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Vol. Illi"
T II U R S -D-A'Y, October 20,
-yNwM. 139.
. . ,
ROMAN CATHOLIC PETITION.
-fh followine It an authentic report of the
Speech of th Dlhf of Norwich, in the
Jlouse of Lords on the th TViiylaat,"
., - it will be gien la Cobbctt'a Parlia
meoury Debate. ; . '.: ; -
" Mr Lord I rie, for the first time In
my life, to address your Lonhhipst and I rise
with unaffected reluctance not because 1
entertain the smallest doubt, respecting either
the expediency, the policy, or the justice of
the meakurc ow under cjukraUoo ; but.
I becsiDse, to a person in my situation, it must
j exceeding painful, (howeer firmly per-
uaded he may- oe w ins own mlod) tofiwi
ItioDsetf impelled by a sense of duty, to main
tain an opinion, directly the reverse of which
is supported by so many wise and good mm
who belong to the profrsslim, and who tit upi
on the tame bench with bim. Important oc
casions however, sometimes arise, on which
an individual may be called opon to avow his
94mctixMfiacxpfe
without any due defrrence t the judgment of
others. Such sn occatian I conceive the pre-
seuHbJu4ihalI wiffibMXurlcOpMg:
v trouble your lordship with a few remarks.
I hare coowdcred, with all the care and at
fciition, of which I am capable, the varioua
arguments which arc urged against the pcti-
riibn,1rfaroar of the Catholict of Ireland,"
which has, tlus daf , for the seaetd time,
been presented and supported by the noble,
paron on the other side of the house, with hia
uwal aUUlies, and at the same ti roe, with
- that wcUskhowa regard for tlic real interest
of the esuiinhed church, for its peace. Us
security, itshaoor, auditspmtprnty, which
forms, awl has always formed so distinguish'
ed a part io the character of that noble lord.
These objections, my lords numerous as thry
- are aid to bef ar all ot them I thiil, be
reduced under four beads. Jn the first pUce,
, - t U aMcrtrl, or rather stronghr insinuated,
tint the religious tenets of the Catholic, are
of such a nature as, er te, to exclude those
who hold them from the ctTif, srol mijiury
situations, to hkh they aspire. It is neat
: said, that If this were nnc ihe case, these si
tustiooa are nutters of four, not of lii ht,
ardhertfiwrthe- Catholtca hare t just
C4UMI l cnmplaio that' thryxare eaciuded
fmm there, lu the tlurd plce we are told,
at if it were admitted, thtthr mcssurr
, were, ah4ractedlyeomic!cred, jtttrand right ;
Jipu)4 jjejighlf lieape'eni,.io repenl sta
ture, ahich were paused with ntuchXdcIi'ie
rstiao t -and art xonsMlered bj" ftn)VA the
.bularktd. the citituiiotviu churdiv atul
state, i nd, lastly, there are mne, Vho
contend, tht if there wrre 00 other ejecti
on, the words of the Coronation Oath preV
sent an Insuperable bar to the claims t.f the-
Catholict. r I hal not detain your hrddiipa
long in the exammation of tliese ohjrctkns,
becawe they hate been repeatedly diicmsed.
