in such a manner as to keep the attention and expectations of the catholics fixed only upon the British parliament. It appeared that in Ireland, a most material change had taken place in the opinion of the protestant gentry. Nine counties had decidedly declared in favour of the petition on the table. It was his intention, however, to accompany this measure with every thing that could guard the protestant establishment, and that could render the gift advantageous to the catholics. Their clergy were to have a decent subsistence from the state, and his Majesty was to have a negative upon the nomination of their bishops. The oath of supremacy, while it was to be altered so as to remove their scruples on the score of the spiritual authority of the pope, was to be so worded, as to afford every security that could be asked for their temporal obedience to the state. His lordship observed, that whatever was the result of this night, they might speedily look for the complete attainment of all their wishes, to the enlightened liberality, and the progressively favourable opinion of the British parliament, and the British nation. His lordship concluded with moving, that the petition be referred to a committee. Lord Sidmouth opposed the motion, being of opinion that the prayer of the petition was one which at no period could be granted in consistency with the preservation of the British constitution, and the safety of a protestant state. Earl Moira could not agree that any imputation could lie against the loyalty of the catholics of Ireland. He thought they had a clear and undoubted right to a full participation in the blessings of the constitution. The Bishop of Norwich then rose, and in a maiden speech ably supported the claims of the catholics, to which he said several other reverend VOL. III. bishops were also friendly. He answered in their order the various ob jections which had been made to those claims. It had been said, that no one could claim the highest civil or military offices as a right, or complain of not receiving them. It appeared to him, however, that it was most clearly an injury to any description of his Majesty's subjects, to check their honourable ambi tion, and to prevent them receiving those rewards which might be due to their merit. With respect to the religious opinions and tenets of the catholics, he thought it strange that other persons should pretend to know the doctrines which were held by the catholics of the present day better than the catholics themselves. The catholic body had in the most solemn manner, and by oath, denied those abominable doctrines which were imputed to them.-The reverend prelate adverted to the opinion of that learned and elegant writer on the constitution of this country, Mr.Justice Blackstone, and said that the learned judge had maintained, that whenever the period should arrive that there should be no pretender to the throne, those penal statutes against the catholics ought to be dispensed with. That period, in his opinion, had arrived; and it was clear that, at the present moment, there was no occasion for the further or longer continuance of them. In his opinion, the coronation oath had been most unwisely and impoliticly brought forward, not only on the present occasion, but during the last three years, and he would advise those who had no better arguments against the cathohe claims, to forego so futile an objection. The Archbishop of York begged their lordships to believe, that though he differed with the rev. prelate who had just preceded him in the debate, he was not actuated by any motives of bigotry, or that he was at all averse to the most liberal principles of toleration. Whilst the spirit of the constitution allowed the catholics the fullest and purest principles of toleration, it forbad that they should enjoy political power. The Bishop of Bangor said, that with every wish and desire to promote the principles of toleration to the utmost extent, he must still object to the motion. Lord Hutchinson thought the motion of his noble friend, to refer the matter of this petition to a committee, was highly just and proper, and as such it had his hearty con currence. Lord Stanhope, in allusion to what had fallen from a right reverend prelate, admitted that a million sterling was a great deal of money to pay annually to him and his brethren. As to the mistranslation of the Bible, the papists were not perhaps so far wrong, as respected the early versions. The garbled manuscript in the British Museum was a proof of this. The parts improperly transJated having been written in a different ink from the true and genuine passages. Time had consumed one of the sorts of ink, and the whole imposition was detected. But the bishops were very eager for uniformity; where was that uniformity in the church of England, when the differences in the Common Prayer Book of Cambridge and Oxford amounted only to three thousand, six hundred, and upwards! All the bishops ought to be ashamed of themselves. He begged pardon for saying all. One respectable prelate (Norwich) had made a most logical, sound and liberal speech on the present occasion, and had been most miserably answered by the priest who spoke last. When the privileges of three millions of people were under consideration, it was scandalous to be reading anonymous libels against them. He should have thought, that the noble lord on the cross bench (Sidmouth), might have been better acquainted with the rule of order, than to accuse the catholics of a want of patriotism, merely because they persisted in claiming what appeared to them to be their due. The noble