"to any penalty or disability whatsoever, on ac"count of their religious principles."

And upwards of eight thousand gentlemen and others, including near three hundred clergymen.

The presenting of this petition in the house of commons, was one of the last services which Mr. Wyndham rendered to the catholic cause. A few hours before he died, he wrote to the secretary of the British catholic board, a letter in which he expressed a warm wish for the success of the measure; but intimated, in terms, not then understood, but soon too clear, that he feared he should never again have the pleasure of advocating it. From the patronage of such men, any cause must derive honour. The writer, therefore, has singular pleasure, in transcribing for the perusal of the reader, the speech made by Mr. Wyndham, when he pre

"I have a petition to present, into the merits of "which it is not now my intention to go: it respects a body of people, who labour under oppressions of peculiar severity; I mean the roman"catholics of England.

"I admit the right of states to impose religious 66 restrictions upon the people, but that right should "be only exercised, when called for by an impe"rious and over-ruling necessity. It is obvious, "no such necessity exists for the restrictions upon "the roman-catholics of England, as they ask for "nothing but that which both church and state "must deem it necessary to grant, and which jus"tice must confirm. Who can pretend to have 66 any fear of the roman-catholics, or to dread a "disclosure of their power, by which their virtues "must also be revealed?

"I will assert, then, if their power prove con"siderable, their inclinations are in a proportionate degree favourable to the interests of the country; "if their character be unknown, if they be obscure"it is because they are deemed unworthy of our

consideration, and are branded with our neglect. "When I speak of their obscurity, I do not mean, "that they are destitute of hereditary virtues and "hereditary dignity-that they are not a part of "that class which ought to be denominated UI"timi Romanorum.'-I cannot contemplate a more "noble and affecting spectacle, than an ancient "roman-catholic gentleman in the midst of his people, exercising the virtues of beneficence, hu"manity, and hospitality.If they are obscure, it

"is because they are proscribed as aliens to the "state; because they are shut out from this assembly, where many of those, who are far less worthy,

are allowed to sit. Have they ever tried those "vile arts which are exercised so successfully by

"those many to creep into pension and place? "Have they ever attempted to obtain their rights "either by clamour or by servility? On the contrary, their conduct has proved that no other 'body is more justly entitled to respect and ad"miration *.

66

"I wish the petition to lie upon the table, that "the contents may sink deep into the minds of this "house, and I hope that the consideration will bring "a final success to the cause of virtue and of truth. "It is impossible that we can for ever bear the sight of our own injustice. Rectitude must ultimately prevail, and I presume that the object of "this petition will be granted without a struggle."

* When Mr. Burke's celebrated "Address to the Electors " of Bristol," which contains an eloquent encomium of the catholics, was published, the writer recollects that his father,it is allowable to mention any person now no more, who, when living, was venerated by all who knew him,-when he came to that passage in the address, burst into tears, and exclaimed, "Who would not be a catholic !"-" What," said Mr. John Hawkins, who, a few days after passed into the protestant pale, "because Mr. Burke says a fine thing of them!"—" No;" replied the gentleman we have mentioned, "but because ca. "tholics feel that these fine things may be said of them with “justice.”

LXXXIX. 3.

The Bill for the Relief of his Majesty's Catholic Subjects.

On the 22d of June 1812, Mr. Canning moved a resolution, that "the house would, early in the "next session of parliament, take into its most "serious consideration, the state of the laws af

fecting his majesty's roman-catholic subjects, in "Great Britain and Ireland, with a view to such a "final and conciliatory adjustment, as might be "conducive to the peace and strength of the united kingdom; to the stability of the protestant esta"blishment; and to the general satisfaction and "concord of all classes of his majesty's subjects."

He introduced his motion, by an excellent speech, in which, with the force and eloquence habitual to him, he established three positions:-1. That all citizens of the same state, living under the same government, are entitled, primâ facie, to equal political rights and privileges:- 2. That it is, at all times, desirable, to create and maintain the most perfect identity of interest and feeling among all the members of the same community :-3. That, where there exists in any community, a great permanent cause of political discontent, which agitates the minds of men, without having any tendency to subside of itself, it becomes the duty of the supreme power in the state, to determine in what mode it may, most advantageously, be set at rest. An interesting debate ensued; lord Castlereagh made

a liberal declaration in favour of the proposed inquiry respecting the catholics. On a division, Mr. Canning's motion was carried by the decisive majority of 235 votes to 106.

In the house of lords, the marquis Wellesley, on the 1st of the following July, made a motion, similar to that of Mr. Canning. The previous question was moved upon it, by the lord chancellor, and there being 126 votes for it, and 125 against it, the chancellor's motion was carried by a majority of one.

Under these auspicious circumstances, the memorable campaign, of 1813, for catholic emancipation, began. It was opened on the 25th of February, by Mr. Grattan's motion, "that the house will re"solve itself into a committee of the whole house, "to take into its most serious consideration the "state of the laws affecting the roman-catholic

subjects in Great Britain and Ireland, with a "view to such a final and conciliatory adjust"ment, as may be conducive to the peace and "strength of the united kingdom, to the stability "of the protestant establishment, and to the gene"ral satisfaction and concord of all classes of his "majesty's subjects.", After a debate of four days, a division took place upon Mr. Grattan's motion: it was carried by a majority of 40; there being 264 votes for it, and 224 against it.

This point being gained, though by a hard contest, Mr. Grattan, on March 9th, moved the order