§ Sir William Scott presented a Petition from the chancellor masters" and scholars of the university of Oxford, setting forth,
§ "That the petitioners understand that certain Petitions have lately been presented to the House, complaining of divers restrictions and disabilities to which, notwithstanding the various indulgences heretofore granted them, the Roman Catholics of these realms are still subject, by several statutes now in force, and praying that all such restrictions and disabilities may be utterly abolished; and that the petitioners contemplate with much anxiety the alarming extent of the prayer of the said Petitions, and the effects which, in their judgment, must inevitably follow, if the same should be granted; and that the petitioners do verily believe that the particular restrictions and disabilities of which their Roman Catholic fellow subjects in Ireland complain, are no other nor greater than are indispensably requisite for the maintenance and security of the Protestant government and Protestant Church, as they are now by law established in that part of the United Kingdom; and that the petitioners see also much reason to apprehend, that a compliance with the prayer of the above-mentioned Petitions would lead, and, they fear by direct and necessary consequence, to the removal of all restraints whatever on account of religion, whether they affect Roman Catholics or Protestants, throughout the whole of this United Kingdom, and to the entire abrogation of those oaths, declarations, and tests, which are by law required of every person admitted to sit or vote in either House of Parliament, or to fill offices of trust and power, all which the 705 petitioners still humbly conceive to be essentially necessary to the security both of our civil and religious establishments; and praying, that the House, in its wisdom, will be pleased to maintain and preserve inviolate those laws which experience has proved (o be the best safeguards, under Divine Providence, of our present happy constitution in Church and State."
§ Ordered to lie upon the table.
§ Mr. Grattan presented the General Petition of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, whose names are there undersigned;—also a Petition of several Roman Catholics of the county of Mouaghan; and Mr. Ponsonby presented a Petition of several Roman Catholics of the county of Down; containing the same allegations and prayer as the Petition of several of the Roman Catholics of the Queen's County in Ireland, which was presented upon Thursday last.
§ The said Petitions were ordered to lie upon the table.