mr. BLACKBURN presented a Petition from the Magistrates
Clergy. and Gentry of Warrington, against any farther concession
to the Catholics.

General GASCOYNE supported the Petition, and
testified to the respectability of the signatures affixed to
it. It was signed by nine-tenths of the adult male po-
pulation of the district from which it had proceeded. It
was, io fact, as respectable as any petition that had
been presented on the other side of the question.—
Ordered to be laid on the table. The Gallant General
then proceeded to present a Petition against Emancipa-
tion, signed by nearly 4,000 inhabitants of Pi estop and
its vicinity. .
Mr. JOHN WOOD said, that the Gallant General
had reason to speak in high terms of the petition tivWch
be presented, as it was, in fact, the result of his own
nittftiool. He (Mr. Wood) could safely say that dor •
would'have been no such petition from Preston, all the
inhabitants of which felt grateful to the Government
for the conciliatory measures recommended, had it not
been for the Gallant General's pamphlets and adver-
tisements. The Gallant General had, in f tct, acted as
recruiting-sergeant to the church, which he 'consid red
in danger. His advertisement, however, would have
this effect, that the prophecy itself would be the cause
of bringing about what it foretold. He(ldr. Wood)
had received a petition
.from the same Borough of
Preston, solely confined to that Borough, which was
signed by 3,616 persons, some three of whom were
members of the Corporation. He should be the last
man to derogate from the respectability of the petition
signed by 2,000 of his own constituents; but when the
Gallant General had said that a number of those who
tigned it had voted at the election for him (Mr. Wood),
he should recollect that he as well as his Honourable
colleague had been returned for the Borough on the
express pounds of suppotting civil and religious
liberty. His constituents, therefore, could not possibly
have been deceived. The petition presented by the
Gallant General was not confined to Preston ; it had
been sent round the country for fifteen miles, from
house to house, and the question asked was, a Will
you have a Protestant or a Popish King r All that could
be said, therefore, was that the two thousand indivi-
duals who had signed it preferred a Protestant King ;
and if he himself had not an opportunity of judging
for himself, and supposed that the Petition was to pre-
vent a Popish King from reigning, he would have
signed it. He bad, however, he repeated, a Petition in
favour of Cttholic Emancipation, signed by nearly
double the number who had signed the Gallant Gene-.
ral's Petition—by 3,618 actual inhabitants of the bo-
rough of Preston; and he had also thirty-two Petitions
from the several townships through which the Gallant
General's Petition had been borne for signatures.
General GASCOYNE said. it was impossiblefor him
to avoid saying a few words in reply to the observatiims
of the Hun Member for Prestos,. The Hon. Member
had s.sid that he had procures the Petition by an ad-
vertisement. So far from having issued, he had never
beard of such an advertisement. He did not, however.
see any great reason the Hun. Member had for triumph.
the only Petition which he.(6eneral Gascoyne) had
head of from the neighbourhood to which the Hon.
Member had referred, Was one. from. Liverpool. signed
by one hnndred persons, and another he believed aigneJ
by fifty. He would give them 200 out of a'population
of 160,000. The Petitions which he bad the honour of '
presenting bad been got up by the inhabitants of Pres-
ton and Warrington. He had not interfered with the
Hon. Member's constituents, nor did he know of any
thing to excite the Hon. Member's anger but the pro-
!salinity of losing the confidence of his constituents.—
The Hon. Member then presented another Petition to
the same effect from New Church, Rosendale, in the
county of Lancaster.—Tte Peti ions were ordered to be
printed.
Mr. MUNDY presented Petitions from the congregation el St.
Peter's Gravel, and from the parish of Tibshel, and another parish
is
the
AdaciiralnlOoTt Gloucester,
rplegai tieal furC
of Nottingham troths same effect. Petitionsholic Cl
from the county
Mr. CROMPTON presehted Petitions in favour of Catholic
Emancipation from the Protestant Dissenters of Derby, and from
thellotwo Catholic inhabitant s of two parishes in the countyof Curk.
Sir W. GUISE presented Petitions to the same effect from the
Mayor, Sheriffs, and Liurgesses of the city of Gloucester, assembled
in Council; and from the inhabitants of Cheltenham. The Hon.
Member.begged to express hli cordial concurrence in the prayer of
those petitions.
Mr. J. i 1 00D presented similar Petitions from the
Unitarian Christians of B i.ton-1,-Moo s; and firm
the Unitarian Cluisti.ins assembled for ts oiship in a
chapel in Manchester; also a Petition (von the C chalk
inhabitants of Holy well, in the county of Flint. Ot this
last petition he had to remark, that a rtquis non fos a•
netting to sign a petition against Catholic Emancipa-
tion had been got up in Holy well. The greater part
lof those who attend:4l the meetin; could not speak
English. The letter signed Winchslsea and Notting-
ham Was translated i •to Welsh for ' them, and distri-
buted amongst them, and, o hen any one rose to speak
to a resolution, if they understood him to be in favour
of she Catholics he was hooted down. It was in con-
sequence of this meeting that the petition he had the
licnour of i re-eating was forwarded to him by the Ca-
,frolict- of Holyweli.

