not been by ballot in the respective counties; but Militia men were raised, wherever the recruiting Serjeants could find them..

ment.

1805.

against the

Question.

Several preparatory steps were taken by both Petitions sides in contemplation of the decision of the great Catholic question upon Catholic Emancipation, which stood for early days in May in both Houses of ParliaPetitions against it were presented from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, from the cities of London and Dublin, the county of Fermanagh, and other corporations and public bodies. In order to have the advantage of the brilliant talents of Mr. Grattan in the discussion of the Catholic question, Lord Fitzwilliam induced the Honorable C. L. Dundas to vacate his seat for the borough of Malton, and Mr. Grattan was returned for it.

On the 10th of May, Lord Grenville introduced Lord Gren. the Catholic petition*, by recommending to their

As the general arguments for and against the merits of the Catholic question have been so frequently urged and defended on late public occasions, and are familiar to all, who interest themselves in it, they will not here be even referred to. Suffice it to observe, that every invidious and effete objection to the Catholic faith, doctrines and morals were brought into the contest by the opponents, and anticipated or answered by the supporters of the measure. Those arguments only will be noticed, which appear to be new and illustrative of the modern history and systematic government of Ireland. Having found it a duty to give the debate on this question more in detail, than any other, that has taken place since the Union, as that which most intimately involved the vital interests of Ireland, the end proposed might

ville intro

Catholic petition.

1805. Lordships to grant the whole. of it, if they meant

not be answered, unless the petition which gave rise to it, were adjoined.

To the Right Honourable and Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.

The Humble Petition of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, whose names are hereunto subscribed, on behalf of themselves and of others his Majesty's Subjects, professing the Roman Catholic Religion.

“SHEWETH-That your Petitioners are steadfastly attached to the Person, Family, and Government of their Most Gracious Sovereign; that they are impressed with sentiments of the most affectionate gratitude for the benign laws, which have been enacted for meliorating their condition during his paternal reign, and that they contemplate, with rational and decided predilection the admirable principles of the British Constitution.,.

"Your Petitioners most humbly state, that they have solemnly and publicly taken the oaths by law prescribed to his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, as tests of political and moral principles, and they confidently appeal to the sufferings, which they have long endured, and the sacrifices which they still make, rather than violate their consciences, (by taking oaths of a religious or spiritual import contrary to their belief) as decisive proofs of their profound and scrupulous reverence for the sacred obligation of an oath.

Your Petitioners beg leave to represent, that by those awful tests they bind themselves, in the presence of the all seeing Deity, whom all classes of Christians adore; To be faithful and bear true allegiance to their most gracious Sovereign Lord King GEORGE the Third, and him to defend to the utmost of their power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever, that shall be made against his person, crown, or dignity; to do their utmost endeavours to disclose and make known to his Majesty and his heirs all treasons and traitorous conspiracies, which may be formed against him or them, and

to discharge that duty, which the Union had im

faithfully to maintain, support and defend, to the utmost of their power, the succession to the Crown in his Majesty's family against any person or persons whatsoever."

"That, by those oaths, they renounce and abjure obedience and allegiance unto any other person claiming or pretending a right to the Crown of this realm that they reject and detest, as unchristian and impious to believe, that it is lawful in any way to injure any person or persons what-` soever under pretence of their being Heretics, and also that unchristian and impious principle, that no faith is to be kept with Heretics; that it is no article of their faith, and that they renounce, reject, and abjure the opinion, that Princes, excommunicated by the Pope and Council, or by any authority whatsoever, may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or by any person whatsoever; that they do not believe, that the Pope of Rome, or any other foreign Prince, Prelate, State or Potentate, hath, or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority or pre-eminence within this realm; that they firmly believe, that no act, in itself unjust, immoral, or wicked, can ever be justified or excused by, or under pretence or colour, that it was done for the good of the Church, or in obedience to any Ecclesiastical Power whatsoever; and it is not an Article of the Catholic Faith, neither are they thereby required to believe or profess, that the Pope is infallible, or that they are bound to obey any order, in its own nature immoral, though the Pope or any Ecclesiastical Power should issue or direct any such order; but that on the contrary they hold, that it would be sinful in them to pay any respect or obedience thereto; that they do not be lieve, that any sin whatsoever, committed by them, can be forgiven at the mere will of any Pope, or of any Priest, or of any person or persons whatsoever; but that any person, who receives absolution without a sincere sorrow for such sin, and a firm and sincere resolution to avoid future guilt, and to atone to God, so far from obtaining thereby any remission of his sin, incurs the additional guilt of violating a sacrament;" and by the same solemn obligation, "they are bound, and firmly pledged to defend, to the utmost of their power, the settlement and arrangement of

1805.

