"bilities to which the Roman Catho "lics of Great Britain are subject, and "to adopt such measures for their re gate meetings. Their meetings are held openly; so much so, that when a member lately interrupted a speech, because a police-officer was discovered" peal as Parliament shall in its wistaking notes, it was observed by Mr. O'Connell, that every transaction of the Board was intended to be as open as the day, and if the police-office wished to be informed of what was going forward, they had only to send a reporter and he should be accommodated with a desk and a chair. "dom and benignity deem expedient." In this document the Board has gone further than it did by adopting the ambiguous fifth Resolution, to obtain sig natures to which some of the members boasted of having JOCKIED THEIR BISHOPS ;-because in the latter it was added, "consistently with the strict"est adherence on their part to the "tenets and discipline of the Roman mer, they signify their readiness to accept ANY measures, which our Legislators, who are obliged to swear that we and the greatest part of our magnanimous allies ARE IDOLATERS, may, in their wisdom and benignity, be pleased to enact. In England, the General Board is appointed by the Private Board, and no person, it appears, can obtain a seat," Catholic Religion;" but in the forwithout paying a fee of five guineas for it! (Is not this something like bribery and corruption?) Nay, according to the above account, the individuals at this very meeting took upon themselves to appoint the Representative of the Middle District. Their meetings are held privately, and the questions to be decided are such only as are submitted by the persons composing the Select Committee. In Ireland, the Board lately came to a resolution of publishing a Religious Declaration. The Committee appoint. ed to draw it up, with the respect due to their character, submitted it to ec-it clesiastical authority. It was, how ever, disapproved of, for reasons which the reader will find in the Most Rev. Dr. Troy's Letter, in the epitome to this number. The Board, in consequence of this, unanimously relinquished their intention. The Irish Board has adopted a Petition, and the People have approved it, breathing the most pure and constitutional principles; having for its basis the Freedom of Conscience for all classes of our fellow-subjects. This Board also passed unanimously a Resolution, declaring, that, as Irishmen and Catholics, they never can or will In England, the Board, adopting consent to any interference on the part the absurd folly of their Protestant bre of the Crown, or Servants of the Crown, thren, with the view of gaining their in the appointment of their Bishops; favour, established a Bible Society, by and that no settlement can be final or which they not only sanctioned the satisfactory, which has for its basis, calumnies of our enemies, who assertor at all involves any innovation or al-ed that we were in a state of scriptural teration, to be made by authority of Parliament, in the Doctrine or Discipline of the Catholic Church of Ireland. This it has followed up, by laying before those who are to present the Petition, several suggestions for their guidance in framing another Bill, in order to render it satisfactory to the Irish people. The English Board, in its Petition, concludes with humbly praying, that the Senate will take into conside ration the many penalties and disa darkness, when it was notorious that the poor Catholic was better instructed in the truth of the gospel than the rich Protestant, but they also infringed on the spiritual authority of the Church, to whom alone Christ gave the com mission to teach all nations. In short, every measure adopted by the Irish Board (except the disgraceful resolution against Dr. Dromgoole's speech) has for its object the securing of the independence of the Catholic Church; whilst every measure which the English Board has been propos- | the expense of their religion. How ing tends to trample on her sacred truly honourable is the decision of the rights. latter! How disgraceful that of the former! What a contrast do the con duct of these English Catholics present to those of their ancestors, who, in securing the temporal rights and privileges of their country, which had been invaded by the tyrant John, de state I have no doubt; but I trust the spirit of my countrymen will no longer remain dormant. We lately witnessed the activity of our dissenting brethren, when Lord Sidmouth introduced his Bill to regulate the Toleration Act, in making known their disapprobation of the measure, by the numerous petitions which they laid upon the table of the House of Lords against the pro Here, my fellow Catholics, you have a true statement of the actions by which the respective bodies alluded to are governed. In the one you see the truly liberal and manly principles which animated our Catholic ancestors; in the other you see a system of servi-clared by the great Charter, that the lity and secret intrigue, dishonourable election of Bishops should BE FREE. in its abettors, and unworthy of the re- This was the first measure proposed ligion and the spirit of our forefathers. by them; because they well knew Can you then hesitate for a moment to that the best way to secure their liberdecide which of the two is entitled to ties was to insure the independence of your support? Can you hesitate one the Clergy-while, on the other hand, moment to enrol yourselves under the they were well aware that the rea banners of those, and those only, who diest method to enslave the People are anxious to preserve the purity of was to debase Religion, and make its Religion. If your love your glorious Ministers the tools of a faction. That name of CATHOLIC-if you love your there are those who wish to see the Country-if you love your posterity-Catholic Clergy reduced to the latter you will not hesitate to come forward, and record your decided disapprobation of the unmanly and insulting proceedings of this British Board, which pretends to manage not only your political interests, but also your spiritual concerns. That the principles which guide some of the individuals composing this Board are inimical to a free and open discussion (the basis of our Constitution) of their intentions, can-ject. These petitions had the desired not be more clearly demonstrated than effect, and Lord Sidmouth withdrew by their negativing the motion which his Bill. Let us, then, with the like was made, that every measure which spirit and activity, come forward and was agreed upon by the Secret Com- declare our sentiments, in