upon the Catholic, with reference to his admission to sit and vote in parliament, be to take place, possibly no prac tical mode of adjustment can be devised, involving fewer objections, than that which is now submitted for consideration. The recent proceedings in Dublin are not generally calculated to promote this object. Although the petition settled at Lord Trimblestown's (entrusted to Mr. Grattan) professes" an anxious wish that the measure should be carried into effect, under such circumstances as will render it satisfactory and unobjectionable to all classes of his Majesty's subjects—that they are ready to submit to any regulations not incompatible with the principles of their religion, as they respect faith and discipline"-the Roman Catholic prelates of Ireland, nevertheless, in August last, unanimously resolved," that any power granted to the crown, of interfering directly or indirectly, in the appointment of bishops for the Roman Catholic church in Ireland, must essentially injure, and may eventually subvert the Roman Catholic religion in this country—that, with this conviction, they declare, most unequivocally, that they will at all times, and under all circumstances, deprecate and oppose, in every canonical and constitutional way, any such interference ;-that though they sincerely venerate the supreme pontiff, that they do not conceive that their apprehensions for the safety of the Roman Catholic church can or ought to be removed by any determination of his holiness, adopted, not only without their concurrence, but in direct opposition to their repeated resolutions; and that a declaration of these sentiments, respectful, firm, and decided, should be transmitted to the Holy See. A petition of the Roman Catholics of Ireland is also to be presented from the aggregate meeting, in concurrence with the principles avowed by their prelacy,-" to be restored to the full and unrestricted enjoyment of the rank of free subjects, being excluded solely on account of their conscientious adherence to their religion." Letters from Ireland also speak of a petition framed at Lord Trimblestown's-" as having created the greatest ferment amongst the great mass of the Catholics, and which was manifested at the different chapels, where the general petition was signed to a great extent, and the most violent language was held to express the horror felt at the conduct of the vetoists, which operates like a war-whoop in reprobation of their God and their country, and who are ready to barter their religion for temporal advantages." Under such circumstances, it should seem that the petition intrusted to Mr. Grattan can be urged with little advantage to the Roman Catholics of Ireland. JOHN C. HIPPISLEY. APPENDIX G. Extract from a Letter addressed by the late Right Rev. Dr. POYNTER, to the Right Hon. R. WILMOT HORTON, dated April 23d, 1827. "The Catholic regards all the revenues and temporalities of the Protestant Church Establishment as the property of those upon whom they are settled by the laws of the land. He will swear not to use any privilege which does or may belong to him by law, to overthrow or disturb this Protestant Church Establishment. He would defend it in the same manner as he would the general settlement of all property by the laws of the country. He would swear that he will not employ or advise any means of open violence, or secret fraud, to subvert or disturb the present ecclesiastical establishments of the kingdom. Should not this satisfy every man who is anxious for their safety? If this be not thought a sufficient security, let the Catholic be withheld from voting in Parliament, or from exercising any judicial function, in cases concerning the temporalities or any affairs of the Protestant Church." |