Does not it excite against him the prejudice of his neighbours? I am not aware that it does; they may disapprove of his Conduct.

Do you know any instances in which it has so operated?—No, not to his injury.

Does this mode of levying this particular assessment generally prove sufficient for its enforcement?-It often fails.

Is it applied to any other assessment excepting that for chapels? For chapels and schools.

And those only ?-Those only.

Has it not been applied occasionally to the levy of what is called Catholic Rent? Not to my knowledge, never in any one instance.

Have you never heard that a clergyman did withhold, or threaten to withhold the performance of a religious rite, or remonstrate publicly with an individual, on that account?-Certainly not in my part of the country; they never made any observation upon any individual for the non-payment of that contribution; in fact, I do not suppose there was any great opportunity, for I never knew any money that was paid with such alacrity as that was.

In your diocese no instance of that kind occurred?—I never heard of one.

Are the assessments for the repair of chapels laid on by the people themselves?-By the people themselves, by the heads of villages; the clergyman is recommended to form them into a committee, who assess the parish, and the clergyman is the principal collector of this assessment; he pays it into the hands of a treasurer appointed by themselves, and the money is expended afterwards.

Can you describe to the Committee the manner in which church and parochial rates are levied within the parishes with which you are acquainted in the arch-diocese of Tuam?—The collection of the church rates rests with the churchwardens; they employ a clerk, and this clerk sends out his man amongst the people, and he collects this church rate from them.

The churchwarden is empowered by the vestry?-By the vestry.

Are you able to inform the Committee how the vestry is assembled and constituted?-I have never attended at a vestry, but I have heard it mentioned that the parishioners assemble there, Catholic and Protestant, and that the vestry cess for the year is announced and discussed; the Catholics are allowed to offer their opinion on the matter, but if a difference of opinion should arise, I understand that latterly the Catholics have been

excluded, as not having a legal right to vote in vestries on the occasions for which they are usually assembled.

Not having votes in church matters?-Not having votes in the vestries on those occasions.

Do you mean that they are allowed to attend and give opinions, but not to give their votes?—Yes..

Do you mean that they have no votes on any occasion in vestries, or that being assembled in vestry, they are excluded from voting in matters relative to the repair of churches?-In matters relative to the repair of churches. Among others, they are allowed to be present at the discussion, and where they come to vote an assessment for the repair of the church they are excluded, I have heard them say so.

Do you mean that they have a vote in all proceedings of vestries except as to the amount of assessment?-No, I have not known them to vote at all.

Is not the exclusion of Catholics from voting at vestries in the parish at Tuam, for example, a matter of late origin, and a few years ago were not they allowed to vote?-It is a matter of late origin; they were always in the habit before of taking a share in it.

Residing in the parish of Tuam, you can inform the Committee whether the amount of rate has been greatly augmented since the period when they have ceased so to vote at vestries?— Yes, I have heard them say that it has increased considerably. Do you know whether their attendance at vestries is a matter of right, or a matter of courtesy-A matter of courtesy, on those occasions, I understand.

Do you you know any instances in which, at the parochial vestries, sums have been voted for the repair of Roman Catholic chapels in your district?-I have heard of one instance.

And levied on the parish ?-Levied on the parish.

Or for the support of Roman Catholic schools? I have never known any thing to be done in vestry for Catholic schools; I have heard of one vote of a vestry for the repair of a chapel. Where was that ?-At Athenry.

Although a vote has not been specifically made for the repair of chapels, are not you aware that sometimes, under a vote for contingencies, there is a sum included for the repair of Roman Catholic chapels ?-I never knew an instance in the arch-diocese of Tuam, except the one I have mentioned.

Do you know of any considerable sum having been assessed in the parish of Tuam for the repair of the cathedral church ?— Yes, I have heard of that.

Do you know what amount?-1500. I understood.

Are you aware what the assessment made in the parish of Athenry was, which you have alluded to?-10%. I understood. Annually?-No, only on one occasion.

Was this vote in the parish of Athenry in support of a Roman Catholic chapel made while the Catholics were in participation of the right of voting at vestries ?-I never knew them to have the right of voting; they were lately excluded from attaching any weight to their opinions.

In the course of the last year there prevailed in Ireland gene-. rally a strong opinion on the subject of certain prophecies known by the name of Pastorini's Prophecies, were they much circulated within the arch-diocese of Tuam?-I have made the most

diligent search in my power, and in my life I never met more than two copies of Pastorini's Prophecies; they certainly_were not in general circulation throughout the arch-diocese of Tuam, for I used the utmost diligence, and got my clergy to unite in making the most strict search, and we could not make out a third copy of Pastorini's Prophecies.

Can you inform the Committee what the impression was generally with respect to those prophecies upon the minds of the lower orders of the population?I do not think the prophecies of Pastorini were much read or understood in my part of the country at all.

