The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-17 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Sir W. SCOTT presented a Petition from the Clercy
of the Archdeaconry of Essex alviin,t the Catholic
Claims.—Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. H. DAVIS presented several Petitions from
Bristol, from the parishes of St. Peter's, All Saints, St.
Mary Refit:litre, and Bedminster, against the Roman
Catholics, which, after a few words from Sir J. M atKirs-
Toms, were ordered to lie on the table.
Petitions were presented by Mr. DOWNIE, from
the Magistrates and Town Council of Stirling, signed
by 629 inhabitants of that burgh and its vicinity,
against the Roman Catholic Claims.--Ordered to lie
on the table.
INVERI7RY PETITION.
Lord A. HAMILTON moved that the Petition front
Inverury should be referred to the Committee on Scotch
Burghs.--Ordered to lie on the table.
After a conversation of some length, in which
Lord Fan, Mr. J. P. P G __KANT, and Sir 6. CLERK par-
ticipated,
Sir J. NEWPORT, in consideration of the import-
ant business about to come on, moved that the de-
hate on the Inverury Petition should be adjourned till
Monday.
Sir R. FER6USON seconded the motion, which
was agreed to, and the debate was adjourned till
Monday.
Mr. HUME presented a Petition from R. Hayes, of
Wexford, against the Bill now before the Howie for re-
gulating the intercourse with the See of Itome.—Or-
tiered to lie on the table.
Sir T. LE fHBRI DIIE rose to present two Petitions
against the Catholic Claims: the one from the Clergy
of the Archdeaconry of Bath, the other from Fen-
show, in Somersetshire; the Petitioners wished the Ito-
man Catholics to enjoy every species of religious li-
berty that could be afforded to them with safety to the
Coustitution, but they were opposed to the Bill now
before the House. They were of opinion that more

Mr. C. W. WYNNE consi.lereol the question to he
of t.onie impssrtaner, and n ished the considerAtion of
it to he po4ponell till a future. d ty.
Mr. 31.111111.‘TT thought it hard that a Petition
Aitoaltl hr refoutril because it was in French. I inning
• thi• did from a place uln.:e the French Imiguage
was in general use.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE said, it tras not contended that
the Petition should not he received at all. In one
• nr other it wight fob,. brunr;lit before the House,
hot lie hail doubts whether it could he vereivi. I vith•
out titst being r. notered into Enolisli. *liiis could
easily he t10..e, and then there would he no oh-tacle
in
the way of its being presented. If petitiot.s blight he
presented in all the varinti. laistria tt. spohett in the
different possessions of this country. it %told,' hue he-
eessury for the llow‘e ti, have a ert of (Irks to trans-
Lite them to the Mettibt.rs. .

• •
Mr. 31.11 M YAT'r consented to with !raw the Peti-
tiun fur the present.
C %THOM(' I'ETITIoN.:.
Mr. I.OCIOI.IItT presented a petition from the
Mayor, Intifflß, and Commonevhof the City of Onfor,i,
against the Rowan Vistholie Claitns.—,-Ordered sts be
printed.
,$4 W. SCOTT presented a Petition from the elm-
t:'y and Archileaconry of Big •leswadc, on the same
-übject.—Orilere.l to lie on the table.
Mr. WIC ItEltFt /BCE presented a Petition from cer-
tain Boman Catholics of Staffordshire and Warwick-
shire, petitioning certain pros isions contained
in the Bi!ls nun in the House, re-petting the Homan
Catholics, which they conceived went to place them
and their fellow Roman Catholics in the situation of
criminal, and praying relief. The Hon. Member did
not concur in the prayer of the petition ; but ra it had
!wen forward- il to him, he had thought it his duty to
present it to the !louse.
Sir T. CETI-11181 E did not rise to oppose the mo-
tion for laving this Petition on the table : on the con-
trary, tie congratulated the House on the occasion of its
having been presented. Ile, front the sentiments ex-
pressed by these Petition:Ts, would call upon the iiollbt
to p nose hefote they went further with the Bills now in
the House, one of which went to give the Catholics what
they wanted—the other to impose restraints epos them,
to which they were not subjected at present. What
reason could they have for thinking these measures
would satisfy the'Roman Catholics, when a Petition like
this was presented from them, with the name of Dr.
