April 4, 1829.

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No Danger to the Church from the Emancipation Bill.

It has been repeatedly assumed by many of your Lordships in the course of the discussion, but particularly by the right reverend Prelates who have spoken, that the church of Ireland (or, as I have recently been reminded, the church of England in Ireland) is in danger.  I call on those who apprehend that danger to state clearly whether that danger, on this particular occasion, is more to be expected as resulting from legislation, or from violence.  If they say it is resulting from legislation, I answer that their apprehensions are puerile.  It is impossible to suppose that a small number of persons admitted into this house, and a small number admitted into the other house, while we have a Protestant Sovereign upon the throne, should be productive of legislative danger to the church of England in Ireland.  I beg to observe, with respect to the point relating to the union of the two countries, that a fundamental article of the union is the junction of the two Churches, called the United Churches of England and Ireland.  It is impossible, therefore, that any mischief can occur to the Church of Ireland, without a breach in the union of the two countries.  There is another point to which I beg leave to advert for a moment.  Although it is true that we do admit into parliament members of the Roman Catholic persuasion, yet, at the same time, by another measure brought forward with it, and on which we equally rely, we propose regulations which will have the effect of destroying the influence of the Catholic priesthood in the election of members of parliament.  We have carefully examined the measure, and do expect that it will give additional security to all the interests of the state.

April 4, 1829.

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English Soldiers respect the Religion of other Nations.

Although I have served in my profession in several countries, and among foreigners, some of whom professed various forms of the Christian religion, while others did not profess it at all; I never was in one in which it was not the bounden duty of the soldier to pay proper deference and respect to whatever happened to be the religious institutions or ceremonies of the place where he might happen to be.  We soldiers do not go into these foreign countries to become parties to the religious differences of the people, or to trouble ourselves with their notions upon matters of faith.  We go to perform a very different kind of duty,—­one which is purely military, and has no reference to the people’s religion.  I confess I never heard, however, that it was our custom to take any part in their religious rites, nor do I believe we have taken any such part.  Indeed, I have never heard of anything like any co-operation by our soldiers of military parade, except at Malta, where I know it has long