any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority or preeminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm; and I do solemnly, in the presence of God, and his only Son Jesus Christ my Redeemer, profess, testify and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatever, and without any dispensation already granted by the Pope, or any authority of the See of Rome, or any person whatever, and without thinking that I am, or can be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other persons or authority whatsoever shall dispense with, or annul the same, or declare that it was null and void from the beginning. So help my God."

[A Copy of the Oath required by the Act of the 33d George 3d, chapter 21, was delivered in, and read as follows:]

"I, A. B. do hereby declare, That I do profess the Roman Catholic religion.

Ι

"I, A. B. do swear, That I do adjure, condemn, and detest, as unchristian, and impious, the principle, that it is lawful to murder, destroy, or anyways injure, any person whatsover, for or under the pretence of being a heretic; and I do declare solemnly, before God, that I 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. I also declare, that it is not an article of the Catholic faith, neither am I thereby required to believe or profess, that the Pope is infallible; or that I am 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, I hold, that it would be sinful in me to pay any respect or obedience thereto. I further declare, that I do not believe that any sin whatsoever committed by me, can be forgiven at the mere will of any Pope, or of any priest, or of any persons whatsoever; but that sincere sorrow for past sins, 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: and I do swear, that I will defend, to the utmost of my power, the settlement and arrangement of property in this country, as established by the laws now in being. I do hereby

disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure, any intention to subvert the present church establishment, for the purpose of substituting a Catholic establishment in its stead: and I do solemnly swear, that I will not exercise any privilege to which I am or may become entitled, to disturb and weaken the Protestant religion, and Protestant government, in this kingdom. So help my God."

Are you acquainted with the declaration that was published in Ireland by the Catholic committee in the year 1757, drawn up by a titular bishop, Dr. O'Keefe ?-I have a recollection that I have seen it.

Was that a document universally acknowledged and subscribed to, at the time, by the Catholics?-There is not the smallest doubt entertained by any Catholic with regard to it.

That declaration was first published in the year 1757 ?—I think it was about that time; that declaration was sent to the See of Rome, and I believe it was renewed afterwards, when there was some appearance of a French invasion.

Was it not again put forth in the year 1792, at the time that petitions were presented to Parliament, for the concessions that were made at that time ?—I think so.

14 Copy of the Declaration was delivered in, and read as follows:]

"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 opinions 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 anyways 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 political 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 other 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.

th. 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 sincere resolution to avoid future guilt, and to atone to God, are previous and indispensible 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 the 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, liberty, 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 Protestant religion, or Protestant government in this country."

What counties are under your jurisdiction in your diocese ? There is a part of seven counties; it is principally Leitrim and Longford; but there is a part of the county of Roscommon, a small part of the county of Sligo, and other counties.

In which of those counties do you reside?—I reside in the county of Longford.

In the discharge of your duties, and in the discharge of the duties of the inferior clergy who are under your direction, do you consider it right to co-operate with the magistrates of the country in endeavouring to maintain the tranquillity of the country, and to secure obedience to the laws?-Indeed I always wished to do so, and I have always been tolerably successful in having it so; I always believed it a matter of the utmost necessity; and whenever I have found in the diocese committed to my care, that there was not that kind of harmony between the magistrates and the Roman Catholic clergy, I think, in the same proportion, in gene ral, that neighbourhood was not tranquil.

In the discharge of that portion of your duty to which you have referred, have you met with the active and zealous co-ope ration of the magistrates of the country ?-Indeed I have, in many instances. I have met with it in the county of Fermanagh, where I was first placed, and have met it in the county of Leitrim; and I met it in the county of Longford, and no part of the country I ever was placed in, was disturbed. I was fortunate in that respect, for it is scarcely possible to describe the effect it pro duces on the public mind, when they see men of both religions, in public situations, go hand in hand with each other.

Have you any doubt, from the communications that you have received from the magistrates of the county of Longford, and more particularly from Lord Forbes, that the magistracy of the county of Longford attribute the tranquillity of the county, in a very considerable degree, to the cordial co-operation which exists between the justices of the peace and the Roman Catholic clergy? -I do believe it is a general feeling. I think I get more credit myself perhaps than I deserve, but it is a general feeling; much credit is due to Lord Forbes.

Is there, generally speaking, a cordial communication between the two sects, in the county of Longford ?-There is no open hostility, but there is a something of a heat of mind or an irritation, but there is nothing of a violent nature.

To what causes do you attribute this degree of irritation and distrust, that you have described to exist?-I think the party feelings of Orangemen and Ribbonmen, and the question of Ca tholic Emancipation, with the feelings of hope on one side, ac companied with some fear perhaps, and apprehension on the other side, altogether; there are two parties, and they are kept at that kind of distance, arising from a variety of causes, that I am not able to describe.

Having alluded to Catholic Emancipation, do you conceive that a strong feeling of anxiety upon that subject, exists amongst the bulk of the peasantry ?-I think very strong.

How do you consider that laws, which operate practically as an exclusion only of the higher orders, are considered by the lower orders as a grievance to them?-I know if they were asked what emancipation meant, they perhaps would not be able to define it; but they have a feeling that they are belonging to an excluded cast, and that they are not treated like the other subjects; that there is something wrong with them, and they are very anxious to be relieved from this kind of slavery, which they are not able to explain.

Do you consider that it produces any distrust of the law in its own nature, or of the administration of the law?-I think a great