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    the gift \ # litefr * b # te $ iwatar « r . might te disposed * U > bcstdWi The petitioners compi aided , ated i fob concofivedy ^ with justice complained , that they vtewe subjected to two grievances—the one , political disqualification , and the other ^ rel igious obloquy ; tbfe latter arisin&- o « t of * the 1 former . They

    complained that these were net the conseqtienee of any political tenets hostile to tbe government of the country ^ but for religious opinions ^ for which , he conceived , they ought to be responsible to God alone . Was if , he would ask ^ consistent with the mild and tolerant nature of the British

    constitution , that so Iarg * e a portion of oui countrymen should ' be" thus held in continued obloquy , because they differed from a great body of- their - fellow-sobjeets in some religious points ? They were Englishmen by birth , by education , and by feeling ; and yet , because they professed an

    attachment to certain religious principles , which to them appeared to be right , they were insulted , debased , and rendered aliens in their native land . Would any gentleman , in a company of gentlemen , think another less worthy of the ordinary marks of

    respect paid in civilised society , because he adhered with steady attachment to certain religious rules ; or would he attempt to impugn the motives for such belief ? Undoubtedly not ; and yet for nothing m&re than ! that attachment were the Roman

    Catholics of this country deprived of their rights as British subjects . The noble Lord adverted to the signing of Magna Charta , which had been extorted by that love of liberty , and attachment to their country which distinguished the Rowaa , n Catholics of those days ; love and attachment which , lie would assert without fear of

    contradiction , had not less characterized their EomaH Catholic descendants to the present period . He said that the attachment of the Roman Catholics to their religion duringauloag ? period of persecution and suffering , was a proof of their honour and good faith . In those , he maintained * would the

    Protestants find their best security . . Without them , there could be nothing to depend upon ; witti thorny they * had every gua ^ rarrtee which it was possible to expect * With * these impressions ^ strong upon Ins mimly he heggpd to present to ¦{ the House tire petition of the * Roman Catholics of

    Eugland . Their situation , he beg'ged to remark , was worse than the * Roman Catliolic g « f Ireland ; they were debarred of many privileges which the Irish Catholics enjoyed . At the same time lie begged to bte > uiid *>* fct <*(* d , as not wishing * to separate

    their'interests . He conceived the benefit of emancipation equaMy due to all ; and however Mglily W' valued each ae a bod y ^ h ^ 'wotil d not ; advo > Date the rights of'either , t ^ v the exclusion of th « - other . Hi « object ^ as , that conciliatory measures should be

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    adopted to ^ vurds thefin all a& he was aiire that w « uld be a step lending to , < $ onsD ] idaie the striengih ofi ttte ^ empire . The petiitaoners did not enumerate their g'rieyatoces ; they complained generally of their ex-cl « i sioii from political rights , and ; they , relied for their restoration upon the justie € ^ wi » do in , and liberality of Parliament .

    lord . IVLorpeth wished to take an eari ^ opportunitjr of expressing , his opinion qf the obaiacter of the petitioners , who were , by an unjust law , deprived of the means of exerting * their abilities in the n * aaiier

    ^ v ^ lich ^ British subjects , they had a right to expect . They did not speak of their loyalty ^ fo » r tbat the house knew well ; bet they humbly prayed that the house might take the subject of their grievances into serious consideration :. He trusted the House

    would do so , for no portion of his Majesty ' s subjects possessed stronger claims on the attention of the legislature . Dr . PmtLiMEORE conceived the subject of so much importance , that he could not

    suffer the present opportunity to pass without offering a few observations . The House had heard the nature of the petition ; they would hear that many of the names affixed to * it were the descendants of nafen

    whose bravei ^ r and patriotism were mixed up with the brightest annals of Bnglish history . They would find the names of men to whose ancestors the country owed so much on many and important occasions , but who were no w ± by an iliberal aawfc cruel code , deprived of the means of

    following tlve glorious example which their forefaihe ts had left them ; but who , nevertheless ^ were still disti » g * uished for their prirate virtue * , artd every way- worthy of their country and their birth . Well had the nofete Lord who presented the petiii& ** said thfvt the sah ^ ect was im ^ rt ^ nt . It

    was indeed hig-hly soy and hfe trusted tbftt every member of th « Hotise would g * jv # it his most serious consideration , before it * merits came to be discussed ; a «< l that they wo >» ld consent to have wiped fro ** their statute-book a code so iepug * nant to the mild spirit and principles of the con-1

    stitution- , so disg ^ rrtceful to thecharacter of thei r co « nt « ry as a free n atioti . Tlie > tinte for considering- this question lie considewd was peculiarly favourable . We wttt at tbe begfinning' of a ne % v parliament , at a period of profound poacr ^ , and when- every thing- conspired to rendfcl * a « i inquiry eCfecti ve . He thotr ^ ht that this consideration

    was ^ diie to the char-aetftr and conduct of the Roman Catholics , who , though remarkable for their loyalty and attachnient to tfa& constitution , were nevr « rthfele £ sr subjected to penalties to wteek no > otke f portion of Us jNt ( i $ esty y * subjetits werb exposed * WfltvWl 8 » ffTii did ' not intend to liave ' nddres ^ d tU ^ llou ^ e n |^ nn this ^ bj ^ ct , hut WA * ' induced to offter oiVfc oBs ^ rvution ia

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    InltUigeme . ^ I £ m * Udmmfaftys English Cathvlics * % &&

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1819, page 205, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1770/page/67/