The Lord Chancellorobserved, that it was impossible for the House to receive this Petition but as that of one person, for the names of the others were contained on a separate piece of paper, which was tacked to the Petition.
The Petition was accordingly so received.
Viscount Falmouthpresented a Petition from the corporation of Penzance, in Cornwall, against the Claims of the Roman Catholics.
§ The Earl of Courtownpresented a Petition of the same description, from the noblemen, gentlemen, and Protestant inhabitants of the county of Wexford.
The Lord Chancellorsaid, their lordships could not receive this Petition in its present state; for, though it had, a great number of names subscribed, and there were several sheets, yet it appeared that the whole of them had been signed by one person.
§ The Petition was ordered to be rejected.
The Bishop of Londonpresented two Petitions against the Roman Catholic Claims; one from the inhabitants of the parish of St. Olive, in Hart-street, in the city of London; and the other from French Protestants in London. These Petitions were read, and ordered to lie on the table.
§ Viscount Sidmouthpresented a Petition from the inhabitants of the ward of Billingsgate, against the Roman Catholic Claims.
The Duke of Norfolkmoved that the 691 whole of this Petition be read.—The Petition was accordingly read by the clerk.
§ Viscount Sidmouthasked if the noble duke intended any objection to the Petition.
The Duke of Norfolkanswered, that it was not with any intent to object to this Petition being received, but amongst the number of Petitions which had come before them on this subject, there was great difference in the language of the petitioners, and he must confess the name of the place from whence this came had caught his ear, and it made him desirous of hearing the whole of it. He recollected, at the time he had a seat in the other House, when a number of petitions were coming before them, and one was presented by the alderman of the ward of Billingsgate, a facetious member desired it to be read, in order to know if the sentiments bore any resemblance to the language of the alderman who, he observed, always spoke that of his particular constituents. But, notwithstanding the violence which had been expressed in other Petitions, and the coarseness which might have been in this, he must admit that the language was mild and decent; and, though it might have been supplied to the petitioners, on this occasion he would give them credit, that it proceeded from themselves. In respect to his wishing the Petition to be read, it was only consistent with the desire of the noble viscount himself, who, on a former evening, had expressed his opinion, that all these Petitions might be read.
§ Viscount Sidmouthreferred to what passed on a former evening, and said it was merely through the expression of a noble lord, he had thought it right to move that the whole of the Petition be read. He did not perceive the necessity of the remarks which had been made upon this and other Petitions. With respect to the present, the language was mild and respectful, and it had been so described by the noble duke; and it was certainly more than was necessary or to be expected, that petitioners should always express themselves with classical purity. He deprecated that scrutiny which had been used towards these petitions; for he must repeat, he never in the course of thirty years, during which he had a seat in this and the other House of Parliament, recollected so much scrutiny and severity applied to petitions, which must operate as a discouragement to those who were still inclined to address their lordships upon this subject
The Duke of Norfolktoo well remembered a period somewhat before the noble viscount came into active life, when it was pretended that the sense of the country was expressed by the numerous petitions which were presented, one of which was signed by forty thousand persons. Party at that period ran high, but there was no man who would now say that was the sense and opinion of the people. He recollected the dreadful effects of such dissention respecting religion. He need not mention how the flame burst forth; and it was fortunate that this metropolis was not laid in ashes. It was on these grounds he felt a reluctance to hear the language used on the present occasion; and he felt himself bound as a peer to prevent, as much as possible, that spirit which, like the former religious volcano of London, might break out in those parts from whence some of these petitions came, and make destruction in the country. There was also another ground on which he felt inclined to be a little scrupulous in the receipt of these petitions, for though the noble viscount must have more information than he had on the subject, yet he well knew, in some places, that influence had been used on the present occasion.
§ Viscount Sidmouthagain stated what he had urged last night, that these Petitions arose out of the declarations which had represented the Protestants of this country to be favourable to the Catholic Claims. He concurred with the noble duke that the time he had referred to produced most horrible effects. It was a disgrace to those who had acted on the occasion, but there was no comparison between the mild and considerate manner in which the Protestants now treated this subject, and that which was used at the period to which the noble duke had referred.
§ The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.