LON 
have a concitrrent jurifcHftion. He concluded by mov¬ 
ing for a bill “ For the preservation of the public peace 
in the dillurbed counties, and to give additional powers 
to the in Rices for a limited time for that purpofe.” 
Mr. Whitbread declared that he was by no means fa- 
tisfied with this proceeding. He called in queftion many 
of the aflertions of the noble lord, particularly with re- 
fpeft to the existence of an armed force among the rioters, 
of regular leaders, diftincl combinations, and depots of 
arms. He ftrongly objected to the propofed meafure of 
fearching for arms, and alluded to the horrors which 
sneafures of that kind had occafipned in Ireland. He 
hoped the revocation of the orders in council would 
caufe part of the evil to fall of itfelf; but faid that peace 
was the only radical remedy for all our grievances. 
Mr. Wilberforce Raid, that, connefted as he was with 
that part of the country which was the feat of thefe dis¬ 
turbances, he could not, without the inoll painful feel¬ 
ings, contemplate the neceflity for the meafnres now pro¬ 
pofed ; it how'ever appeared to him, that thefe meafures 
did not outgo the necdfity of the cafe ; and, even if go¬ 
vernment had -afked for larger powers, not for the pur- 
pofc of carrying them at once into execution, but of cau- 
tioufly feeling their way according to the fituation of the 
country, he fhould not have helitated to bcftow them. 
As to the fource of thefe diforders, lie could not concur 
in the opinion that they proceeded from an interruption 
*0 commerce, or a fcarcity of provifions. He was con¬ 
vinced that the difeafe was of a political nature, arifing 
from certain mifchievous publications induftrioufly cir¬ 
culated to alienate the afleftions of the people from the 
Jaws and government of their country. 
Several other members fpoke on the fubjeft, and the 
cdebate at length digreffed into a difcuflion of the feve- 
rities employed in Ireland at the period of the rebellion. 
Lord Calllereagh’s motion was at length put, and carried 
without a divifion ; after which he brought in his bill, 
which was read a firft time, and appointed for a fecond 
reading. 
On July 13, the order of the day being moved for the 
.fecond reading of the bill, Mr. Whitbread rofe to declare 
that his opinion was not at all altered refpefting it, but 
Iiis objections were Rill more confirmed. There was no 
evidence before the houfe to prove the allegation in the 
preamble, that aflemblies of men were in the habit of for¬ 
cibly demanding and taking arms. He would repeat, that 
due exertions had not been made to preferve the peace 
pnder the exifting laws 5 in fome cafes the magiftrates 
Bad been fupine; in ethers they had afted with violence 
and a perverted judgment. There was now every appear¬ 
ance of a cefiation of the diforder; and, though the mem¬ 
ber for Y orklbire had afcribed the evil to inflammatory 
publications, he himfelf, and others who thought with 
him, bad declared that work and a lower price of provi¬ 
fions were likely to reftore tranquillity. 
Mr. Brougham adduced a number of faffs to prove 
that the tumults were owing to diftrefs folely, and to fhow 
the mifchief and irritation which had proceeded from the 
encouragement given to fpies, and the intemperate zeal 
and prejudice which in fome inftances had been difplayed 
by the magiftrates. Thefe cafes, however, were by others 
faid to have been grofsly exaggerated ; and the general 
impreflion was manifeftly in favour of the bill. On a di¬ 
vifion, there appeared, for the fecond reading 131, againft 
it 16. It was accordingly read and committed. 
When the third reading was moved, July so, the former 
objections were renewed, particularly with refpeft to the 
powers granted of fearching for arms; and it was afterted 
that the neceility of fuch a meafure no longer exifted, 
tranquillity having been reftored in the difturbed diftrifts. 
Mr. Bathurft, however, declared, that on that very morning 
information had been received at the fecretary of date's 
office, that eight new attempts for feizing arms had been 
made within thefe few days. Mr. Tierney then propofed 
the following amendment to be iuferted by way of rider s 
DON. 
