The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-29 00:00:00

CATHOLIC SECURITII •.

The Order of the Day for a Committee of the whole
House on the Komar Catholic Disability Removal Bill
being read,
Mr. HUTCHINSON said, that as the House had
come to that stage when the enactments respecting
the Roman Catholic Clergy were to he considered, it
became his duty to speak his opinion respecting them.
Though he alight offend some of the friends of the
measure Ly the wain. expression of his feelitig, he as-
sured them that nothing Lould be more foreign to his
intention than to change the tone of the debate. He had
been surrounded by several friends. deprecating the
line which he had intended to pursue ; imbed rem eivrd
a*,onyinous letters, cautioning him as to the injury he
might do to the measure; one even assuring him that
lie would injure his individual interest in the great city
(Cork) which he had the honour to represent. As to
the lam r C.reat, he had always assured the Catholic% I
tli it he had never conceived himself entitled to their
peculiar thanks, and that in supporting their claims,
he felt he was supporting the interests and strength of
the Empire. Now, though he felt gratitude for the I
temper in which the present measure bad been discos-,
sLd by the opponents of the Catholics, especially by Owl
Menifter for Oxford. and though be approved of the
• Bill fur removing disabilities, and was anxious that it
should be carried into a law, he must deprecate the
enactments, which were called securities, with which
it was now to be accompanied. He thought it right,
that the House shonid not call for any securities ;
was his firm conviction that they were not necessary ;
but if they were .necessary, were there no others to be
hand thau penal enactments against the. Catholic
Clergy ? The friends of the measure agreed, indeed,
that the 11111 gave no security if there was any real
dancer ; they afreed that it was highly penal, and
would offend the Catholic Clergy; but, said they, de
not iii:the any opposition to it, for however penal it may
be, jilt is now passed to satisfy some unfounded &piste-
hensions, an enlightened House of Commons will here-
after repeal it.(lfear from Mr. Peel.) Ilis objection
to the first clause was, that it imposed a compulsory oath
nu all Catholic Clergymen—not only those who might
hereafter enter into orders, but those who were alreailv
in orders. It was as to the reran Catholic Clergy,
au ex post facto lan. What the punishment conse-
quent ou refusal was to be did nut appear. It might
be transportation for life, or fourteen years, or impri-
simuent for life; or any other heavy penalty. Ile
wished to know atiexample in which soy oath was in
this cr pod foe° manner imposed to be taken. Pltamiy
persons had great objections to take an oath ou any
occasion—not only Quakers but often Protestants.;
Had they a right to say to imam who had already
entered into a attain profession, "you Shall- take a
certain oath, in order that the-Duke of Norfolk mai.
sit in the House of Lords and'his son iir the (louse of
Commons?" The House was not aware in Wulf of
how important a body of men he was speaking, when
he rased his voice in behalf of the Catholic Clergy.
There could not be a more reapectable or more power-
ful body, or one that exercised its power mere beneficially,
and nothing could be so snischieveus.ns to offer theta
such an insult, as to place them in thii invidious Silt-
ation, that justice should not be 'done to the Nobility
and Gentry of their persuasion, unless they. (the
Clergy) consented I. degrade themselves. There wire
in Irelaud four Catholic Archbishops, twenty-five 10:.
shops, 1200 Parish Priests, $OO Curates, and be-
tween 2 and 300 Regulars. They were the most ancient
Clergy of either island.. The only parallel to the oath
sow imposed upon them, was that imposed after die
Revolution in Weaver, for the refusal to take which
She Clergy were subjected to deportation, the-conse-
quence of which us, that they led tat ail pails of
Europe. The Heaenrable Member for Drabber had
strong impression that the establishment 011ie littler
if Jesuits is liaglaad *raid bweedssed. ire gwald
farm the Honourable Misehtrodaa that Oak, did

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