§ Sir John Brydgespresented a petition from the parish of Wootton, in Kent, against any further concessions to the Roman Catholics, and for putting down the new Roman Catholic Association. He said, that he could not remain quite silent upon a subject of such vital importance, lest he should incur the charge of supineness in a cause he was most desirous to advocate. He concurred in the prayer of the petition, and cordially rejoiced that the parish of Wootton was thus early in the field to express its opposition to popery, and its determination to uphold unimpaired our Protestant constitution; for he was firmly convinced that if the legislature did not promptly interpose its authority, and quickly make use of the power it possessed effectually to suppress the existing popish faction, and at once to shut the door against farther concession to the Roman Catholics, it must be expected, that that portion of the benches of that assembly, 96 which were now allotted to the Irish members, would no longer be filled with the representatives of the landed and commercial interests of that part of the empire but with the representatives of the popish priesthood. The petition which he now held in his hand was but from a small number of his Majesty's subjects; but it was from a whole parish, which, though little in extent, was large in loyalty and attachment to the constitution, and in abhorrence of popery; and consisted of intelligent and respectable inhabitants, deprecating the evils that must infallibly arise from an admission of the Roman Catholics to temporal power in the state. Earnestly did he hope to see the example of this petition followed by every county, town, and parish, in the empire: thus, as the streamlet quickly became a stream, enlarging until it covered a vast expanse, so might the petition be followed by others, multiplying as they arose, so as wholly to extinguish every hope of Catholic emancipation. If any man had had any doubts of the ulterior views of the Roman Catholics, those doubts must now be removed by the unjustifiable proceedings, since the dissolution of parliament, of that faction denominated the New Catholic Association, and by the part the parish priests had taken at the late elections in Ireland. The cloven foot was no longer concealed. The mask was removed; and if temporal power was to be conceded to the papists, they would soon become strong enough to seize upon spiritual; and then farewell to our Protestant religion and laws ! He called upon the country through the legislature, before it was too late, for an expression of Protestant feeling, by petitions to annihilate the present wicked attempt to overthrow the Protestant establishment in church and state; declaring that this was the time to remind the empire of the words of the immortal Nelson:—"England expects every man to do his duty!" and he trusted he should see presented to that House, without loss of time, petitions similar to the present, from one end of the kingdom to the other, more numerous than had been offered upon any other question. Whenever the question of Catholic emancipation should come before the House, he should be prepared to state his reasons for the opposition he should give to that measure. In the mean time, he implored those who had lately become members of that House, to 97 guard themselves against being inconsiderately influenced by the eloquent and impassioned language made use of by members from the sister kingdom, in advocating a cause on which, they were pleased to assert, depended the happiness and tranquillity of Ireland; but which, if they were as well acquainted with that country as he was, in his conscience he believed they would be satisfied had nothing at all to do with it.
§ Ordered to lie on the table.