140] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



Kingdom, or resident therein, in cer- 

 tain Cases;" and that the admission 

 of any new members into such socie- 

 ties should be prohibited, and that 

 the names and numbers of the per- 

 sonsbelongingthereto, should be an- 

 nually returned to thecourtof quar- 

 ter-sessions in which they reside. 



" That all persons, undertaking 

 the public education of youth in the 

 Romish faith, should also return an- 

 nually to the court a list, containing 

 the names and number of their pu- 

 pils, together with the names and 

 places of abode of their respective 

 parents ; and that a power be given 

 to magistrates, appointed by the 

 quarter-sessions, to inspect such in- 

 stitutions at pleasure." 



These resolutions were sup- 

 ported by Mr. Newbolt, Mr. 

 Johnes, Mr. Pitt, and Mr. Bragge ; 

 and opposed by Mr. Hobhouse and 

 Dr. Lawrence. 



Mr. Newbolt bore witness to the 

 alarm that had taken place among 

 the clergy and others, at the intem- 

 perate zeal of some priests, and at 

 the influence of the nuns in those 

 monastic institutions over the minds 

 of their pupils. It was necessary, 

 in his mind, if the house did not 

 wish to see the country again over- 

 run with catholics and catholic or- 

 ders, either to abolish those mo- 

 nastic institutions altogether, or to 

 prohibit English catholics from en- 

 tering into them. 



Mr. Johnes thought, that, for 

 the security of our religion, even 

 stronger measures than those pro- 

 posed by the honourable baronet 

 were necessary. 



Mr. Pitt praised the liberal 

 manner in which the honourable 

 baronet had opened this business, 

 and admired the liberal principles 

 on which the resolutions which he 

 had moved were framed. He was 



happy that he could give them his 

 cordial approbation. 



Mr. Hobhouse commended the 

 motives of the honourable mover, 

 but thought the resolutions would 

 be an infringement on the spirit of 

 toleration, which so peculiarly dis- 

 tinguished this country, and would 

 also appear not very consistent with 

 that humanity and generosity with 

 which we had received the exiled 

 clergy of France. The alien-act pos- 

 sessed all the power that was neces- 

 sary to prevent the abuses which 

 were the subject of complaint. 



But, as to this argument, from 

 the alien-bill, Mr. Pitt observed, 

 that it was surely better to adver- 

 tise, by an act of the legislature, 

 those unfortunate people of what 

 would be allowed them to do, and 

 what they were prohibited from 

 doing. It would be hard to send 

 them again abroad as wanderers 

 from their second home, for con- 

 duct which they knew not, and 

 never had been informed that it 

 was unlawful or improper. 



Mr. Bragge added, that it ought 

 likewise to be observed, that the 

 provisions of the alien act were 

 not applicable to the native sub- 

 jects of this country. 



The resolutions were then several- 

 ly put and carried, and, on the next 

 day, reported. A bUl, correspond- 

 ing to these, was drawn up, and, on 

 the twenty-third of June, when it 

 was read a second time, and pro- 

 posed to be committed, became the 

 subject of a long and animated de- 

 bate, in the course of which it was 

 opposed, with great ingeniousness 

 and eloquence, by Mr. Windham 

 and Mr. Sheridan ; but supported 

 with great ability by the mover, sir 

 H. John MUdmay, Mr. T. Jones, 

 Mr. Dudley Ryder, sir Wm. Scott, 

 Mr. Erskine, and Mr. Percival. 