Mr. CARTER presented a Petition in favour of Ca►holic
EinancipotAxi from the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Burgesses of the town
of Porteniouth.

Lord -GEORGE LENNOX believed it would be
found that the signatures to this Petition were procwed
in as bad a manner as those to the other which had
been sultiJel to. Not only boys and women were in-
duced to .igst it, but even the solders who were quer-
%cud in the town, and a great many Catholic soldters
had signet it.
Mr. CARTER begged to remind the House that
this was the Petdinn ut the Corporation of Portsmouth,
transmitted to him under their seal.

I.old GEORGE LENNOX explained. He thought
the HMO. Member had said it was the Petition of the
town of Put tsmi=uth, and as he knew such a petition
was to be presences. to the Howe, he would not have
to repeat the same remark of it. _

M. FLE ‘IING pretented a Petition from Bishop-
.toke, in the county of Southampton, praying that no
further Concession, might be granted to the Roman Ca-
tholics. He re4tetted that he could not entirely concur
with so ou zeroes and respectable a body or men as tho►e
who had signed the petition. He had long since formed
his opinion on that question, and be bad certainly al-
ways regarded the aumissioo of Roman Catholics to
political power with dis rust and apprehension, not from
any hostility to the Roman Catholics, but because he

. •

I thought h could not be done ;than endangering the'
Constitution as it was establishod ig one themes'd six
hundred and eighty-eight. To *serve this Coost•tuanp
e was plelgeJ to *rmistiatentl; but he wutadnot go
the length oft eject ills aitogelhertbe measures b ner,
to beploposed. before, he knee what they west. He
should be happy if relief could be afforded to the Ito-
man Catholics without endangering the Constitution,
and Loped that the Bill would be accompanied by such'
measures as would secure it. He rejoiced that securi-
ties Were no longer to be scoffed at, nor considered as
a plaything in a nursery, or amulets to hang round a
child's neck He trusted that ample provi.ion shout
be made tor the securiiy or the State. He had too
much confidence io the Noble and tairious Duke at
the head of his Mijesty's Government, and in the Right
Honourable Gentleman. the Home Secretary, to joubt
for a moment that such would be the character of the
Bill. He repeated, that it was with regret he tefu,ed
to go she full length of the petitioners, and he re-
joiced that the country was shortly to be relievidfr ton
u,pcumt.
General KING presented Petitions against the Ca
tholic CI lints from the Protestant inhabitants I f the
county of Shen, from the Protestant inhabitants of the
county of Roscommon, and from the Protestant lobo.
birants of the parish of Ballinasloe. They were -igiteil'
by the Nobility, Clergy, Gentlemen, and FreeholJers,,f
those counties, and contained the greater por.i n of the
landed proprietary. In addition to the prayer against
further concession to the Roman Catholics, they like-
wise prayeJ that notice shculd be taken of the esta-
blishment of the order of Jesuits in I.elar,d, and that
they should be suppressed. He pea. etls vo.turred
with the petitioners in the dangi.r to be apprehended
from monastic institutions. One of those petitions was
signed by four thousand of the most respectable info*
bitants of the county, and likewise paged that the
Catholic Association might be effectually suppressed.
He read this part of the Petition. :is in reality that body
might still be said to exist, as the Bill for its suppre--
sion had not received the Ito) al Assess'. It was not,
therefore, a work of supererogation to petition against it.
Mr. CRIPPS presented a Peti.ion to the satire effect
from the Borough of Ci;encester, in Gloucestershire,
