§ MOTION FOR LEAVE.
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to remove the disabilities imposed on Roman Catholics in Great Britain and Ireland by the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829."—(Mr. Patrick O'Brien.)
§ (2.56.) MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)I beg to oppose the Motion for the introduction of this Bill. This is an attempt to do away with all the safeguards supposed to be introduced in the year 1829, when Roman Catholics were admitted to sit in this House. Thus we see one by one these safeguards done away with, and pledges broken that were given with regard to the maintenance of Protestant institutions; and hon. Gentlemen opposite (or their predecessors) gave a certain undertaking if Parliament passed the Roman Catholic Emancipation Act, which has not been fulfilled. I will not occupy the time of the House at this stage of the proceedings by making any lengthened statement, reserving that for the Second Reading; but I beg now to propose that this Bill be read a first time this day six months.
§ MR. SPEAKERIt is competent for the hon. Member who has brought forward the Motion to reply.
MR. P. O'BRIENI confess I am surprised at the opposition of the hon. Member opposite, and I hope he will not persevere with his opposition to this Bill. I think he might withdraw his opposition and allow the Bill to be introduced, so that he and the House may know what it actually proposes. Probably when the hon. Gentleman sees the Bill he may support it. I was encouraged to move in this matter by the vote of the House the other day, when the enormous number of 269 Members voted in favour of religious liberty in a particular borough of this country. I only ask that what the House would do for the Salvation Army they would do for the Roman Catholic subjects of Her Majesty. Sir, it is not generally known that there is a penalty of £50 attaching to any minister of the Roman Catholic Church who appears outside his church in the robes of his office. It is likewise not generally known that any member of a Monastic Order who is not duly registered is liable to be fined and to be expelled the country. I quite admit that this Act has been encroached upon, and has been practically winked at, and if the feeling of the country is such I do not see why you should not remove altogether the stain resting upon those professing the Roman Catholic faith. There is also a 899 penalty attaching to the use of the title of Archbishop; but I should say that not even the hon. Member for Belfast would have proposed the prosecution of so eminent a person as Cardinal Manning. If he did I feel assured he would neither have been supported by the House nor by the country.
§ MR. SPEAKERUnder the Standing Order relating to the introduction of Bills before the Orders of the Day are entered upon, I shall now put the Question, "That leave be given to bring in this Bill."
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Patrick O'Brien, Mr. John Redmond, Mr. Maguire, Mr. Clancy, Mr. Harrison, Dr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Carew, Mr. Blane, Mr. Dalton, Mr. W. A. Mac-donald, and Mr. Mahony.
§ Bill presented, and read first time. [Bill 222.]
§ MR. W. JOHNSTONI beg to give notice that on the Motion for the Second Reading, I will move that the Bill be read a second time "upon this day six months."