On this page
-
Text (3)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
tured , after a prosperous career , comprising some score of housebreakings . Our English robbers , however , are outdone by the more picturesque bandits of the Roman States , whose last exploit has been tojsurprise ft town , an <| hold it , while contributions werejfevied ^ 1 ; : ^ Prince Louis Napoleon has not otafe lialf so Wfccessful : instead of surprising the Frjjach Assembly , that august body has surprised hlth , by kicking out Ins Dotation Bill ; and the Prince President is fain to fall back on the spontaneous ' * benevolences " of his subjects .
Untitled Article
Considering the very exciting nature of the topic , the great debate on Papal Aggression has been carried on in a very subdued style . On Monday evening the Uitra-Protestant party was represented by Lord Ashley and Mr . Page Wood , but neither of those two speakers indulged in language of a very intolerant character . Lord Ashley laboured hard to prove that the appointment of Cardinal Wiseman as Arch , bishop of Westminster was a very serious affair . There was a gieat deal in a name . When our Government sent out a Bishop to the East , he was n > t called Bishop of Jerusalem , but ' Bishop of the United Church of England and Ireland , resident in Jerusalem . " When Louis Philippe was raised to the throne in 1830 , it was on the express condition that lie should be called , not King of France , but King of thi French . A similar stipulation was made with Leopold , King of the Belgians . If the Pope thought there was nothing in a name , he might have made Dr . Wiseman Archbishop of the Roman Catholics in Westmimter , and then no one could h ave taken offence . But the introduction of a Roman Catholic
hierarchy was not simply for diocesan purposes , it was with a view to synodical action , that being required for the introduction of the canon law , His lordship , at some length described the canon law , as setting itself above the statute law in all that relates to churches , to ecclesiastical persons , to their . goods , or to their prejudice . He ascribed the recent aggression to the Puaeyite movement , which had inspired the Court of Rome with the belief that England was ready to renounce Protestantism . Had they not also seen , last year , 1800 clergymen of the Church of England , most of" them having congregations , upon whom they inculcate their opinions , who came for ward and signed a declaration against the royal supremacy ? Mr . Page Wood was very anxious to show thnt the ir . ass of the people who had spoken out on this question were not bigots : —
" He wished , as he had always wished , that the opinions of the large masses of the peopleof England should have yet more weight and effect than even they novr had in that House . He had always wished , and still wiahed , that the suffrage should be extended , and the effect of that extension must be in a great measure , no doubt , to bring public opinion more strongly to bear upon questions that wtre discussed in that House ; but he trusted he should be able t > show there had been no feeling of bigotry in this matter whatsoever . It was true ther « had been
great eatnestneBR . ( Hear . ) He did not speak of indm dual displays of bigotry , but of the views and resolutions nd >| ite < l and agreed to by large meetings of our fellowcountrymen . ( Hear . ) He did not speak of individual speeches , but of the resolutions passed , and he eaid those resolutions had in the main redounded to the honour , good sense , and judgment of our countrymen . ( Hear . )" He endeavoured to » how that Cardinal Wiseman and the Roman Catholic bishops lately appointed were liuble to an action at common law . They had clearly infringed the 16 th of ltichard II ., and un clearly the 13 th of Elizabeth . lie condemned the clergymen of the ( Jhurch cf England , who continue to perlonn the offices of one church , while preparing to pass over to another . But the clerical defection to Rome is not so
very great after all . In nine years only about seventy clergymen have gone over , no very alarming number out of 16 , 000 . As for the proposed bill , nothing more was needed than a simple Holemn recital of the position of the Sovereign in spiritual matters , and of the illegality of creating those sees without her consent . The chief speakers on the Ministerial side were the Attorney-General and Sir George Grey . The Attoknky-Gknkuai , explained the nature of the bill which is to bo brought forward . Tho offence which it was intended to meet wa « of a twofold nature . The late uct of the Court of Home was an insult to the British Crown , and it threatened to inflict injury upon tho Roman Catholics resident in thin country . It in mainly to the latter object that the provisions of the bill are directed : —
" If . was said tha oftVot of tho bull in temporal matters would be to give to eertain persons aSHUiuiiig the titles of aruhhiuhopa or bixhopa of dioceses and bccs the power of dmling wilh appointments relating to reli | i ; i <> u 8 endoiviu < . 'iitti made by Rom / in Cathulioa ; thai it would onable them to deal with the property given to vupport charilifH , or for other religious purpoHCH , in a different ami more extrusive , manner than at present , and that the r « uult would be to give to those prelates powers not inicinU'd to be conceded to thorn by the |>«; r « onH who fmimlerl Those iiiniitiitionn . Now , it waa of importance , Jit ) upprcliemJcd , to blop the uxHuiuplion by any person
being , or pretendit % to b « , « 4 uaditrtubtedly these bishops must profess them&ves to He , under the canon law ana dependent on thej ? ope of * Rome , of dealing with the rights and interesJi of British subjects in a manner different from and Jfctbnsistent with the manner which naa ithherto obtaiatiw ' Tfce bill urtfiiiiemgre , in tha fi » t place , exttflfrth * tttt > vision « tff the Boman Catftbhc Belief Act , wmen imposed a penalty Of £ 100 upoft any person who as * iumed th « title of any existing see , to that of any title whatever from < % ny place trt the United Kingdom . It will also make every act done by persons assuming such titles , in their character of WBhops or archbishops , null and void , and any devise of real or personal property given to any such person by his title will be forfeited to the Crown . This will not t bequests to Koman Catholic clergymen for