signed by 908 persons. He could assure the House
that no undue influence had been used to tontine those
signatures; they were perfectly voluntary. lie himself
had invariably doted against the Catholic claims, and he
had given his opinion in arid out of that Moue in con-
formity with his vote. lie regretted that from any
information now before the H use he could not turn
round and say that he had been all his life in error, and
WAS ready to-pursue a new cour.e. At the same time,
it such a clause should be introduced into the Bill as
should satisfy his mind, be did not say that be would
oppose it. He had nut yet, however, procured sufficient
information to induce him to differ horn the petitioners.
General ARCH DALL presented Petittotis lasin the
parishes of Devesiish, west division if G Moon,
Enniskillen,Detryvullen.Templecann icy Drum.
berm, and Trory, against further concessions toltlinan
Catholics, for the suppression of the &inset, Catholic
Association, the est iblohnsent of Jesuits in Itel.nd, and
dreading theinaitence of the Priests over the forty
&tilling freeholders, mutt numerously and respectably
signed, including the Noblemen, Lauded Proprietors,
arid Gentry in the country.
Mr. HENRY MAXWELL presented Petitions from
the parish of St.Maef the Less, Cambridge; from parishes in Glas-
gow and Warwickshire ; and from several parishes in the counties
,of Down and Antrim (in 27 Petitions), praying that the Catholic
Association should be effectually put down, that the elective fran-
chise should be regulated, that the society of Jesuits should he sup-
pressed, and that no further concessions should be granted to the
Roman Catholics.
Mr. G. MOORE presented Petitions from the Protestants of
the county of Louth, from the Protestants of Kilkenny, from Car-
rickfergus. Parsontown, Mountmellick, and nine other Petitions
from different parishes in Ireland, against any further cunceosioos
to the Roman Catholics.
Mr. F. WEST presented similar Petitions from the Welsh Cal-
vinistic Methodists in./min-street Chapel, and frons five parishes
in Wales.
Mr. SHIRLEY presented four Petitions to the same effect from
parishes in the county of Xlonagham
Admiral Sir IL HARVEY presented eighteen Petitions against
further concessions to the Romani Catholics irons different p.m of
the county of Essex.
Colonel WILSON presented a similar Petition from the city of
York, signed by Ave thousand persons. lie stated that the Petition
was signed by some of the moat respectable persons in the city of
York.and had originatfdist a public swami. He had no hesitation
in saying, that a great majority of the Pr Assam. of the city of
York were decidedly opposed to any further concessions being
granted tothe Roman Catholics.
- Mr. W Y TILL admitted that the Petition isrrwitted by his Hon.
Colleague was numerously signed. He begged, however, to stair,
that the public meeting at which the Petition originated was egos-
posed exclusively of Penal/ unfavourable to Catholic Emancipation*
He would shortly/Wee the hrrouur of presenting a counter Petition
from the same place, still more respectably Bigot& and :ae doubted •
if it would be (maul that a majority of the inhabitants of York were
opposed to the RoMan Catholics,

Colonel WI I.SON completely disagreed with the assertion of
the Hon. Alersibet, and repeated, that a great =qui fly of his con-
stituents wore unfavourable ro what was called Carbolic Fustanci-
palm. The proof of the pudding was in the eadng—(a laugh)—
and a reference to the petition would prove bow respectably it was
sighed. Ile assured the House that a document more entitkd to
consideration bad seldom been presetted to tba:
bird G. I.tiN NOX prewntrd ►ix Petitions from Chichester and
its vicinity against any further Cosicessimu to the Roman Caloilics.

