82] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S12. 



Mr. Canning, though he had 

 not meant to have troubled the 

 house on the present occasion, 

 could not avoid answering the 

 call which the last member, he 

 thought somewhat unfairh', had 

 made upon him. In his justifica- 

 tory speech, which will not bear 

 abridgment, he said, " whatever 

 has passed verbally without these 

 walls, by an absolute agreement 

 between Lord Liverpool, who 

 made the proposition, and my- 

 self, was reduced to writing, that 

 it might be less subject to mis- 

 apprehension or perversion ; and to 

 that minute, an answer upon paper 

 'was returned by me, to which, 

 standing at the bar of my coun- 

 try, to answer for my conduct, I 

 beg leave to refer." With respect 

 to the intimation by the mover of 

 the amendment, that he had de- 

 manded some concessions of prin- 

 ciple as the price of his accept- 

 ance of office, he said that he 

 merely inquired of Lord Liver- 

 pool, as a matter of information, 

 whether the policy and sentiments 

 of his colleagues continued the 

 same ; and was candidly answered, 

 that his own opinions upon this 

 grand topic (the catholic question) 

 remained unchanged, and he was 

 not aware that those of his col- 

 leagues had undergone any altera- 

 tion. When he was thus informed 

 of the settled opinions of the head 

 of government, honoured with the 

 chief confidence of the sovereign, 

 and possessing all the influence and 

 authority afforded by his station, 

 could he for an instant doubt their 

 practical effect on the other mem- 

 bers of the cabinet ? The right 

 hon. gentleman in conclusion af- 

 firmed, that he had seen not only 

 no desire to grant any thing to the 



catholics, but not even a disposi- 

 tion that an inquiry sliould be 

 instituted. 



Lord Castlereagh approved high- 

 ly of the manner in which the mo- 

 tion had been met by the aiiienti- 

 inent, since, a direct negative 

 might have been subject to seri- 

 ous misconstruction. The right 

 distinction had been taken in 

 saying that the hause was not 

 from circumstances j ustified at this 

 time to interfere, not that it ought 

 not to interfere at all. He then 

 entered into a defence of the mi- 

 nisters, and of his own conduct; 

 and asserted, that being aware that 

 his presence might have embar- 

 rassed government in the object of 

 availing themselves of those talents 

 and connexions which were tleem- 

 ed beneficial to the state, he had 

 tendered his resignation to his 

 royal highness. Adverting to the 

 case of Mr. Canning, he said that 

 gentleman had refused the co-ope- 

 ration of his talents, because he 

 could not carry a particular point; 

 but ought he not to have apprized 

 the house what his practical opi- 

 nion on the subject was, and what 

 was the plan by which the measure 

 might be carried into Execution .'' 

 He felt as much as any man the 

 fundamental importance of the ca- 

 tholic question, but it was ridicu- 

 lous to talk of creating a govern- 

 ment simply for its discussion. He 

 then touched upon the securities 

 requisite from the catholic body, 

 prior to the granting of their 

 claims, and denied that he himself 

 had given them any positive pledge 

 for concession at the time of the 

 union. He spoke of the great exer- 

 tions made by the ministry for the 

 support of the war in the peninsula ; 

 and concluded with deprecating 



the 



