The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-04-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMES T.

A

110VSE OF LORDS.—Tcustimr. Aram 3.
Mr. JOHNSON, from the Office of Serretare of Stat•
fOr Ireland, presented certain Accounts and Papers
pursuant t the Order of the llouse.—Laid on the
•table.

PILL.
Sir Joni Newroev, at the head of fifty or sixty
:Members from the Commune, brought up the Roman
.Catbolic Disabilities Removal Bill.
- 111r.•BROODY.N and Sir JAM' a GRAHAM then
brought up several private Bills, which were read a
fret time.
Mr. Unsex, from the Commissioners for the Holy-
head Road. presented an Account of the state of the
/Wails between Shrewsbury and Bangor Ferry.—
Laid on the table.
Lord KENYON presented a Petition signed by
ZUNI persons at Sudbury, against the Roman Catholic
Claims, and expressed his coincidence in the senti.
meats of the Petitioners.—Laid on the table.
Lord ERSKINE presented Petitions from the Own-
er, and Occupiers of Land in the neighbourhood
of Horsham sad Arundel, in the County of Sussex,
praying for Agricultural Relief. His Lordship was
understood to state, that if be bad nut yet moved for a
"Committee of Inquiry, it was because he oohed to set
'what would be done in the other House. The Petitions
'were read and laid on the table.
The Bishop of LONDON presented a Petition from
Ole Archdeaconry of Hertford, against the Roman
'Catholic Claims.—Read and laid on the table.
The Irish Witchcraft Law Repeal Bill was read a
•Nrd time, passed, and sent to the Commons.
*OMAN CATHOLICS.
The Earl of DONOCOHMORE rose to more that
the Bill which had been just brought from the Corn.
•vmona be read a first time. It was impossible that he
should not hail with the deepest satisfaction, as the
Felected Advocate of the Roman Catholics, the arrival
of such a Bill of Grace and Mercy. But he could not
help feeling that it was an alrfill situation in which
he stood, as the selected advocate not only of the Lay
Catholic Body, but also of the Ecclesiastical. He
should not fulfil the duty which he had assumed when
presenting the Petitions of the Catholics, if he took
upon himself the responsibility of advocatin..; a Biil
exactly in the form of that received from the other
Anise, without first explaining his reasons. From a
gitllll II unication which he had recently had from a
numher of tbefortmost friends of time measure, he had
the best grounds for believing, that in its progress
'through the House, the second part would receive
such reasonable amendmeets, as would effectually re-
move his objections and those of the Catholic Clergy.
without diminishing by one iota, those securities which
it was admitted on all sides Protem.anta liad a right to
expect, after granting so much. It was because he
felt persuaded that the measure might be, and was
• likely to be so modified, whilst passing that House,
as to do away every objection ou the part of time Ca-
tholics, and afford the amplest security to the Pro-
stants, that be undertook its advocacy. After the
kill had been read a first time, he should move
that it be printed, and then that it be read a
second time on Tuesday next, a day which had met
with the approbation of all those to whom it had been
mentioned, and which would /Mow ample time for all
their Lordships to make themselves acquainted with
t"e eontemmis of the Bill.
The E trl of LIVERPOOL did not rise to give any
opposition to the motion of the Noble Earl. It was
.fit that, coming as it did, with time authority of the
C.:mit:tons, the Bill for removing the disabilities of
V.e Catholics should receive their Lordships most se-
rious consideration. Whatever decision their Lord
at-ips millmt come to, he also hoped that the discus-
sions would be conducted with that temper and mode-
ration which, it was bit jo•tice to say, had marked
their course in time other House. It would be prema-
ture in him to enter far into the subject at present ;
bat having taken an active part in former discussions
ef that kind, he conceived that he should not act
fairly if he did not say, in his individual capacity,
eat when the proposition for reading the Hill a se-
ct:rid time should he made, lie should tags time liberty
-of objecting to it. The Bill consisted of two parts.
tiro removed the disabilities under which the
Ce,tholica still laboured ; time second imposed new re-
evictions upon their Clergy. lie was soul- to say
that to both these parts he should feel it his duty to
ohket. He was not ready to grant to the Catholics
all that was proposed in the first part : but if he were,
fe should thin): it incumbent upon him to object to
tibee clauses in the Bill which related to the Catholic
Qergy. They tended to take away all the grace
of the coccessions which were made. Some of them
were highly unjust, and others most impolitic. He
was conviuced that they would not in any degree an•
swer the purpose of the authors of the measure, but
would defeat the object fur which it was proposed to
etraef them. lie spoke as an individual, and as an
individual only he should claim their Lordships in-
dulgence to explain more at length the grounds on
which his objections rested, on the day when the
rouse should be called upon to read the Bill a second
titne,
The Earl of DONOUCHMORE statmd, that on
The subject of securities he felt exactly as the Noble
ir,arl, awl be was sorry that that Noble Earl did not
reel like him on the general principle of the Bill.
For himself he wanted no additional security from
the Roman Catholics. If he doubted their loyalty,
ee their beidg as good subjects as the rest of the
:nation, he would not think that giving secnrities,
alt them so, and would not, therefore, come
garward Mu their behalf. But he felt as he ought to
-di'the manner in which the other House had met time
*bastion. Protestants stated that they had sacri-
-16041 their prejudices to relieve the Catholics, and the
"CP.tiolLi would not deserve the support which they
yid receive& if they did not feel a disposition .to
Ja".., le, great sacrifices, even to the prejudices of their
IrOli•tast.ilithren.
The LORD CHANCEI4,OR said he should not I
have claimed the indnigace of their Lordships for
twsittlisre thilit with a few words, even on so interest-
fly a enbjett aim the present ; but having read the
MI all fosiiwi that, one of its Osumi withheld the
?tee, wislfla `he, bald now the honour to fill from the
r 6 ;tgsyota~~f aNasholic, he could sabot regard that
cleeleeasarioofs•bnposiag on the person who held that
cohee, the duty of considering well whether he would
c mewat to the alterations proposed to be nude iu the

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