“ Provided always, that it (hall be lawful for his majefty 
by and with the advice of his privy council, to declare 
fuch diftriCts as are now fubjeft to the operation of this 
aft to be no longer in a ftate of diftnrhance; and that this 
aft (hall no longer be in force in fuch diftrifts.”—.Lord 
Caftlereagh approved of the amendment. A divifion then 
took place upon the queftion of the third reading of the 
bill ; ayes 69, noes 15 : the bill was then read and pafled. 
—It pafled alfo in the lords ; and its operation was limited 
to the 15th of March, 1813. 
Notwithftanding the repeated failures of the attempts 
in parliament to procure a concefilon of the claims of the 
catholics, the advocates of their caufe, probably imputing 
the oppofition in part to circumftances of temporary irri¬ 
tation, refolved not to give up the conteft, but to ap¬ 
peal, as it were, from the heat of the moment, to a period 
of calmnefs and fobriety. In purfuance of this idea, Mr. 
Canning, on the aad of June, rofe in the houfe of commons 
to make a motion on the fubjeft. He laid down three 
principles on which, in his opinion, the whole matter 
refted. 1. He would affume as a general rule, that citi¬ 
zens of the fame ftate, living under the fame government,, 
are entitled, prima facie, to equal political rights and pri¬ 
vileges. a. That it is at all times defirable to create and 
maintain the moll perfeft identity of intereft and feeling 
among all the members of the fame community. 3. That, 
where there exifts in any community a great permanent 
caufe of political difeontent, which agitates men’s minds 
without having any tendency to fubfide of itfelf, it be¬ 
comes the duty of the fupreme power in the ftate to de¬ 
termine in what mode it may moft advantageoufly be fet 
at reft.—He concluded by moving, “That this houfe will, 
early in the next feffion of parliament, take into its moft 
ferious confideration the ftate of the laws affefting his 
majefty’.s Roman-catholic fubjefts in Great Britain and 
Ireland ; with a view to fuch a final and conciliatory ad- 
juftment, as may be conducive to the peace and ftrengtk 
of the united kingdom ; to the (lability of the proteftant 
eftablifiiment; and to the general fatisfaftion and concord 
of all clafies of his majefty’s fubjefts.” 
Lord Caftlereagh made a liberal declaration in favour of 
an inquiry into the catholic claims. That the general 
feeling of the houfe was fimiiar was proved on the divifion, 
when, after an amendment of general Matthew to take 
the claims into immediate confideration had been negatived, 
the original motion was carried by the decifive majority 
of 235 to 106. 
In the houfe of lords, on July 1, the marquis Welleflej’-, 
after a ftrong argumentative fpeech, made a motion pre- 
cifely the fame with that of Mr. Canning. The previous 
queftion was moved upon it by the Lord Chancellor; and 
a number of lords on each fide declared their fentiments 
upon the fubjeft, in the arguments and obfervations al¬ 
ready fo often repeated. The divifion (bowed an extra¬ 
ordinary balance of opinion in the members of that houfe* 
On the motion for the previous queftion, the numbers 
were, contents, prefent 74, proxies 52, total 126 ; non- 
contents, prefent 74, proxies 51, total 125 ; majority 1, 
Minifters, and their ufual fupporters, were ranged on each 
fide ; and of the royal dukes, two voted on one fide, and 
three on the other. Even the bench of bifhops was di¬ 
vided, though unequally; for 15 oppofed the intended 
inquiry, and only 3 fupported it.—The ilfue, however, of 
the motion, certainly appeared to evince an approaching 
national decifion in favour of the catholics. But either 
this profpeft, or the known inclinations of the miniftry, 
now began to animate the zeal of all in England, who, 
from motives of intereft or from religious prepofleflions, 
were foes to all conceflions which trench upon the exciulive 
privileges of the eftablilbment; and the remainder of the 
year pafled in aftively promoting petitions againll the ca¬ 
tholic claims, from both the univerfities, from different 
clerical bodies, from counties, towns, and pariffies ; whilit 
a variety of publications, addrefled to that hatred of po¬ 
pery which has for fome generations been a ruling paflioa 
among 
