gone over in fruitless efforts to attain those points. The pa triots, who, almost to a man, were favourable to the claims of the Catholics, declined bringing them before parliament; because the very circumstance of their being moved from the opposition bench, would be a sure ground of rejection. The Catholics could not but observe, the indisposition of government to concession daily increase: and the day of remonstrance and redress vanish behind the cloud of rigour and coercion, now assumed necessary to be exercised upon the people.

On the 11th of February, 1791, a meeting was convened at Dublin of the general committee of the Catholics of Ireland, at which the different resolutions and instructions from various parts of the kingdom to the committee were read; upon which they came to the following resolution. "That the several "papers then read, containing resolutions and instructions from "that city, and from the principal cities and towns in Ireland, "be referred to a committee of eight, who should report thereon "to the committee, on Friday the 18th instant :" on which day, the general committee met, the Earl of Fingal being in the chair, Resolved, "that the report of the committee of eight, on the "resolutions and instructions transmitted to them from the "different parts of the kingdom be received;" and the report was to the following effect:

"Your committee having, in obedience to your directions, "carefully perused the resolutions of the Catholics of Ireland, 66 report, that said resolutions contain the most unequivocal sen"timents of loyalty to our most gracious sovereign, George the "Third, of love for our country, and obedience to its laws, and "the most humble hope of being restored to some participation "of its excellent constitution.

"That your Catholic brethren refer, with confidence, to the "numberless proofs they have given of fidelity in times the "most perilous, when rebellion raged in the bosom of Britain, "and when foreign invasion threatened our coast, and to that "alacrity with which all descriptions of our people took the "oath of allegiance; and they rely that their scrupulous observance of such sacred obligation will no where be doubted, "when it is considered, that if they took those oaths required by law, they would thereby become entitled to all the rights of "citizens.

"

“When Ireland must necessarily avail herself of her whole internal force "to ward off foreign encroachment, or once more acquiesce under those en"croachments, the better to exercise anew the tyranny of a part of the com"munity over the dearest and unalienable rights of others.

"For, one million of divided Protestants can never, in the scale of human "government, be a counterpoise against two millions of united Catholics. But gentlemen of the Bill of Rights' battalion, I appeal to yourselves, and sum"mon you to consistency. Tyranny is not government, and allegiance is due only to protection.

"That, with all humility, they confide in the justice, liberality, and wisdom of parliament, and the benignity of our most gracious sovereign, to relieve them from their degraded "situation, and no longer to suffer them to continue like stran"" gers in their native land; but thus have the glory of shewing "all Europe, that in the plenitude of power, strength, and riches of the British empire, when nothing they grant can be imputed "to any motives but those of justice and toleration; that, at "such a period, they deign to hear and relieve their oppressed "and faithful subjects, and to unite them for ever to their coun"try, by every tie of gratitude and interest; and that they will "shew to all Europe, that humble and peaceful conduct, and "dutiful application, are the only true and effectual methods for "good subjects to obtain relief from a wise and good govern 46 ment.

"That our Catholic brethren therefore desire, that applica ❝tion may be made for such relief as the wisdom and justice "of parliament may grant; and they hope to be restored, at "least, to some of the rights and privileges which have been 26 wisely granted to others who dissent from the established "church; that they may be thus enabled to promote, in con"junction with the rest of their fellow subjects, the present and "future happiness and strength of their country.

"That our said Catholic brethren direct, that such application "be immediately made, and continued, in the most submissive "and constitutional manner, for a mitigation of the restrictions "and disqualifications under which they labour.

"Resolved, that this meeting do agree with, and adopt, the report of their committee, and that a committee of twelve be appointed to carry the same into execution.

In obedience to the above resolution, a petition was prepared, though not presented, to parliament for the reasons mentioned in that report. It was impossible, that the disposition to civil liberty, which from the first institution of the volunteers had pervaded all ranks of persons throughout the kingdom, should have remained inactive upon the great mass of the community, who were Catholics. So little prominent notwithstanding were they as a body, in bringing forward their own claims, that it had been frequently questioned at public meetings in the North, whether or no they were sincere in the cause of liberty. Fatally however for their cause, the anti-gallomania which in Great Britain had produced such convulsive effects upon political, social, and even domestic ties and connections, was there productive of new ground of discord in the Catholic body. About threescore of the principal country gentlemen in conjunction with the Earl of Fingal, Lord Kenmare, and some of the digni

fied and other clergy, had in this year seceded from the Catholic committee, from an apprehension, that most of the city orators, who had taken a lead in it, were connected with some of the high flying patriots of the North, and not wholly unfriendly to the principles of the French revolution. Hence the Catholic body was divided into an aristocratic and a democratic party. Such at least were the two divisions of the Catholic body considered and represented to the public; and unfortunately for the cause of the body at large, the grounds of the division were urged by the respective partisans with considerable virulence and acrimony. Several leading gentlemen of the Catholic committee, had formed political intimacies with some gentlemen at the bar of great abilities, and staunch advocates for all the popular questions that had lately been brought before parliament; among whom the honourable Simon Butler, a brother of the late Lord Mountgarret, Theobald Wolfe Tone, and Todd Jones were the most forward. These gentlemen appearing earnest in their pursuit of freedom for themselves and others, assured the gentlemen of the committee of the liberal and cordial disposition of their northern friends and associates, to co-operate with them in the glorious object of obtaining the emancipation of three millions of their countrymen, and they easily persuaded them, that an union of their interests for this great object must ultimately succeed. These gentlemen proffered their services to the Catholic committee, and published in their own names, some very able and strong arguments for the repeal of all their restrictive laws against the Roman Catholics. These publications contained language more bold and decisive than had hitherto ever been adopted in urging the claims of that body; some also of their own body followed the example of these Protestant gentlemen, and publicly spoke a language, which had before never come from the mouth or pen of any one of the Catholic persuasion in Ireland. It would be needless to remark how obnoxious such gentlemen and their writings were to government; and it is necessary to presume, that the castle must have intimated to those gentlemen of the Catholic body, upon whom they had a more immediate influence, how offensive to government this connection and union between the Catholics and Dissenters were, and hence arose that secession from the committee, which we shall afterwards notice.

