No. VII.

At a meeting of the Roman Catholic prelates, assembled in Dublin, on the 25th Feb. 1810, the following resolutions had been unanimously adopted :

1. Resolved, that it is the undoubted and exclusive right of Roman Catholic bishops to discuss all matters appertaining to the doctrines and discipline of the Roman Catholic church.

2. Resolved, that we do hereby confirm and declare our unaltered adherence to the resolutions unanimously entered into at our last general meeting, on the 14th September, 1808.

3. Resolved, that we are convinced, that the oath of allegiance framed and proposed by the legislature itself, and taken by us, is not only adequate security for our loyalty, but that we know of no stronger pledge that we can possibly give.

4. Resolved, that having disclaimed upon oath all right in the Pope or any other foreign potentate to interfere in the temporal concerns of the kingdom, an adherence to the practice observed in the appointment of Irish Roman Catholic prelates cannot tend to produce an undue or mischievous exercise of any foreign influence whatsoever.

5. Resolved, that we neither seek nor desire any other earthly consideration for our spiritual ministry to our respective flocks, save what they may, from a sense of religion and duty, voluntarily afford us.

6. Resolved, that an address, explanatory of these

our sentiments, be prepared and directed to the Roman Catholic clergy and laity of Ireland, and conveying such further instruction as existing circumstances may seem to require.

No. VIII.

Resolutions of the Irish Catholic Laity against

the Veto.

At a meeting of the General Committee of the Catholics of Ireland, held at D'Arcy's, in Earl Street, on the 2d of March, 1810,

LORD FFRENCH in the Chair,

The Most Rev. Doctor Murray read to the Committee a written communication from the Catholic prelates of Ireland. It was unanimously resolved, That the thanks of the Committee are due, and are hereby given, to the Most Rev. and Right Rev. the Catholic prelates of Ireland, for the communication now made to us through the Most Rev. Doctor Murray and the Rev. Doctor Hamill.

That the thanks of the meeting are due, and are hereby given, to the Most Rev. Doctor Murray and the Rev. Doctor Hamill, for making the communication, That, as Irishmen, and as Catholics, we never can consent to any dominion or control whatsoever over the appointment of our prelates on the part of the crown, or the servants of the crown. That the thanks of the Committee are hereby given to Daniel O'Connell, Esq. for the faithful discharge of the duty of secretary.

FFRENCH, Chairman.

No. IX.

ORIGINAL.

Copy of a Letter from Monsgr. Quarantotti to the Right Rev. Dr. Poynter, V. A.

ILLME AC RME DNE,

Non sine maxima voluptate accepimus, facile esse futurum, ut lex, quæ superiore anno rogata fuit pro Catholicorum istius florentissimi regni emancipatione a poenalibus legibus, quæque ex modico suffragiorum defectu rejecta fuit, in novis hujus anni comitiis iterum proponatur. Utinam hæc tam optata lex aliquando feratur, et Catholici, qui præclara semper præbuerunt obedientiæ, ac fidelitatis suæ argumenta, a gravissimo, quo jamdiu premuntur, jugo tandem emergant; ut absque ullo honorum ac facultatum detrimento ad ea possint alacrius incumbere, quæ et religio et patriæ bonum ab iis expostulant: quod quidem sperare juvat a beneficentissimo Rege, atque ab inclytâ natione, quæ æquitate, prudentia, cæterisque virtutibus, tum anteriùs, tum maxime postremis hisce temporibus tantam sibi apud omnes populos gloriam comparavit. Et quoniam delatum est aliquas inter Episcopos obortas esse quæstiones, atque discrimina circa conditiones, quæ Catholicis appositæ sunt, ut cæteris æquiparentur; nos, qui summo absente Pastore sacris Missionibus præferti sumus, et Pontificiis omnibus facultatibus ad id communiti, muneris nostri partes esse putavimus omnem ambiguitatem, atque objectionem removere, quæ optatæ conciliationi possit obsistere, et quo non pervenit Episco

