134.] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



partake of those blessings. On the 

 whole, it may be regarded as per- 

 haps the most concise, yet com- 

 prehensive statement of the rase 

 of the petitioners that has appeared 

 in an authentic shape. See State 

 Papers. 



Ihe parliamentary debates will 

 show how often this important to- 

 pic came under consideration in 

 the two houses, and with what 

 result. It was kept alive by a 

 number of petitions to the legisla- 

 ture poured in from the catholics 

 of the different Irish counties, and 

 also by many from protestant bo- 

 dies in that country, in support of 

 the former ; for it appears either 

 that the protestants had lost tlieir 

 habitual fears and jealousies of 

 their catholic neighbours, or that 

 they were convinced, that between 

 opposite dangers, the least was 

 that of conceding, what it would 

 be finally unsafe to refuse. Ex- 

 pectation seems to have kept the 

 catholics in a state of moderation 

 till after their cause had sustained 

 two defeats in parliament, and 

 they saw a ministry established 

 ■which the)'^ had reason to suppose 

 decidedly adverse to their cause ; 

 when they could not be prevented 

 from breaking out into a degree of 

 intemperance. At an aggregate 

 catholic meeting held at Dublin on 

 June 18, a set of resolutions pro- 

 posed by Lord Kileen was passed, 

 in which, after declaring their deter- 

 mination of renewing their petitions 

 to the legislature, they allude to 

 disappointments proceeding from 

 " the fatal witchery of an unwor- 

 thy secret influence, spurningalike 

 the sanctions of public and private 

 virtue, the demands of personal 

 gratitude, and the sacred obliga- 

 tions of plighted honour." The 



general strain of these resolutions 

 was in a similar style of angry cen- 

 sure levelled at a high mark ; and 

 arriving in England at the time 

 when a new effort was made in 

 their favour, it occasioned some 

 embarrassment to their friends. 

 The issue, however, of the subse- 

 quent motion for taking their case 

 into consideration early in the next 

 session of parliaoient, was a com- 

 plete victory in the House of Com- 

 mons, and as nearly as possible a 

 drawn battle in the House of Lords 

 — appearing to evince an approach- 

 ing national decision in their fa- 

 vour. But cither this prospect, 

 or the known inclinations of the 

 ministry, now began to animate 

 the zeal of all in England, who, 

 from motives of interest, or reli- 

 gious prepossessions, were foes to 

 all concessions which trench upon 

 the exclusive privileges of the esta- 

 blishment ; and the remainder of 

 the year passed in the active pro- 

 moling of petitions against the ca- 

 tholic claims, from both the uni- 

 versities, from different clerical bo- 

 dies, from counties, towns, and pa- 

 rishes ; whilst a variety of publica- 

 tions, addressed to that hatred of 

 popery which has for some genera- 

 tions been a ruling passion among 

 the different denominations of pro- 

 testants in this country, kept up 

 the ferment in the public mind. 



As the ministers, at the time of 

 the prorogation of parliament, ap- 

 peared to be possessed of all the 

 usual influence of government, and 

 the Regent's terminating speech 

 expressed full satisfaction in the 

 measures which had been adopted 

 b)' that assembly, the nation in 

 general, notwithstanding some pre- 

 ceding rumours, did not seem to 

 expect its speedy dissolution. None 



of 



