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rered by a microscopical eye ^ The only difficulty he had ever had in considering the subject was , to find out any argument which could be urged against the mea 9 nre , and which he might be prepared to answer . He could find none , aud had been so perplexed to discover even the shadow of an argument , that he had said to a friend he would
advertise a reward for any argument , that he might get one to refute , against granting emancipation to the Jews . He might safely have advertised even a large reward , and have been sure of not finding one . In conclusion , he would beg the House to recollect what was , according
to diviue law , to be understood by our neighbour . The Founder of Christianity did not take as the exemplification , what was righteons , not what was beautiful and admired—he selected a heretic , who was held at that time in abhorrence
by the people to whom he addressed himself . He inculcated the divine precepts of his divine religion , not merely the principles of faith , but the nobler principle of charity , the safest guide for the conduct of life ; and his observations
directing us to minister to the wants of each other—to love our neighbour as ourselves , were made evident by the example of the good Samaritan—a character who was hated by the Jews of that age . ( Cheers . )
The Chancellor of the Exchequer observed , that if the House were prepared to open the doors of Parliament to the Jews , they might open them to the Turks , and to the members of every other religion . If the case of the Jews were similar to that of the Catholics and that of the Dissenters , he should not oppose it , but he did not think the cases similar . He
thought the House run a great risk , however , by running counter to the good feelings of the people , the majority of whom he had no doubt were opjwsed to the measure . There was this difference between them and the Catholicsthat the Catholics had shed their blood
for us—they had fought our battles both by sea and land—they had swelled the force of our fleets and our armies ; and there was a good reason why we tmould not make enemies of those who had erred us , and who amonnted to seven million people . But the Jews had not fought our battles—they had not served in our armies and navy ; and they did not amount , it was stated by a writer of their own nation , to more than twentyseven thousand persons .
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Dr . Lushington supported the motion ; replying especially to the arguments of Mr . Goulburn . His opinion was , that the Established religion was too well fixed in the affections of the people to require the aid of exclusion to secure it . If the number of the Jews was so small , aud their influence so bounded , that there could be no danger in refusal , what possible danger could there be in admission ?
Mr . Percival entreated the House , iu the name of the Lord Jesus Christ , to preserve the religion of Christianitythe religion of the State—from being defiled by the introduction of the Bill now proposed . Lord Morpetm concurred most cordially in the propositions which Mr . II . Grant had submitted to the House .
The Solicitor-General thought that the experiment which had been tried , of admitting Roman Catholics to the Hou > e , had not been tried sufficiently long to enable them to decide whether an extension of the principle would be safe . Mr . W . Smith thought that if the Jews were to be admitted within the pale of the constitution , as little delay as possible was desirable .
He was one of those who thought that political rights and privileges should have nothing to do with religion . If Government were to have any thing whatever to > do with religion , it ought to be with the moral portion of it , and not at all with the creed . What was the morality of the Jews?—The morality of the Christians . What church was there belonging to the Establishment which had not the Ten
Commandments , the morality of the Jews , side by side with the Creed ? \ i any rational man saw the Commandments and the Athanasian Creed thus in juxtaposition , was it doubtful to which he would give the preference ? To the
question ot morality , therefore , they ought , in his opinion , to confine themselves . If they extended their consideration to matters of faith , no one could tell where they would stop . If they looked only at civil obedience , there was no danger of their falling into political
error . Mr . R . Grant haviug replied , the House divided . For the motion , 115 ; against it , 97 ; majority in favour of tli < 1 measure , 18 . The result was hailed with cheers . Mr . Grant then brought in the Bill , which was read for the first time . We subjoin a copy :
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358 Intelligence . — Parliamentary : British Jews .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1830, page 358, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2584/page/70/
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