FRIDAY, March 1. The House in Committee. MR. DAY in the Chair. Mr. Ifaac Corry moved a provifo, "Provided always, that all roman catholics claiming the right of voting at elections for members to ferve in parliament, or for magiftrates in any corporation, be required to perform all the qualifications, regiftry, &c. which are now required to be performed by proteftants, the oaths of abjuration and fupremacy excepted." This amendment was adopted, as was alfo the following one, propofed by Dr. Duignan, in the third paragraph: "Provided always, that nothing herein contained be understood to empower them to interfere in the difpofal of the income of any church or parish, or in regulating the falary of parish clerks, or in the election of church wardens.?' In the fourth claufe refpecting arms, the Att. Gen. moved, that the words " and ammunition," be inferted after the word "arms." Mr. Maxwell obferved, that this claufe was founded on a very odd principle; men whom the house thought fit to entrust with the elective franchise, it prevented from carrying arms on a fufpicion of their being ill affected to the government. The claufe was one of the inconfiftencies of which the bill was full. The amendment was adopted. The fifth claufe relative to civil officers being read, the Att. Gen. moved, that in place of the claufe rendering catholics eligible to all profefforthips of divinity, fhould be inferted words rendering them capable of taking degrees, and of becoming X X 2 coming profeffors (except in divinity) in any college which fhall be hereafter founded. The Provoft fpoke against the claufe as it flood originally in the bill; as did also, Dr. Browne, who faid parliament fhould only take away thofe oaths which parliament had impofed, and leave the reft to his majesty. He ftated that the gentlemen concerned in the government of the university were difcontented with the interference of the bill, not fo far as it went to permit roman catholics to take degrees therein, which it was their wifh they fhould be permitted to do, but fo far as it concerned the profefforfhips, with which they conceived parliament had no right to interfere. He understood the catholics were moft defirous of the profefforfhips of phyfic, and to their being admitted to thofe, neither he nor the college had any objection. Rt. hon. W. B. Ponfonby agreed in the opinion that the house ought not to interfere with the ftatutes of the college. He alfo threw out an idea that if a new college fhould hereafter be established in this kingdom, it fhould not by any means be a diftinct roman catholic college, but under the direction of the present university. The attorney general's amendment was agreed to, as was alfo, after a long converfation, another amendment proposed by Mr. Grattan" that they may be elected profeffors in phyfic, on the foundation of Sir Patrick Dunn." Dr. Duignan now introduced his propofed amendment. After repealing the facramental teft-a measure, which king James the 2d in attempting to carry, loft his crown, and which the friends of diffenters in England had twice attempted recently and were unable to effect, the doctor thought fome strong teft should be proposed to the catholics, be fore fore they were admitted to offices of truft-the oath to which the bill referred at prefent, that of the 13th and 14th of the king, he thought too weak.-He would,. therefore, propofe an oath founded on the declaration publifhed by the cathofics and figned by Mr. Byrne in March laft-If they should refufe to fwear what they had come forward and declared fo folemnly, it would be evident, they ought not to be trufted.-There was only one point in the oath which was not in that declaration, namely, a renunciation of the opinion, that no chriftian can be faved who is not at the time of his death of the roman, catholic perfuafion. This opinion he thought it neceffary the catholics fhould renounce as the man who holds it muft naturally wish to overturn the established church, which he thinks is only a nursery of per dition. He then presented the oath which was read and which is nearly twice as long as the prefent oath. Major Hobart profeffed the oath was too complex for him at prefent perfectly to comprehend, but he hoped the hon. gent. would ftate his objections to the prefent oath which to him appeared fully fufficient. The oath of the 13th and 14th of the prefent king was then read, and the doctor ftated the difference between it and his to be-ft.-That his contained a denial of the doctrine of no falvation but of the roman catholic church-2d.-A more full declaration against the authority not only of the pope but of councils, affemblies, &c. and of their power of abfolution. A very great number of gentlemen spoke on the queftion, whether the latter words of this paragraph fhould be omitted, and this oath fubftituted in their room-Those who fupported the motion agreed, That That the catholics having made a folemn declaration of most of the principles contained in the onth, could have no objection to fwear it, if they were fincere. Those who opposed the amendment did fo on the ground of its being unneceflary, as the prefent oath was in their opinion fully fufficient to fecure the allegiance of the catholics, which was all that any oath ought to aim at. Among thofe who fupported the amendment were, Col. Blaquiere, Counsellor Johnfton, the Speaker, Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Annelley, 1)r. Browne, Mr. Rowley, Mr. Uniacke, Mr. Alexander, and lord Hilfborough. Among those who opposed it were, major Hobart, Mr. Knox, Sir J. Blaquiere, Sir H. Langrishe, Mr. Curran, and Mr. Duquerry. Mr. Maxwell finally moved that the chairman report progress, for the purpose of giving gentlemen time to confider the question more attentively. This motion was agreed to and the committee was ordered to fit again the next day. SATURDAY, March 2. Major Hobart prefented the sketch of the oath which he had drawn up in compliance with the fenfe of the committee: it confifted of the whole of the oath prescribed by the 13th and 14th of the king, with fo much of the leading points of the late catholic declaration as he deemed neceffary, which he read in his place. Doctor Duignan prefented another oath which he had drawn up and thrice as long, which he contended to be abfolutely neceffary. Major Major Hobart, and several other members, objected to this oath, as extremely long, intricate, obfcure, and in many parts utterly unneceffarry. Majór Doyle faid, that although he was not prone to fwear by fecretaries in general, yet he would infinitely prefer the oath propofed by the right hon. gentleman [major Hobart] to the folio oath introduced by the judge of the ecclefiaftical court [Dr. Duignan]. He knew nothing that was like the learned member's chapter of fwearing, but Enulphus's chapter of curfing in Triftram Shandy. He difapproved extremely of multiplying oaths at any time, but particularly when it could answer no purpose, but to wound and in'fult the feelings of a large body of loyal fubjects, to whom the legiflature were about to reftore certain privileges, and to confer certain benefits. If they be difloyal, you should give them nothing: you have already given them too much. But, if they have proved themfelves good and faithful fubjects, you should not treat them with jealousy and fufpicion. The oaths of the 13th and 14th of the king have been found perfectly fufficient to enfure their fidelity to his majefty and the conftitution, and now, when they are fo much more enlightened, and deemed worthy of encreafed advantages, it is propofed to fhackle them with additional oaths. * ་ Put the learned member has called upon us to "prove the loyalty which we ftate in their behalf. Why, fir, the onus of disproving it fhould be upon 'the learned member. It is difficult for us to prove, what is a felf-evident propofition. But the beft 'way of judging of their loyalty is, by their paft conduct. His majefty, their fovereign, declares them to be loyal the adminiftration of this kingdom declares them to be loyal-and the legislature of their country declares them loyal in the feveral acts |