Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-04-22
foreign Nfms.
MIR. BROUGIiAM's sPEECU,

subject Of Cathohic Emancipation
Mr.. Brougham thought that those hon. gentlemen
who had called upon the right hon. secretary TO enter
into the details of tho measure proposed in His Ma
lesty's speech, had followed u course perfectly irreo-
ular. II was not the practice of the house to coll u
pom His Maiesty's Ministers 70 enter into details of
measures when the speech from the throne recon-
mended to Parliament to take certain matters into
lis consideration. IL was a matter of course that His
Majesty should avoid entering into details i'm his
speech, because h. would most naturally avoid To dc
tate to the wisdom Of THE Legislature, and therefore he
,Nr. BrouIhano for ono, was perfectly satisfied
with the general description given of the measure
proposed, by which he understood that il was inten-
dcd that there should be an arrangement OF the Cath
Ole claims npon a solid and permanent footing; and by
the granting, IN u niggardly measure. a parcel ofcon-
ccssions this session, that new demands, or now re-
quests, ifthut were the proper expression, might be
made i'll another session. lie hoped that what should
hv found e~Xpcdient would ut once b. done, that the
rnind ofthe Legislature might he made perfect, after
two deliberations ON the extent, right, and cNpcdicn-
~ of making concessions, for the purpose OF term;Ha-
ting, once for all, the differences which exist. and
giving Catholics that which we can afford, and with
which they ought to be satisfied. He said, "with
which they ought TO be satisfied" for he entirely Con-
Cured with thcIion. gentleman who had Just Satdown.
and 1t had been his uniform opinion OH this subject,
that this measure, great aud important, and (aS he
trusted II would bel infinitely beneficial To all parts OF
the empire. and to all orr institutions, religious us well
as civil, would lose moro than halfit S value, II II were
tire result ofnegociatiOns or Of compact, and not of
the liberal wisdom ofthe Legislature. He considered
The Catholic question TO be substlntinllv cnrrirl.
He meant, without going into details, by the Cath
Ole question, above all and before all, and Us essen
tial and Integral, nay, he had almost said, the whole
Of that qucStIor--thc admissibility Of Catholics to
seats III Parliament, and their eligibility 20 such OIL
cs as Professionals are capable Of holdruv. with one
or two exceptions, with respect To certain offices,
from which evan Catholics must confess themselves
wholly excluded. 1t had been said by an honorable
baron, that the ministers in propounding Il measure
NJ tins UESCFIptIOn- must huNp rhDuUaAI all 1in1r tyu,
ciplNg without any change Of circumstance to account
for TIN change. Iflpon further consideration of a
question, If as the result of larger and longer expe.
ricnce-meH were to change opinions and to become
tue supporters OF different principles TO those which
they had heretofore honestly and conscientiously
holden, he, (AIr. Brougham) should not in that case
be disposed TO speak with the slightest disrespcct of
tluse who came manfully and honestly forward and
avoGeu such change III their opinions. He preferred
those who lived to profit by experience, over those
whom longer living Only makes more pervcrscly OBJ
stinute, Tlaughterl-yoar after year reaping the sad
fruits of continued long life, without the important,
though melancholy consolation, of setting against in
e reaSing years increasing wisdom-[Continued laugh
teri
II Ire differed from the honorable baronct on thfs
subject, he also differed from the honorable m.mber
for DO1Sctshire on another, for indeed both the points
he alluded 10 agreed in the main. The hon. member
for Dorsctshire had asked, "Whdt is the change of
circumstances? How are VIC in 4 different situation
mere than we were 7 years, or indeed 81 OF % wears
'0~ 49, - r. III 'Abt iill III - B G.
held, and those who acted with him had always held.
must maintain it now rs our decided opinion,
that il wanted not the rc"ult OF more recent expert
,ncc to cprviuce Us that This measure, the expcdie0-
" Of which Is uudeniablc, was right, and we Contend
ID without the benefits of recent experience, etoutly
md deliberately in favour of this great measure, as,
the benefit Of that experience, we do VINO CON
end. But different men saw the same subject III
different lights. and be could very well imagine, and
indeed he knew il, both, public and private, from the
,onduct Of men in that house and others OF Off that
hose events which had taken place during the last
wo or three years, but particularly within the
asst year and a halt, both in parliament in the Gov
irpment, and oat of doors, had materially changed
he elements Of their calculations on this subject
+ it were necessary that there should be a united
Governmental on the most important ofquestiuns
which could be committed to the discretion of Minis
ers, it be of any moment that they should act with
luion and concert, there was only one of two alter
natives 10 chcose-cither that the Catholic question
hould be made q cabinet question, with a determine
ron 70 carry If, or that opposition and perpetual re-
istauce to it should be offered. For he quite agreed
tho hon. member who last spoke, that it was
quite childish to- think to form a Government on thci
of not resisting the question forever, but
for six months, a year, or any indefinite period
meant till circumstances changed. Either the
must be united to carry the question or
% oppose il, and united if at all to resist it pcrpetu-
lily, as a cardinal point. That is an impOssibility
hear and he addressed himself TO men who had not
changed their opinions at all, and if there be any gen
lleman who maintains the same doctrine OH this sub
in spite Of events, and notwithstanding recent
Experience, after all he has lately seen in that house
nd the sister kiuedom--if there be any nan upon
whom the ever Of the election in 1895 were lost
It there be any one man upon whom tho occurrcn-
Mt and since the Clare election were then thrown
away, lie lDr. Broughaml would ask that man, if
such be present, who still held IL 30 bc q great
to carry the question and grant concession,
10 point out in that, or in the other house of pafiia-
ucnt, the materials VI which irs cabinet would BE-
constructed. framed on the basis Of perpetual ress-
lance. There exists no such materials.
Suppose that the right hon. gentleman Or. Peel
unfortunately for his country continued 10 think
that never should these claims be listened 10, lie
must have forEued a cabinet Ivy himself. for The pUr-
pose OF administering the government Of the county.
except perhaps with one or two on that bench
(pointiug to his own side If the house, and ON tic
ono Immediately opposite, and one or two persons IN
another place, whom be would not more particularly
a!ude 20, the hon. gentleman must have stood alone.
Wuh these exceptions, to form 4 cabinet. lie would
nj say that 20 compose such n cabinc. was physi-