lord then read a paper published by the English catholics, disclaiming all the mischievous doctrines imputed to them, in which they were joined by the Irish catholics, and concluded by observing, that there could not be a libel urged against them, to which that paper was not a complete answer. Lord Mulgrave was extremely sorry that a question of this kind was brought forward at a time when so many dangers were to be apprehended, from exciting a spirit of dis content among the Irish people. Lord Buckinghamshire referred to a variety of publications to shew the spirit and character of the proceedings of the catholics. He highly complimented the noble baron (Grenville) for the ability he had displayed in submitting the petition to the attention of the house; but added, that he should most decidedly op pose its being referred to a committee. The Duke of Norfolk supported the motion, Lord Erskine insisted that the petition ought to be considered in a committee, and introduced into his speech many arguments, both from constitutional law and national policy, in support of his opinion. Lord Hawkesbury was satisfied that nothing could be more impolitic than giving countenance to the present petition in the manner suggested. Lord Holland spoke most ably for. two hours in support of the petition. Lord Auckland spoke against it. Lord Suffolk argued in support of it; and Lord Grenville closed the debate by a short speech in reply. At nearly five o'clock the house divided on the question,-Contents 74-Non-contents 116. certain papers were ordered, with the view of shewing the actual state of the trade and commerce of the country since November last; and on the motion of Lord Bathurst, similar returns were ordered to be made for the two last years. The assessed taxes bill was read a third time; as was the Indictment bill, after some altercation, principally between Lords Ellenborough and Stanhope, the numbers being Contents 19, Non-contents 6. Tuesday, May 31. The Duchess of Brunswick's Annuity bill was read a third time and passed. The Duke of Norfolk objected to the amendments on the Irish glebe houses bill, on the ground that they might endanger the rejection of it in the other house; it was, however, read a third time. Wednesday, June 1. The Interment bill was read a second time, after a few words from Lord Lauderdale, who thought the present an unnecessary addition to our statute book, as the case alluded to might, with great safety, be left to the feelings of individuals, Thursday, June 2, and Friday, June 3. The bills were read in their stages,and the Royal assent was given by commission to the assessed taxes bill, the Indictment bill, and about 20 other public and private bills.Adjourned to Wednesday the 8th. sive of censure upon the b admiralty for neglecting to se plies to our blockading squa Mr. W. Pole, denied the of negligence, and endeavo prove that, so far from Sir Strachan experiencing any provisions, he, in his pursui enemy, actually passed the blockading squadron, our Lisbon, and Gibraltar, with ing for supplies, or intima want of them.-The escape enemy was entirely owing to ther, which would not per squadron to lie before Roch Şir C. Pole totally differe the Hon. Gentleman who sat down both as to the fact selves, and the inferences w drew from them; he read from many different letters, b he shewed, that the fleet off fort were very badly provide could not have followed the more than three or four day The house divided:-For vious question, 146; against Tuesday, May 10. The Chancellor of the E delivered to the house a messa his Majesty, which was re the chair, and was to the e lowing: "G. R. His Majesty finds sary to acquaint the house of c that in consequence of the d defeat of the Prussian armies attended with the melancholy the then reigning Duke of Br and the subsequent occupatio territories by the French, his sister, the Duchess, and widow late illustrious Prince was com seek an asylum in his majesty' ons; and immediately on her rank, and proportioned to her extraordinary misfortunes, out of his majesty's civil list revenue. His majesty, therefore relying on the attachment and li berality of his faithful commons, recomniends to them to make such permanent provision for her royal highness as is best suited to the honour of the country and the dignity of his majesty's throne." Ordered to be referred to a com mittee of supply. In a committee of ways and means, a resolution was agreed to, granting a duty of 2s, on every pound weight of corks imported into Great Britain. On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the re-commitment of the STIPENDIARY CURATES bill, Lord Porchester strenuously objected to the principles of the measure, and moved as an amendment "that the bill be re-committed this day three months." ber of curacies. Considering the bill therefore dangerous in principle, limited or uncertain in benefit, and inefficient in its professed object, he should support the amendment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that all the interference with the property of the church that this bill exercised, was, to take care that the duties annexed to that property from its origin should be performed. In giving exemption from residence to the incumbent, the legislature ought to provide for the performance of the duty. He was an anxiouɛ friend to the church establishment, and contended that the present bill was friendly thereto; taking only one-fifth of the income to provide for the performance of the duty, in case of the absence of the incumbent, could not possibly be injurious to the establishment. Providing