and never gall.-He has never met with a member of either house of parliament, whatever might be his politics or connections, who was not convinced, and who did not explicitly avow his conviction, that, in the project of the veto, the views of lord Castlereagh towards the catholics were both kind and honourable.

Upon the whole, therefore, though the writer thinks vetoistical provisions unnecessary, and sincerely wishes that they should not be resorted to, he yet conceives that a vetoistical arrangement, either formally approved, or impliedly but clearly acquiesced in by the pontiff, would be both a prudent and an innocuous propitiation; a wise and lawful sacrifice for emancipation.

As such he wishes, that if it be insisted upon, it should be accepted. Of this, he is quite certain, that those, who proffer it, mean us well.

CHAP. XC.

SUBSEQUENT ACT, FOR REGULATING THE ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS, IN CERTAIN CASES, TO OFFICERS IN HIS MAJESTY'S LAND AND SEA SERVICE.

IN a former part of this work it has been mentioned, that the act of the 25th of Charles the second, commonly called the Test Act, enjoins all officers, civil and military, to take the oath and declaration against transubstantiation, and to take

the sacrament of our Lord's Supper within six months after their appointment: and that by the 1st of George the first, and subsequent acts, all persons holding offices, civil or military, are enjoined to take the oath of supremacy, within the like period of six months.

It is observable, that neither of these acts authorizes the tendering of the prescribed oaths to any person, before he enters into office, to qualify him to hold it.

The very small number of those, who comply with the requisitions of these acts, gave rise to the Annual Act of Indemnity, which provides, that persons, who, before the passing of it, have omitted to qualify, in the manner prescribed by the acts which have been mentioned, and who shall properly qualify before the 25th of the ensuing December, shall be indemnified against all penalties and disabilities; and that their elections, and all the acts done by them, shall be good.

This statute contains nothing, which excludes roman-catholics from the benefit of its provisions.

Upon this act, it was concluded that catholics were virtually eligible to civil and military offices, as much as his majesty's protestant subjects. It was admitted, that, by accepting the offices, they were equally subject, with protestants, to the penalties of not qualifying for them: but, it was contended, that their appointments to such offices would be good; and that, like his majesty's protestant subjects, they would be relieved against the penalties, by the annual Act of Indemnity.

This certainly was the opinion of sir James Mansfield, and Mr. Serjeant Hill ;— when, in 1796, lord Petre, the grandfather of the present lord, raised and equipped, at his own expense, a body of two hundred and fifty men, and requested the command of them for his son,-his request was refused, and Mr. Petre served in the ranks.

In addition to the acts we have mentioned, the act of the 1st of William and Mary provided, that "all persons, who should be put into employment,

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as a commission officer, or non-commission or "warrant officer, by sea or land, should, before "the delivery of such commission, or warrant, "take the oaths of allegiance or supremacy;" and the persons mentioned in the act, were authorised to tender them.

All these acts were repealed, to a certain extent, in favour of the Irish catholics, by the act of 1793: but, by a strange inconsistency, the Irish were subject to them, in all places, within their operation, except Ireland. For their relief, in this respect, an act was passed, on the motion of the late duke of Norfolk.

The act of the "57th of his majesty, for regu"lating the administration of oaths, in certain "cases, to officers in his majesty's land and sea "forces," authorises the delivery of commissions and warrants to officers, in the army or navy, without requiring them, before their commissions or warrants are delivered to them, to take the oaths, or subscribe the declarations in question. This act, however, does not dispense with their obliga

tion of taking or subscribing them, subsequently to their appointments: but, from the consequences of this omission, they are relieved by the annual acts of indemnity.

Thus, his majesty may now appoint a catholic to any office in the land or sea service, and his commission or warrant may now be delivered to him, without previously requiring him to take the oaths, or subscribe the declarations, required by the qualifying acts. This is the whole benefit conferred on the catholics by the act in question; for the oaths and declaration may be previously required, if the person authorised to require them, insist on it. Neither does the act extend to civil offices.

Small, therefore, in this point of view, is the boon conferred on the catholics by this act: but its effects are likely to be considerable. It is something gained upon the remaining penal code;this alone makes it of consequence.

Public opinion gives it a much greater operation than it really has ;-this too is of consequence.

It completely removes the objection to the appointments of catholics to offices, from the supposed unconstitutionality of such appointments. This was its most salutary effect, and made the act invaluable.

In a former page, we inserted the writer's address to his protestant fellow subjects, in 1813; we now beg leave to present our readers with his address to them in 1817. It states, in a few lines,

the former and the present state of the English catholics, since the Reformation, and may therefore serve, without impropriety, for a conclusion to the attempt made, in these pages, to give a succinct view of their general history during that period.

"To all the Protestants of Great Britain and "Ireland.

"Brethren and Fellow Subjects!

"In a few days, the petitions, repeatedly pre"sented by his majesty's roman-catholic subjects, "for the repeal of the penal laws, which still re“main in force against them, will, once more, solicit "the attention of the house of commons; and will, "they trust, have your universal wish for their "success. Leaving to his most honourable and "most honoured brethren in faith, the Irish roman"catholics, and to their abler pens, the advocation "of their own cause, an English roman-catholic, "who once before addressed you, and was kindly "heard, again entreats your benign consideration "of the case of his more aggrieved brethren, the "roman-catholics of England.

"1. At the time of his majesty's accession to the "throne, the English roman-catholics were subject "to several disabling, penal, and even sanguinary "laws, on account of their religious creed. They "were prohibited, by severe penalties, from exercising any act of their religious worship; were subject to heavy fines for keeping schools for the "education of their children in their own country;