the same unmittee to be submitted to the General [equivocal language as our Irish bre Board, should be laid two days before-thren upon the subject of the Veto hand on the Secretary's table for gene- Securities, There are some indepen ral inspection. That they are ready dent characters whose names stand in to sacrifice the independence of the Ca- the printed list as Members of the tholic Clergy, and consequently their Board, of the most honourable mind Religion, in order to obtain possession and talented abilities, and who have of temporal privileges, is undubitably utterly disapproved of, and strongly proved by their refusing to make com- censured, the conduct of the Board to mon cause with the Catholics of the wards the illustrious Prelate, Dr. Milsister island, who, to their immortal ner. I sincerely hope these highly reshonour, have most religiously, and pectable individuals will come forward most disinterestedly, come forward, and take the lead in rescuing us from in order to avoid any future disap- the degraded and reproachful situation pointment or misunderstanding, and in which we are placed, and enable us declared their determination of not openly to state our faithful attachment accepting any temporal advantages at to that Divine Religion, for an adhe s; an rence to which we have already suffered so much, and for which we are ready to suffer more, rather than resign the management of its concerns into the hands of those whose desire must be to see it overthrown in these realms object which a persecution of more than two centuries has not been able to accomplish, but which they now hope to obtain by intrigue. However, my fellow Catholics, if we do not see this spirit arise in those whose duty it is to set the example, there is still one method left which I trust you will not fail to adopt. I well know the difficulty, from our straggling situation, of calling aggregate meetings. What I would advise then is this:-That every congregation should sign a declaration of their unalterable determination not to consent to any interference on the part of the Crown in the discipline of our Church as the price of receiving any temporal privileges or benefits under the Constitution. For this purpose, the Resolution adopted by the Irish Catholic Board, by altering a few words, would answer the purpose. The next thing necessary will be to make the number of signatures known, and the different congregations which have come to such declaration. But in doing this not a moment should be lost. It must be done before the debate comes on in Parliament; because the Legislators will then know whether the sentiments of those men, who have hitherto pretended to convey the sense of the Catholics of England, are really and truly those of the body at large; and if the measures which they may then, in their wisdom and benignity, propose for our relief happen to be as dissatisfactory as the last, the blame will not be on our side. No, no, my friends, let the English Board deceive our Parliamentary advocates if they think proper, but let us not partake of their crime. There is an old maxim and a true one, which all Catholics are taught to follow, viz. that HONESTY is the best Policy. Let us follow it then; and if we are to suffer a little longer for so doing, we shall suffer with honour and a good conscience. Let the intolerants keep their ascendancy; but let us keep our present pure and irreproachable Clergy from their corrupt fangs. This venerable body constitutes a gem so brilliant in our Church, that anxious as I am to gain my civil rights, I would not receive the highest and most honourable station under the Constitution, at the hazard of casting the smallest speck upon its spotless integrity. Let us then adopt the sentiments of Mr. O'Connell on the cause of Emancipation. Alluding to the secession of some of the members of the Irish Board, Mr. O'C. observed, that he would not sacrifice a particle of the Catholic cause to bring back any man however elevated his rank might be. By the Catholic Cause he meant the attainment of Emancipation, as connected with the preservation of EVERY right in the details of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Catholic Church, and of the HONOUR of the Catholic Religion-by the Catholic Cause he meant the attainment of Catholic Emancipation unconditionally, unfettered, unmixed with any compromise or stipulation which would lessen the Liberties, Civil or Religious, of the People. He was averse to the interference of any Lords, Managers, or Trustees, or Appointers of Sheriffs;he did not care who deserted the Board, while the Catholic Cause was safe.In these sentiments I most cordially agree. I certainly do not think that they are calculated to obtain our release from bondage in the speediest way; but I am convinced there is no other way of gaining our Liberty with honour to ourselves, and benefit to our country. For this reason I hope my Catholic countrymen will henceforth join the standard of our Irish brethren, and unite with them in their honest and patriotic endeavours. And let us remember, that if "England expects every 66 man to do his duty," the first duty of a Christian is to love Gop above all things, and his neighbour as himself, W. EUSEBIUS ANDREWS. London, March 17, 1814. To the Editor of the Orthodox Journal. ly consider the following undeniable principles and facts. In the first place, no English Catholic, or association of English Catholics, has a right or claim to control or direct the concerns of the body at large, by reason of their birth, rank, fortune, or even of their talents, natural or acquired; nor indeed on any other account, except as far as the Catholic Pastors have authority in religious matters, and as certain individuals may happen to be freely chosen and duly authorized to manage the temporal concerns of this body. SIR,-Among the interesting communications of your ingenious correspondents I cannot help noticing those signed AN ENGLISH CATHOLIC, in your number for December page 260, and in that for January page 9. Though I have not the honour of this writer's correspondence, and hardly of his acquaintance, having never seen him but once in my life, and then by accident, yet, as I am satisfied that I have discovered who he [ is, I think it incumbent on me to Secondly, it is notorious that the testify that he is a gentleman who re- noblemen and gentlemen, calling themflects honour and has conferred benefits selves THE BOARD OF BRITISH on the Catholic Religion in this coun- CATHOLICS, however respectable try; and hence, that his advice and