The Speeches of the Right Hon. Henry Grattan

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392

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572 g

Erschienen bei:

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 5 CATHOLIC QUESTION. . February 20, 1782. On this day the House went into a committee on the bill, when the privileges proposed to be restored to the Roman Catholics were gone into at length: lhey went, 1st, to the enjoyment of property; 2dly, the free exercise of their religioir; 3dly, education; 4ttily, marriage; 5thly, self-defence. The first amendment moved was, That Catholics should be empowered to take, purchase, hold, and inherit estates ini fee-simple. This clause was opposed by Mr. Rowley, Mr. St. George, and Mr. Wynn, it was supported by Mr. Denis Daly, Sir Hercules Langrishe, and Mr. Flood, who said, that although the Catholics should be allowed to purchase lands, they should not be allowed to possess auy power in the state; that the House should distinguish between the rights of property and the rights of power; " though I would extend toleration to the Roman Catholics, yet I would not wish to make a change in the state, or enfeeble the government." Mr. Grattan said: I object to any delay which can be given to this clause. We have already considered the subject on a larger scale, and this is but part of what the clause originally contained. We have before us the example of England, who, four years ago, granted Catholics a right of taking land m fee. The question is merely whether we shall give this right or not; and if we give it, whether it shall be accompanied by all its natural advantages. Three years ago, when this question was debated in this House, there was a majority of three against granting Catholics estates in fee, and they were only allowed to take leases for 999 years. The argument then used against granting them the fee was, that they might influence electors. It has this day been shown, that they may have as effectual an influence by possess...

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