4th. That the circulation of works of known repute and character 6th. That each local Association be requested to assist in promoting Your Committee conceives it to be hardly necessary, to enter farther into details subordinate arrangements will be readily made as circumstances may require them. Your Committee would merely observe, that some benefit might arise were the President of each local society to be a member of the general Association, and the Secretary of the general Association to be an honorary member of each local Society. In conclusion, your Committee begs to inculcate in the strongest terms, the absolute necessity of general harmony and mutual confidence; entreatTM ing you never to forget the self-evident truth, that want of union is loss of strength. Your Committee recommends, that the Association assume no preeminence or control over local Societies, beyond what is obviously necessary for their mutual advantage and proper organization; and that all bear in mind the broad principle on which the general Association is formed: namely, on the right that every British subject ought to possess of following the dictates of his conscience, without the abridgment of his civil rights. You ask nothing for yourselves that you do not ask for all.-You have abjured every principle or tenet, that has been imputed to you as inconsistent with the duties you owe to the government under which you live.-You feel that the abridgment of your civil rights is uncalled for, and therefore unjust.-In your persons, the rights of British subjects are violated, and in the name of the constitution of your country, you call on your fellow subjects of every religious creed, to join with you in a common effort, to obtain the repeal of every law that militates against unrestricted liberty of religious worship-considering every such law as an act of injustice to society, and of impiety to God. Moved by Mr. Kelly, seconded by Mr. Rosson, and Resolved That the Rules and Regulations, with the Report now read by the Secretary, be approved, and that the same be printed for the use of the Association. The Secretary informed the meeting, that during the course of the last year, the following papers had been circulated, and tracts distributed. these sentiments he, (Dr. Collins) readily concurred; he admitted the advantage, and even the urgent necessity, of employing the press to remove prejudice and refute calumnies, but to the project of establishing a newspaper exclusively Catholic, and under the entire controul of the Association, he was not inclined to give his assent: to the reasons assigned by Mr. Butler, which of themselves he thought decisive, he would add his own. He said, that a newspaper exclusively Catholic, would no doubt be generally read by Catholics, but probably very little by other persons. It may be useful, by advertisements, to servants and masters: it may make us better acquainted with the deaths, marriages, aud births of Catholics with the sale of houses and estates, and other matters interesting to individuals of our communion, which the mover thought so important; but the Association was not formed for such purposes-our object was to smooth asperities, to remove prejudice, to effect conciliatiou; and it is to quarters where asperities, prejudices, and dislikes exist, that our operations ought to be directed—and in those quarters he thought more would be effected by the occasional services of respectable daily newspapers actually in circulation, and read in every village of the kingdom by persons of all parties, than by a weekly paper exclusively Catholic, however well digested. He said besides, that a newspaper nominally under the controul of the Association, must in fact, be left under that of individuals; and that not only libellous matter may creep in from inadvertance or indiscretion, but also religious topics in which pious and learned men may disagree. He also thought that an exclusively Catholic paper would produce papers exclusively Anti-catholic, that the odium theologicum would eject temperate discussion-that new hatreds would be generated, and the work of conciliation lamentably retarded. When he said that he preferred the occasional services of the respectable daily papers now in circulation, he did not mean to condemn, but would rather recommend a more immediate connection with some one weekly paper, without interfering with its title or politics, and without having any share in the property: that such a paper may be made the medium of communication with the dispersed members of the Association and with the Catholic body in general, to whom information of that arrangement should be given in a prudent manner-he would not then mention the particular Sunday paper which he considered the best for that purpose; because he believed there would be little difference of sentiment on the subject. The reverend gentleman said in conclusion, that he would move an amendment, which, if adopted, would admit the general principle, and avoid the inconveniences apprehended from the specific measure proposed in the resolution; the amendment was in the above-mentioned words.