Milner attached to it:—(llear, hear, larar.)—What
reason, he would repeat it, could they have for sup.
posing that these measures would satisfy the Catholics,
and he apprehended it was the wish of the Right Hots.
ifentleman to satisfy them, or else braid not know what
his object was: If the Bill, wields the Catholics wished
to pass into a law, were passed, the Protestants, he was
sure, could not be satisfied, unless another Bill were
passed to impose snch restrictions as could nut be other
than unpalatable to the Catholics. He could see no reason
for two Bills being brought in, unitss he assumed that
the one which the Catholics desired should be passed,
was intended to be permanent, while the repeal of the
other, at no distant period, was in contemplation. Hr
hail no doubt, that if these measures were now passed,
they would in a few years find the Catholics coming
again to Parliament to petition for the repeal of one of
them. The loyalty and mesit of the Petitioners he
would be the last man to deny. Ile had a great respect
for the Catholics both of this country and of Ireland ;
but still be had ever thought it his duty to o:Tose their
claims, and he would continue to do so. tiranting all
they desired would, in his opinion, he I:keiy to subject
the country to the same disasters which had unhappily
been experienced at a former period of our history, and
front which we had only relieved ourselves by means of
laws—nut like those now in torce against the Roman
Catholics, but by such as were in force fifty or sixty
Years ago. Of the repeal of those laws which were no
longer in force, he did not complain, but hr hoped the
House would not take a course that would be likely to
• reproduce the misery formerly known. For the 'tight
• Hon. Centlewan who hail brought these Bilk into the
I (louse, lie had in common stills the whole country, the
highest respect, and he regretted that a person of his
high character and knowledge should advocate the Ca-
tholic claims. Ile knew the st eight that Right lion.
' Gentleman must have with the public, but this su rgestcd
no reason why he should not continue to oppose the
measures introduced in conformity with the views of the
Catholics. He concluded again con.,:ratulating the
, House on the presentation of this Petition.
Mr. PLUNK ET I' was satisfied that the Honourable
Baronet was sincere in what be hail said, and had
done what he conceived to be his duty to his county
. by anticipating the debate of that night. The Hun.
Baronet, by mentioning the !Mlle of Dr. Milner, had
. saved him from the necessity of calling un the clerk
to read the first name of this petition, which he be-
• liesed would be found to be that of Dr. Milner, one
of the Apostolic Vicars of the Roman Catholic

Mr. PLUM; TT resonted. A'.l I.e desired was.
that it should be !wen the naute of Itr. Milner was at-
tached to tlis Petition, He was it.tt astonished that
the Hon. B tronet. nho declared that be never could
he brought to mbmit to make air.• concessions to the
Homan t'Vholi:•., and %clime areuv.r.:t went to regret
tlir the laws which %cere in force GO %TAT, ago had
'.,stes sh•nild find sue pot: in the unreasoning
Softy whieil had opposed the %:(...vs i 1 the Roman
b: ft.:.. Ile was satisfied, and he liassght
the country tr.i, ronvince.i, the: h goo 1 itgla with-
:n reach. Bn: whentyir C•ie goo l was seal, MUM
thifi; was sure 9,, to daait t::e Loony cherished
ex:seetation. The ,roue evil -pii.t which, in the year
1 !..4 13, ha! tiptoed itseif 1,1 t.:e %visites of the Cathy-
, lies. and the p"ace of :lit f'Jtlll!ry Wa; ac.iu at work.
He must presutne the person he h. 1.1 meta:tried was at
the bottom of the present petition,which 1:e was satis-
fied di 1 nut fairly represent the feelincs :1:e Roman
latholice of this couutre. The petition resented to
the noose by the lion. -Men her for Aylechniry, was
lignesi by sere° Apostolic Vicars. 1 Ner:• were hut
right, anti the 114:lit of Ur. Maser s.:s the on!y one
that w-as wanting to that petition. The eighth had
been withhe:d from that petition of conciliation,. to
be a:tat bed to that en the appearance of which OM
Horamrable Baronet bad now cougrattilated the Homy.
Ile did sot wish to say any thing disrespectful of a
gentleutan of Dr. llilner's station in life, and of a
person of his reverend cliarActer ; there were
certain facts which ought to be stated for the infor-
mation of the e. This Ur. Milner was the
Sltsic gentleman who (IMP Coward is I°l3. when
the finale ain't to adopt a measure fir the re•
lief of the ll%.man Catholics, to oppose inch a deci-
sion, and it. considered it priocipally throngs hies
that that ta.tition h tsl 1-een rejected. This was
the sante Gentleman who hail twnierly been entrusted
with the management of the affairs of the Catholics

in tisk contitiy, but whose late. [ciente was now
disclaimed by that body. lie had further
to state with respect to Dr. Milner, that he ( tir.
