STATE PAPERS. 



355 



advisable. I have always been de- 

 sirous of hearing the specific pro- 

 position which should explain, dis- 

 tinctly, what part of the existing 

 securities it was intended to repeal 

 —what part it was intended to 

 preserve — and what were the new 

 securities which it has been so often 

 declared mustbe substituted in the 

 place of some of those which are at 

 present in force. 



I have never heard any satisfac- 

 tory explanation on this point. 



I will fairly own, that in the 

 present state of the opinions and 

 feelings of the Roman Catholics, I 

 do not believe such a project to be 

 practicable, consistently with the 

 attainment of the avowed objects of 

 really satisfying the Roman Catho- 

 lics, and of affording an adequate 

 security to the established church 

 and constitution. 



Entertaining this opinion, I have 

 felt it to be my duty to continue to 

 resist parliamentary inquiry on that 

 subject, which, in my judgment, 

 could be productive of no other ef- 

 fect than that of alarming the Pro- 

 testants on the one hand, and de- 

 luding and deceiving the Roman 

 Catholics on the other. 



With respect to the opinions of 

 my colleagues, there are some who 

 entirely agree with me in the view 

 which 1 have taken of this ques- 

 tion ; but I am sure it must be 

 known to you from discussions at 

 which you have been present, that 

 there are others who have always 

 entertained and avowed different 

 Opinions from those professed by 

 me, up<Jn some parts of this sub- 

 ject. 



You must recollect that consi- 

 derations of a very hii^h import- 

 ance, but which might be only 

 temporary in their nature, induced 



us all, up to a very late period, to 

 be decidedly of opinion that it was 

 not proper, that under such cir- 

 cumstances the measure should be 

 entertained. 



You may be of opinion that 

 since the month of February last 

 these considerations have ceased to 

 be in force ; but they are still re- 

 garded by others as not having 

 lost their weight. Besides the con- 

 sideration to which I have referred, 

 the conduct and temper which the 

 Roman Catholics have been in- 

 duced to manifest, — the principle 

 upon which the C[uestion has been 

 brought forward, — the circum- 

 stances of Europe at this time, 

 give rise to objections which are 

 felt in a greater or less degree by 

 different persons. 



1 have thought this explanation 

 due to my colleagues and to my- 

 self. 



In one point we are all agreed, 

 that this is not the moment at 

 which the question ought to be en- 

 tertained with a view to any imme- 

 diate practical consequence. I am 

 aware, that in this sense of our 

 duty, our opinions may be at va- 

 riance with your's ; but it is mate- 

 rial that these opinions should not 

 be misunderstood, or subject to the 

 interpretation to which my silence 

 might render them liable, if I had 

 not returned some answer to that 

 part of jour paper. 



Upon the subject of the manner 

 in which the war in the Peninsula 

 has been managed, I forbear en- 

 termg uito any particulars at pre- 

 sent; but I think it material to ob- 

 serve, with n:-s[)ect to my declara- 

 tion, that since your resignation it 

 had been found practicable to make 

 some extension of the military ef- 

 forts in the Peninsula, that this 



2 A 2 has 



