those two, and trust with confidence to the sincerity of your intention, the justice of your cause, and the support of your

country.

Two objects interest the nation, a plan of representation, and the means of accomplishing it. These societies will be a most powerful means; but a popular plan would itself be a means for its own accomplishment. We have therefore to request, that you will favour us with your ideas respecting the plan, which appears to you most eligible, on the present more enlarged and liberal principles which actuate the people; at the same time giving your sentiments upon our national coalition, on the means of promoting it, and on the political state and disposition of the country or town where you reside. We know what resistance will be made to your patriotic efforts by those who triumph in the disunion and degradation of their country. The greater the necessity of reform, the greater probably will be the resistance: we know, that there is much spirit that requires being brought into mass, as well as much massy body that must be refined into spirit. We have many enemies, and no enemy is contemptible; we do not despise the enemies of the union, the liberty and the peace of Ireland, but we are not of nature, nor have we encouraged the habit of fearing any man, or any body of men, in an honest and honourable cause. In great undertakings like the present, we declare, that we have found it always more difficult to attempt, than to accomplish. The people of Ireland must perform all they wish, if they attempt all that they can.

Signed by order,

JAMES NAPPER TANDY, Sec.

No. LXXXVIII.

GENERAL COMMITTEE.

Dublin, March 17, 1792.

DECLARATION OF THE CATHOLICS OF IRELAND....PAGE 38.

WHEREAS certain opinions and principles, inimical to good order and government, have been attributed to the Catholics, the existence of which we utterly deny; and whereas it is at this time peculiarly necessary to remove such imputations, and to give the most full and ample satisfaction to our Protestant brethren, that we hold no principle whatsoever incompatible with our duty as

men or as subjects, or repugnant to liberty, whether political, civil, or religious.

Now we, the Catholics of Ireland, for the removal of all such imputations, and in deference to the opinion of many respectable bodies of men, and individuals among our Protestant brethren, do hereby, in the face of our country, of all Europe, and before God, make this our deliberate and solemn declaration:

1st. We abjure, disavow, and condemn the opinion, that princes, excommunicated by the pope and council, or by any ecclesiastical authority whatsoever, may therefore be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or any other persons. We hold such doctrine in detestation, as wicked and impious; and we declare, that we do not believe, that either the pope, with or without a general council, or any prelate or priest, or any ecclesiastical power whatsoever, can absolve the subjects of this kingdom, or any of them, from their allegiance to his majesty king George the Third, who is, by authority of parliament, the lawful king of this realm. 2d. We abjure, condemn, and detest, as unchristian and impious, the principle, that it is lawful to murder, destroy, or any ways injure any person whatsoever, for or under the pretence of being heretics; and we declare solemnly before God, that we believe that no act, in itself unjust, immoral, or wicked, can ever be justified or excused by, or under pretence or colour, that it was done either for the good of the church, or in obedience to any ecclesiastical power whatsoever.

3d. We further declare, that we hold it as an unchristian and impious principle, that "no faith is to be kept with heretics." This doctrine we detest and reprobate, not only as contrary to our religion, but as destructive of morality, of society, and even of common honesty; and it is our firm belief, that an oath made to any person, not of the Catholic religion, is equally binding, as if it were made to any Catholic whatsoever.

4th. We have been charged with holding as an article of our belief, that the pope, with or without the authority of a general council, or that certain ecclesiastical powers can acquit and absolve us, before God, from our oath of allegiance, or even from the just oaths and contracts entered into between man and man:

Now we do utterly renounce, abjure, and deny, that we hold or maintain any such belief, as being contrary to the peace and happiness of society, inconsistent with morality, and above all, repugnant to the true spirit of the Catholic religion.

5th. We do further declare, that we do not believe that the pope of Rome, or any other prince, prelate, state, or potentate, hath, or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within

this realm.

6th. After what we have renounced, it is immaterial, in a poli tical light, what may be our opinion or faith in other points respecting the pope : however, for greater satisfaction we declare, that it is not an article of the Catholic faith, neither are we thereby required to believe or profess," that the pope is infallible," or that we are bound to obey any order, in its own nature immoral, though the pope, or any ecclesiastical power, should issue or direct such order; but, on the contrary, we hold, that it would be sinful in us to pay any respect or obedience thereto.

7th. We further declare, that we do not believe that any sin whatsoever committed by us can be forgiven at the mere will of any pope, or of any priest, or of any person or persons whatsoever; but, that sincere sorrow for past sins, a firm and sincere resolution, as far as may be in our power, to restore our neighbours property or character, if we have trespassed on, or unjustly injured either; a firm and sincere resolution to avoid future guilt, and to atone to God, are previous and indispensable requisites to establish a well-founded expectation of forgiveness; and that any person who receives absolution without these previous requisites, so far from obtaining thereby any remission of his sins, incurs the additional guilt of violating a sacrament.

