The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-04-22 00:00:00

Lertithipe .on the present night, it as plain that
• this was the first time, ta the Course of the Session,
that the cause of the Romilfi Catholics of Ireland
bad come there simple and unmixed with other con-
siderations. Before he entered fully on the subject,
be would real to the mind of the Noble Lord whon
he saw sitting beside the Noble Earl, in the capaci .
of Secretary, to whom he had so acted in Irelan ,
in the year 1702, what had happened in that stea.-',
try in that year with respect to the claims of the
Catholics. lie would recollect that a petition had
. 1

been presented to the Irish Parliament, that the
Noble Earl was unfriendly to it, and that it
was scented by the Parliament, only forty-free
perms having voted against its rejection. . A meet-
ing of the Catholics succeeded, which was not
then deemed illegal--he hoped it was not illegal, for
jse had attended the deliberation held on it—it was
resqlved to eetition the Throne; and though he, on
as application to the Noble Earl f;:r his countenance
to the measure, found that he could rot Otani it, in
consequence of the attainment of the elective fran-
chise being onacf the objects of the petition, the re-
solution was nevertheless persisted in, and the.pni-
Con found its way to the Throne. if the Noble
earl, howeier, had markeda disposition unfrietelly
tp the Irish Galhelies, they had found a most stre-
nuous ft lend ilea Noble Viscount, whom he had the
pleisure Co see in his place—he had sacrificed the
feelings 6f the Iri,h Government in favour of the
Irish people, and through. him they receiyitd not
merely the limited franchise they sought, and would
have been satisfied wills, but concessions.* greater
than their most sanguine wishes could have led them
to expect. lie. bad every possiWt respect for politi-
cal consistency, but he nevertheless conceived there
were situations in which Statesmen ought to swerve i
from their opinions, in obedience to the general sen-
timent of a people; and he could very well pardon I
an aberration from consistency in the present Minis-
ters,
if it were for the purpose of bringing forward
any measure of conciliation in favour of the Catho,
Jim Much would he to see them depart from
the dictates of passion on this most important ques-
tion,, and escape from the influence of sentiments l
which no tender heart could entertain, nor an honest I
one give expression to. In the Irish Parliament
this questiou had been always introduced by the Mi-
nistersof the Grown. It was a question of such con-
aeqamice that they were unwilling to entrust it to
other hands; and directly or indirectly, they had
been always the promoters of it. He could have
wished that it had now come before their Lordships
sanctiqned by the recommendation of his Royal
liiirness the &ince Regent, or at least introduced
by one of his Majesty's Ministers; but as that was
utifortunately not the case, the task of bringitig it
before them had fallen to his lot. It was, per-
haps, not strictly conformable to order to intro.
duce the name of the illustrious person who was
placed at the head of the Government, intojt discus
sion of this nature, but he Would venture to sae,
that if one might have formed a judgment, front
the known opinions of his Royal Highness the Prince
Hegerlt, a hope might have been not unreasonably
cherished that. the measure might have received the
support and countenance to which he had ad-
verted : certainly no circumstance had occurred!
since his Royal clightles.s had been known to hold
cpinions favourable to the Catholics, which would
appear calculated to operate any important change in
them.

[Here the No!ile Lord was called to order by
Lord Ken Yon ; but proceeded to erre!: his belief
that he (laird K.) was not aware of what-was dis-
orderly or litherwisn, and to affirm that be bad beau
guilty of a most unseasouarde and improper interrup-
tion.]
Lord KENYON said, that certainly the Noble
Lard had been out of order, in alluding to the in-
dividual possessed of the sovereign authority.—
[ Hear, hear
Lord IiONCIUG liMOa E proceeded again to ex- i
press Ids regret, that the measure had not been
brought fanny(' by the Government, and that it
had, in consequence, fallen into hands so little equal
to the task of bringing it forward, with effect, as !
his ; as it had so happened, however, his best efforts
should not be wanting to promote a discussion of.
the question, that was, such a discussion as it ought
to receive in a Committee of the whole House. it
was, notwithstanding, entirely his opinion, that
it should he settled as it had begun. He wished it to
be settled by persons in authority, and nothing but
the hopelessness of that could, inspire him With a ,
wish to have it settled by a successful struggle in
either, or both Houses of Parliament ; but, if Mi-
mislers would set their faces against the measure
being brought forward in a legitimate way, with a
recommendation from the Throne, its friends
would be guilty of a dereliction of their duty, if 1
they neglected to supply the place of its_ mare doe;
supporters. The Catholics had now been for ten
years soliciting from the Llgislature relief- from
the disqualifications under which they laboured--;
during that time the plea upon which their solicita-
tious had. been rejected was the scruples which were
entertained by a certain Illustrious Individcal.--
[Here the Noble Lot d rats. interrupted by cries of
Order!]-lle would be glad to know whose scruples
we had now to thank for resistance ? lie had a
right, he contended, to allude to those which had
at first been adverted to. A juggle, of which they
had Leon made the tool, had been carried on for
years ; but, he would ask, were the Catholics made
acquainted, with the existence of thole scruples pre-;
vious to the Urion ?—[lletsr, hear,!]—Ate uteri!).
they were not. Nor could he naw.,lielp thinking
that a preference of the tender consciences and feei-
ings of Ministers, to the great and ••tnnwelitous
question now before their Lordship% was a very il-
laudable feature of the new era that ltad now
opened au the country. -For _ten years? the Ca-
tholics had been debarred of their just eights, as it
was held forth by the conscientious scruples of his I
hijesty, and now they were to suffer a further pri I.
-
lotion in Loosieq*ce of the couscientiou.s scruples
of Alinisters If it were otherwise, why had not
they themselvAjsrought forward the measure in 114 e
manner be had motioned ? 1k bunt. say, thet if
to the talents of those Minis ekay „each a. sacrifice
had been made as that of the right* of so large
portion of his Maj'esty'e eabiects IL was **deed, a
tern ible 'atrium": apd olio 'obi,* WOO that dm,
bad obtained a &pee' of powetaud ascentimes