Lord Clifford,of Chudleigh, said, he had some petitions to present from various Roman Catholic congregations, but it was his intention simply to lay those petitions on the Table, though a misapprehension had gone abroad that he intended to make them the basis of a motion. The noble Lord then presented petitions from the Roman Catholics frequenting the chapel of Grafton Bromsgrove, in Worcestershire, with 150 signatures, complaining of certain grievances under which they laboured, and praying for redress. His Lordship presented similar petitions from Great Eccleston, in Lancashire; from Totness, in Devonshire; from Colport, in Staffordshire; from Tamworth, in Staffordshire; and from a place the name of which did not reach us. The noble Lord said, that there had appeared in the public papers an error of some importance. It was stated, on the authority of what had taken place in the other House, that 11,000l. were voted for the religious instruction of the army, and that of these 11,000l., 201 7,000l. were devoted to the Roman Catholics. This statement, the petitioners said, was erroneous, as only 700l were thus appropriated to the use of the Roman Catholics. With respect to the motion of which he had given notice, it was not his wish to provoke a discussion that might in the most remote degree shake the public confidence in her Majesty's Government in India, and it was, therefore, not his intention to make the motion, except at such a time as the noble Duke opposite might not deem inconvenient.
§ The Duke of Wellingtonsaid, the noble Lord might suit his own convenience, and he had not the least doubt that the House would give its patient attention to the noble Lord, whenever he might think proper to bring his motion forward.