The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-07-12

"''><~ts M '>Stt 70 I(tbCU lNSSc alfs
j that expeditions are undertaken. an\ his 8e,s
put to Tea without what was formerA ,hou,h,
Indispensable, his fpecia' iuftrudions, Abis ber-
ional fnperintendance. He waits, no done Wi,
EImpat'ence, the moment when the grand S,c.
upon our coats may be attempted, bat hev.Is
that in order to facilitate the execution ofS;s
formidable enterprife, he mut weakea our nae
force at home.--To this conviction we MAJ
ljuity attribute the late attack upon ou- Wet
India Hands, and the filling of the, cornbinee
Feet from Cadiz, which is certainly defined "a
execute fome act OF colonial aggrefiion. He at
tacks us IN the ext:emit;cs, for the purrofe o
4 ftrikng a fatal blow at the heart of the pritiil
lempire. But although he has calculated ON the
| precarious fyftem of blockades. and ON the nj.
rmate contingency of having fuperior force at
fsa, he has not taken into his account the fpirit.
lshe 'Inagndninity, the numbers, of the Britifh
people, owhom death would be preferable to
Ithe yoke ofa foreign tyrsnt. The feaf>n is now
at hand, when the grand fiotla at BouIorne
will refume all IT'S ACTIVITY, and when Bonaparte
will bimfslf, after hisI Italian coronation, pre-
Tide over its movenen's-The VAT number of
imali craft that co,poie it continues to increaie
and the army of England, on the oppoIite coats,
as is Systematically s.ed, has of late been con-
hderably reinforced. In proportion as the enc
my augmeuts the ms.as of aggreflion, we are
confident the country will not be wanting in. adj
ding to its refources, and confirming its patriot
i'm. Government is we'll aware of the policy
of Bonaparte if his maiety's uliniffers once
thought an invalon likely to be attempted fure-
W that fentiment mutt derive new weight from
the prefer. relative Aate of naval affairs between
the two powers they ought, therefore, TO act
with promptitude and vigour adequate ia the
criis; they have at their dlfpoial great and es-
feetive force ard, fhould it be neceiiary, they
VIII, IN addition to the regular volunteer army,
by calling ont the hvy-ea-mayR, put into activity
the whole frength of the nation.
The quetion Of FINAL Cathock emancipation
was certainly difcu'1ed in very maRerly man
ner on Friday evening laft BY the noble lords
who took the lead on the oppoiie fides and
although feveral have yet to expreis their opiui-
ons upon this irterefing fubeSt, there is but too
much reafon TO anticipate tire decihon of the
houfc. OF all the topicks which have, fer the
at twenty years, engaged the attention Of par
lament, not one has occurred Capable of elicit
ing more powerful, yet contrary arguments.
On the one hand, in favour of the Catholick
claims, II is maintained, that the feelings and in
terefs of between three or four millions of our
fellow fuhjetts ihonld he eratifed, that there
exits no principle, no doctrine in the Catholick
religion which fhould exclude thofc who pro-
fets it, from the participation in the government,
and all the benefits of the contribution that all
the concefiions granted to them during his ma
lefy's reign, have tended only so render them
better citizens, and more loyal iubjr6ts that By
the great meafure of the union, it was propofed
20 remove all the remaining difquatications I'M
der which they fill laboured that cordial
conci'iation and complete union of the whole
body ofthe Britifh people, is at this crfs pecu-
larry dehrable; that the principle of free con-
fttution is competed of, and coniifis in, equal
laws and b,,,
in the fnlleft manner, the right ofacquiring pro-
perry, the rejection oftheir claims would deitroy
the influence naturally arhng from it, and that
no practical disadvantage can refult from the adj
milton of Roman Catholicks into both Houfe of
Parliament, and the great Offices under govern
nient, to the prslent Establishment of church and
fate.
On the other hand, it is commended, that the
grand principle of the contribution growing out
of the revolution and the bill of rights, requiring
the king to be protefant, his immediate adv-
fers, and thofe delegated to act for him, ought
to be of the fame religion; that there is an ex-
treme difference between civil rights already
granted to the Catholicks, and political power
for which they now petition; that the concef-
lion of the Catholick claims wonid juitify the
repeal of all the exiting tets, As it would be alb
furd TO refufe to the diIenters what might be
granted to- the Cathoiicks; and, above all, that
the Acknowledgements or the kings supremacy,
which is not contained in the oath they offer to
take, ought, while they refufe it, to form an in
furmountable bar to the objects of their petition
The lube6t is unqueHioDaby of great inipor-
lance, and although we have our own opinions
on it, candOur compels to admit that difficult
ties attach to each iidz Of the 9efiou, fufficient
10 repreis dogmatlm, and excite the fpirit of
difhdence and modeAy. For ourfelves, we ihall
confder with the mott minute attention, the ar
guments which may be adduced in both houf-
es but from the pulfe of minifters, felt as it
was laft Friday in the upper houfe, there can be
little difficulty in dfcertaining the ue ofthe Ro-
man Catholick Petition.
The country are given to expect that the mi
Hfary will become the next and immediate
branch Irrational inveffigation; and if the COM
miiiioners are pure and honorable men, and
the powers with which they are to be inverted,
be ample and uncontrolled, fnch fcenes of trs-
Gigafe peculation will, it is fad, be developed.
as will, comparatively, enrobe Lord Melville
and Mr.. Trotter in vets of Official purity =
But nothing nort of a fair and open tribunal of
inquiry will either fatisfy the juit claims Of the
country, or appeafe the general refentment of
an injured people Thefe national inquilitors
muf be felected out of independent fenators,
men of bufnefs, and hyperion to all Rof, or o.
Their militia influence whatever, for they will
have to pats mountains and labyrinths of figures,