§ CAPTAIN O'CONNELLsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if Roman Catholics serving on board any of Her Majesty's ships at present in commission, are compelled to attend Protestant Divine Service when read on board; and, if such be the case, whether the practice of compelling them will be allowed to continue? Whether the Admiralty will consider of allowing Catholics on such occasions to assemble on the forecastle, apart from the rest of the ship's company, under the charge of a warrant or petty officer of their own communion?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, that he was informed that it was not the practice to compel Roman Catholic sailors to attend Protestant worship on board ship, but he thought that the rule should go further, and that there should be a distinct regulation that all who claimed exemption should be allowed to absent themselves.
1502 He would see that such a rule was carried out. He could no, however, go further, and assent at once to a rule that Roman Catholic sailors should be allowed to worship by themselves on a part of the deck. He thought that the Officers would object to that, for he believed that the experiment had been tried and had not been found conducive to the discipline of the ship. He would, however, make further inquiry on the subject.
§ CAPTAIN O'CONNELLsaid, he would now beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if Roman Catholic soldiers on board any of Her Majesty's Ships or hired Transports, were compelled to attend Protestant Divine worship; and, if such be the case, whether the practice of compelling them will be allowed to continue, when Catholic soldiers are not in any case compelled to attend Protestant Divine Service on shore?
GENERAL PEELreplied that Roman Catholic soldiers in the circumstances stated were not required to attend Protestant Divine Worship. The regulations on board ship were the same as on shore, and now thing could be more stringent.