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"devised by Cecil, or Shaftesbury, or Robespierre "himself; and which, men, calling themselves

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whigs and patriots, and friends of the catholics, "hurried through the house of commons for fear of its being 'sifted,' immediately after the Easter recess, to the end of the third reading, and the consequent debate upon it. This bill was con"trived with a heart and malice which none but "the spirits of wickedness in high places,-men"tioned by St. Paul,-could have suggested, to "undermine and wither the fair trees of the English "and Irish catholic churches, as effectually as these "effects have been produced on the heretofore flourishing plantation of Canada. A feed and cor

rupt prelacy was first to be established; through "them the priesthood was to be overawed and "bribed (a thousand pounds being provided in "each island for this purpose), and, by means of "the clergy, the catholic religion was to be reduced "to that state of schism, or rather infidelity, which "is detailed in sir John Hippisley's Parliamentary Reports."

LXXXVI. 13.

31 January 1810.

The Conciliatory Resolution of the English Catholics. How greatly the acquiescence of the Irish prelates in the veto, disposed the public mind in favour of catholic emancipation, has been mentioned :As soon as their actual rejection of it was known,

it was evident that the mention of it in parliament had, in consequence of this rejection, become the most unfortunate circumstance, which had befallen the catholics, since they had been suitors to the legislature for relief. It may be said, with the greatest truth, that it was a matter of triumph to all the enemies, and a matter of concern to all the friends of catholic emancipation*. Unhappily there were not wanting those, who too successfully exerted themselves, to keep alive the general irritation, which this wayward event had produced.

While the public mind was in this state, it became necessary for the English catholics to present their petition to parliament. On this occasion, all their friends judged it advisable, that something should be done by them to allay the ferment which the unfortunate circumstance in question had occasioned.

For this purpose, on the 29th of January 1810, a meeting took place between lord Grey and some catholic gentlemen.

His lordship intimated his wish to them, that "the English catholics should annex to their peti❝tion, some general declaration of their willingness "to give any reasonable pledge, not inconsistent "with their religious principles, for the loyalty of "the persons who should be appointed their bishops." It was understood, that neither the veto expressed in the resolution of the Irish pre

* How cruelly our friends were taunted with it in the house of commons appears from the extract (already given, in p. 152) of Mr. Ponsonby's speech, and Mr. Perceval's remarks upon it.

lates, nor any other specific arrangement, was intended; that the whole was meant to be left at large, two things being distinctly understood:1st, That the arrangement should be such, as would afford reasonable satisfaction to government, for the political integrity of the person appointed; and 2dly, That it should not be inconsistent with romancatholic faith, or roman-catholic discipline.

With this view, it was proposed, that, as a general expression of what his lordship had in view, the catholics should declare, "that they were willing, "whenever an enlarged and liberal system should "be adopted in their regard, to acquiesce in any "arrangement, consistent with their religious prin

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ciples and the discipline of the roman-catholic "church, which might be deemed expedient, for securing the loyalty of the persons thereafter to "be chosen to the rank or office of bishop." On considering this proposal, it certainly appeared to - all the gentlemen present, that, standing singly, it was perfectly reasonable, and wholly free from objection; but they feared that some words in it, (those which mentioned securing the loyalty of the elected bishop), might, too easily, be misconstrued into a readiness, on the part of the English roman-catholics, to accede to the specific measure of the veto, which the Irish prelates had then recently declared to be inexpedient; and might, on that account, be thought inconsistent with the general pledge which the English catholics had given, (and which they held most sacred), to adopt no measure, affecting the general interest of

the two bodies, without the concurrence of their roman-catholic brethren in Ireland.

On the 31st of January, which was only two days after this conference took place, a deputation of catholic noblemen and gentlemen met earl Grey and lord Grenville, at the house of the former: Mr. Windham also attended this meeting. The subject was revived; and it was most distinctly agreed, that no particular reference to the veto, or to any specific pledge, was intended; and that the only thing recommended to the English catholics was, "such a general expression of their wishes "of mutual satisfaction and security, as existing cir"cumstances made proper, to accompany their pe"tition." To this there could be no reasonable objection and it is due to the three illustrious friends of the catholics, to mention, that they felt as strongly as the catholics themselves could do, the propriety of their avoiding the slightest expression, that might commit them with the Irish catholics, on the subject of the veto. With this impression on each side, the following resolution was framed :—

"That the English roman-catholics, in soliciting "the attention of Parliament to their petition, are "actuated, not more by a sense of hardships and

disabilities, under which they labour, than by a "desire to secure, on the most solid foundations, "the peace and harmony of the British empire; "and to obtain for themselves opportunities of "manifesting, by the most active exertions, their "zeal and interest in the common cause, in which "their country is engaged, for the maintenance of

"its freedom and independence; and that they are firmly persuaded, that adequate provision for the "maintenance of the civil and religious establish"ment of this kingdom may be made, consistently "with the strictest adherence, on their part, to the "tenets and discipline of the roman-catholic religion; and that any arrangement founded on this "basis of mutual satisfaction and security, and extending to them the full enjoyment of the civil "constitution of their country, will meet with their grateful concurrence.'

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At a numerous meeting of British roman-catholics, held on the following day,-(the 1st of February), the resolution was, with the single exception of the vicar-apostolic of the midland district, unanimously adopted. But it should be observed, that though Dr. Milner did not himself sign it, he recommended lord Clifford, Mr. Weld and Mr. Weld's family to sign it; that it was actually signed by them on his recommendation, and that the sole reason, which he assigned for not signing it, was his agency to the Irish prelates *. As the forms of parliament do not admit, that any declaration should be laid before the two houses, which is not in the shape of a petition, the resolution was necessarily cast into that form, and signed by the vicars-apostolic of the London, northern and western districts, and their coadjutors and by about two hundred of the principal romancatholic noblemen, gentlemen and clergy.

* See Dr. Poynter's " Apologetical Letter," in the Appendix, Note I.