Mr. DUG DA LK presented a Petition from the Arclideaconry
of York, and sic prtitionsfrona sliffereot parts of the county or
York, to a shr.ilar effect.
Mr H. BATLEY presented a sindlir Petition front the Corp..
ration of Beverley, and declared his determination to oppose any
measure for throwing a greater share of political power into the
hands of the Roman Catholics. He thought the proposition involved
the security of our altars and our dressides, and that it should meet
with the most determined opposition.
Mr. BUCK, in presenting similar Petition* from Barnstable,
Bideford, and other parts ot the county of Devon, declared. his
entire concurrence with the views of the Petitioners, and his inten-
tion to oppose any further concessions to the Boman Catholics.
Mr. HODS&N presented a similar Petition front Brimley, in
the county of Lancaster. A similar Petition was also presented
from Kirkham, in the county ot Lancaster.
Sir H. PARNELL presented Petitions from Tarbert and two
other places In the Queen's County iu favour of Catholic Enusocipa-
tion, and praying fur the repeal of the Subletting End Vestry Acts.
Lord CLIFTON presented a Petition from the inhabitants of
Canterbury, and also a Petition fruits the Dissenters of Canterbury,
praying for the removal of the disabilities affecting the Roman
Catholics.

Colonel ANSON presented a similar Petition from Great Ter-
.mouth, in the county of Norfolk, which was signed by 600 permits.
He did not say that the petition expressed the sense of the majority
of the population of Great Yarmouth, which was 20,000, but it
was signed by persons of greater rank, influence and character than
could be found to sign a petition on the other side. The friends of
the Roman Catholics did not think it necessary to petition on the
present occasion, having full confidence in the Government and in
Parliament; and he crusted that this *teat question would at length
be settled, being convinced that Its adjustment would be a blessing
to millions, and an injury to none.
Mr. RU .1 BOLD bore testimony to the great respectability of
the signatures attached to the petition now presented by his Hon.
Colleague —The petitions were severally ordered to lie on the table
and to be printed. •
1101111 L MARINI lIIIIOLATION SILL.
Mr. CROKER brought in a Bill to regulate the Royal Marine
Forces whilst on shore, which was read a first time. and ordered
to be read a second tla:e to•snarrow.
111 r. MALCOLM presented Petitions from Leverton, Boston,
and two other places. against further Contentions to the Roman
Catholics.—Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. HENRY GItATTAN presented a Petition from persona
engaged In the corn trade in Dublin in favour of the Roman Ca
(bale Claims, coneelvintthat conceuions to the Roman Catholics
would be highly conducive to the general Interests of the country,
*Oman/4 and otherwise. The same Hum Member presented a

I petition, ale. praying kr osseessass. Irma alossith In as larifft
Kildare.
Colonel SI 81110111PRpresented a redden treat Summed, to
Lincolnshire, spinet timber coseesstess to the Rurnau Catholic..
—Ord.red to beprinted.
Colnitil DAVIES presented a Petition from Worcester in fa.
'sour of the Roman Catboat Claims.
NOR rll presented Fashions trona the parish of Ihiggems.
and two other places in Inland. In favour of the Roman Cache%
Mr. HUMS moved for a variety of RettiOns respecting tbe
boy of Sierra Letitia., its Population, &c &c. and the number it
captured Slaves brought in there since THOU. The *gate Rem
..Idember moved for a Return of the Pipendlture of 50.0 Of. voted
last year for defraying the charge of pilotage, &c. in the year leta,
—Agreed to.
The House adjourned ICS QUARTZ& PAST CONT.

