Lords Sitting of 25 February 1813

PETITIONS RSSPECTINC THE CLAIMS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLICS.
The earl of Harewoodpresented a Petition from the inhabitants of Halifax, against the Roman Catholic Claims. The earl of Egremont presented a similar Petition from the borough of Lestwithiel. The earl of Shannon presented a Petition against the Roman Catholic Claims, from the county of Cork. The earl of Charleville presented a similar Petition from the Protestant inhabitants of the Queen's county. All these Petitions were read, and ordered to lie on the table.
Marquis Camdenpresented a Petition' from the freeholders and inhabitants of the county of Kent, against the Roman Catholic Claims.
The Earl of Darnleyobserved, that although at the meeting where this Petition had been signed, a majority might entertain the sentiments of the petitioners, yet he knew it was far from being the unanimous feeling of the county of Kent on this-subject. He referred to the opinion of the noble marquis himself, who was formerly so closely united with a celebrated personage of different sentiments to those of the Petition.
Marquis Camdenadmitted; that the Petition was not the unanimous sentiment of the people of Kent, and that his own opinions were somewhat different from those of the petitioners.
The Petition being read, was ordered to be on the table.
The Earl of Radnorpresented a Petition from the inhabitants of the county of Wilts, against the claims of the Roman Catholics.
The Marquis of Lansdownethought it his duty to inform the House in respect to this Petition, which purported to speak the sense of the people of Wiltshire, that there had been a general meeting called in that county for the purpose of taking the claims of the Roman Catholics into consideration. A Petition was then agreed to, and signed by a great number of most respectable individuals, which was of a contrary tendency to this Petition, and was directed to be presented to the other House of Parliament. With respect to the Petition presented by the noble earl, it was! subscribed not at any general meeting held for that purpose, but by signatures obtained at a number of places; and though he was ready to admit it contained the signatures of a few individuals as highly respectable as any in the county, yet there were others of a different description.

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He did not speak lightly upon this subject, but he had enquired into the truth of his information, and had been assured, if necessary, that it could be proved at their lordships' bar. The Petition was, he understood, signed by some who had also written the names of other persons; it was also signed by persons out of the county, and where distance prevented the person's own signature, it was supplied by some individual in his behalf; it was also signed by women for their children, and in one instance a woman had subscribed the names of all her male children, one of whom is a felon, and now confined in gaol. It had been placed in situations out of the county; for instance, one had laid at Tetbury, and hand-bills were issued, one of which he had in his pocket, calling upon the loyal and constitutional inhabitants to sign the Petition against the Catholic claims. He had been induced to make these remarks upon the mode and manner in which the signatures had been procured, but not with any intention to oppose its being received.
The Earl of Radnorrequested the noble marquis to communicate the hand bill to which he had alluded.
The Marquis of Lansdownesaid, by permission of the House, he would read the hand-bill. The noble marquis accordingly read the contents; which, by way of appeal to the supporters of the constitution, called upon them to subscribe the petition against the Catholic claims.
The Earl of Radnorobserved, the distance from Tetbury to Wiltshire was not further than that of St. Stephen's chapel from where he was standing. He enquired also, of the noble marquis, if his name had not been put by other persons to a petition?
The Marquis of Lansdownesaid an occurrence of that nature had taken place, and if he had been present, or known it when it was presented, he should have noticed the impropriety.
The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.