-Page 294. Mr. Rosson said, that however plausible the arguments for the establishment of a Catholic Newspaper might appear, on the first view of the subject, he was quite sure that the measure would, on more mature consideration, be found any thing but advantageous. A Catholie Journal, whose chief purpose would be that of advocating the cause of Catholic emancipation, would soon be confined to the class of Catholic readers only, to whom it would alone be interesting, and who were not sufficiently numerous in England to support a paper. If he was right in assuming, that the proposed Journal would ultimately be confined to Catholic readers, it would, in a political point of view, be totally useless; for he took it for granted, that Catholics were already convinced of the justice of their own claims. Some time ago, a Weekly Paper bad been set on foot, called, "the Catholic Advocate," expressly on the plan proposed by Mr. Kelly: he believed he was correct when he stated, that that journal did not live more than six months. He was sorry for it, for he believed the Editor to be a zealous and intelligent In order to put the question in a stronger point of view, he would just, by way of illustration, put a case. Suppose the Methodists were to set on foot a journal, mainly for the purpose of asserting their claims to, or increase of political immunities, called " the Methodist Advocate," would any body, save the members of that respectable class of dissenters, read it? The same might be said of any other body of dissenters, the Presbyterians for instance, if they were to publish a Newspaper professedly in support of their own peculiar views. It is to man. Moved by Lord Stourton, seconded by Lord Clifford, and Resolved Unanimously That the Committee of last year be re-elected, with the exception of the following persons. Charles Hornyhold, (dead.) Dennis M'Carthy, (declined.) William Cruise, (dead.) A. R. Blake, John Talbot, William Lynch, Charles King, Rev. Thomas Weld. And that the following Gentlemen be substituted in their place: Hon. C. Stourton, Charles Turvile, William Jones, Jun. Charles Bodenham, William Vaughan, Thomas Kay, Rev. John Rolfe, William Lescher. The Secretary read to the Meeting a Letter he had this Morning received from the Society of Mercy, at Stockport, enclosing their Subscription of Two Guineas. Moved by Lord Stourton, seconded by Lord Arundel, and Resolved Unanimously That the thanks of this Association be tendered to Edward Blount, Esq. of Bellamore, as well for his manly and spirited vindication of Roman Catholic principles, as for his temperate and dignified rebuke to religious intolerance, so ably expressed in his petition to the House of Commons, together with assurances of their warm and decided approval of his firm and judicious conduct upon that occasion, and that the whole Petition be entered on the Minute Book of our proceedings. THE PETITION. "To the Honorable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in parliament assembled. The humble petition of Edward Blount, of Bellamore, in the county of Stafford, and of Bryanstone-square, in the parish of St. Marylebone, in the county of Middlesex, Esq. a person professing the Roman Catholic religion, "Sheweth-That your petitioner believes he is performing a duty he owes to society in general, and to the members of the Roman Catholic religion, to which he belongs, in thus individually presuming to approach your honourable house, to pray for protection against insult, calummy, and injustice. "He begs humbly to submit to your honourable house the following facts, which he is prepared to verify on oath, or by indisputable evidence if he be permitted to do so. "That the Rev. John Bell, late curate in the vicinity of your petitioner's residence in Staffordshire, a clergyman of the Established Church, has in dustriously circulated in considerable numbers, beyond the precincts of his own parish, and with verbal protestations of the truth of their contents, various small tracts, replete with the grossest untruths and misrepresentations of the tenets of that religion which your petitioner professes, At the 8th Monthly Meeting of the Glasgow Catholic Association, held upon Sunday the 6th of June, A. Stewart Esq. in the chair; it was unanimously resolved, that the members of this Association are duly impres sed with the great importance of having the powerful assistance of a free and independant Press, in the defence of Catholic Principles, and that a subscription be entered into for the speedy attainment of so desirable an object. That the most advisable plan of raising a fund, to assist Mr. Andrews in establishing a Newspaper, is to solicit a subscription amongst the Catholics generally, aud to receive whatever sum may be given from a penny upwards. " That an extensive Committee be now appointed, who shall go about two and two in their respective neighbourhoods for that purpose. That all members of this Association do compose the said Committee. Signed A. STEWART, President WM. M'GOWAN, Sec. FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI. At a period like the present, when the atheist and infidel, are unremittingly endeavouring to sap the foundations of that religion, which is equally inimical to the towering pride of their understandings, and to the unbounded licentiousness of their hearts; the friends of moral and religious education will learn with delight and gratitude, that their pious exertions have been crowned with success. The good Catholic sees the finger of God in this. When the profanities of Luther and his associates, occasioned so many to leave the one fold