Star.
London, England, 1829-01-27 00:00:00

aid of Papal supremacy

jutly ingest by a highly s.
Established Church that Roman Catholics, in honest
consistency with the precepts of their religion, cubid
mot halt in their career till they had reached the goal;
in other words, till they had ga ned possessi-n of the
:altar and the Throne--(Hear. heat). The great or Alni-
co! teacher of the Roman Catholics had Israel timed .hat
their religious dogmas scene immutable. In 11141 case.
to use the language of their Church, "dominions, gloi y.
kingdoms, people, na.ions, languages, all belong to the
t'npe, and all serve. honour, and nhey ham."
komicit Psiests swear to preserve, defend, augment, aid
promote Hs poster and antiquity. On this gr und,
therefore, he would, from the history of former time',
conjecture what might he the moth of the same in-
fluence extended to the present age. To take a sinple
remote-instance of dominant Pepe y. he would serer to
the reign of /lent y VIII. es ben the Pope escommuni.
awed that King, absolved his subjects from their Ale.
giance, and gave, as far as he could give, his kingdom
in the then reigning monarch of Scotland. Tiiif
geous act,by completely exasperating the mind of Hen, y
against the See of Rome, was happily one of the chef
means of forwardieg the great cause of the Ref =rata-
-601; to which. by the conseqUent suppre.sion of con.
vents and monasteries, so many of the nohle endow me; is
for charitable( purposes owe their founJa'ion in this
„country. reference to the liberality of which the
Roman Catholics of the present Jay make so loud a
boast, it was desirable to see how far it was really
founded on improved instructi -n, pa•ticularly as to te-
I gious information. The Council of Tient, which, cern.
mencing in 1545, and closing in 1565. filled up the
reigns of three succeeding Popes, prohibits the Bils!e,
under the pretence that. the reading of i causes m re
evil than good; and the same Council declare t that to
whomsoever teed the Bible with iist primiskine no
absolution should be granted. Sn much far Catholicism
in the 16th century. Then far a view of it in tbeel9th.
In 1819 an Index Ecpurgamiius, ne catalogue f pro.
hibited bnoks. was publi,hid by auttinriti at Rome. He
would confine himself to our Eugli-h au be r. whose
se or ks %ker.! lot bid.!eit to be read by any one under pain of
severe ecclesiastical proceedings.- viz. Locke o,s the
Flamm Lladerstanding; tilitlon't Paradise Lost; all
our Protestant ecclesiastical hiseiisiaes ; ire Lto gy of
he Church of ElJand ; the welt k. of Tillnt.on. sec.—
In 1820 the New Testament, tratellied from theVuigate
by Martini. Archbishop e f Fiorence, cur the use e I the
Roman Catholics of I:aly, and printed in the capital of
Tuscany by Del mis of Pius VII. was ptselibit,d by
the present Pope. Thos the head of the Church of
Rome shuts out the shining light of the Gospel, and
leaves its deluded votaries in the datkne s of • ignoracce
and superstition—(Hear). Colonel Harvey added, that,
%hen at Rome and Naples in 1826, be had in vain en-
deavoured to purchase a copy of our Common Player
Ilielc,•or even a Nero Testament in any language.—
All ate prohibited. Were they desirous to have any
farther proof. that Itinuanism was usichange .I in
its spirit and practices to enslave the human mind?
When the lite Pope was in Fiance, and suijected
to the power of Bonapatte, he was asked by the
French Ruler to permit telrgieus toleration. His
answer was, that titivation' could na m re sub ist iu
the Roman Catholic Church than concord between
Cunisr and lidiol—,(llear, hear, heat). The worthy
Colonel (Harvey) biltowed up this fact by obset vino,
that last year the King rf the N.-tertian-is. whose terra-
wiles are partly Roman Catholic and partly Prot-stant,
required of the Pipe some indulgence, an I, a/euelished
in the foreign Gaziltes, was indignant y
this or was it not Popish doolina,ion ?—(Heat.) The
worthy Chairman next asked why, sirste 13. iiish
empire bad attained its present greatness, pew, r. and
pro pefity under its existing lases and Geverument,
should they place these acknowledged blessings in
jeopaidy ? Why should they tisk their loss by Roman
Catholic em incipation ?—(Cierr.) He then to. k a
cursory survey of those coulitrie. in E trope which Ale se.
spectively under Popish itiflnetici and under a Pi oie.tasit
G ivesnmebt, temarking that cm :hose vim% ee was not
trusting to it:e authority of others, bat relying on the
evid nce of les own oti•ei vatiiiie, hating tievently
visited many of them ; and tiiiiahea a must animated
speech in the following words—W'iy, then, ate we to
lorget the horrors of the inquisition, or the barbarities
practised by a Gardiner and a Bonner in this counts),?
We see,•indeed, at the preset t day the anomaly, f men
who vaunt themselves as the most enli,:htened and
philosophital, whose cry is liberality and religious
ranee, becoming the champions of those sl,o.ertligirn
is supported by intolerance, being itself Ii un ;eel on the
lowest system of mental slavery. But sou, 1 tree% see
content to be styled illiberal. and um nlighten d rattier
thao forsake the cause for which Hampden died in the
field and Sidney on the scatbild.
Mr. Alderm an Pavelanw observed that. at different
times, Irons 1778 to 1780. several other Bills, for the
relief both of English and It ish Roman Catholics from
the penalties and disabiluies to which it ey were then
liable, passed both Howes of Parliament, and ire, level
the Royal Asseat. 10-1789 the Retnan Catholics, as they
stated, disclaimed all thine detestable doctrines este •
blished by the Councils of old. Is it possible b ally one
to believe, they said, that in this enlightened age we can
be governed by such pt inciples ? This was their assertion
—they asked os whether such a thing could be p ssible ?
Still he(AlJerman Pateesoii)iad starched into those doc-
trines which they diteleimed, but he could never find
,that the dispensing power of the Pope with respect to
oaths had been formally 'renounced. That is the gratd
point in dispute bete een 'us, and on which nur objections
binge with respect to the .claims of the Roman Catho-
lic's. In the last year alterations were made in the Test
Act., which benefited the Dissenters; and, if this was
merely a religious question, let haps the indulgence
might have been extended to the Catholics. But when it
becomes a question whethet a sub.' ct of these realms,
who had taken the oath of supremacy and allegiance to
his Sovereign, can, by any power on emits, be absolved
from its obligations, it is the boundiot duty of the inha-
bitants of these kingdoms, who enjoy the bles ings of
living under a free Government, to unite in resisting the
supporters of so monstious a doittine. This was a
principle upon which the Meeting was assembled. They
came there as Protestants, and they avowed that no
power in the world could absolve a British subject from
his allegiance to his Sovereign,and lb deprecaretl e pot.
sibility of reintroducing Papal power and authority
into these realms. In 1791. an application lot further
'concessiditi was made by the resent Lord Redestlale,
and was pelted to the Roman Catholics. In 18(0, the

