HC Deb 22 March 1833 vol 16 cc973-5
Mr. John Stanley

presented a Petition from the inhabitants of Staley Bridge, Lancaster, praying for a removal of the disabilities under which the Jews laboured. The petition was numerously signed, and he trusted that there would be no opposition to the measure about to be introduced on the subject. Indeed he was sure there would not, except from the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Cobbett). He did not see why the Jews should not be allowed the privileges which Christians possessed, as he could confidently say his Majesty had not in his dominions more loyal or industrious subjects.

Mr. Cobbett

wished to ask the hon. Member who said of the Jews that they were one of the most industrious classes of his Majesty's subjects, whether he could produce a Jew who ever dug, who went to plough, or who ever made his own coat or his own shoes, or who did anything at all, except get all the money he could from the pockets of the people?

Mr. John Stanley

said, that as the chief objection of the hon. member for Oldham to the Jews was, that they were blasphemers, and as the hon. Member in a former part of his life condemned Tom Paine as a blasphemer, and yet afterwards assisted at his apotheosis, by bringing over his bones to this country, he trusted yet to see him change his opinion with regard to the Jews.

Mr. Cobbett

After the personal attack which was just now made upon me by an hon. Gentleman opposite, who has accused me of having formerly represented Mr. Paine as a blasphemer, and of having latterly done something which would imply that I entertained a far different belief. Now, I never in the whole course of my life—

Mr. Wilson Patten

I rise to order, Sir, for I do not see how this applies to the present petition.

The Speaker

What the hon. member for Oldham is saying certainly does not apply to the present petition; but it has been the usual practice to afford any Member who has had a charge brought against him personally an opportunity of refuting it, to allow him to embrace the earliest one which offered.

Mr. Cobbett

Since the time I first spoke of Mr. Paine, I have written a hundred volumes, and have, perhaps, had occasion to mention his name three hundred times; but whenever I have mentioned his name, and spoken in commendation of his writings, I have never failed to make an exception with regard to his religious writings. As to the act I performed of bringing his remains to England, I can only say, that I held it to be my duty, and for the reason which I stated at the time. I did that because he had written books published by him both in France and England, clearly pointing out the pernicious consequences of paper money. Mr. Paine was my teacher with regard to paper money, and if his advice had been followed instead of being rejected, we should not have been in the state of difficulty in which we now find ourselves with respect to the currency.

Mr. John Stanley

said, that after what had fallen from the hon. member for Oldham, he must be allowed to justify himself by reading the very words of the publication of the hon. Member himself. In one place in the hon. Member's writings he found the following words:—In no part of the Age of Reason does Paine speak in terms of impious irreverence of God. He praises God, and calls upon his name, and that, too, in a strain of eloquence the equal of which I never heard in any sermon."—vol. 35, p. 725. In other places, however, the hon. member for Oldham said: The "Age of Reason is as despicable as its author. The wretch has all his life been employed in leading fools astray from their duty. His religion is of a piece with his politics, the one inculcates the right of revolting against Government, the other against God."—vol. 3, p. 389—"Though Thomas Paine was no Christian, he was no blasphemer. He offers no indignity to God himself."—vol. 35, p. 735—"Paine was a cruel, treacherous, and blaspheming ruffian. He was a traitor, and a traitor is the foulest fiend on earth."—vol. 4. He trusted therefore—

The Speaker

As the hon. Member has now answered the hon. member for Old- ham, it would be quite out of order for him to proceed.

Petition to lie on the Table.