. and, as it appears to me, very satisfactorily
refuted, by far ahlcr men, Uh in this bouc
nd rut 01 it. tth respect to the rchVioos
s of the Ctthuhcs of the present dr. i'
i a little lingular, my lords, that we will
not allow them to know what their own reli-
J:kwscncts really are. Wc call upon the m
or their creed, upon aometery tmportaut
y points t and they five it to us withnct re
serte but, lnMei.d of bcuctfog hut they
aay, we refer them, with an, sir of coniro
ersiat triut)h)h, ; to the Omcila.of ,C
stance, orTVuilnue, tolhe Fourth LaterQ
Council, or to the Council of Trent.! In tain
tley moat eaplicDU, and most solemnly aterj
diat the hnM no tenet whatsoever, Incooa-
patlbW' with their- ilutlev either as menv of
as subjects, op in snv way hurtful to the go
vernmeot, under which they live. In vain
they miUUh declaration lipcn decUrstion, in
all of which they mistuneulrocallvdivow
those highly eveeptinimble tenets which are
imputed to them 1 sod B( otih do they disa
vow, but they express their abhorrence of
j. them. In vsin they confirm these dectara
ths by an oath an 6.1th, my lords, framed
by ourselres, drawn up with all poasiWe care,
and caution, and couched in terms rong
ngag sfTurdi. In additkm to these
ample stcunties, for the principles and prac
tice of thiv numertnis hod loyal class of our
followuhjects and fellow hrUtUnv Kat
tateiQanJOQ.m tinhatmihrrhd' niore. caused
ltranrtnirtcd a rwrmg; 'bTefftifyirikfiC
-jwir., rouif principal tathJic universJ
ties abrovid ; for the purpose of ascertaining,
w ith precision, the sentiments of the Catho
lic clergy, respecting the real nature and ex
tent of the papal power, ami some other
weighty points. The answers returned .to'
these queries, br those learned bodies, ap-)eandto-me
at the time, as they do now,
perfectly satisfactory, and In the eanie light
they were considered by most dikpnsionute
flc"H?J- eeled 4
irnimny or Uathidirn him iuiTi "MifflrK&TSirt
T tor anr of usT a If aloo iTtit rfrr rrtiinfin, as
ill
as it is iojurious and cruel towards those who
are the objects of it s fur surely, my lords,
if there be one position more incontroverti
bly true than another, Hiathist If" an indi-
Vklual. or a bodv of men. will rie to the
government under the rovernment which
f they live such a security upon oath, as that
government itself prescribes j if, moreover,
they maintain no opinions destructive of mo
ral obligation, or subversive of civil society ;
their speculative opinions of a religious na
ture, can never with justicefor with reason,
be urged aa excluding, them. from civil and .
military situations The Catholics, my lords,
!jire thia sexurirjrjand havings givett it, the
egislature - itself hai? declared, that they r
ought to be considered as good and loyal
subjects ; as such, therefore in my view of
the suhgect, they are utwuoonahly arntukd
to the privileges which they-cklm.Vhcn I
speak of merely speculative opinions of reli
gion) I wish to be understood as meaning
such opinions as begin m the understasulmg,
:ndjrjbeTCi:n4
ence whatsoever upon bur conduct in life.
With tlii limitation, I am not sensible that
have made use of ; if there beany,- I shall
be happy to have it pointed oot; as I cannot
possibly have any motive in view but from
my heart, I believe to be the truth. Shou'.d .
anymrfortunate alw "deep-rooted prejudice
prevail so for, aa to make uw say, decidedly
and openly, that we will not believe a Catlio
hc even upon his aath, there is an end, my
lords, 'of the discussion at once ; but the ar
gument, Jf argument it can be called, proves
a great deal ton .much ; atxl for this plain
reason t no obligation more binding than that
of aa appeal to the Supreme Berne; by an
oath, has hitherto been desisvdiii i civil jsocie
ty ; he, therefore, wlw can justhr.be sui,n6-
ed capable of setting at nought such an oMi--
gation, upon any preumce whatsoever, is not
onhr unworthy of the pnrllcgei herc ronten-
ded for, but he to nht fir all social inter
course of every kmdfr;a5o tui tWem stV
iraf &u lUnh, ind horrid, as the expres
sion must sound in your lordships ears, he
ought to be exterminnted from tlie face of
the earth j or at lean hit shcsukl be bauUied
for lifeto IWany Bay aWf even beii atri
ved there he should be driven back into the
saa : for there ia no den c4 thieves, no tune
fisfrrabrjers,'nKFhirt prrfli
gste, and at the same time isddesoid of com
mon understanding, as to admit that man a
member of tlicir commouirv. unnn whose f-
ilelity.tolusjengagennU.l
pucea even ,Kr a ungie hour!, 1 come bow
to the second objection my answer to st hich
wtD be very short.- Civil and miliury aj
pointments, are it seems, matters of favor,
not of right, iod therefore the Catholics have
j do just cause to complain that thry arc exclu
I ded from them. I can. hardlv. mv lords.
