Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/263

 GRATTAN. 259 1794, Mr. Grattan moved for leave to bring in a bill for emancipating the catholics, which was given with only three dissentient voices. Lord Fitzwilliam ( i t i s asserted b y himself, b y Lord Milton, b y Mr. Ponsonby, and Mr. Grattan,) went over with a plenitude o f power from the British cabinet, t o carry every measure which h e proposed, among which was that o f catholic emancipation; yet, o n the 14th o f February, intelligence arrived i n Dublin, that the British minister was adverse t o the important measure, which the lord-lieutenant was thus publicly pursuing. The immediate consequence o f this was, the indignant resignation o f Lord Fitzwilliam, who was succeeded by Lord Camden. On the 4th o f May, 1795, Mr. Grattan, o n the second reading o f the catholic bill, thus attacked the doctrine (which was now for the first time made a subject o f par liamentary discussion) that catholic emancipation was in compatible with the coronation oath. “But I find that catholic emancipation i s held incom patible with our monarchy. What! his majesty, the head o f a catholic league, the king o f Corsica, the lord o f Ca nada, the great ally o f the emperor, the grand confederate o f the king o f Spain, the protector o f the pope; the king o f England, whose armies are catholic, whose European connexions are catholic, are his Irish subjects the only catholics i n whom he won't confide? Has he found reli gion make the emperor false, o r the Prussian faithful? Such were not the sentiments o f the speeches from the throne i n 1793 and 1795, when his majesty called o n a l l his subjects t o defend their religion and their constitution. What religion ? A religion o f disabilities. What consti tution A constitution of exclusion. Am I t o understand that his majesty called forth his catholic subjects t o fight for a constitution, which was t o b e shut against them, and for a religion which was dangerous t o the king, and penal t o the catholic f No; i t was not the pope, nor yet the pretender, i t was Paine, i t was the French republic, against which you called for the zeal o f your people, and