The Irish nation had been for some time in the habit of reading and canvassing all political topics, and there is no question, but that the public mind was much opened, and the people out of parliament generally disposed to support the Catholic claims.

Upon these grounds the committee had come to a resolution of availing themselves of the earliest opportunity of applying

to parliament for redress. They appointed twelve gentlemen to take without delay such steps, as they should deem expedient for that purpose. These gentlemen accepted the trust; but after having repeatedly met, two of them differed in opinion, with regard to the propriety of coming forward at that particular period, and declined complying with the direction which they had received.

Although the petition, which was prepared for this purpose, never were actually presented to parliament, a copy of it is subjoined, in order to shew the nature and extent of the Catholics' expectations at that period. "To the Right Honourable and Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in Parliament assembled, "The humble Petition of the Catholics of Ireland,

"SHEWETH,

"THAT a century has now nearly elapsed since several "laws, highly penal in their effect, were passed by the legislature of this "country, excluding the Catholic inhabitants thereof from numberless privi"leges and advantages enjoyed by the rest of their fellow subjects.

"That whilst the consequences of those laws were felt in their severest "operation, the loyalty of the Catholics of Ireland was unshaken, and their "conduct uniformly marked with that respect and submission due to legisla"tive authority.

"That your petitioners beg leave humbly to suggest to this honourable "house, the laws of which they complain were passed in a season of animosity, "at the close of party contention, and as the penalty of political opinions, "which it is universally admitted do not at this day exist; that they were " continued, as having been deemed necessary to secure the succession in the "august House of Brunswick, to which none of their fellow subjects are more "warmly attached.

"That every danger to that succession is now removed, and that even if it "were otherwise, they have lately bound themselves to their beloved sove"reign, and their country, by the most awful and sacred obligation; an obli"gation to which your petitioners refer with the greater confidence, as if "oaths were lightly estimated by Catholics, they might long since have enti"tled themselves to the full rights of citizens.

"That some years since, the parliament of this kingdom was, in its wisdom " and humanity, pleased to remove part of the restrictions, under which your "petitioners lay; and that this indulgence, far from producing any ill effects, has only served to strengthen the loyalty of your petitioners, and contribute "to the growing prosperity of the empire.

"

"That by the laws still in force, the Catholics of Ireland, though entitled. through the benevolence of parliament to purchase lands, are precluded from "almost every opportunity of improving the natural advantages of talents and "connections; and that when inclination, or any other circumstances, has dis"qualified them from commercial pursuits, they are under the cruel necessity "of becoming exiles from their families and country, and seeking that situa"tion in foreign states which is denied them in their native land."

"That your petitioners feel a conscious pride in being able to offer their past, as a pledge of their future good conduct, and humbly beg leave to insist, "that men sincerely and warmly attached to the constitution of their country, " even when they were the objects of its censure and severity, are not likely to "become less anxious for its preservation from being admitted to a fuller participation of its blessings.

"Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray, that this honourable house will "take the premises into consideration, and grant to your petitioners such re"lief as to its wisdom, justice, and humanity shall seem meet.

"And your petitioners will ever pray,"

From a desire of procuring unanimity, it was thought prudent to submit the subject again to the consideration of the general committee. At a meeting convened for that purpose, a gentleman who declared himself commissioned by Lord Kenmare to communicate his sentiments to the committee, gave notice of his lordship's disapprobation of the measure, and of his determination not to co-operate in it, although his lordship had never attended at any of the meetings, in which the measure had been discussed, and the Earl of Fingal, who, on that night filled the chair, appeared to acquiesce in Lord Kenmare's opinion. The reason, however, for laying before parliament the situation of the Catholics, and humbly soliciting a relief from some of the severe restrictions, under which they laboured, appeared conclusive to the meeting; and the former resolution of an immediate application to the legislature was again adopted by a very great majority.

On the 18th of April the committee met once more, and delivered in their report, which fully accounted for their reasons for suspending their application to parliament, and was to the following effect.

"In compliance with your instructions, the first object of the "attention of your committee was, to prepare a petition to par"liament, expressive of those sentiments of loyalty and sub"mission to the laws of their country, so strongly marked in "the resolutions transmitted from different parts of the king"dom. We were aware of the unfavourable conclusions, which "those of our fellow subjects, whose minds, from political or "religious prejudices, were less prepared to meet our wishes, "must naturally draw from the disunion of any of our mem"bers, however small their numbers might be, or inconsidera"ble their consequence, when compared with that of the Ca"tholic body at large. Anxious to obviate this inconvenience, we endeavoured, by every measure not inconsistent with the "line of conduct pointed out to us by this general committee, to procure the co-operation of the two noble lords.

"For this purpose your committee employed the mediation "of our respectable prelate, whose virtues and amiable charac-. "ter entitled him to the confidence of all parties; and with "gratitude they acknowledge the kindness of his prompt and "zealous, though ineffectual interference.

"After consuming a considerable time in fruitless negociations, your committee directed Mr. Edward Byrne to acquaint Mr. Secretary Hobart of the intention of the Catholics, "and to request to know when it would be agreeable to him to "be waited upon by a deputation from that body, for the purpose of laying before him a copy of the petition, and soliciting "the support of government on their behalf.