conceive any man -in earnest who regards
Ihis.distmctioo as applicable to the present
caseV because no one pleads for an abstract
right to these situations, but for a capacity of
holding them t no one contesids fur the abso
lute possession of civil, and military offices,
but for equal eligibility to them, and having
eiKhUvouredto prove dint all men are equal
ly eligible, who give to the government under
which they live, such a security, upon oath,
for thcilr conduct as subjects, -as thu gw ern
ment itself prescribes, and who maintain no
opinions destructive of moral oltlig.ition or
subversive ot civil society, 1 shall only add
here, that they are considered to be, hi al
most all the governments of Europe and over
the. whole continent of America t and I should
be aorry to see England therlastto follow -se
good an ample(ri
But it is inexpedient,M xwreart told, o
repeal statutes, which WereX passed with
M n-uch deliberation, and are considered by
" many a's the bulwarks of the constitution in
u church and state." How long, rnv lords,
It may be thought expedient, or necessary,
that the remaining part of these restrictive
disqualifying statutes should be enforced a
gainst the jCth( Jici, or at what precise peri
od their operation shall end, is a question not
for a divine, but for statesmen and lawyers to
decide. ... . 'V ;., - y,-,V" V
I may however be permitted to cbserve,
that -under -any "jo'ernment! however free,
Jr
thourh neculiar circumstances mar tserhans
can nr siaiuics 01 a very stricv ama even 01
k verr severe nature, for anr limited period
of time, yet no wise statcntan would, I ima-
r ine, wish those statutes to renuin unrepeal
ed, a moment after the circumstances' which
occasioned them cease to exist. Those who
are acquainted with the history of the statutes J
here alluded to, and or the times in which
they passed, will ar.ticipnte my application: of
this remark Kthe application of it is indeetl,
made for me hV a very cminrnt lawver, and!"
a very cordial friend to the Kcriesinsttcal, -as '
wru ui in me CIS II VoniuiMlliHl u( ui tw rx mn-
This able writer observes, mmi than Otice in-
u riod shall arrive, when the power pf the
u pope is weak and insignificant, and there is
no pretender to the throne, that then will
M be the time to grant full, indulgence to. the
Cathoncs7"That time, Tmy lords7 Is host
come ; there is no pretender to the throne ;
and with respect to the Papal Power, not a
single person present, apprehends, I am tho
roughly persuaded, any danger front it ; in
truth that once gigantic power -magni slat
nomirtit umbra and nothing more. - Where,
then, can be the objection to granting the Pe
tition of the Catholics of Ireland i A petition
founded on the immutable principles of rea
son and of justice ; ; a petition also which
worldly policy loudly calls on us to accede to
in the present very serious crisis a crisis
which demands the union of the wise and
brave of every description and cf everydt- 1
nommauon ; mat cnraial union, 1 mean,
which is riuaf asWrcdly the best support, and
indeed the only secure bulwai k of every go
vernment upon eartlu. It is unnecessary to
tained only by confidence and conciliation t
but, if worldly policy did not thus loudly call
upon us, a pnr.cip!eof gratitude should lead
us to pay all the attention in our power to
Uieie numerous loyal and respectable petition
ers, to whom we are In a great measure in
debted, for the noblest monument of wisdom
and twncticente combincdr Which nwdcrn
titneshave seen : I mean the union of Ireland
witii England, an union, which without their
cordial co-opemtion, could never haye been
effected. In replr to these observ ations, which
appear to me to carry some weight with
them ; there are who maii.ta'm, that if there
were no other objection die words cf the Co
rnitkm Oath present an iaiperable bar to
thecWmsof theCathiJicsof IrelanoV . Of all
the arguments, mv lords, which either prin
ciple or prejudice has suggested,-cr which
imagination has started there is not 00c,
which appears to me to rest upon so weak a
foundation, as that whKh is built upen the
Coronation Oath, lliis oath, as your lord
ships well know, underwent some alteration
at the period of (he revolution in 1688, at which
period, that rrct Prince. William the Third.