I. •

period of the union of the kingdoms. the Roman Ca-
tholics endeavoured'to establish for themselves further
privileges; but the great statesman who was then at the
bbad of the affairs of the country (Mr. Pitt) objected to it.
There might come a time, he said, when those privileges
could be saf.•ly granted, but that was not the moment.
Time might be a time, meaning, no doubt, the time
vihen the Roman Catholics should have renounced

their more pernicious errors, and especially disclaimed
the doctrines which were so inimical to a Protestant
State. It had been urged by the Irish Roman Catho-
,lics.that their religion ought to be recognised as the
established religion of that country, because the Pro-
tertant population of Ireland did not bear any propor-
tion to that of the Roman Catholics. The great
Statesman then at the head of the Government would
not grant this concession. The Union being established,
the population of the three kingclauss were as one, and
the Roman Catholics thus became the minority in the
proportion of onmfourth. The principle, therefore,whieh
bad been laid down by the Roman Catholics might now
!mused against them,and we might say that the great
est number being Protestants, the Protestant religion
ought to be the supreme religion of the State; and
that it would ever continue to be so he most earnestly
trusted. The object of this day's Meeting was to
agree Upon a Petition to the King and the two Houses
of Parliament, praying that no further concessions
might be granted to the Roman Catholics; and having
represented their sentiments to the two Houses of Le-
. gislature, consisting of men of the highest rank and the
best education and information, be was persuaded
th.st the question would be met with their best at-
tention. He had not only been witness of their debates,
but it had been his lot, in the course of his life, to take
a share in the proceedings of the House of Commons.
He remembered in 1805 petitions in favour of the Ro-
man Catholic claims being presented, and two whole
days were occupied in the discussion, when the prayer
of the petitioners was rejected by 124 for, and 136
against it.
ft e Rev. Dr. SUTTON seconded the motion.
Tr e worthy CHAIRMAN having put the question,
whether the Petition was agreed to, an unanimous show
of hands took place, with loud cheering.
Mr. Sergeant FRITH then came forward, and said it
was lamentable to sec the inconsistency of the Whigs,
marry of whom mere descendants from those who dis-
tinguished themselves by the part they to k at that
grand era in the hist°, y of Eisgland, in a manner that
ra as enough to make the bodies of their glorious ances.
tors turn in the grave, oow proclaiming themselves the
first to repudiate the fund imental principles of that
Constitutimr which Vieir Protestant forefathers had
raised arid timer ted with their blood—(Loud cheers)
lie also regretted to observe that ss many others of the
Protestant Nobles and Gantry had gone to such lengths
in advi eating the Roman Catholic claims. Such-con.
duct had, however. had the effect of creating a revul-
sion Or, ughout the kingdom, which being once aroused
oi. power could :op. The people, in fact, w, Ws! pro-
claim their sentiments loudly arid resolutdi, and dis-
/stay tire f eting N hich prevails in their minds upon the
subj-ct. Ile w.f, egirally sorry to see the correspondence
ss 11,0 had rag a place between two of his Majesty's
Privy Couro.ellor. and the titular Archbishop of Ire?
I4nd ; it had, however, produced a sensation which it
was impossible to describe. Fle hoped the people
would bare strength and firmness, for it was now be-
cvnie a question whether they were to adhere to their
Protestant establishments. or suffer the domination of