CLARE COUNTY ELECTION.
(SELECT. CO M M I rI'EE).
The Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Pettifog
agauist the return of Mr. O'Connell for the County of Oars oast
yesterday, at eleven o'clock, in one of the Committee-rooms of the
House.
At the fitting of the Committee there were comparatively few
stranger* present, owing proltably to a rt./tort that the Committee
were not to sit till twelve. But anon after that hour the room was
etowded to inconvenience, and continued so throughout the 44.
Mr. O'Connell sat at the, t.ble a'ong with his Coulee'. Wring
parts of the day be sat with his hat on, 3 privilege allowett only to
Members.
The Canonici for the Petitioners were Mr. Hudson, Mr. Adam,
sod Mr. Doherty, an Irish Itarriater.
Theta for Mr. oJ'ContieU were Mr. V Po:Lick, Mr. Alderson,
Mr. C. Phillips, sod Mr. Leuch, of the Choicely liar.
Mr. W•Lasirscsv. the clerk of the Cootailitee, read the petition
against the return of Mr. O'Comiell, which set forth that au the
hustings he (Mr. rot.nell) said be was "a 'lnman Catholic, anti
would to continue to the mid of his lik;" that he would neer
take the oaths," &c. It also detailed the placards—acts at
in-
timidation—commands of " vote for year religion." &e.
• Mr. Hottentot asked whether it was tripe*, mired(' thethewhole
of the petition? All the allegation" were abandonedcusps that
as to the eligibility of Alt. 0'0)111;01. The %sestina, hi feu, re.
' duced bomb to a question of law.
The Ominous, after consulting with the Committee, acquiesced.
Mr. HARRISON thin said, that he had made a pm/p.*4llmi to
the Couneel of Ilr. O'Connell. He was instructed to taamit,
that Mr. O'Connell was ineligible to alt as a Member, and there-
, fore to be elected. Ile had consequently to urge on the Com-
mittee to Insect the inquiry brat to be made, *bemire Mr. O'Coo.
aeU was eligible It' that question w.. 1 decided tgalost him, welt
decision would close his case, fur all depended on that question.
He quoted several cases front Douglass &pork" and Elective
Law, to show that the Committee, where there were metal
points of inquiry, had frequzutly decided that the material point,
whether of LAM or otherwise. .houtti be fits' settled. It would
materially save the labour of the Committee if this course ware
pursued. The only question he and bit friends bad to raise was,
whether Mr. O'Connell was eligible? If Mr. O'Conuell wenrocit
_