entered into the following solemn engagement
wrwrn ne ascenoea th throne of thi kii-g-doni
S I will maintain the laws of (d; the
f true profes&ion of the gospel, and the re
" formed protests nt ehurcliesubli JiedHy law j
and I will preserve to the bishops and ckr
" gjr of this realm, andto the churches com
M mittcd to their chsrge, all such rights and
f privileges, as by Uw da or shall aoperuin.
M unto them, or to any of .ChrM If, niy lords,
even intelligent and honest men, were not
sometimes disponed to adnit snv mode of rea
soning, however wek, which coincides wth
their preconceived ideas upon a subject, it
would be no easv matter to find Wt, upon
whit principle of (r construction, the words
which I have just repeated from the Corona
tion Oath, can be thought to" militate againt
the CaUiolics of Ireland. It will not, I trust,
be sakl, for I am sure it cannot lie rov;d,
that it is either repugnant, to the laws W
God,M or to the uncon fined and benevolcni
tendency of the iftwpel, orio those liberal
and enlightened nnnciplesy upon which the re
formation was founded ; to admit to situati
ons of honor, or of profit tn-the state,- men
f talents and of virtue, to whom noobjectiori
can possibly be made, but their speculative
opinions of merely religious nature ; aor
can I conceive in what manner the riKhts.
M and privileges of the bishops and clergy of
M this realm, or of the churches committed to
their charge," can be affected by granting ci
vil and military appointments, to meni twdi-
wfincu rouic civu consuuion, una wno
have solemnly declared upon oath, that it is
neither their intention, nor their wish, to In
jure or disturb the ecclesiastical. For my
own part, my lords, as an individual clergy
man of the church of England, siheerely at
tached to the establ ished church and proud of
the situation which I hold in It. I should be
exceedingly sorry, if I could think for a mo
ment, that I possessed any rights, or privile-
ges. Incompatible with the just claims of so
many excellent subjects and conscientious fel-N
low christians. - Be it however admitted, my
lords, that the words of the Coronation Oath,
win bear UieTonstructinnwhkh hajshccn put
so long upon your patience, had I not thought
it incumbent upon me, to assign the best re-ii
sons in mV power, for diferiag so widely
from those around me, whose judgment I re-spect,-though
I cannot , implicitly bow; to it,,
against the clearest conviction of my under
standing and the best feelings of my heart.'
Mr. Whitbread't Letter to Lord Holland.
'. Mr. Whitbread has published a letter to
Lord Holland on the present situation of Spain .
The sentiments of this gentleman, in. relation -to
a " subject the most interesung.-jjhatjhas.l
come before the world,"cannot but be deemed .
of considerable importance ; and We" there
fore give them as for as we are able, that de
gree of publicity which they deserve." " T
. Since that period, (that is, since the
passing S, the appropriation act)L howeyrjE;
short the interval," the face of affairs, hai T
greatly changed. News has arrived as cheer
ing to the Heart ot man as ever was announ
ced to an admiring workL-v-Every part ot
troops, has separately,1 and without any po. . ;
sibility of concert, and yet, as if by common
consent, declared itself against the injustice, 7y
cruelty, and oppression of the French lEih- I ; .