Have you heard that in other parts of Ireland they were extensively circulated? Yes, I have.

Did you hear whether they had much effect upon the people in those other parts of the kingdom?—I think that they made an impression upon some individuals.

Or that there was considerable expectation and excitement in the popular mind caused by them?-Not that I could ever discover.

Did not some members of the Catholic prelacy publish addresses to the people to dissuade them from believing in those prophecies, and to deny any authority being attached to them by the church?-They did.

May the Committee not assume then, when such letters came forth from them, that the circulation of the prophecies must have been general, at least in those dioceses where such addresses were published?—I cannot speak as to other dioceses.

Did not the clergy in your diocese also inculcate upon the people that the church attached no authority to those publications?-They did; and for the last year in particular, in consequence of the importance that was attached to those prophecies by some persons, the clergy throughout the diocese had instructions to announce to the peasantry not to read the prophecies of Pastorini should they come in their way, or any other prophecies

whatsoever; nor any books having a tendency to inflame their minds; and, in short, to submit all books to their pastors for inspection.

At what time was this?-Throughout the entire of the last year. Are there generally amongst the people circulated prophecies of a general nature, which lead them to the expectation of the accomplishment of particular events, or of great changes arising in their situation, or in that of the country; is such the habit or the custom in your part of the country?—I believe there are imposters, who go about and undertake to circulate and explain prophecies; but I never could learn that they were successful in their imposition, or that they had made any material impression.

Or that much credit is attached to them?-Or that much credit is attached to them.

Is the belief general in Ireland in the cases which have been stated of the miraculous cures that have taken place, and have been supposed to take place in consequence of the interposition of particular prayers or services of the church? There is a general belief that God listens to the prayers of pious men, and that through their intercession the infirm are sometimes restored to health.

And that such was the case in the instances which have been published?-And that such has been the case in some late instances. The Catholic doctrine, with respect to miracles, is, that God has at all times the power of performing miracles, and that he does sometimes perform those miracles through the intervention of pious persons.

Are those miracles regarded by the Roman Catholic church, as evidence of the superiority of that church to others?-The Catholic church does consider that the power of working miracles is a strong evidence of the truth of the faith of the church.

Is the opinion inculcated or believed, that it is a proof of the exclusive truth of that church? The Catholics believe their church to be the true church, and consider that miracles furnish one of its proofs.

Do they consider, in the Roman Catholic church, the performance of those miracles to be evidence of the superiority of that church to all others?—They do consider those miracles as one of the proofs of the truth of the faith of their church.

Are there a great number of Catholics who do not believe in the truth of those miracles?-No Catholic is bound to believe in the existence of those miracles to which allusion is made.

Are you aware of the fact that there are a great number of Catholics who do not believe in those miracles?—I am; they do not cease to be Catholics on that account,

Do Catholics conceive any particular privilege to be obtained by their own Church in consequence of those miracles?—They conceive the power of working miracles to exist, but in what particular instance that power is exercised they are not called upon to decide.

That is a matter of private judgment ?-That is a matter of private judgment, as to the recent miracles.

And formed upon their own view, on examination of the evidence on which each rests?-Exactly.

How can a miracle which parties are at liberty to believe or disbelieve afford any evidence of the truth of the church in which it is worked? The evidence afforded of the truth of the faith that is in our church, is deduced from the miracles formally recognised in the universal church; but as to the particular question whether this power has been recently exercised, that is a matter of private judgment which does not affect the faith of an individual.

Does the Roman Catholic church consider that miracles can be worked by other churches?-The Roman Catholic church believes that God can work a miracle through the instrumentality of any agent he may please to select.

Do they believe that a miracle so worked is evidence of the truth of that religion through the instrumentality of which it is worked?-Miracles form a part of the evidences of the true

church.

In point of fact, are the Committee to understand that all miracles subsequent to those recorded in the New Testament are matters on which a good Catholic may exercise his private judgment as to any particular miracle?-Certainly. But every good Catholic believes that miracles have been wrought in the church subsequent to those recorded in the New Testament, and may still continue to be wrought.

Subsequent to those recorded in the Evangelical books?—Yes. Yesterday you stated, in your examination, that in the prayers which were addressed to the Virgin Mary, Catholics addressed her not as a Divinity, but as an intercessor ?—Yes.

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The Committee see in a book which contains prayers addressed by Roman Catholics to the Deity, the following prayer: "Tu qui es Mater Dei miserecordissima humilis omnibus penitentibus inclinans potestissima; quia per te ruine angelice reparantur, per te sanctis vite janua aperitur, que regem glorie tuis sacris "uberibus lacrasti et nuturisti et totis visceribus dilexisti, te deprecor ut mea inopia sublevetur, ut per te purgationem peccatorum obtineam?" does not that prayer infer something "more than a prayer of intercession?-Not in the least, it is through her intercession; the words are "ut per te purgationem peccatorum obtineam,"

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