men who dared even to beard the lawful Government
of this count; y, and threatened to carry the it claims by
force if nit granted to th-ir demands. The Protestants
felt no hostility against their Roman C oh. lic brethren ;
they were only ausi•ws to preserve their Constitution as
it is. The l.ea'ne.l Sergeant conclu!ed by moving an
Address to the King.
Mr. SKIPPER said e felt great pleasure in taking part
in the proceedings of the day, as he felt tre was thereby
discharging a gratelul duty of thankfulness to AL.,
MIGHT GOD-a duty of thankfulness in having beers
born a .subject of a tree Protestant country. This
feeling aas most deeply impressed upon the mind of
their late revered Sovereign, wl en he declared that
he was ready to de tend from his throne to a cottage
..-he was ready to place his head upon the block—
rather than concede such claims as those preferred by
the Roman Cattsolics—(Cheers). Catholic Emancipa-
tion, proceeded Mr. Skipper, was a complete bugbear.
O'Connell was continually bawling nut 0 What 1 re-
fuse conce sons to 7,000,000 of Roman Catholics
But when Mr. Canning brought forward a motion upon
the subject, he urged, as a reason for concession, that
it would at the utmost introduce about eight Peers into
the House of Lords and a few Roman Catholic Mem-

bets into the House of Commons. The Meeting nould
• pay attention to these contradictory statements of the
Emancipationists. II they referred to the short petits:
when Mr. Canning was Prime Miniver, they would s e
what little weight ItomanCatholic Emancipation many
had with the Liberalists. Mt. Brougham, and those
vho were accustomed to sit on the left side of the
H use, were con tantly Lewd speaking of it as such a
State question that it must not he delayed a single day
—that t"e conntty would he dismelibered—that Ire-
land would he in r, bellion ; but when, by son e those
tricks something like those they had just witnessed at
Mt. Thoulon's—(He.it)— Mr. litrugham was juggled
to the tight side, it was trued that the question might
safely be delayed tor one yew —that it might be
glued post-
np si e die—that it would be cruel to embatrass the
-
!lauds Of a libel al Mini try by bringing forwasd a ques-
tion of so much difficulty—(Hat). The Popish Clutch,
said Mr. Skirper, in conclusion, was inci,nsisteht with
the spitit of Englishmen, because it is filled with super-
stttlans, and enslaves the soul Of n an ; whilst the Pio.
testant spitit of our Constitution secures to the country
its civil and religious liberty, gives to mankind the
means of intellectual improvement, while its moral dis.
cipline was his best sal. gum d through life. and its faith
the assurance of happiness hereafter—(Loud cheer).—
Mr. Skipper moved that the Petition to the King should
be transmitted to his Majesty by their Chairman.
E. Batman. Esq. seconded the motion.
The worthy CHAIRMAN expressed his readiness to
comply with the wish of the Meeting.
The thanks of the Meeting were then cordially voted
to Colonel Harvey, for his conduct in the Chair, and
the individuals assembled immediately commenced
signing the Petition.

Ye.terd.sy, at two o'clock, the tide was much lower
than recollected at any former period. Five arches on the Surrey
. side of Waterloo Bridge were dry, and persons were walking into
the middle of the bed of the river without scarcely wetting their
slum.
Sunday aftet noon sliders and skaiters were enabled to
pursue their amusements on the Thames, on that part of the river
just before arriving at Barnes, and near Chiswick. There is an
island at such part of the Thames, nearly towards it/ centre ; and'
on the creek thus formed the river had frozen sufficiently to enable
many persons to skate and slide on. Almost the whole of the
"-river, thus far up, was frozen over ; but the suddenatkaw of yestere
day broke up the ice, and sent large masses floating.
The Anniversaty of the birth-day of BURNS, the
roet, was yesterday celebrated with great eclat.