they are as individuals, never have suggestions are deserving of particular been elected or deputed by the Catho attention from the professors of it. lic clergy and laity to represent them The subject of this good and learned or to transact their business of any gentleman's two letters are particularly nature whatsoever. And yet, it is interesting to myself; not on account equally notorious, that this Board holds of the too kind and partial commenitself out in the face of the legislature. dations which he bestows upon me in and the nation as a representation of them, but of the measure that he pro- the whole English, I beg their parposes for supporting the cause, in don, of the whole British Catholic which, from my situation, I am specially body; that its members, or rather a concerned, that of a meeting of the very small agitating part of them, has, Midland Catholics to be held at Bir- at different times, framed and presented mingham in the present month, in or- addresses, petitions, sketches of bills der to take such steps for the security and resolutions, both of a religious of our common Religion as its present and a civil nature, on the part of the circumstances require. I take this whole body, without its authority, method of informing your respectable consent or even knowledge, and withcorrespondent that his suggestion did out regard to its general wishes or not fall to the ground: Catholics who grievances, religious or civil, being have not only as much right, but who chiefly actuated by their own immeare also as well qualified to deliberate diate interests, the obtaining of seats and decide on this matter, as any per- in Parliament and great offices in the sons accustomed to meet in Stanhope- state and army, as appeared, in parstreet, took it up, and the meeting ticular, at the withdrawing of the late would have been held, had not I ad- Bill, when these were denied them. hered to the resolution, which I have True it is, that, in one of th⚫ last new before signified, of not contributing constitutions of the Board, certain to a formal division of the body, until members were appointed to represent the last extremity. Still as there is the different Catholic districts: but imminent danger of things coming to what a farce is this, and what a mockthis extremity, it is fitting and neces-ery of the Catholics, while these their sary, by way of preventing, if possible, this dreadful evil, that both parties should clearly understand and serious pretended deputies are appointed not by them but by this very self-appointed Junta! So far, indeed, is this Board from holding itself dependent on the Catholics in general, that it will not permit one of them to be present even at their general meetings, without paying a subscription of five guineas, as I lately witnessed, and it takes extraordinary precautions to prevent their deliberations being known to the Catholic body. How different is the spirit and conduct of the Irish Catholic Board, who confident in their public spirit and conduct, throw open the doors of their meeting to all the world and even publish the speeches which are made by its members! Nor is this all: for at a meeting of the General Board at the beginning of last year, when a member of it, on the part of several other members, requested to hear what the nature of the Bill was, which Mr. Butler was known from the newspapers, to be negociating with Lord Castlereagh and other states men, he was sharply reproved by the noble Lord in the chair, for presuming to inquire into the subject of that lawyer's private conversations with a Minister of State! Have then the vital interests of 200,000 English Catholics, and of the Religion itself, which you, Mr. Editor, and many others, have left all things else to follow, been left as an heir-loom to a handful of men of ancient families, or as property which they have a right to dispose of for their immediate advantage! Thirdly, though men of rank, fortune and talents, are confessedly the fittest persons to be appointed representatives of a collection of people, yet this is to be understood in the supposition of their enjoying the confidence of that people. Now it is incontestibly evident that the leading men of the British Board, so called, do not enjoy the confidence of the English Catholic body, in any concerns connected with their Religion. By these leading men I mean not the members of the Private Board in general, who are as much led or driven as those of the General Board, but the Cabinet Council of the Board, consisting of some three or four Barons or Baronets with their perpetual scribe and counsellor, Mr. Charles Butler, and their public orator, Mr. George Silvertop. Now these personages, with the exception of the last named, (a new man, of whose religious sentiments there is no occasion to speak) are precisely the surviving members of the old Pro testing Dissenting Committee, whose names are seen subscribed to those infamous Blue Books, &c. which are held in such deserved execration by all true Catholics. If we wished to forget these effusions of Mr. Butler's irreligion, and all the bad measures connected with them, the subscribers will not permit us, since, in one of their latest meetings, their head Nobleman proclaimed his continued adherence to them! It is past dispute that even in other circumstances, nothing short of a public retractation of these schismatical publications and actions could gain the confidence of the Catholic body in favour of their author and subscribers, or even cause them to be considered as sound Catholics: but, when late occurrences are taken into consideration, it would be the height of folly to suppose that genuine Catholics do or can confide their religious interests to the personages here mentioned or alluded to. There is no well informed Catholic who entertains a doubt that the counsellor was a party to the drawing up of the schismatical and persecuting clauses of the late Bill, or that the Cabinet Members of the Board were privy and consenting to them. But the Catholics who are not so well informed, have witnessed these men abetting the Bill, when it was published, returning thanks to Mr. G. Canning and Lord Castlereagh, the proposers of the schismatical parts of it, and condemning and expelling from their society, by public advertisement, one of their bishops for delivering his opinion against it, merely as it affected the Catholic Church and her pastors! These transactions, Sir, have produced their natural effect on the minds of the generality of English no less than of Irish Catholics, in encreasing their |