LXXXIX. 1.

“Mr. Butler's Address in 1813 to the Protestants of the United Empire.

"IN the last sessions of parliament, the house "of commons came to a resolution, that the house ""would early in the next session take into its ""most serious consideration the laws affecting "his majesty's roman-catholic subjects in Great "Britain and Ireland, with a view to such final, conciliatory adjustment, as might be conducive "to the peace of the united kingdom, stability "' of the protestant establishment, and the general "satisfaction and concord of all classes of his "majesty's subjects.'

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Encouraged by this resolution, the roman-ca"tholics of England and Ireland intend presenting immediately separate petitions to each house of parliament, for a repeal of the penal and dis"abling statutes, which still remain in force. 66 6 against them.'

In the mean time, they observe, with great "concern and surprise, that attempts are made to

prejudice the legislature against their application. "Many erroneous, artful, and inflammatory pub"lications of this tendency, have been actively "and extensively circulated. The charges brought "in them against the roman-catholics, are of the "most serious nature. The object of this address "to you, is to answer these charges, and to state to you, succinctly, the grounds of the intended

"application of the English roman-catholics to "the legislature for relief. The greatest part of "what is intended to be said in the address will

apply, in a great measure, as much to the situa"tion of the Irish and Scottish, as to the situation "of the English roman-catholics: but, as the penal "codes of Ireland, Scotland and England, in respect to roman-catholics, are very different, it has "been thought advisable to confine the present "address to the case of the English roman-catho"lics only."

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1.

"It is generally represented, in the publications, "of which we complain, that the English roman"catholics labour under no real grievances; and "that if all the remaining penal laws against them were repealed, the number of those, who would be really benefited by the repeal, would be too insigni"ficant to make their relief an object of legislative

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concern.

"But this representation is altogether erroneous "-the English catholics labour under many severe penalties and disabilities: their whole body is "affected by them, and would be essentially bene"fited by their removal.

"1st. By the 13th Charles the second, commonly "called the Corporation Act, their whole body is "excluded from offices in cities and corporations.

"2d. By the 25th Charles the second, commonly "called the Test Act, their whole body is excluded "from civil and military offices.

"How injurious these acts are, both to the

"public and to the individuals on whom they ope"rate, appeared in 1795; in which year, during the "then great national alarm of invasion, lord Petre, "the grandfather of the present lord, having, with "the express leave and encouragement of govern"ment, raised, equipped and trained, at his own expense, a corps of two hundred and fifty men for his majesty's service, requested that his son "might be appointed to the command of them. "His son's religion was objected, his appointment "was refused, and another person was appointed

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to the command of the corps. You cannot but "feel how such a conduct tended to discourage "the catholics from exertions of zeal and loyalty: "--but, the noble family had too much real love "of their country to resile from her service, even "under these circumstances. His lordship deli"vered over the corps, completely equipped, and "completely trained, into the hands of government, "and his son served in the ranks. Surely you "cannot think that laws, which thus tend to alien"ate the hearts, and paralyze the exertions of those "who, in the hour of danger, thus wished to serve "their country, are either just or wise.

"3d. By the 7th and 8th of William the third, "c. 27th, roman-catholics are liable to be pre"vented from voting at elections.

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4th. By the 30th Charles the second, s. 2, c. 1, "roman-catholic peers are prevented from filling "their hereditary seats in parliament.

"5th. By the same statute, roman-catholics are "prevented from sitting in the house of commons.

"6th. By several statutes, roman-catholics are "disabled from presenting to advowsons, a legal "incident of property, which the law allows even "to the Jew.

"7th. Though a considerable proportion of his majesty's fleets and armies is roman-catholic, not "only no provision is made for the religious com"forts and duties of roman-catholic soldiers and "sailors, but, by the articles of war, they are liable "to the very heaviest pains and penalties for refus"ing to join in those acts of outward conformity to "the religious rites of the established church, which "a roman-catholic considers to amount to a dere"liction of his faith. By the articles of war, sect. 1, "a soldier absenting himself from divine service "and sermon, is liable, for the first offence, to for"feit one shilling, and for the second, and every "other offence, to forfeit one shilling and to be "put in irons. By the same articles, sect. 2, art. 5, "If he shall disobey any lawful command of "his superior,' (and, of course, if he shall dis

obey any lawful commands of his superior officer "to attend divine service and sermon), he shall "suffer death, or such other punishment as by a general court-martial shall be awarded.'

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"In the last parliament, it was shown, that a "meritorious private, for refusing, (which he did "in the most respectful manner), to attend divine "service and sermon according to the rites of the "established church, was confined nine days, in a "dungeon, on bread and water.

"The roman-catholics acknowledge with grati

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"tude the virtual suspension of these laws, in consequence of the orders recently issued by his royal highness the present commander in chief, "and the facilities which they afford for enabling "the roman-catholic soldiers to attend their own "religious worship; but, they beg leave to observe, "that these humane regulations still want the firm "sanction of law, and therefore, to a certain extent, are still precarious: and are not always "attended to.

"8th. In common with the rest of his majesty's subjects, the roman-catholics contribute to the religious establishment of the country; they have also to support their own religious functionaries; and thus have a double religious establishment 'to defray. Of this, however, they do not complain; but they think it a serious grievance that "their own religious endowments are not legalized "like those of the protestant dissenters.

"In hospitals, workhouses, and other public "institutions, the attendance of the ministers of "their own communion is sometimes denied to the

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poor of the roman-catholic religion, and the chil"dren of the roman-catholic poor are sometimes "forced into protestant schools under the eyes of "their parents."

2.

"SUCH, fellow subjects, is the particular opera"tion of the principal laws still remaining in force "against your English catholic brethren.-The "general effect of them is, to depress every member