fometime before, in 1757, fucceeded in establishing a general committee of the Catholic body, formed by delegates of parishes and the principal Catholic nobility and gentry. invafion was announced to As foon as this parliament by a meffage from the Duke of Bedford, this committee was fummoned to meet; and Mr. O'Connor having fubmitted to it the following address to the Lord Lieutenant, it was unanimously approved of, May it pleafe your Grace, We, his Majesty's dutiful and faithful fubje&ts, the Roman Catholic gentlemen, merchants, and citizens of Dublin, dø, with the greatest respect, approach the illuftrious reprefentative of the best of Kings, with our hearty congratulations on thofe glorious fucceffes, by fea and land, which have attended his Majesty's arms, in the profecution of this juft and neceffary war, We gratefully acknowledge the lenity extended to us by his most facred Majefty, and by his royal father, of happy memory. Our allegiance, may it please your Grace, is confirmed by affection and gratitude; our religion commands it; and it fhall be our invariable rule firmly and inviolably to adhere to it. We are called to this duty, at the present time in particular, when a foreign enemy is meditating defperate attempts to in terrupt terrupt the happiness and disturb the repofe, which these kingdoms have fo long enjoyed, under a Monarch, who places his chief glory in proving himself the common father of all his people: and we fincerely affure your Grace, that we are ready and willing, to the utmoft of our abilities, to affift in fupporting his Majefty's government against all hoftile attempts whatsoever. Whenever, my Lord, it fhall please the Almighty, that the legiflative power of this realm shall deem the peaceable conduct of his Majesty's Catholic fubjects of Ireland, for many years paft, an object worthy of its favourable attention, we humbly hope means may then be devised, to render fo numeTous a body more useful members to the community, and more ftrengthening friends to the ftate, than they could poffibly have hitherto been, under the restraint of the many penal laws against them. We moft humbly befeech your Grace to represent to his Majefty these fentiments and refo. lutions of his Majesty's faithful subjects, the Roman Catholics of this metropolis, who fincerely wifh, that a peace honourable to his Majesty, and advantageous to his kingdoms, may be the iffue of the present war; and that the people of Ireland may be long governed by your Grace, a Viceroy, in whom wisdom, moderation, and juftice, are fo eminently confpi cuous. On that occafion, alfo, the wealthy individuals of this perfuafion offered to accommodate the government with large fums of money, in case of neceffity, to fupport the Protef tant establishment against all its enemies; and the Catholics Catholics of the city of Cork, in a body, prefented an address to the Lord Lieutenant, expreffing their loyalty in the warmest terms of affurance. They profeffed the warmest indignation at the threatened invasion of the kingdom, by an enemy vainly flattered with the imaginary hope of affistance in Ireland, from the former attachments of their deluded predeceffors. They affured his Grace that fuch fchemes were altogether inconfiftent with their principles and intentions; and that they would, to the utmost exertion of their abilities, with their lives and fortunes, join in the defence and fupport of his Majesty's royal perfon and government, against all invaders whatsoever.* These circumstances are proofs of no ordinary fidelity in the Irish Catholics to the House of Brunfwick. They were, however, of no avail in mitigating the rigour of the magistracy in the execution of the penal laws, or in inducing the British government to repeal any part of them; for the reign of George II. closed without any grateful acknowledgment being made Smollet's Hiftory of England, 4. 69. made to them for the steadiness with which they refifted the temptation that was held out. to them in 1745 and 1759 to support the claims of a Catholic pretender to the throne of Great Britain. GEORGE GEORGE III. Notwithstanding the firft meafure of this reign, the royal recommendation to Parliament. to make the judges independent of the Crown, bespoke the determination of his Majefty to refpect the feelings and confirm the rights and liberties of his subjects; ftill the unfortunate Catholics of Ireland were doomed to fuffer under new pains and penalties. In the year 1776, an act of Parliament was paffed, by which one or more justices of the peace, and all sheriffs and chief magistrates of cities and towns corporate, within their refpective jurisdictions, may from time to time, as well by night as by day, fearch for and feize all arms and ammunition belonging to any Papist not entitled to keep the fame, or in the hands of any person in trust, for a Papist; and for that purpose enter any dwelling-houfe, out-house, office, * 15th and 16th Geo. III. c. 21. § 15. field |