"without delay, in the Dublin Evening Post, Saun"ders's News Letter, the Freeman's Journal, Car"rick's Morning Post, and the Dublin Herald.

"JOHN THOMAS TROY, Chairman."

The most reverend Dr. Troy having left the chair, and the right reverend Dr. Doyle having been called thereto, it was

"Resolved, That the particular thanks of the meet"ing are due and hereby given to his grace the most "reverend Dr. Troy, for his dignified conduct in the "chair on this occasion, and for his prompt attention, "at all times, to the interest of religion.

"J. DOYLE, Chairman."

It has been confidently asserted in print, that the pope and the sacred congregation De Propaganda Fide expressed their disapprobation of the oath, as it was finally settled, and enjoined the catholic prelates to reprimand those, who had been active in promoting it.

The writer has made most particular inquiries respecting this circumstance, from persons both in England and Ireland, who, from their eminent rank in the hierarchy, must have been acquainted with the fact if it had been true: and he finds the assertion totally destitute of truth.

XCIV. 3.

Reflections on Bills granting a limited Relief to Catholics.

SUCH, as we have seen, would, if it had passed the house of lords, have been the operation of the intended bill in respect to the civil rights of his majesty's roman-catholic subjects.

By perusing the account, which has been published, of the debates upon it in the house of commons, it will appear that several gentlemen, who objected to the bill in the extent in which it passed that house, were yet willing to consent to a bill in favour of the catholics, if it continued their exclusion from seats in parliament, at the council board, and upon the bench. Such a partial admission of them into the constitution, would certainly be a considerable amelioration of their present condition: the great objection to it, as to every other such limited measure, is, that however it may lessen, it will not remove that general depression, which all the roman-catholic population,—(the very lowest among them quite as much as the very highest),-certainly experience, and which makes the great bitterness of their lot.

A maid servant lately presented herself to be hired into the family of a protestant nobleman: the steward was perfectly satisfied with the account which she gave of herself and the character which she produced; but, on hearing from her, that she was a catholic, told her that "his master would never have any such cattle in his house," and dismissed her. -Now, would this language have been used, this idea entertained, if catholics had been admissible, equally with protestants, into the situations which have been mentioned? It is this equalization of state, that constitutes the general salutariness of the measure of emancipation: the more this equalization is broken into by exceptions, the less salutary the measure must be, and the less generally diffused must be the good which it produces.

Should such a limited measure be contemplated, the best method of effecting it, will be to abrogate alto

gether the declarations in the acts of the 25th and 30th of Charles the second, and to substitute the oath of 1791 instead of the oath of supremacy, as a qualification to catholics, for all offices except those from which the exclusion of them is to be continued.

That the declarations are highly objectionable appears to be generally admitted: it has been suggested, as a reason for retaining them, that, in fact, they are the only real guards which exclude catholics from the offices and situations in question, as the generality of them, it is alleged, would take the oath of supre macy and still deem themselves catholics.

It is true that, as the language of the oath of supremacy is ambiguous, and as an oath is always to be taken in the sense of the propounder, some persons have intimated that, if such a legislative interpretation of it should be given, as would impress upon it a construction conformable to catholic doctrine, the catholic church would cease to object to it.

Upon this subject the writer has, in a former part of these memoirs*, stated his own impressions: he feels them confirmed by the recent parliamentary discussions of the catholic question. He still conceives that, notwithstanding the explanations given of the oath of supremacy in "the admonition of queen Elizabeth," and "the twenty-seventh of the "thirty-nine articles," that oath was inconsistent with the doctrine of the catholic church, which teaches that the pope is by divine right, spiritual head of "the church of Christ."-He thinks the present oath of supremacy still more objectionable; and that, without a legislative interpretation,-and an approbation of that interpretation by the proper spiritual * Vol. i. p. 297.

authority,-it cannot be conscientiously taken by catholics.-This, he is confident, is the universal belief of all the members of his church; he therefore hopes, that if the measure of limited relief should ever be contemplated, the suspicion which he has noticed, will not prevent that measure from being effected by the repeal of the two declarations. The sacredness of an oath, which never should be taken, if the truth of what is sworn to admits of any reasonable doubt*,-good sense, which is shocked by the language of the declarations,-the terms of amity now

* An oath is one of the most solemn acts of religion, and no one should swear that a particular doctrine is maintained by any description of persons, or that a doctrine is erroneous, unless by a previous examination, or some other previous process, he has convinced himself both of the real existence of the doctrine, and of its error. Now, of the thousands, who, every year make this adjuring declaration, how few have used due diligence to ascertain the truth of what they affirm of the doctrines mentioned in the oath! How few have read the mass! How few have read the expositions given by the catholics themselves, of their doctrines respecting transubstantiation and the invocation of the saints!

"BOSWELL. What do you think of the idolatry of the mass? "JOHNSON. Sir, there is no idolatry. They believe God to be "there and adore him.-BoSWELL. The invocation of the saints? "-JOHNSON. They do not worship the saints: they invoke them: "they only ask their prayers." The Life of Dr. Johnson by Mr. Boswell, vol. i. p. 561, 2d edit. Citations of passages, in which other eminent protestants,-and, among them, divines of the greatest authority,-have made the same acknowledgments, might easily be multiplied.-How then,-(let the writer ask every reflecting protestant)-can a person, who has not once thought seriously on the subject, conscientiously affirm, with the solemp asseveration of an oath, that transubstantiation and the invocation of saints, are what the statutes describe them? Does the legislature act conscientiously, or wisely, or prudently in requiring 'such an oath?

subsisting between the court of St. James and the Vatican, and which render the declarations an ungentlemanly state paper,--the littleness in wounding unnecessarily the feelings of that large proportion of the community which is catholic,-the injustice and impolicy of continuing any thing in existence which serves to keep prejudice against them alive,—and the wisdom and expediency of every legislative or ministerial measure of graciousness and conciliation, -seem to point out the propriety of repealing altogether these senseless, offensive, and inofficious declarations.

CHAP. XCV.

DEATH OF MR. GRATTAN.

IN a former page we noticed the death of this eloquent and amiable senator,-this able, enlightened and consistent advocate of catholic emancipation.

Nature denied him some of the most important qualifications of an orator, and his taste was not that of Cicero; but she gave him genius and industry, a powerful understanding, a liberal mind, and an honourable soul.

He certainly was entitled to be classed among the greatest orators of our time. His speech in 1808, in favour of catholic emancipation, may be considered as a complete specimen of his peculiar style of oratory. The writer has observed, in a former page, that this speech presents an union of eloquence, imagery and philosophy, which is rarely found in any composition; and that nothing can show more strongly, than a comparison between Mr. Grattan