for the maintenance of the curate sufficiently in one parish, would provide for the administration of the duty better than if there was a necessity to administer to many parishes for a support. The Solicitor General observed, that the legislature had always assumed and exercised the right of pro Mr. Windham said he had given a full consideration to this subject, and the result was, that the measure was dangerous in principle, and would be inefficacious in operation. It had two professed ends, to enforce the residence of the clergy, and to make a provision for curates. The ends were good; but the question was, whether the means were such as the house ought to resort to. He providing for the sufficient exercise of ceeded to argue with great ability and at much length against the various provisions of the bill, dwelling with great force upon the dangers of such legislative interference with the property of the clergy, and of innovation upon the principles of our church establishment. He agreed with his noble friend (Lord Porches ter) that only a small proportion of curates would be effected by the operation of the measure, and of those, many had good friends, other means, and other avocations. He agreed also with him that the bill would only increase the large prizes in this lottery without diminishing the blanks, and have the effect of increasing the Candidates for orders, without adding to, but rather by lessening, the num the clerical duties: unless the curates who had to perform those duties should be raised above indigence, they could not be respected, and could not exercise with authority the important' functions of admonition and reproof, which were the most beneficial of the clerical attributes, The public being a third party, which paid the money and was to receive the service, had a right to interfere in the arrangement between the other parties, and to take care that the service should be satisfactorily per formed. Doctor Lawrence spoke against the bill, and Mr. Whitbread in favour of it: after which a division took place, when there were, for Lord Porches ter's amendment 11, against it 94. The bill was consequently ordered to be re-committed on Friday. Wednesday, May 11. On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was agreed to grant the annual sum of 10,0001. to the widow of the late Duke of Bruns wick, for the support of her necessary state! The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved for leave to bring in a bill for regulating the collecting of the assessed and property taxes. The objects of the bill were to provide for an uniform execution of the law in different districts; to prevent vexatious surcharges on the part of the officers; and to procure the more speedy collection of the revenue. With a view to this last great object, it was proposed, that the collecting should begin after the appeals on the original assessment were heard and determined, and the period for bringing these appeals was to remain as before. And with respect to the appeal on surcharges, a longer period was to be given, which might easily be done, as the revenue would begin to be collected sooner than before, when none took place, till all sorts of appeals were disposed of. The punishment of an officer for vexatious surcharges was a point with regard to which great caution was necessary, as it was to the activity of these officers that we were to trust for the prevention of evasions. He meant to propose, that the person aggrieved should, on bringing an action and proving a vexatious surchage, recover a penalty of 1001. or 3 times the amount of the assessment, at his option; that he should besides have double costs, and that the officer convicted should be ipso facto discharged. No grievance had been so seriously felt as the various methods in which the act had been executed in the different districts. To remedy this, it was intended to appoint special commissioners in Lon don, with power to assemble the other commissioners to review their proceedings, and to correspond with the tax office. The number of the London commissioners was to be increased, and there were provisions for removing doubts on different points.-Leave was given to bring in the bill. Sir F. Burdett called for the advice of the house how he should. act in regard to the verdict given against him in the court of King'sBench, at the suit of the high bailiff of Westminster, which he conceived to be a breach of the privileges of the house, Mr. Perceval was of opinion that no relief lay but by moving for a new trial The Speaker advised the hon. baronet to wait till some practical consequence arose from the decision, and then apply to the house. Mr. Barham rose to bring forward a motion respecting the appointment, or rather the rumoured appointment of a learned civilian (Dr. Duigenan) as a member of the privy council of Ireland. After some very pointed observations on the pertinacity of ministers in persisting in this appointment, which was odious to the Irish people, and improper in every light in which it could be viewed, he concluded by moving an address to his Majesty for a copy or copies, of all correspondence between the lord lieutenant of Ireland and the home secre tary of state, touching the appointment of Patrick Duigenan, doctor of laws, as a member of his Majes ty's privy council in Ireland. A debate ensued in which Mr. C. Wynne, Sir J. Newport, Mr, Tierney, Sir R. Williams, Lord H. Petty, Mr. Curwen, Mr. W. Smith, and Mr. Windham, spoke in favour of the motion; Sir A. Wellesley, and J. C. Beresford, were against it. The house divided, when the numbers |