porum facultas, S. Sedis auctoritate, et consensione supplere. HABITO IGITUR DOCTISSIMORUM PRÆSULUM, AC THEOLOGORUM CONSILIO, perspectis litteris, tum ab ample. tua, tum ab archiepiscopo Dubliniensi kuc missis, ac re in peculiari congregatione MATURE perPENSA, decretum est, ut Catholici legem, quæ superiore anno rogata fuit pro illorum emancipatione juxta formam, quæ ab ample. tua relata est, ÆQUO,

GRATOQUE ANIMO EXCIPIANT, ET AMPLECTANTUR.

Unum est, quod aliquâ declaratione eget, scilicet secunda jurisjurandi pars, quâ Clerus obstringitur nullam habere se posse cum Summo Pontifice, ejusque Ministris, communicationem, quæ directè, vel indirectè valeat Protestantium regimen, sive Ecclesiam subvertere, aut quomodolibet perturbare. Satis exploratum est, id jure divino præcipuum esse Ministrorum Ecclesiæ munus, ut Catholicam fidem, quæ una potest ad æternam felicitatem perducere, undique propagare curent, erroresque depellere. Hoc Evangelii præcepta docent, hoc Apostolorum, eorumque Successorum exempla. Jam si Catholicus Protestantem aliquem ad Orthodoxam Religionem revocaverit, perjurii reus poterit judicari, quia nempe illo avocando Protestantem Ecclesiam aliquo modo turbasse videretur. Si res ita intelligatur, juramentum hoc præstare non licet, utpote quod Catholico dogmati reluctatur. Sin ea sit Legislatorum mens, ut Catholicæ Ecclesiæ ministris non interdicta sint prædicatio, suasio, consilium, sed tantum ne liceat ipsis Protestantem Ecclesiam, seu regimen, vi, et armis, aut malis quibusque artibus perturbare, hoc rectum est, nostrisque principiis apprimè cohæret. Tuum itaque

erit excelsum istud regimen omni animi demissione, ac studio deprecari, ut ad sedandas, tutandasque Catholici Cleri conscientias, modificationem, aut declarationem aliquam ejusmodi juramenti formulæ dare velit, quæ, omni ambiguitate sublatâ, pacificæ prædicationi, ac persuasioni locum relinquat. Quod si vel lata jam fuerit rogata lex iisdem verbis, vel nihil in iis immutari voluerit, Clerus acquiescat; ac satis erit, ut palam ipse denunciet, eam esse suam jurandi mentem, ut Orthodoxa in ejusmodi juramento doctrina salva remaneat, ac non aliter; atque ut protestatio ista omnibus innotescat ; et sit etiam posteris exemplum in acta relata servabitur. Optandum quoque foret, ut ab aliquibus etiam publici concilii membris, si fieri posset, declaratio fieret, hoc planè sensu, ac non alio, Britannicum regimen a Catholico Clero juramentum exigere. Cætera vero, quæ in proposità lege contineri scripsisti, ea quidem poterunt ex Apostolicæ sedis indulgentiâ tolerari.

Quod rex certior fieri velit de illorum fidelitate, qui ad Episcopatum, vel Decanatum promoventur, ac tutus esse, num iis dotibus instructi sint, quæ bonum civem decent quod ipse præterea ad hæc investiganda Comitatum instituat, qui in eorum mores inquirat, ac referat regi, prout Ampl. Tua nobis significavit: quod demum eâ ipsâ de causâ rex ab his dignitatibus exclusos in posterum velit, tum alienigenas, tum eos, qui a quinquennio domicilium in regno non habuerunt; hæc omnia cum id tantum respiciant, quod civile est, omnem mereri tolerantiam possunt. Præstat quidem, ut nostri Antistites grati acceptique sint regi; ut plenâ illius consensione suum ministerium exerceant; ut denique de