of the one shepherd; God in his almighty and adorable wisdom, raised up that illustrious society of Jesus," and was pleased to make them the happy instruments of bringing thirty nations, into the holy Catholic church,-and when the venerable Father of the christian world was shut up in a dungeon in this century, a Protestant monarch and a Protestant nation were the instruments which God chose to reinstate him on his throne! The same method which Christ instituted, of teaching all nations, we see followed by the most beneficial results: in proof of which we have the great and heartfelt gratification of informing our readers, that 75 children, belonging to Virginia-street Chapel, made their first communion, on the holy festival of Corpus Christi, more than fifty of whom, received their education in the EAST LONDON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS,~their pious conduct attracted universal attention. This interesting sight was rendered eminently gratifying, by the affectionate address which was made to the children, by the Rev. R. Horrabin, indeed, the heart that could be unmoved at such a sight, must be lost to every feeling of sensibility or religion. This excellent priest never felt the force of affection, more than on this occasion, he felt that the instruction of children was one of the most important duties of the priesthood, and he must have been truly pleased to witness, that his assiduity and zeal, met with so complete and deserving a regard. God grant, that the children of the eastern poor may be blessed with his parental instructions and affectionate exhortations many years!-On the same day a female Quaker and a Protestaut, made a publie profession of faith, and were recieved into the church. The Rev. R. Horrabin delivered also to them, a most feeling and affectionate charge. DEO GRATIAS. During the last month, several petitions have been presented to Parliament, from different bodies of Catholics in Ireland, among these some excited a little discussion, they were generally ordered to lie upon the table and be printed. We are sorry that our limits will not permit us to give at full length one, which was presented a few nights since, as we consider it a masterpiece for composition, and highly praiseworthy for the moderate terms in which it was couched. A bill has been brought into the House of Lords, by Lord Holland, to enable jurisdiction, or pre-eminence whatsoever, within the realm of England. "2. That the pope, or cardinals, or any body of men, or any individual of the Church of Rome, cannot absolve or dispense with his Majesty's subjects from their Oath of allegiance, upon any pretext whatsoever. "3. That there is no principle in the tenets of the Catholic faith, by which Catholics are justified in not keeping faith with heretics, or other persons differing from them in religious opinions, in any transactions, either of a public or private nature. "That some of them express perfect astonishment that such questions should be proposed to them by a nation that glories in her learning and discernment. "That these answers were considered so satisfactory, that a Bill was in consequence brought into your honorable house, and was passed into a law, relieving your Roman Catholic fellow-subjects from many grievous and debasing penal statutes, in consideration of their taking a prescribed oath and declaration abjuring the tenets now imputed to them by the Rev. John Bell, and by the Society for promoting christian knowledge. "That your petitioner has taken, in his Majesty's Courts at Westminster, the Oath and Declaration prescribed by the British parliament, of the 31st of his late Majesty. "Your Petitioner begs leave to assure your Honourable House, that he is influenced by no vindictive feelings, nor does he ask for penal enactments to restrain his calumniators, that he respects the freedom of opinion too sincerely to desire it; that he merely represents to your Honourable House, that the obnoxious opinions imputed to him he has publicly disavowed; that the disavowal has been ratified by the solemn sanction of an oath, and accepted by the legislature of his country; and that he hopes he does not presume too far on the indulgence of your honorable House, in praying that you will in your justice, protect him by the expression of your strong displeasure, from the consequences of the conduct of persons who have so far forgotten what they owe to christian charity, to truth, and to justice, as in no measured terms to impute disloyal and anti-social principles to those who, by majorities of your Honourable House, have been declared worthy of being reinstated in the full enjoyment of their constitutional rights.' Moved by Mr. Butler, seconded by Mr. Eyston, and Resolved Unanimously, That this Meeting request their Secretary to present to the Marquis of Lansdowne their thanks for his having brought into the House of Lords, the Bills restoring to them the elective Franchise, and many other blessings of the Constitution, and their sense of the zeal and ability displayed by His Lordship in advocating their cause. Resolved, That the Secretary do at the same time, express to his Lordship their determination to persist in their endeavours to obtain the complete emancipation of the British Catholics, and their trust that in so doing, they shall have the powerful assistance of his Lordship, and the |
