The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-02-01 00:00:00

and blood of Christ at one of the sacraments, it was
done only in commemoration of the Saviour. The 1
Nobie Earl here took a short historical view of the
conduct of the British Governments to their Catholic 1
, subjects, especially in the eventful reigns of Charles
the Second and of William the Third. But time and
I circumstances bad most importantly altered since
those eventful periods—there was now no Catholic
Pretender to the Throne, nor did any of those vari-
ous objections, upon which formerly such stress was
laid, exist at present. The claims of the Irish Catho-
lics had been seriously considered and attended to in
the Parliament of that country ; they, had been in
part recognized, and a certain portion of justice af-
,forded to them. Some of thok rights were restored l .
but aosy-of their most ietamillat ii43,lB,meie. shil! •
withheld; the elective frenchise had been accorded;
bat they were precluded from all share hi the legisla-
tive lower; from all situations of command in the
army and the navy. They should consider, that by the
_measure of Uniou, that part of the empire were desti-
tute of the superintending care of their Parliaments,
and they had now none to look up to forredress,save
that and the other House of Parliament. Why
should our Catholic fellow-subjects alone be pre-
cluded from a participation in the common bandits
of the Constitution under.which they live I As log
hs. such -a considerable part of our population are
kept in such a state, they Might naturally be expect-
ed to complain. His.object was to bring this great
and important consideration fully and seriously to the
VIQW of Parliament. They would see the policy as
well as the justice of affording some, among so mime-
rots, a portion of their fellow-subjects, a chance of be-
ing admitted into the Goverment of their country.—
lis saw no rational ditficalties or obstacles which now
obtained to the speedy consideration 'of the subject.
An investigation called for no less by necessity and
by - polky than strict national justice. They could
uner hope for a tranquil or satisfactory state of
1 things in Ireland, until the grievances of so great a
rpoition of her population were redressed ; a cora-
I' sentimation which more than any thing else, would
tend to the happiness, -the prosperity, and the se-
curb', of the Empire :it large. The Noble Earl con-
cluded by moving, " That a Committee be appoint-
ed to empire into, and consider of the state of the
affairs of Ireland." .

The Duke of DEVONSHIRE in a first, but
very short, though pertinent, speech, seconded the
motion. Ho perfectly eencurred In every thing that
had fanPll &am his Noble Friend, .Wph him he felt
thee that sehjeat 'rowan* whteit leedircalted for this
attention of the House, and while things were suf.
fered to remain in their present state in Ireland, they
must expect to have it unceasingly pressed upon their
attention. Nut only the justice and character, but
the safety of the country, was involved in the con-
sideration.

On the question being pnt,
The Earl of ROSiEsletlared his opinion, that no-
thing which had fallen from the Noble Earl should
induce the House to accede to the Motion. With
the Noble Earl, however, he lamented the existing
state of that part of the United Kingdom ; and no
person could be snore happy to'contribute in extend-
in-to every branch of his Majesty's subjects all that
was desired, as far ai his convictions of prudence
and safety would admit. No one could be more
ready in recommending that Parliament should receive
and attend to the petitions of the country at large.
For his part, he begged leave to say, that attached
as he was, to all the people of Ireland, of whatever
religious persuasion they may be, he must naturally
he inclined to accede to any measure which he really
thought would tend to the prosperity of that count ry,
or the welfare audsecurity of the empire at large.
At the same time, he must say, that he believed the
present to be a peesdiarly improper time to accede to
the motion of the Noble Earl. The proposition may
be regarded in a two-fold light ; first, as it Went to
routiliete the Catholics of Ireland; and, secondly,
with a view of casting a reflection upon the present
Government of Ireland. In considering the subject,
the late conduct of the Irish Catholics formed a pro-
mitsent point. And first, he must say,.he deemed
the Catholic Convenficrn.a proceeding of a very dan-
gerous nature; but a point on which the Noble Earl
laid great stress in the outlet, was what was alleged
to take place respecting a Jury, and for this he had no
foundation orauthority than vague report, or what was
stated in anewspaper. Was it upon such an hypothesis!
that august Assembly wtve cal led upou to go into aCom-
.mittee on the affairs of Inland ?. Were they to pro-
ceed on so slight, so hypothetical a basis ? Was there
a single document before them to prove the alleged
facts ? or did any one Parliamentary ground exist for
bottoming such an argument ? The Noble Earl had
asserted that no time should be lost in resorting to
some measures. But he must aver that be adduced
no solid or substantial grounds for such an enquiry
'as was desired. The conduct of the Irish Govern-
ment, he must contend, was such as the exigencies of
the crisis called for; if, indeed, they hid acted
otherwise they would have betrayed aculpabie want
of prudence, and a shatlieful pusillanimity.—Uicar,
hear !]—Suppose there were no other objections, the
conduct of the Catholics was such, that if the Go-
vernment did not interfere ai it had, the would them-
selves have eventually become the victims. Ile
deemed it unnecessary to follow the Noble Earl over
! the ground he had taken. Ile would not so fir tres-
pass upon their Lordships' time, but would direct
' their attention to what appeared to him to be the
main point. It was contended that the Irish Go-
vernment had obstructed the Catholics in the exer-
t rise of their constitutional right of petitioning. If
such were the ease, then, that. Government would
deserve at It the censure of that r
But in fact thitbflfetwidob. different. '
tin.licss undosiillila (4tf aiMIN right
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