perorX and for the Prince of Austnas, under
Uie title ot Jterounand VII. v Tttt, nation,
- y yM
jcctiou drawn from this oath, when, in XTStt
so manr indulencies were wlse'ly and justly
granted to the Catholics of Ireland f Indulgen-
ties precisely of the same kind, though differ,
ing jn degree, from those which are now cti-
.! .J . .. , . ,1 i
tncu mr. nui, 1 lorucar lopusn una argu
ment any further ; various considerations re
strain me t and perhaps enough has been
said, to prove, t&st the Words of the Corona
tion Oath, have been unadvisedly brought for-
wardr daring the discussion "of thfit impor
tant Ouestion,- which has engaged the-attotd--
ewe Umj. pttmtc fee' rooithwnhTee'earsil'
intrude
jl. .Worthy ottn frank atid cwlightcued people. his commentaries, that M whenever the fe- I deed, 1 should not have presumed to i
io. uSeabsence
breaking forth into those furious excesses of
sanguinary licentiousness which have disgra
ced the good cause of other countries, and
bro't the name of liberty into disrepute, is
now committed against the power of Franc
The public discussion of the1 passing event
can no longer be injurious, by fanning a flame
wnicn migni nave oeen ainaiea to uie mut
less destruction ot the virtuous and the brave ;
and cannot now render abortive the plans a
dopted for their success.
: Alter the communication made by Lord
Castlereagh to thex Lord Mayor, I firmly; n,
pectcd soais application to parliament tor an
atUiUotial vote of credit ; or at least some
message from the crown. Vhen such pro
ceedings, were out of the question, on the day
of the prorogation itself, 1 exreaned myself
shortly on the subject, in my place but the
momentary expectation of interruption pre-
vented my saying aK that I wished upon any
of the tonicks, and from entering uDon some
of them altogether. From what then passed,
I found I, had been -before misunderstood.
Upon such a subjea I cannot endure rehire,
presentatianj the consequence of misunder- -
stanamg, and therefore I address my
through youtQtbe public.' v
. v lne whole undivided heart of Great-
Bn tain, and of Ireland, nay of France itcif.
ana 01 uicworia, must De with Spain. Would
to God the whole1 undivided strength of the
world could be combined at this moment a
gainst the armies of her oppressor, in Spain J
Ministers had declared that no mixed in
terests should interfere ; that all the exerti
ons should be for Spam, and Spain alone ; &
I ana happy to acknowledge that the part of
the King's speech, which relates to Spain,
bears out the professions which had been be
fore made. It ha my unqualified approba.
tioii. The policy is sound, and the expressi
ons could not have been better chosen.
Y Arms, ammunition, mone)-, let them be
poured in with a hand as liberal as can be
conceived. -All they ask for 1 and nothirg
they do iiot ask for. If an army should here
after be required, let no consideration of rai .k
or favorinterfeie in the selection of the offi
cer to command it. ,Tbe stake is too pre
cious to be, risked in the inadequate hands.
Tliecountry has a high opinion of military
xaienisr inay uie appointment 01 a general ri
any larger force pe equally judicious, and e
qually accepuble to the public. Thus shall
we render ourselves worthy of being the sup
porters of Spanish valor, and Spanish virtue.
Thus shall we render, the most effectual ser
vices to this empire and to the world. .This
cause is indeed the cauc of justice and luu
manity. If it prospers tupendbusy glori
ous will be the victory. If it fails, itheir con-
Sueror will have obtained any thing rather
lan honor ; but the Spaniards of this day
will be recorded toihe Litest posterity as a
people deserving of better fate, and they will
have afforded a noble example for the imita
tion of the Inhabitants of these Islands, w hen
Olieic battle, the -last battle the Itst Utttle of
the hairopeao world, shall be fought. : ,
I come to the other topic, on which I did
not touch on Monday for fear of interruption
ana on w men 1 must explain myself. At
- 1... r . i. ,1
uvg .uiiv,iuiuii n my sucecn on uuc act 01 ap-
propnation, I declared that I still-adnered to
the opinions I latd down on the 29th of, Feb- -ruary
last, when I moved , as a resolution in v
the house of commons, that there nothing
in the present -state of the war whih ought
,16 preclude his Majesty from embr acine any . -
iifairxippoThOTityrdfcaixcdi
i'emgynwgotiw
JngBfcquaklity, fo.cthe termmalLionof hnstuV
tius on, terms of equality anS hwor 1 ntuis
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