Catholic excitement prevailed, could not be contemplated without alarm.' If riots should occur, the executive were not even assured of the fidelity of Catholic soldiers, who had been worked upon by their priests. They could not be trusted against rioters of their own faith. The Catholic Association, however, continued to be the chief embarrassment to Association. the government. It had made Ireland ripe for rebellion. Its leaders had but to give the word: but, believing their success assured, they were content with threatening demonstrations.3 Out of an infantry force of 30,000 men, no less than 25,500 were held in readiness to maintain the peace of Ireland. Such was the crisis, that there seemed no alternative between martial law and the removal of the causes of discontent. Nothing but open rebellion would justify the one; and the Commons had, again and again, counselled the other.5 4 In the judgment of Mr. Peel, the settlement of the Catholic question had, at length, become a political necessity; and this conviction was shared by the Duke of Welling Necessity of Catholic relief acknow ledged by ministers. 'Peel's Mem., i. 117-122, et seq. 'This business,' wrote Lord Eldon, must bring the Roman Catholic question, which has been so often discussed, to a crisis and a conclusion. The nature of that conclusion I do not think likely to be favourable to Protestantism.'-Twiss's Life, iii. 54. 2 Lord Anglesey's Letters, July 20th, 26th, 1828; Peel's Mem., i. 127, 158, 164. Lord Anglesey's Letter, July 2nd, 1828; Peel's Mem., i. 147; Ibid., 207, 243-262; supra, Vol. II. 374. 4 Peel's Mem., i. 293. 5 In each of the five parliaments elected since 1807, with one exception, the House of Commons had come to a decision in favour of a consideration of the Catholic question;' and Mr. Peel had long been impressed with the great preponderance of talent and influence on that side.-Peel's Mem., i. 146; Ibid., 61, 288, 289. 1 ton, the Marquess of Anglesey, and Lord Lyndhurst. But how were ministers to undertake it? The statesmen who had favoured Catholic claims had withdrawn from the ministry; and Lord Anglesey had been removed from the government of Ireland." It was reserved for the Protestant party in the cabinet to devise a measure which they had spent their lives in opposing. They would necessarily forfeit the confidence, and provoke the hostility, of their own political adherents; and could lay no claim to the gratitude or good will of the Catholics. But another difficulty, even more formidable, presented itself, a difficulty which, on former Repugnance occasions, had alone sufficed to paralyse the of the king; efforts of ministers. The king evinced no less repugnance to the measure than his revered and excellent father' had displayed, nearly thirty years before; and had declared his determination not to assent to Catholic emancipation.* 3 and of the bishops. The Duke of Wellington, emboldened by the success of Mr. Peel's former communications with the bishops, on the Sacramental Test, endeavoured to persuade them to support concessions to the Catholics. Their concurrence would secure 1 Peel's Mem., i. 180, 181, 188, 284. 2 The circumstances of his removal were fully discussed in the House of Lords, May 4th, 1829.-Hans. Deb., 2nd Ser., xx. 990. Peel's Mem., i. 274, 276. The king assured Lord Eldon that Mr. Canning had engaged that he would never allow his majesty to be troubled about the Roman Catholic question.'-Peel's Mem., i. 275. But Sir R. Peel expresses his conviction that no such pledge had been given by Mr. Canning (Ibid.); and even Lord Eldon was satisfied that the king's statement was unfounded.'-Twiss's Life of Eldon, iii. 82. Lord Colchester's Diary, iii, 380, 473. the co-operation of the church and the House of Lords, and infinence the reinetant judgment of the king. But he found them resclately opposed to his views; and the government were now alarmed, lest their opinions should confirm the objections of his majesty. It was under these unpromising circumstances Embarrass that, in January 1829, the time had arrived at which some definite course must be submitted to the king, in anticipation of the approaching session. It is not surprising that Mr. Peel should have thought such difficulties almost insuperable. There was the declared opinion of the king, the declared opinion of the House of Lords, -the declared opinion of the church,-unfavourable to the measures we were about to propose ;' and, as he afterwards added, ‘a majority, probably, of the people of Great Britain was hostile to concession.'' Mr. Peel, considering the peculiarity of his own Proffered position, had contemplated the necessity of retirement: but viewing, with deep concern, the accumulating embarrassments of the government, he afterwards placed his services at the command of the Duke of Wellington.3 At length, an elaborate memorandum by Mr. Peel having been submitted to the king, His Majesty gave audience to those members of his cabinet who had always opposed the Catholic claims; and then consented that the cabinet The king consents to the measure. 1 Peel's Mem., i. 278, 308. 2 Letter of Duke of Wellington, Aug. 11th, 1828. Peel's Mem., i. 184. Letter, Jan. 12th, 1829. Peel's Mem., i. 283, 294, 295. should submit their views on the state of Ireland, without pledging himself to concur in them, even if adopted unanimously.1 A draft of the king's speech was accordingly prepared, referring to the state of Ireland, the necessity of restraining the Catholic Association, and of reviewing the Catholic disabilities. To this draft the king gave a reluctant consent; and it was, accordingly, delivered at the commencement of the session. ment The government projected three measures, founded upon this speech,-the suppression of the GovernCatholic Association, a Relief Bill, and a measures. revision of the elective franchise in Ireland. Suppres Feb. 10th, 1829. The first measure submitted to Parliament was a bill for the suppression of dangerous asso- Associaciations or assemblies in Ireland. It met tions with general support. The opponents of sooth emancipation complained that the suppression of the Association had been too long delayed. The friends of the Catholic claims, who would have condemned it separately, as a restraint upon public liberty, consented to it, as a necessary part of the measures for the relief of the Catholics, and the pacification of Ireland.3 Hence the bill passed rapidly through both Houses. But before it became law, the Catholic Association was dissolved. A measure of relief having been promised, its mission was accomplished.5 : When this bill had passed the Commons, Mr. Peel 2 Ibid., 310. Peel's Mem., i. 297. 2 Hans. Deb., 2nd Ser., xx. 177. • ibid., 280, 519, &c. On Feb. 21th, Lord Anglesey said it was 'defunct.' accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, in order to give his constituents at Oxford an opportunity Mr. Peel loses his election at of expressing their opinion of his new. Oxford. policy. The Protestant feeling of the university was unequivocally pronounced. He was defeated by Sir Robert Inglis, and obliged to take refuge at Westbury. Further difficulties with the king. The civil disabilities of the Catholics were about to be considered, on the 5th of March, when an unexpected obstacle arose. On the 3rd, the king commanded the attendance of the Duke of Wellington, the Lord Chancellor, and Mr. Peel on the following day. He then desired a more detailed explanation of the proposed measure. On finding that it was proposed to alter the oath of supremacy, his majesty refused his consent; and his three ministers at once tendered their resignation, which was accepted. Late the same evening, however, he desired them to withdraw their resignation, and gave his consent, in writing, to their proceeding with the proposed measure.1 Catholic March 5th, This last obstacle being removed, Mr. Peel opened his measure of Catholic emancipation to Relief Bill, the House of Commons. In a speech of 1829. four hours, he explained the various circumstances, already described, which, in the opinion of the government, had made the emancipation of the Catholics a necessity. The measure itself was complete: it admitted Roman Catholics,-on taking 1 Peel's Mem., i. 343-349. The king gave Lord Eldon a different version of this interview, evidently to excuse himself from consenting to a measure of which his old councillor disapproved so strongly.Twiss's Life of Eldon, iii. 83. |