cligib:r, then it retuaine4 tor him to show that %lr. tiCulioell was
• Roman Caiholic--that the fact was notorious—semi that the elec•
two proceeded on the noun lety of suzb t .ct.
Mr. ADAM spoke to the like effect, observing. that bv the Coin.
name coming to such decision, the tour 'stooks be materially saved.
Mr. F. n.LI.OIIE, on the part of Mr IrCetim.l, complaineila
being taken somewhat by surprise, and of the want of c.fortesy is
its not having been communicated to him what course would bs
pursued. His Learned Friend hoi chosen :o assume that Mr.
O'Connell was a Roman Catholic ; add on rho watt to be raised a
dry abstract question of LAW, without any knowledge of the tams ton
which that harreu qmstion V/2.1 to be raised. There was new
too. pronounced—that klr. 0 Council being a Roman Catholic, as
was assumed, was ineligible tube elected. But' Roman Catholk"
...be had read all tint Acts, and hatter where found the words, as to
whether a " Roman Cat Itithe".was eligible or itte{igible. What was
aesint by " Rimian.Catholic?"
Mr. Hainaut-:-We I, I will not quarrel about terms; 1 mean
Papist.
/dr. F. Pot-take admitted that there were certan barriers to
protect the representation ; anti that the Committee could decide
by what course they would pursue ,the inquiry; but he implored
aloe eu nun ittei to allow hip to hear the facts to which they in.
tended to apply the alleged law, before they were called un to argie
an abstract question of law. Let the facts drat be stated. -
Mr. Mammy tolloweil on the same side. He adnotted when
there were different points it was convenient to 'epees(' theobjects
of Investigation, and complained of the unfainsess el being jest.
and unexpectedly, required to argue a dry question straw,.
Mr. Hattattou begged to observe that he had mew DO Instal&
Ann ; that he had pursued the moil course in electinesseese • sod
that during 26 years practice before Cuennotte,Bketieit Cosiinstes
tees he bad never given the, previous notice now complained of as
not having been given. Ile thought it was by fae the but counts
to settle this question first. If he were tbrowu upon the proofehe
would appeal to the notoriety of the fact, and to the repeated des
elarations of Mr. O'Connell, that. be nog wily was a -Roman Ca.
tholic or Papist, but that be would ewer continue such.
Lord W. Bosom. desired
.Mr. Harrison to say, in distinct terms,
what. wa's his prOpositimi.
Jr. Ha austiat—lt is this—that Mr. O'Connell, being a Ronne
Catholic, or Papist, was ineligible to be elected. to be roturactiose
to sit.
The COmmittee then desired the room. to be cleared. After
about ten Minutes consultation, the Counsel and Agents were
re.admittetL
Lord W. lidsead.then.said—" As Chairman. I am desired to •
inform you that the Committee are of opinion the Counsel fur the
petition should Arm proceed to*prove the fact." •
Mr. Hammon— That is, to rove the whole of my case.
The Camanao —Yes, the whole fasts of your cases•
Mr. fLtasitsos then rose for sua•porpose.• He be.
gars bynb.erving, that he should litre to trespass at
greatlength, by gist stating the law of the ease, the
several..atatutes passed to exclude Papists flee the
Houses lot—Parliararenu—namely, sth Elisabeth, 34
'Jarne;.--talth haws -I 30th. Charles 1. and lat William
and Matz.. Ttiey !repined the oaths of allegiance and
"supternaky'first to be taken before the Lord Steward, or
his deptitt*, and then in the House, with the Speaker
in the Chair. That eor.rse continued down to the pte-
Sent time. The lst of William and Mary particularly
described the former oaths, the modes of taking them,
and again enacted that • they should still continue
to be taken in such manner, and none other. Tesis
was requisite to be enforced by ti e conveaion of Par-
liament, because the Di-swifter' w iuld .nit take the
oath of supremacy any more than the Papists or
Email. Catholics; for the• one said that Cinder was
the head of the ChurclT, as the Papists declared the,
Pope to be. The first Act of William and Mary •
was the only Act 'that atipliCd to the case, though others
had been ieferieJ to—he meant by .the Gehtlemais
against whom he mentioned. He did not know how
to add' e.s that Gentleman ; he was not the citing Meows
her, because he had not appeared to take his teat; be
did not like to call hint the " frasiking" Member, as
some had ter med him ; lie would therefore style bins
by ■ term that was well knowo and much used in lre•
land,—the M mutat" Member fir Clare—and that would
be equelly applicable after Mr. Vesey Fitzgerald shwa
have taken his seat for Clare —(A laugh). He coo.
tended that, next to the laws existing, the constant prate-
We of the laws was the strongest proof. No mat errs
dreamed that unnecessary paths had been takea, till the
titular Member for Clare came with his new light; bip
he maintained that the Ist of William, c. 8, was the
governing statute, and referred to by the Ist of George
I. the 6th of George 111. c. 53, as well as the' ct tif
Union, recognised it. The forms of oaths were tile
settled. and so continued down to the present time.
[Mr. Harrison argued the point at great length, ceattiOg
the several clauses of the different Acts.]—But it war
said that no time was prescribed when the oaths should
be taken; this was answered not only by the Acts already
nameditut by the 534:1Geti. 11. chap. 20, all which pre-
scribed that the several. oaths, Sic. must be taken
" before they can sit or vote." Then, unless the Mem-
ber, skean he might be, intended not to go into the
House —be spoke seriously--nnlesshVdesired toenails's
the
.4' titular" or 48 franking* Member—the Measba
must take the oaths " bekire' be took the seat, end
Voted., -Unless he read. the Acts, it would hardly be
believed- that a barrister who ought to have known bet,
ter, could have niserfed in print, the pamphlets having
been most indistriously circulated, that " no lime" was