CHAP. VII. Question pro prsed. Upon the neces sity of these Church rates. SECTION vi. Whether these Church-rates are necessary to be levied, in the present form? Respectful feelings of the Gatholics, 1. UNDOUBTEDLY this subject demands a deep and serious enquiry." Do the Churches "and Clergy of the Protestant established Religion (we venture to ask) really stand " in need of such support, or of contributions "thus imposed? Is it absolutely necessary to ce their maintenance and preservation in Ireland, "that a few men in each parish shall be in"vested with a summary power of levying "unlimited taxes upon others of a different "faith? Must every modification of Church government upon Protestant principles, applicable to Ireland, rest upon an open infrac"tion of the first duties of justice, the most "precious rights of private property, the "noblest and dearest principles of personal "honour?" No-the Catholics will deem more respectfully of an Ecclesiastical system, adopted by so many of their fellow-citizens, than to presume, that all these ungracious and indefensible Character of the practices, of which they complain, are vitally CHAP. VII. interwoven with its existence. They trust, that the Protestant Religion requires not, for its ne- Protestant Clergy. cessary support, such cumbrous and unwieldy machinery. Its Clergy are men of honourable feelings as well as of literary attainments-graced equally by traits of innate humanity and the acquirements of superior education: connected with all the most opulent and respected families of their country--and possessing à valuable and permanent interest in the common repose and welfare. Such men would not sanction acts of injustice against their parishioners of any description. lieu of Church 2. Nay more there already exists a magni- Other Funds, n ficent Fund, if duly husbanded, for building, re-rates. building, repairing and embellishing, all the Protestant Churches of Ireland, for twenty years to come. For, to say nothing of the present amount of the value of Church lands, Episcopal Rents, annual tithes, &c. or of the prodigious encrease which they have experienced of late Grants by Para liament, &c. years, it is perfectly notorious, that the Legislature has granted regular funds for the support of Protestant Churches, Glebes, &c. to an amount so ample, as to render these Churchrates wholly unnecessary. CHAP. VII. Other Funds, in lieu of Church-rates. 40 Geo: 3. From the year 1760 to 1800, various sums of public money, exceeding £150,000, have been granted by Parliament to the commissioners of First-fruits of Ireland, for building or repairing Protestant Churches. During the same period, a farther sum of £100,000 has been granted for-building Glebe Houses. These donations are continued annually, pursuant to the act of Union, which stipulates, "That all grants for pious institutions in Ireland shall continue for twenty years "to come, at annual sums, not lower than "the annual average sum to be taken for "the next six years preceding the Union." The average in these two cases appears, from the Statutes, to have been £10,000 yearly, (viz. for Churches £5000-and for Glebe houses £5000) and has accordingly been so paid ever since, We may therefore estimate the aggregate fund, subject to any expenditures made within the last ten years, as consisting of the following sums, at a rough calculation, viz. 1. Of the unapplied Balance, remain (as appears by a Statute of 1803) 2. The parliamentary grant of 1803, to the board of first-fruits, 3. The annual grants aforesaid, (£10,000, from 1800 to 1811 inclusive) 4, The annual revenues, arising from &c. since 1800, taken at a very Surely, then, this splendid Fund, annually augmented by an additional grant of £10,000, ought to place the Church establishment of Ireland far above any occasion of resorting to such powers, as are exercised by Parish Vestries, under the present Laws, 3. Upon the whole, therefore, this Parochial System calls loudly for some effectual amendment its prevalence is almost a reproach to the revered authorities, which appear to sanction it. CHAP. VII. Grievous to the Cottager, What imposts, indeed, can be more ungracious than to exact money from the Catholic for the building, rebuilding, enlarging, repairing, altering, furnishing, and ornamenting of Protestant houses of worship-for the accommodation of a few opulent and fashionable Protestant families, who already engross all the other taxes and revenues, and nearly all the fixed property of the country. To levy money for these purposes, or under Catholic tenant, pretence of being applied to those purposes, peasant, &c. in from the proscribed Catholic, the racked tenant, Ireland. the drooping husbandman, the ragged peasant, who can scarcely scrape together an humble pittance for the bare subsistence of himself and his family, and is destitute of means to support his own pastor or place of worship-to enforce all these exactions, in the solemn mockery of a Vestry, under the guise of pure religion, and by the sword of the Law-positively surpasses any usage of this nature, that can be found in any other part of the globe. To every just and feeling mind it bears an appearance so questionable, on the score of shame, decency, or even ordinary compassion (to say nothing of right and justice) as to imprint the deepest sensations. Every thinking man speaks of these things with displeasure, |