The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-02-04 00:00:00

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*ation of the Established Church. [Hear, hear
Indeed, Gentlemen who were now most eager for
those natural rights, called that epoch in our history,
" the glorious Revolution," and that Revolution
provided those safeguards for our Civil and Religious
Liberties. Experience had taught our ancestors that.
two sorts of Religion in the State were not congenial
to its safety. It remained with the advocates of the
Catholics to chew the riecansitv therefore for altering
this state of things. What ware now asked full
participation of political power, because the Catho-:
lic had full enjoyment of his religious opinions and''
protection of property. The Right Honourable and
Learned Gentleman then commented on the degree
of influence which the Priests of the Catholic per-
suasion exercise over their flock—the blind subniis.
sion of that flock to their pastors—the influence,
dangerous as it was, of a foreign power over their
spiritual concerns, especially when that.power is at
present under the dominion of France. This was
the opinion, he observed, of the best friends of the
Catholics, and he instanced the opinion of the Chan-
cellor of Oxford in his Letter to Lord Fingill,to show
that the influence was dangerous ; an opinion which
had not been promulgated by the "bigoted cham-
pions of intolerance and persecution," but by- the
leader of the Catholic advocates. He deprecated the

idea, that taking the sense of Parliament was the way
to allay the irritation, or that keeping alive the ex-
pectancy of concessions which tha public interests
would not allow,-was the best mode of securing the
tranquillity of the State. The concessions, if grant-
ed, would, instead of producing the effect desired,
engender discouttnt and disunion in the two Govern-
ments, on account of the difference in religious opi-
nions. It was the very nature of man, and so would
remain until that nature was altered. The subject
of these political differences was, as the Noble Lord
bad very emphatically said, " the stepping stone to
ambition." The Catholics, he believed, did not want
a Catholic Secretary of State or a Catholic Chancd-
lor ; the main body were firmly attached to the unit-
'ea empire. The number that would be benefited by
the removal of the disabilities would be few in compa-
rison with the great body. Concession had been
made and still demanded. The average of the Pro-
tostant subjects was, be observed, as five to one, and
they were not disposed to part with their rights and
privileges. In examining the question, it would be
necessary to look to future consequences, if the re-
moval of the restrictions was to be granted.---
In the House of Commons one hundred Members
were returned, and it was probable, that if
Catholics were admitted to seats in Parliatn,:.,',
every Member from Ireland would be a C.•ho-
lic—[Hear, hear!l The silence of the British
nation was not to he taken as a silent accps:eicetsce
in the justice of the claims, bat as a conviction that
they would not attend to them; for if the people en-
tertained a different opinion, the table .'f the house
would he crowded with petitions. T!..• Right Hon.
and Learned Gentleman at great length enforced the
necessity for refusing to accede to the motion, in the
apprehensitsen which lit entertained of the danger aris-
ing from concession, in the view which he had pre-
viously taken. The first change to be wrought was
an alteration in the turbulence of the Catholics. The
physical force of the people of that persuasion in Ire-
land was under the controul of the Priesthood ; a
circumstance which might be taken advantage of for
the worst of purposes. Besides, it was the nature of
those who professed different religions, to eye elle
• another with jealousy ; they might as well est:wct
that two stars would keep their course iu the. same
sphere. After some complimentary rem:, sks upon
the conduct which the Legislature had hitherto adopt-
ed towards the Catholics, and the attention with
which they had always considered their claims, he
expresed a hope,that neither they nor their advocates
would suppose that Parliament was to lesiutimidated
iuto compliance by repeated and frequent applica-
tions, but would look to a cool and deliberate exer-
cise of judgment as their best dependence, and most
effectual advance to success. If they adopted a con-.
duct of this sort, their claims, as far as was consist-
ent with the safety of the state, would be granted
almost by acclamation. But let them shew what
securities they would give, let them state when they
would stop in their demands, and allow for those
points on which the Protestants would insist—a
Protestant Throne, the security of their•civil estab.
lishments and religious liberties. _ _ _

Mr. CANNING said, that lialiwg the misfortune
to be one of those prisons whom the Noble Lord who
opened the deb !te marked out to the peculiar"disap-
probation of the House and of the Country ; having
the misfortune to he one of those who could not go
the entire length of granting the claim of unlimited
concession, being determined against Toting for such
claim, hat being determined much more against sane-
tioning by his Tote the principle recommended by his
Right lion. and Learned Friend; t. principle which
would go to shut the door against the hopes of the
Catholics, and though not expressly contended for,
vet consequently and necessarily to lead to the re-
enactment of those penal statutes which had once
disgraced our legislation. Being unforttnately one
of those persons, thus circumstanced, he wished to
trespass for some time on the attention of the House,'
-while he stated his candid sentiments upon this great'
question. [Hear, hear He could not avoid ye.
gretting deeply that it was brought forward now ; he
regretted it from an opinion, which the speech of his
Right Honourable Friend-was not calculated to di-
minish, that it must noyrbe discussed with a degree
of passion and animosity unbecoming the occasion ;
but at the same time he lamented its introduction, he
was somewhat consoled by the reflection, that it had
fallen into the hands of his Noble Friend, whose
principles and. talents so well befitted him for the
task, and who bad discharged that task in a manner
so agreeable to the opinions of his friends, so flat-
tering to himself, and so, deserving of the favour, the
approbation, and the admiration of the House of
Commons. [Mar, hear!]
..Agreeing with his No-
ble Friend in some points, and differing from him
in others, he shouldptate his agreement with all the
warmth which neurally proceeded from respect and
esteem ; and le hoped that he should state the topics
in which be differed.from him, with that tetoper and
moderation which should mark 'his regret, while he
maintained his principles. His Noble Friend had set
out with stating, that some transactions which oc-
curred in the course of the last summer, had in.

glanced him to briug forward the motion then under