Plunkett) htol at this time in his possession a do-
cument, in which that 6e:ideation was charged to
have .1-clatiol that the day which saw Catholic cowl-
cip.sticu granted, would be the duty of the downfall of
the I:ostiass Catholic reg. is this country. The
object of that Reverend Person appeared to be, not to
prevent the (low:trail of the Raman Cathollt retigion
in this cautery ; no. hot to prevent the extinction of
religious ditherenee,. It Ltd been asked by the Hon.
Baronet how, after sorb a petitiol hail hero pr:sente.,
hr (Mr. Plisn!iett) cont.! hope t.i ;ti, fy th.• Itontan
Catholic'? Toibisite repli, if, that he had n:!v. r en•
trrtained the (historical hope ut es.7ry ones
Iligutrv, he knew, was unchangeable in its cliarat t..r-.-
obstinate, and blind to its utcu interest. 'I his w:.s
unit* olitly the ease with : with itoroan Ca-
tholic bigotry as well as with Pcutestant bigotry. Fur
hivory time followed in vain : it 'ran as it were,
stranded and reuiaiued alone, woiaiipping figures
which it had trace I in the sand long after the waters
had washed every vestige of them away. - It wm nut
to be subdued by reason ami areumeat, for, as bad
been well remarked by an Honourable ind Learned
Friend of hi., to confute oas only to exasperate.
had now to state, that Le felt it to be ins duty to
oppose the laying ut tilts petition on the table. It
was not addressed to that House. There was no such
body as " The Coustnuni of England and Ireland,"
yet thus they were addressed in this petition. That
House consisted of the Reßreoentatives of Great Bri-
tain sad Waged, and no person hail a right to address
them as the Cousinutis of " EnglAnd and Ireland,"
leaving out all meation of that part of the United
Kingdom called Scotland. He then desired that ao
first part of the petition should be read.- (fhe Clerk
read the petition, which was addressed to the Uuited
Kaights and Burgesses Gf England and Ireland.]--
peition so addressee}.
He uppteKed the re. cption of a
Lord NI: ENT said, when he brought forward. the
Petition ut the Catholics too years ago, the Petition
was signed the. Apostolic Vic.o., and the Rev. Or.
Milner haul ,igned with the others. lie, however,
thought it right to withdraw his name the day beforelt
was pre.ented. What his object must have bees, and
what his view' in doing so, he would leave the House ttl
judge. Every one who coati act as Dr.Miiner. had act-
ed, he o wild willingly leave to the company of the Hoe.
Baronet.
Sir U. HILL was of opinion, that Dr. Milner, in cow-
ing forward as he had done, to declare his sentiments
at once, bad acted more fairly than the Irish Prelacy
and Clergy did in They did not let their feelings
transpire imsneiliately, but nitimately rejected the mea-
sure then proposed. When such bigotry and obstina4
had been displayed in 1413, were they now without the
slightest proof that any change had taken place in the
disposition of the Catholics to give up our Protestant
Constitution ? It would be difficult to prove that the
'measures now before Parliament would conciliate the
Catholics, and it mould not be maintained that they bad
I any value at all if they did not promote political friend-
; ship and union.
Mr. WILBERFORCE would he sorry that the Peti-
tion should be rejected for any little informality, in the
wordieg of it. Hr believed the objection of the Right
Hun. Gentleman to be valid. He, (or his own port, was
ag:tinst the contents of the Petition, but to reject it tilt
such grounda would, he feared, aggravate the essorers-
, tiun whirls prevailed, and he thought it would sot be
well to avail themselves of a technical defect, whoa so
much stronger grounds offered for opposing themselves
LI its prayer.
Mr. PLUNKETT consented to withdraw his oppo-
sition.
Mr. J. 5.111111 remarked there were many Dames at-
tachml to the Petilior, evidently written by the same
hand. This he considered highly übjectiooohle.
Mr. H. lIK 'UHT was satisfied this question could
never be set completly at rest, sinless the House cog-
, ceded ail the Catholics required, or resolutely woo
their co-ii where the; now were. He therefor
stroa6ly te..omusended that they shealel tale( *sir