The Statesman.
London, England, 1813-06-11 00:00:00

•Loniffolland, the Rept:Motive of that tried Friend 10
Iltengiou. Liberty, Charles James Fox,
`tieing drunk with peals of applause, the Noble
Lord addressed the Meeting in terms of peculiar ani.
-illation and force. He thought it unnecessary to fol-
low his Noble Friends in their able definition of reli-
gions freedom, but he would define what is not reli-
gious freedom. This freedom, then, he could not
5i..,. allow to consist in suspending the execution of laws
which had been already suspended by the general
'Anse of the world—in suspending those laws which
its fact no Government in this country dare execute.
• •
lApplauses.l—the claim, therefore, of some per-
-sons to the praise of religions freedom, arising solely
out of such suspension, 'was perfectly preposterous,
for it was nothing more than the forbearance of a
wild beast to any animal in the forest. It put him in
mind of something he had witnessed, when a boy, at
the Tower :—A spaniel being confined in the same
place with a lien, some old women. rather expressed
'their admiration of the lion's magnanimity in sparing
_ the spaniel, than applauded his prudence in not
destroying his companion. Of the same spirit and
intellect with these old women must he conceive any
"persons Who-would acknowledge a claim to religious
freedom on the part of such men as he had described
—of men who were understood to be forming ledges
and binding themselves with secret oaths [applause]
to 'sup; ort their ideas of religious freedom, to
aecure toleration to religion truly. [Applause.] Here
the Noble Lord took a masterly view of the differ-
ebce between toleration and liberty. The former he
regarded merely as the concession oLerbitrary power,
Vials :he latter being founded in right, could not de-
I, One upon sufferance, and must hatethe meant of se-
curity. Of these means the Catholics were desti-
tute, and must bean, while they were excluded from
political power.—[rfpplauses.]—This then could not,
be disguised, thit the Catholics were actually shut
out from the pale of the Coustitutidn [Applause];
and if any set of men were so excluded, they had a
right to complain, not upon speculative grounds
solely, but of practical oppression. On this point
he was not advancing mere theory, for he'was sup.
ported by the authority of Mr. Burke, who laid it
down that exclusion, such as the Catholics laboured
under, was incoesisteut with the fortis and essenoe of i
a free Government; and that such exclusion, where
it existed, must he done away, or that it would not
fail to extinguish any free Govertneent.—[Applause.]!
—On this principle he had 'always been a friend to
the most comprehensive spirit of religious freedom;
but if he could not attain the whole of his object he
would accept a part—he would not reject what he
could get, because all he desired, was unattainable—
persuaded
that every advance he could make would
bring him nearer to the great end of his pursuit.— •
Ile would indeed feel exultation on every inroad that
could be made upon the cause of intolerance, at the
same time he would not advise airy advantage which
might be obtained, should withdraw the friends of
complete Religious Freedom from the great object ie
view.—[Applauses.]—lle looked, and would ever
struggle for the attainment of that object, in the re-
moval of every civil disability that was founded on
l'
religious distinctions.
Earls FerzwicLi vat and Hanowicce retained
thanks on their respective healths.being drank,
Mr. PONSONDY, in returning thanks for thidistiii.
guished manlier in which his health., as: &Writ' ark- '
aerial to what had been said opon'the subject of com 7
plete religious freedom, and took occasion td entire
the meeting that he was more assiduous for the cause
of the Cath,:lics than that of apy other tfissenten,
only because he thought the former had much more
reason to complain, were actually more (limped,—
To the ins, rest of the Dissenters generally he pro-
fessed himself a warm friend, as he should be always
most ready to prove. Indeed the Prolestaet Dis-
sentets, of all their English fellow-subjects, had a pe-
culiar claim upon the gratitude of his coentrymen,
for they had actually waved the consideration of their
claim, lest it should interfere with orimpedi the ob.
j'ect of the Catholics.—[Applauses.]7-The Right
Hon. Gentleman expressed hi:- concurrence. with the
wish of his Noble Friends, that the Catholics would
continue to pursue their object *Rh firmness, temr
perance and perseverance, by which weans hos,bad,no
doubt of their attainment of an object equally. neces-
sary to the strength and security--the harmony add
happiness of the Empire.
The Marquis of Ecasnowee,. whiltialt " "iii 4
il
drunk with appropriate demonstralagOkr peat,
said, that he could not see any caitreir fts Obi one,
atom in heart or hope upon thi Vabject of the Oi•
tholic Claims. These Claims had, hi fact 4. made
such progress hi the mind of Perliament Med the
country, that there was no reason, to bediaceuraged
by a recent event, the discussion connected with
which, had in fact, in a most material degree, contri.
buted to forward the interest of the Catholic cause.
Upon the health of Mr. Whitbread being pro-
posed, it was received with lend and long continued
acclamations of applause, and whims gut Hon. Gent.
rose to mature thanks, the appienieimereptlttelfs'
Silence being at length obtained,
Mr. Wurrsttean addressed; the Meeting. 're say
that he thanked the Company, would, he felt, be
to say .too little, and yet to say much more, would,
be thought, be superfluous, as those who preceded
him had expressed every liberal sentiment with which
the feeling heart ought to glow; upon this very in-
teresting occasion. The representative 'of that great
friend to universal freedom and to mankind, whose
generous soul and enlarged mind was this night a_ppa..l
rent in the warm and forcible eloquence of Lord
Holland—[applauses]--had left 119 t; for any swan
to add on the score of liberality. TON vrkiP,lrmll
the great and good man to whom be 4044 Apt
at once recognise the resemblance, and to ,thosm„Wir
did not know him, he would say, that fresq4*td
Holland to-night, they had heard the wordsaidsenti-
ments of Mr. Fox.—[Laud applauses.]—Let then
that Meeting, and all those whom it could influ.
sacs, follow up these noble sentiments in practice,
by abolishing distinctions which were.not merely der
grading to those whom they oppressed, but still marl
so to those who, calling themselves enlightened men,
dared to continue such unjust, each odious enact-
inents.—Dlpplausc.l—Thet such enactments shoat'
he repealed he felt it unnecessary now to contend on
the score Of right, but even on the ground of politi-
ral expediency their abolition we _loudly called for.
-- r Amilause.]—Notwithstandiftg bit desire to ob.
r.:; u. all that his Noble and Hog. Friends had do.

posed, it
acclamatit
toss to ea
Silence
Mr.
that he t
to say .tol
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Holland-
-1 to add of
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at once r
did not
Holland
tnents
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by stboli!
grading I
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dared to
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',mill. all