preven pious or charitable purposes , if properly worded , if granted , for example , to Dr . Wiseman , and not to the Archbishop of Westminster . The measure was urgently required for the protection of the Koman Catholic laity , and he had no doubt that many of them felt quite as strongly on the subject as their Protestant fellow-countrymen did . Sir George Grey Teplied to three charges which had been brought against the Government—that they recognised the Roman Catholic hierarchy by giving titles of honour and respect to heads of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland ; that they habitually addressed Roman Catholic Bishops in Ireland bv titles not permitted by law ; and lastly , that a member of the Government was aware of the intentions of the Court of Rome , and that to the
propositions contained in the apostolical letter a tacit , it not an expressed consent was given . The appearance of Dr . Murray ' s name in the Dublin Gazette , as " Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin" was owing to inadvertence on the part of the gentleman in the Lord Chamberlain's Office , who copied out the names . The second charge he declared to be untrue , and the third was equally unfounded . With respect to the statement of Abbate Hamilton quoted by Mr . Roebuck , he admitted that the Abbate had written to Lord Minto , who , in return , acknowledged that he had received intimation of the intention to make Dr . Wiseman an archbishop ,
but repeated that , down to the promulgation of the bull he had been in total ignorance of any design to establish a hierarchy . The bill was opposed by Mr . M'Cullagh who said they were not justified , as a Parliament not exclusively of any denomination , in Betting open the gates of sectarian legislation . He could not see that any case had been made out for the intervention , by Parliament , in the internal discipline of the Catholic Church . Mr . Reynolds maintained that the bill Avas an infraction of the agreement entered into with the Catholics when the Emancipation Act was passed in 1829 . They had been told by Mr . Anstey that there were two descriptions of Catholics—the Catholics of the Church of Rome , and the Catholics of the Court of Rome . For his part , although he had always been a Catholic he had never heard of these two classes . But if
there were two sections of Catholics the honourable member of Youghall must belong to both . He wa 6 a Catholic of the Court of Rome , for the late Pope Gregory XVI . conferred on him tlie order of St . Gregory . " ( A laugh . ) He was , in fact , "the Honourable Sir Chisholm Anstey . " ( Laughter . )
In the adjourned debate , on Wednesday , the Ministerial cause was very feebly represented . Mr . Napier , formerly secretary to the Brunswick Clubs of Ireland , contended that too much had been yielded to Papacy and to Ireland , and those concessions hud led to the present aggression . Colonel Thompson said it was easy to 6 ee that there was aggression , if they would onl y look for it in the right place : — '' When the French general had brought back the Pope to Rome over the bodieB of his subjects—( hear )—a message was brought to this country from ltome , in which might be traced the memory of Waterloo , and which , with an amiable consistency , and in strict accordance with the custom of States , between whom friendly
relations existed , contained an allusion to the exiled family of James II . Then , again , If the Pope had chosen a member of aome aristocratic English family for the dignity of Cardinal the cane would have been somewhat different , but he had selected a person of Spanish birth for this dignity . Such things were not politic or wise , and they were not anything if they were not ngpresaivc and haughty . He believed the language of L ' Univers had been not , an wai represented , that the time had oome for restoring Catholicity in England , but that the time had come for putting down Protestantism by force of arms . ( ' Hear , hear ! and ' Oh , oh . ' ) Wa » that a friendly interlocution' on the part of the French Catholic * ? " '
Mr . SrooNRtt ndvised Lord John to throw himself upon the Protestant feeling of the country , if he found himself unfairly pressed . Mr . P . II . Howard denied that tho 'Roman Cntholic laity needed any protection against their Bishops , as had been alleged . The proponed measure involved an aggrcauion upon tho rights of property , but he ventured to tell the Government that ' not only their legal ingenuity , but their physical endurance would bo highly tested before they were able to carry into effect this persecuting enactment . "
Mr . KjWgh ¦ i | pudjL * ted the doctrine that Roman Catholics subnratelf to their priests in temporal matters atodfeolnt ^ flL oUt the inconsistency of Ministers in decliwBig to feceive an address signed " John , Archbishop of Tu *«» " while they received one signed by the Bishops . of Aberdeen , Glasgow , and Argyle , ' * although fclwi recognition of those titles was contrary to the statute law of Scotland , and in direct contravention of the oath taken by the Queen at her coronation . " Mr . Anstey declared his intention to move the exclusion of Ireland from the bill . Mr . Humb lamented the difficulties thrown in the way of financial reform by the proposed measure . He
remembered the time when 8000 men could maintain peace in Ireland ; at present they required 45 , 000 , and they would need ' 45 , 000 more if they began to persecute the Irish Roman Catholics . Mr . Oswald could see no difference between the establishment of a Roman Catholic hierarchy and the establishment of a Free Church of Scotland , by the men who seceded from the Established church . Government had no more right to prevent the synodical action of the Roman Catholic bishops than it had to prevent the action of the general assembly of the free church of Scotland .