8th. We do hereby solemnly disclaim, and for ever renounce all interest in, and title to all forfeited lands resulting from any rights, or supposed rights of our ancestors, or any claim, title, or interest therein; nor do we admit any title, as a foundation of right, which is not established and acknowledged by the laws of the realm, as they now stand. We desire further, that whenever the patriotism, liberality, and justice of our countrymen, shall restore to us a participation in the elective franchise, no Catholic shall be permitted to vote at any election for members to serve in parliament, until he shall previously take an oath to defend, to the utmost of his power, the arrangement of property in this country, as established by the different acts of attainder and settlement.

9th. It has been objected to us, that we wish to subvert the present church establishment, for the purpose of substituting a Catholic establishment in its stead: now we do hereby disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure any such intention and further, if we shall be admitted into any share of the constitution, by our being restored to the right of elective franchise, we are ready, in the most solemn manner, to declare, that we will not exercise that privilege to disturb and weaken the establishment of the Protestant religion, or Protestant government in this country.

Signed by order, and on behalf of the general committee of the Catholics of Ireland,

EDWARD BYRNE, Chairman.

RICHARD M'CORMICK, Secretary.

No. LXXXIX.

PAGE 38.

At a meeting of the sub-committee of the Catholics of Ireland, Edward Byrne, esq. in the chair.

SIR,

Resolved, that the following letter be circulated.

THIS letter, with the plan which accompanies it, is transmitted to you, by order of the sub-committee. You will perceive that the object of this plan is to procure a fuller attendance of country gentlemen, to assist by their advice and influence, the measures adopted by the committee to procure for the Catholics the elective franchise, and an equal participation in the benefits of the trial by jury. You will please to lose no time in submitting this to the respectable Catholics of your county. You will please also to inform them, that several respectable independent country gentlemen, lately in Dublin, had frequent consultations, for the laudable purpose of re-uniting to the committee lord Fingal, and the other gentlemen who had withdrawn themselves from it. These country gentlemen had the satisfaction to find, that the general committee on one side, and the gentlemen who had entered into separate addresses on the other, mutually regretted their division; which they saw was used by the opponents of the Catholics, as a pretext for withholding from our people the elective franchise, and an equal participation of the benefits of the trial by jury. It is on all sides agreed, that if the Catholics are all united in this just and reasonable request, essential to the very existence of our people, there will be a certainty of success. It depends then on ourselves, whether we shall be freemen or slaves! We say, essential to the very existence of our people; for, as the rage for electioneering interests increases, our wealthy farmers must either pay beyond the value for lands, or resign them to Protestant freeholders when out of lease; our poor yeomanry will of course be expelled, and driven into beggary. Let us all, then, speak with one voice, and supplicate the legislature for justice, and we shall receive it.

These independent country gentlemen have received from lord Fingal, and the gentlemen who have acted with him, the most positive declarations, that they will never again enter into any act to oppose the general committee in their endeavours to obtain the emancipation of the Catholics; and it is determined,

that all former differences in opinion shall be buried in oblivion on both sides.

The committee had decided to send some of their body to propose to the counties to appoint the delegates to the committee, of whose attendance there would be a certainty; and our chairman had actually left Dublin, with intention to go through great part of Ireland, for this purpose; the independent country gentlemen, as before mentioned, took up the same idea themselves, (before they knew the committee had determined upon it) and they, and lord Fingal and his friends, all agreed in pressing such a measure on the committee, as an additional means of re-uniting them to the body.

Lord Fingal, his friends, and the country gentlemen before mentioned, seemed at first inclined, that the present committee should be dissolved; an opinion, however, which further reflection on the various difficulties resulting from such a measure, the doubts entertained of the competency in the committee to dissolve itself, and the consideration that a dissolution must necessarily occur early in 1793, induced them to forego.

The plan inclosed, sanctioned by the general committee, by these independent gentlemen, and by lord Fingal and his friends, is recommended to your zeal to have carried into immediate execution in your country.

Signed by order,

RICHARD M'CORMICK, Sec'ry.

ON THE MANNER OF CONDUCTING THE ELECTION OF

DELEGATES.

It will be of great importance, in the present state of our affairs, that the delegates be chosen in such a manner as to make it appear evident, that the nomination of such delegates is authorised by all the people. But as it might be imprudent to call a meeting of all the Catholics of a country, for the purpose of proceeding to such an election, it is therefore suggested, that one or two of the most respectable persons in each parish be appointed electors, at a meeting to be held at such private house in the parish as may be most convenient to the inhabitants. These several electors, so appointed, may meet at any central place, for the purpose of choosing from one to four (as it may appear most expedient to them) of their own residents, as delegates to the general committee; no one to be eligible who shall not solemnly promise to attend his duty in Dublin, when required to do so by