28] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



it is stated that it was continued 

 by adjournment dui-ing four days, 

 and that its printed report occupies 

 the compass of a moderate volume, 

 it will scarcely be" expected that 

 we should fill our pages with an 

 abridgment, especially when no 

 argument on the main points was 

 produced on either side which had 

 not repeatedly been offered in the 

 many previous discussions of the 

 same subject ; and what there was 

 of novelty, referred to the conduct 

 of the Roman Catholics in Ireland 

 since theirmindshadbeen irritated 

 by disappointment, and the cir- 

 cumstances of the late petitions. 

 With respect to the latter, various 

 remarks were made by the diffe- 

 rent speakers on the conspicuous 

 part taken by the established cler- . 

 gy in opposition to the Catholic 

 claims ; which some represented 

 as a renewal of that cry of danger 

 to the church which had too often 

 been raised at the instigation of 

 bigotry and worldly policy ; while 

 others justified it as a reason- 

 able measureof defenceof the Pro- 

 testant cause against hazards by no 

 means imaginary. Some of the 

 most temperate debaters were ad- 

 vocates for the present motion, on 

 the ground that it was only re- 

 deeming a pledge given to the 

 country by its representatives, that 

 the Catholic question should un- 

 dergo a full consideration in order 

 to a final settlement. That, how- 

 ever, the alarms excited through- 

 out the country by the Anti-catho- 

 lic petitions, and their operation on 

 the minds of individual members, 

 had produced a considerable ef- 

 fect, appeared from the result of 

 the division, compared with that 

 of the preceding session on a simi- 

 lar motion. It toyk place at four 



in the morning, after the debate of 

 March 2nd, when there appeared, 

 for Mr. Grattan's motion, 264- ; 

 against it, 224 ; majority in its 

 favour, 40. 



This point being gained, though 

 by a hard contest, Mr. Grattan, on 

 March 9th, moved the order of the 

 day for a committee of the whole 

 House on the Catholic question. 

 When this was formed, he rose, 

 and after some preliminary obser- 

 vations, he said, that he intended 

 to propose resolutions, 1st, that 

 the Catholic disabilities should 

 be removed ; 2nd, that the esta- 

 blishments in church and state 

 ought to be effectually secured : 

 and he then should propose regu- 

 lations for the ecclesiastical courts, 

 and other matters, and an oath 

 against foreign influence. He con- 

 cluded with moving, " That with 

 a view to such an adjustment as 

 may be conducive to the peaceand 

 strength of the United Kingdom, 

 to the security of the established 

 church, and to the ultimate con- 

 cord of all classes of his majesty's 

 subjects, it is highly advisable to 

 provide for the removal of the 

 civil and military disqualifications 

 under which his majesty's Roman 

 Catholic subjects now labour, with 

 such exceptions and under such 

 regulations as may be found neces- 

 sary for preserving unalterably the 

 ProtestantsuccessiontotheCrown, 

 according to the act for the further 

 limitation of the Crown and better 

 securing the rights and liberties of 

 the subject, and for maintaining 

 inviolate the Protestant episcopal 

 church of England and Ireland, 

 and the doctrine,discipline, and go- 

 vernment thereof; and the church 

 of Scotland, and the doctrine, wor- 

 sliii>, <li6cii»Iiiif, nnd government 



