90 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



extreme jiovcrty, and, in propor- 

 tio?i, fhrir minds were exasperated 

 against their oppressors. During 

 the period of his present mojeRty's 

 reign, a better system of policy and 

 amelioradon had been adopted, the 

 former system reversed, and every 

 advantage extended to thttm, except 

 the most important of all, tlie ex- 

 ercise of the- elective franchise, and 

 a share in the executive administra- 

 tion ; and, in the year 1792, their 

 elective rights were restored to 

 them. The objections which pre- 

 vailed to their emancipation, before 

 the union, were iio'.v completely 

 done away ; for, whatever might 

 have been given to t!ie pr;"'portion 

 of the catholics, over the pro- 

 testants of Irelaml, must now. be 

 given to the proportion of the pro- 

 testants in ihe united kingdom. His 

 lordhliip then proceeded to obviate 

 some objections he anticipated to his 

 motion ; such, as it Mas impossible 

 for a catholic to be a loyal subject. 

 In this he could sec nothing beyond 

 the bare assertion. Nothing coidd 

 be more unfair than to impute to a 

 set of people opinions and princi- 

 ples w hich they themselves disclaim- 

 ed. The uniform good conduct 

 and loyal fy of the catholics of ire- 

 land were nj)0i» parliamentary re- 

 cord. In the period of two separate 

 rebellions in this country, the Irish 

 catholics demonstrated the \itmost 

 loyally. When the llects of the ene- 

 my were triumphant in the channel, 

 and threatened the invasion of the 

 kingdom, they to.jk up arras for 

 the defence of their country ; and 

 there was nothing more unjustifi- 

 able, than to attribute the late re- 

 bellion in Ireland to the catholic 

 body : the principal leaders in it 

 were not catholics, but protestants. 

 The house had the disclaimer of the 



catholics, of the odious principles 

 falsely ascribed to them. As to the 

 exploded objection, that a catholic 

 was not to be believed upon his 

 oath, because the pope could dis- 

 pense with it, it was unworthy of 

 attention ; because, if so, they need 

 not hesitate to take an oath, to 

 enable them to subvert the govern- 

 ment of the country, and make the 

 pope lord paramount. There never 

 was, however, a period when the 

 power of the pope was less, and 

 the respect paid to him more di- 

 minished. The only ell'ect to be 

 apprehended from granting the pray- 

 er of the petition, would be that of 

 bringing three or four peers into 

 that house, and a few members into 

 the house of commons; and surely 

 nothing could bo more absurd, than 

 to suppose such few persons could, 

 even if they wished it, persuade the 

 parliament to destroy the hierar- 

 chy, and overturn the constitution. 

 Fears for the hierarchy were enter- 

 tained at the time of the union with 

 Scotland ; but could any one point 

 out an instance in which, however 

 adverse the church of Scotland was 

 to bishops, that any Scotch peer, 

 or commoner, ever dreamt of sub- 

 stituting their own religion for the 

 episcopacy of the English church ? 

 He then descanted on the impolicy 

 of preventing catholics, of great 

 genius, talent, and industry, from 

 arriving at those high stations, 

 which would enable them to be of 

 the greatest service to their country. 

 He concluded by moving, " That 

 " the house do now resolve itself 

 " into a committee, to take the 

 " said petition into consideration. 



Lord Ilawkesbury said, that at any 

 time, or under any circumstances, he 

 must oppose a motion which might 

 lead to such alarming consequences, 



as 