1805. posed upon them, and to provide for the real and;

property in their country as established by the laws now in being; that they have disclaimed, disayowed, and solemnly abjured any intention to subvert the present Church establishment for the purpose of substituting a Catholic establishment in its stead;" and that they have also solemnly sworn "that they will not exercise any privilege, to which they are or may become en-. titled, to disturb or weaken the Protestant religion, or Protestant Government in Ireland."

"Your Petitioners most humbly beg leave to shew, that however painful it is to their feelings, that it should still be thought, necessary to exact such tests from them, (and from them alone.of all his Majesty's subjects) they can with perfect truth affirm,: that the political and moral principles, which are thereby asserted, are not only conformable to their opinions, but expressly inculcated by the religion, which they profess; and your Petitioners most humbly trust, that the religious doctrines, which permit such tests to be taken, will be pronounced by this Honourable House to be entitled to a toleration, not merely partial but complete, under the happy Constitution and Government of this realm: and his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, holding those prin-, ciples, will be considered as subjects, upon whose fidelity the State may repose the firmest reliance.

"Your Petitioners further most humbly shew, that 26 years: have now elapsed since their most gracious Sovereign and the Honourable Houses of Parliament in Ireland, by their public and deliberate act, declared, that, "from the uniform peaceable behaviour of the Roman Catholics of Ireland for a long series of years, it appeared reasonable and expedient to relax the disabi lities and incapacities, under which they laboured, and that it must tend not only to the cultivation and improvement of this kingdom, but to the prosperity and strength of all his Majesty's dominions, that his Majesty's subjects of all denominations should) enjoy the blessings of a free Constitution, and should be bound to each other by mutual interest and mutual affection; a declaration founded upon unerring principles of justice and sound policy, which still remains to be carried into full effect (although

essential union of all the inhabitants of Ireland

your Petitioners are impressed with a belief, that the apprehensions, which retarded its beneficial operation previous to the Union, cannot exist in the Parliament of the United Kingdom).

"For your Petitioners most humbly shew, that by virtue of divers statutes now in force, his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, who form so great a proportion of the population of Ire land, and contribute so largely to the resources of the State, do' yet labour under many incapacities, restraints and privations, which affect them with peculiar severity in almost every station of life; that more especially they are denied the capacity of sitting or voting in either of the Honourable Houses of Parliament; the manifold evils consequent upon which incapacity they trust it is unnecessary to unfold or enumerate to this Honourable House.

They are disabled from holding or exercising (unless by a special dispensation) any corporate office whatsoever in the cities or towns in which they reside; they are incapacitated and disqualified from holding or exercising the offices of Sheriffs, SubSheriffs, and various offices of trust, honour and emolument in the State, in his Majesty's military and naval service, and in the administration of the laws, in this their native land.

"Your Petitioners, declining to enter into the principal detail of the many incapacities and inconveniencies avowedly inflicted by those statutes upon his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects, beg leave however, most earnestly to solicit the attention of this Honourable House, to the humiliating and ignominious system of exclusion, reproach and suspicion, which those statutes generate and keep alive.

"For your Petitioners most humbly shew, that in consequence of the hostile spirit thereby sanctioned, their hopes of enjoying even the privileges, which, through the benignity of their most gracious Sovereign, they have been capacitated to enjoy, are nearly altogether frustrated, insomuch that they are, in effect, shut out from almost all the honours, dignities, and offices of trust and emolument in the State, from rank and distinction in his Majesty's army and navy, and even from the lowest situations

1805.