HC Deb 15 June 1824 vol 11 cc1427-8
Mr. Dominick Browne

said, he had been waiting ever since five o'clock to bring forward the motion of which he had given notice. At that late hour, however, he would decline to bring it forward, but would content himself with moving it, in order that it might be placed on the Journals, with the intention of renewing it next session. The hon. member then moved, "That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, to represent to his Majesty that, as Protestants, we regret that the Reformation has made so small progress in Ireland, notwithstanding the establishment of a reformed church in that country for nearly three centuries:—To express our opinion to his Majesty, that the adherence of so large a mass of the people of Ireland to the Roman Catholic church, however erroneous, is founded in their conscientious conviction of the truth of its doctrines, as the laws, for one century highly penal, have constantly excluded persons professing that religion from places of honour or profit, thereby offering the strongest temporal inducements to conversion:—To pray his Majesty will be most graciously pleased to adopt such measures as shall seem meet to his wisdom for forming an Establishment of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland suited to that religion, to which a vast majority of his Majesty's subjects in that country, constituting a great proportion of the whole population of the United Kingdom, are devoted, and subject to regulations, at once consistent with the rights and dignity of his Majesty's Crown and with the religious tenets, ecclesiastical discipline, and honourable independence of that Church."

Mr. S. Rice

was of opinion, that the placing such a resolution on the Journals without any previous discussion, would create alarm in Ireland, and tend to defeat the object which the hon. member had in view.

Mr. Canning

thought it would be better to withdraw the notice.

Mr. D. Browne

said, that there had been an understanding between his right hon. friend opposite (sir G. Hill) and himself that he should be allowed to place his motion on the Journals.

Sir G. Hill

said, that his hon. friend had misunderstood him.

Colonel Trench

objected to the motion being put on the Journals.

Mr. Peel

observed, that no circumstances would induce him to agree to the motion.

The motion was, by leave, withdrawn.