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IF I could flatter myself with the expectation of conveying to the minds of thosc who hear me, the same conscientious conviction that is impressed upon my own, of the justice and ex pediency of the measure which I am about to recommend to the consideratiorl of the House, I should approach this question with a feeling of confidence such as I have never before ex perienced. If I now approach it with feelings of a mixed nature with much of hope, indeed, bnt with much of trepidation and anxiety, it is because, if my Motion slloill l unhappily fail of success, i trust it will not fail I have no refuge in the doubtfiilness of my case, none ill the paucity of argutnents to be adduced in sup port of it, from the painful but unavoidable conclrrsion, that a cause unquestionably just will have Been lost by the inability of its advocate, Before I proceed to state the grounds on which I shall call on the House for the removal. of the disabilities under which Roman Catholic A Peers Peers labour respect to their undoubted right of sitting and voting in Parliament, it may bc expedient to get rid of some particular and preliminary objections, which have been made, rather to the manner and form than to the yrin ciplc of the proyositioi which i am bringing for ward some within the walls of this House, others in conversation out of doors. The first objection which I shall notice, is one which was originally started by the Honourable Member for Bristol, and has been just now rcpeated by the Honourable Member fbr Somer setshire, t that this hfotion for the aritnission or rather the restoration of Roman Catllolic Peers to Parliament, is , insidious attempt to obtain a partial decision on the whole of what is called the Catholic Question. In contractictioll to this objection comes another, which asserts, that the sepal ntion of one class of the Catliolic comnlu ility from the rest, tllust necessarily prejudice the vhole. I might in firlirness set these contra dictory ol jections face to face, and leave the one to bxiance the otllcr but I will offer D word or two on each. If my measure be a step to advance the general Question, it cannot prejudice that Question if it be, on the other hand, an obstacle to the success of the general Question, then surely it must be hsiled with delight by those who wish that Question to be lost. Ill Mr. r i h t . Sir T. Lcthbridge. In one scnse, l admit, the proposed measure wouId be of advantage to thc gcilcral Question in as much as the gain of any one of the several parts of which that Qr estiotl consists, would be a deduction from the amount ofthe difficulties to be overcome in carrying the whole. There is another and a more general sense, in which the mere introduction of the present rneasLwe may be an advantage to the general Question I mean from the discussion which it will occasion. In all ca. ses, founded in truth and in justice, frequcnt discussion is of itself an advancement and those who would find fault with me on that principle, tacitly ad mit that their view of the subject will not bear the test of cliscussion. But it would not be enough for their purpose to srlppress discussion alone...
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