GENERAL HISTORY. 



[49 



he had bestowed upon the mover 

 of the question, said he was one 

 who would give any thing to a 

 man but his vote. He proceeded 

 to say, that there was only one 

 solid reason that could be urged 

 ngainsc the present motion, and 

 that was, that the departments 

 among which the business of the 

 colonies was proposed to be di- 

 vided, were already over-worked 

 with their own separate concerns. 

 But none of those persons stepped 

 forward to make such a declara- 

 tion, because they knew full well 

 that the state of the case would 

 not bear them out. After all 

 (said he) what was the motion ? 

 Divl it invite the House at once to 

 abolish the ofTue ? All his right 

 Hon Friend wanted was, that they 

 should go into an inquiry whetlier 

 they coidd save 12,0o0l. a year to 

 tlie country. 



.After some othei speakers had 

 delivered their opiniur on botli 

 sides the House divided, when 

 there appeared. For the mo- 

 tion 87, Against it 190: Ma- 

 jority 103. 



ROMAN CATHOLIC UUESTION. 



Oil May 9th, Mr. Gratlan, on 

 rising to submit to the House of 

 Commons hs motion on the sub- 

 ject of the Homan Catholic claims, 

 n.oved that the petition of the 

 l{i>m;m Catholics of Ireland to 

 the House, presented on .April 26, 

 18 1(). should be read. Tiiis being 

 done •■>cc'»j ding; y. Mi'. H\ Elliot 

 noxt moved, that the petition of 

 the Homan Catholic^ of England 

 pre ented on -M:iy lie^l't. 1816, 

 shi uld also be read; which was 

 done. 



Mr. Grattan then said, that 

 Vol. UX. 



having been applied to bv the 

 Roman Catholics of Ireland to 

 bring their case under the consi- 

 deration of the H(mse, he now 

 proceeded to discharge the duty 

 he had undertaken. The resolu- 

 tion which he intended to move 

 was the same which was carried 

 in 1813, and does no more than 

 to pledge the House to examine 

 the penal laws, with a view to re- 

 lieve the Catholics, to give every 

 security possible to the Protestant 

 establishment, and ultimately to 

 satisfy all ranks and orders of 

 men in the empiie. He proceeded 

 to say, that the present question 

 was not about the means by which 

 securities might be eHeited, but 

 whtther any securities whatever 

 will be recei\ed. There is a com- 

 munication between the Pope and 

 the Catholic clerg\ , which must 

 end either in incorporation with 

 the see of Home, or connexion 

 with Vt go\ernment of Kng- 

 land ; and if the latter be refusei . 

 will be dangerous to the safety 

 of England. 



The right hon. gentleman, who 

 reserved himself for a reply, now 

 moved, " That this House will re- 

 solve itself into a committee of 

 the whole House, to take into 

 its most serions consiilerati'tn the 

 state of the laws affecting his 

 .Majesty's Homan Catholic subjects 

 in Great Britain and Ireliind, with 

 a view to such final and concilia- 

 toty adjustment as may be con- 

 ducive to the I eace and >treni;ih 

 of the United Kingdom, to the 

 stability of the Protestant estab- 

 lishment, and to the general satis- 

 faction and concord of all classes 

 of his .Miijesty's subjects." 



The uiotion having been se- 

 conded and put from the chair, 



[E] Mr. 