Lord John Russell replied at some length , with the intention of closing the debate . He distinctly denied that he had had any knowledge of the intention of the Pope to issue his bull . His opinions in 1844 had been quoted to prove his inconsistency . He had said that it was puerile and absurd to prevent the assumption of the titles held by the bishops of our church by the bishops of the Roman Catholic church . But if he had been mistaken then in the confidence he placed in the conduct of the Roman Catholic ecclesiastics and of the Pope , his best course was clearly and plainly to avow that he had been mistaken and to take his measures accordingly . :
Mr . Fagan , claiming aright to be heard , movedthe adjournment of the debate . Mr . Lawless seconded the motion , and was speaking in support of it at six o ' clock , when the House adjourned , in accordance with the standing order , which causes the motion to drop . Tuesday night was occupied with the debate on agricultural distress . At the request of Mr . Disraeli , the following portion of the royal speech relative to the condition of the country , was read by the clerk : — " Notwithstanding the large reductions of taxation
which have been effected in late years , the receipts of the revenue have been satisfactory . The stale of the commerce and manufactures of the united kingdom has been auch as to afford general employment to the labouring classes . I have to lament , however , the difficulties which aie still felt by that important body among my people who are owners and occupiers of land ; but it is my confident hope that the prosperous condition of other classes of my subjects will have a favourable effect in diminishing those difficulties and promoting the interests of agriculture . "
This admission of agricultural distress , Mr . DibiiAELi said , rendered it unnecessary that he should bring forward any evidence on the subject . All parties were agreed a » to the existence of great and continued depression among the owners and occupiers of the soil . There was " general proaperty" and " particular distress , " both caused by recent legislation . The distress had lasted several years , and was owing , as he contended , to large importations of foreign grain and the very great reduction which has taken place in the prices of agricultural produce , a reduction much greater than any one contemplated some years ago . In 18-19 , the Chancellor of the
Exchequer admitted the existence of distress , but then it was quite partiul , and was chiefly felt in the south . The depression in prices , too , was of a temporary nature , not so much owing to foreign importations as to ?• the language held nt agricultural meetings . " The fact , however , was , thnt the average price of meat at Smithtield waa 3 s , 8 £ d ., whereas , at the time of '' temporary depression , " to which the Chancellor referred , it was 4 s . fi ^ d . Mutton ie now 4 s . 2 d ., it was then 6 s . 2 d . He quoted this merely to show that it was possible for that gentleman to form un erroneous opinion upon this important subject . Then there was the honourable member for Wc ^ tbury , u
member of the administration , u gentleman distinguished for his statistical acquirements and economical information , who proved that France could not send Ub a single quarter of wheat . The member for South Lancashire took equal pains to show that the English farmer enjoyed a nuturul protection ngainwt foreign importation , in the article of freight , amounting to lla . a quarter on wheat imported from America . What was the fact ? The eleventh imrtof 11 h . would more accurately describe tho rtnl amount of that protection ; and , uh regurd » the continent , the expense of transport , generally speaking , waa not greater than from port to port in thin country : —
" My object in making these observations ia not in any way to build upon this question any argument for r < - ve . r « ing , or re . Huttling , or questioning the propriety of that legislation which evi'ii these laln <» CHtimates and calculations have led you to adopt . Your legiblation might bu politic , and it may bubcucflcial ; but Oichc arc not the questions 1 am going into ; Htill , politic as your leginlation may be , beneficial as may be itB consequences , you cannot deny that all your estimates were wrong , and all your calculations were erroneous . (( irent cheorituj
Untitled Article
142 a&e heater . [ Saturday ,
Untitled Article
PARLIAMENT OF THE WEEK .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 15, 1851, page 142, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1870/page/2/
-