catholics every thing, and to put them on the footing of other diffenters. Under this impreffion, I vote for the bill, because it gives them confiderable advantages; and for the motion, because it removes one of the clauses of the bill that attempts to limit thofe advantages.

Mr. Maxwell voted against a total emancipation, and of course against the motion of the hon. gent. on the other fide of the house. [Mr. Knox].

Mr. Knox ftood up to reply to a right hon. gent. from the other fide, who made fome animadvertions on his motion; he said he would be brief, because the arguments used against his motion were rather perfonal than against the motion. He obferved as to the figure of overloading the cart, applied to him by the right hon. gent. he had rather do fo than be the miferable garron to drag that load along. That was the first time he ever heard the furmife started in that house, that a motion would not pafs in the upper houfe. If gentlemen felt, as he did, they would fee no alternative; at a time when the arms of our enemies, as well as a militant philofophy, threaten to fubvert our conftitution. "Shall we, fir, invite the catholics to the threshold of this house, and then fhut the door against them?-fhall we not rather unite the loyalifts of the fouth to the republicans of the north?-fhall we not call on them in the name of that venerable confitution which we all adore, and of thofe laws which we all revere?"He should not, he said, ask them to vote for him or his measure-But he would ask them to vote for themselves, for their loyalty, for their families.He then made a few remarks on the principle of his motion.

Mr. Cuffe replied-his meaning was, that he would rather injure the government, than serve it at the expence of the public-he then replied to

Sir H. Cavendifh's allufion to himself in his meta-phor of a fhip at fea.

Queftion being put, houfe divided,

The noes

When the ayes were, 692 Majority in favour 163 of the noes, 96. Tellers for the ayes, Nr. Knox, and major Doyle.

Tellers for the poes, Mr. B. Conyngham, and Mr. Fofter.

Committee then fat-Mr. Day, in the chairbut was interrupted by the impatience of the houfe for adjournment, which was agreed to, and at near TWO o'clock this morning adjourned till next day.

WEDNESDAY, February 27.

Mr. Ofborne moved, "That it be an inftruction "to the committe of the whole houfe on the "roman catholic bill, to receive a claufe, commu"nicating to roman catholics the benefits and pri

vileges conveyed to foreign proteftant mer"chants and artificers fettling in any borough or « town corporate by the act of the 14th and ❝ 15th of Charles H. fo far as relates to working, "buying and felling.

Mr. Mafon demanded the object of the claufe. Mr. Oborne replied, that by an act of Charles II. certain defcriptions of his majefty's fubjects had obtained certain privileges and immunities therein fpecified. Thofe defcriptions were artificers, dealers, &c.

His object, therefore was to grant to the roman catholic inhabitants of this country all the privi leges and immunity fpecified in the faid act. The

words

words of the act were buying, felling, working. He avowed but the act itself, he meant no more.

Mr. Bagwell warmly fupported the claufe, as enforcing more effential advantages on the roman catholics than it is intended by the whole of the prefent bill to grant them.

Att. Gen. faid, that that act in his fenfe was intended to encourage an increase of ftrangers, the corporate towns being but thinly inhabited. He thought, and does fill think it a queftion of as doubtful confequence as any other before the houfe. For it may turn out that a catholic, fettling in fuch a place, may be entitled to all the immunities and advantages which a native franchised proteftant would.

to.

The claufe after fome amendments was agreed

The house then refolved itself into a committee on the bill.

Mr. DAY in the Chair.

Mr. Trench rofe, he said, with a wish to expedite the bill, and to remove fome prejudices which had been industriously spread. It had been confidently afferted, that if the roman catholics were not granted all that proteftants enjoy-if any diftinction or refervation was made, they would not be contented. If he had entertained the leaft idea. that fuch would be their conduct, they never would have had his support; but fince the bill was brought in, and had been printed and published, he had converfed with many of the moft refpectable gentlemen of the roman catholice religion, particularly from his own part of the country, and they every one approved the bill, and expreffed their approbation in terms of the highest loyalty to their king, and the strongest attachment Pp 2

to

to the constitution; they declared, that when the bill which they acknowledged conferred great benefits upon them fhould pafs, they would retire to their homes filled with gratitude to the government of the country, and to parliament; and they desired him to make this public declaration in their name, and to add, that their future conduct should manifeft the fense they entertained of fo great a favour. He therefore held it, that any gentleman who, in their name, fhould hold a different language, and fay they were not fatisfied, was not a friend to the roman catholics of Ireland.

The firft claufe of the bill being read, the attorney general made several amendments to enable the bill more fully to effect its object.

Mr. Ofborne then propofed an amendment to the purport of the claufe he had obtained leave to introduce. After a tedious converfation, his amendment was rejected, and he was advised to introduce a fubftantive claufe.

Mr. Alexander, (of Derry) said, he admired the ingenuity of gentlemen in finding out clauses, which gave them opportunities of making flaming fpeeches, and fhewing their mighty zeal for the roman catholics; but furely there never was a more unneceffary clause than that fo warmly infifted upon by the hon. gentleman; for he would defy any man to fhew a fingle inftance where any artificer had been prevented from working, buying, or felling, in any borough or town corporate.

Doctor Duigenan faid he had to propose fome amendments which, as they went to the whole merits of the bill, would neceffarily demand fome time for difcuffion. He had upon the introduction of the bill pretty fully expreffed his oppofition to it; he had given his reafons for that oppofition,

oppofition, and to those reasons he adhered, notwithstanding the animadverfions of fome gentlemen and the miftatements of others: thofe animadverfions and miftatements he was now ready to refute, and he trufted he should be heard in spite of the roar of political projectors, or the flimfy orations of those who trade in declamation, men who ftamp, and ftorm and rage, with frantic geftures and dishevelled hair, like the Pythian prieftefs of old-or affright their audience with convulfive fcreams and diftorted features like the gypfies of modern times.

After this exordium he went at large into the bill, and concluded with moving the following amendment, "That no roman catholic fhall vote in any county for any member to fit in parliament unless fuch roman catholic fhall have a freehold of 201. a year value in faid county, or in any borough, unless he have a freehold of 20.1 a-year, (any where in the kingdom) or is poffeffed of property to the amount of 1000l."

In the course of his fpeech the doctor had declared that if the proteftant intereft was furrendered to the roman catholics, as by this bill it would be, an union with England would be the neceffary confequence; the proteftants would have no refuge but in an union-and rather than be the flave of the roman catholics, he would himfelf be the man to propose an union-[Mr. Egan here interrupting him]

The Speaker rofe in his place, and faid he would recommend it to the hon. gentleman not to interrupt the member while speaking, unless he committed a breach of order; but while he was advancing a political opinion, no man had a right to call him to order.

Doctor