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LXXXVIII. 4.

Attempts of the Catholics for Relief in the years 1808, 1810, and 1812.

IN 1808,-Mr. Grattan presented to the house of commons, the petition of the Irish catholics. On the 25th of May, he moved for its being referred to a committee of the whole house.

division, the numbers were,

For it

Against it

- 128

- 281

On a

Majority against going into a committee, 153. On the 27th of the same month, a similar motion was made in the house of lords: on a division, the

numbers were,

Contents

Non-contents

Majority against the catholics

74

161

87.

In 1810, Mr. Grattan presented another petition from the Irish catholics.

On the 18th of May, he moved to refer it to a committee on a division, the numbers were,

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On the 6th of June, lord Donoughmore made a similar motion in the house of lords; on a division,

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In 1812,-the claims of the Irish catholics came again before the house.

On the 21st April, lord Donoughmore moved, in the house of lords, the order of the day to take into consideration, "the claims of the catholic body, for “the removal of the disabilities under which they "labour."

On a division, the numbers were,

Contents

Non-contents

Majority against the motion

- 102

- 174

72.

On the 23d of the same month, Mr. Grattan made a similar motion for a committee: on a division, the numbers were,

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As full accounts of all these debates have been printed, we insert in these pages no extracts from any of them :-but, we beg to invite our readers to an attentive perusal of Mr. Grattan's speech, in the debate of 1808: it presents an union of argument, eloquence, imagery and philosophy, which is seldom found in any composition. Nothing can show more strongly than a comparison between Mr. Grattan and his imitators, the vast space, which is ever discernible between a man of genius, philosophy and business, and a mere artist in language. We must also request the reader's attention to the speech of the duke of Sussex in the debate in 1812; it displays a degree of research, talent and

liberality, which reflects, on the illustrious prince, the highest honour.

Nor should we withhold their just measure of praise from the exertions of our early and longcontinued friend, sir John Cox Hippisley. On several occasions he printed his speeches, separately, accompanied with much curious and instructive matter relating to the catholic question. Whatever we may think of his conduct in a subsequent period, it is certain, that, up to a certain time, few had deserved better of the catholic cause.

In the debates on the motion, of which we are now speaking, the most grateful moment to the catholics, was, when,-in the debate on the Irish petition in 1810,-the earl of Liverpool said,"I have heard allusions this night to doctrines, "which, I do hope, no man now believes the ca"tholics to entertain: nor is there any ground,

that the question is opposed on any such pretence. "The explanations, which have been given on this head, so far as I know, are completely satisfactory; and the question, as it now stands, is "much more narrowed than it was on any former " occasion."

CHAP. LXXXIX.

THE BILL OF 1813.

THE defeats which the catholics had sustained in their former applications to parliament did not dishearten them. Comparing the whole number

of the members of each house of parliament, with the number that voted in that house, in the several debates, in which the catholic question was agitated, it was evident,-from their respective proportions to the respective strength of the whole of each house,that the votes in favour of emancipation had, generally, been on the increase. Add to this, that lord Castlereagh, who was likely to influence many important votes and interests, had declared in its favour; and that Mr. Canning also, who was at the head of a respectable portion of the friends of Mr. Pitt, was expected to patronize their cause. Some unfortunate circumstances, however, militated against them: the disputes on the veto,-which have been noticed in a former part of this work,continued, and expressions had been used by individuals, of a nature to indispose a powerful quarter against the general body. That quarter, however, might be propitiated; and it was foreseen that, after proper explanations, Rome would recognize, to a certain extent, at least, the lawfulness of the veto.

Under these circumstances, the catholics commenced their proceedings for relief, in the year 1813. We shall present the reader,-I. With Mr. Butler's printed address on that occasion, to the protestants of the united empire:-II. With the petition presented to both houses of parliament, by the English catholics in 1810-III. With a succinct account of the rise and progress of the bill brought into parliament in 1813--IV. And with some reflections on the securities enacted by some clauses in that bill.

LXXXIX. 1.

“ Mr. Butler's Address in 1813 to the Protestants of the United Empire.

"In the last sessions of parliament, the house "of commons came to a resolution, that the house "would early in the next session take into its "most serious consideration the laws affecting "his majesty's roman-catholic subjects in Great "Britain and Ireland, with a view to such final,

conciliatory adjustment, as might be conducive "to the peace of the united kingdom, stability "of the protestant establishment, and the general "satisfaction and concord of all classes of his majesty's subjects.'

66 6

Encouraged by this resolution, the roman-ca"tholics of England and Ireland intend presenting immediately separate petitions to each house of "parliament, for a repeal of the penal and disabling statutes, which still remain in force 66 6 against them.'

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"In the mean time, they observe, with great concern and surprise, that attempts are made to prejudice the legislature against their application. Many erroneous, artful, and inflammatory pub"lications of this tendency. have been actively " and extensively circulated. The charges brought "in them against the roman-catholics, are of the "most serious nature. The object of this address "to you, is to answer these charges, and to state "to you, succinctly, the grounds of the intended

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