CHAP. XCII.

SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH

CATHOLICS.

1820.

SUCH, as we have described, was the situation of the British catholics, when the proceedings for their complete and final relief were begun.

On the 15th of February 1820, a full meeting was held of the British catholic board: his grace the duke of Norfolk was in the chair. An address to his majesty on his accession to the throne was unanimously agreed to: such an address was afterwards presented and graciously received.

On the 7th day of the following June, a petition from the catholics was presented to his majesty at the levee; it was expressed in the following terms: "To the King's most excellent Majesty :

"The humble petition of the undersigned persons, professing the roman-catholic religion in Great Britain,

"Showeth,-That your petitioners approach your "majesty's presence, ever entertaining the deepest

revise it, and supply any omissions or inaccuracies of the reporter. His lordship obligingly acceded to this request, and with his own hand, corrected the speech in some places, and made some additions to it in others. The сору, thus altered, is now in the hands of Mr. Edward Jerningham, the secretary; and from this copy, the two neat folio editions to which Dr. Milner refers, in his Supplemental Memoirs, were made.

"gratitude for the benefits conferred upon them, “ by the acts passed for their relief during the "benevolent reign of your majesty's royal father, "their late lamented sovereign.

"That there are, however, several penal and disabling laws still in force against them, which "are alike injurious to their particular interests, "and prejudicial to the general welfare of the state. "They impose upon your petitioners the same incapacities, with which the law visits convicted guilt they encourage popular prejudices: they perpetuate religious dissensions: and they prevent "that general concord in the empire so essential "to its happiness, prosperity and independence.

That, though your petitioners are marked out "as persons unworthy of public trust, yet they yield to no class of their fellow subjects in affec❝tionate loyalty to your majesty, in dutiful sub"mission to the laws, in attachment to the liberties, "and zeal for the honour of their country. They "have been accused of giving to a foreign potentate "part of that allegiance, which they owe to your

majesty's sacred person and government; but, "they have repeatedly denied the charge, and they beg leave, at the foot of your majesty's throne, ic again most solemnly to deny it.

They have lately joined with heart and voice "in proclaiming your majesty their liege lord and "sovereign. To your majesty they swear full and "undivided allegiance: in your majesty alone they "recognize the power of the civil sword within "this realm of England. They acknowledge in no

"foreign prince, prelate, state or potentate, any power "or authority to use the same, within the said realm, "in any matter or cause whatever, whether civil, "spiritual or ecclesiastical.

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"With these sentiments your petitioners throw "themselves upon your majesty's wisdom, liberality "and justice. They humbly pray, if it shall seem "meet to your royal judgment so to do, that your majesty may be graciously pleased to recommend "their case to the favourable consideration of par"liament. And they beseech Almighty God, by "whom kings do reign, to bless your majesty with long and happy years to rule over them."

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This petition was signed by the duke of Norfolk, the earl of Surry, lord Shrewsbury, lord Kinnaird, lord Stourton, lord Petre, lord Arundell and lord Clifford; by Dr. Gibson, the vicar-apostolic in the northern district, Dr. Smith his coadjutor; by Dr. Collingridge, vicar-apostolic in the western district; by Dr. Poynter, vicar-apostolic in the London district; by Dr. Alexander Cameron, vicar-apostolic in the lowland district in Scotland, by Dr. Alexander Paterson, his coadjutor; and by Dr. Ronald MacDonald, vicar-apostolic in the highland district; by almost all the catholic baronets, (including sir George Jerningham, the claimant of the Stafford peerage); by almost all the catholic clergy, and by most other catholics of family. From the list of those who signed, we must except Dr. Milner: he objected to the language of the petition: but his objections were not distinctly pronounced; and it is probable that they were not considerable, as he permitted the petition to be generally signed both by the clergy and laity within his district.

By the petition, the catholics profess full and undivided allegiance to his majesty: this expression was particularly used to meet the charge, which, as we have mentioned in the preceding chapter, was brought against them by the bishop of Peterborough, of dividing their allegiance between his majesty and the pope.

It has been asserted, that cardinal Fontana, the prefect of the congregation De Propaganda Fide, expressed a decided disapprobation of this address, and required the British and Irish prelates to oppose its signature by their respective flocks: it has also been asserted, that it was objected to by the present writer. These are great misrepresentations, and render it necessary to state the real fact.

We must therefore mention, that, previously to the drawing up of the petition, which we have transcribed, another had been prepared and submitted to the board. To this, some gentlemen, and among these the present writer, objected, not on account of any substantial impropriety, but because they apprehended it contained some words, the import of which was too easily liable to be misrepresented: it was, therefore, withdrawn. This circumstance, or rather an erroneous notion of it, becoming known and reaching Ireland, a respectable personage too hastily wrote to cardinal Fontana, a letter, which led his eminence to believe that an oath had been devised, by which all authority, both civil and spiritual, was acknowledged to reside in the king. The cardinal, of course, answered, that such an oath could not be taken, and that he trusted the bishops would oppose it. This answer was evidently hypothetical: the reader has seen that the real petition did not contain any such expression, and that it was signed by all the English pre

lates, except Dr. Milner, and by all the Scottish prelates.

When it was produced at the board, neither the writer, nor any other person objected to it; no discussion upon it took place it was only asked, whether it had been approved by Dr. Poynter? This being answered in the affirmative, it was adopted instantly and without a single dissentient voice.

The reader now sees, with what extreme injustice cardinal Fontana's letter has been applied to the real petition but the injustice has not stopped here; the cardinal's letter has been represented as applying to the oath inserted in Mr. Plunkett's bill, to which our subject now leads us: but this oath did not reach, and was not known at Rome, till after the date of cardinal Fontana's letter.

We must take this early opportunity of observing, that, when it is said that Dr. Poynter, or any other catholic, approved an oath or any other solemn instrument in the concerns of the catholics, it is not meant to import, that he thought it just that it should be required of the catholics, or pleasant to their own feelings, that it should be required of them: the word imports only that, in his opinion, it contained nothing contrary to the faith or discipline of the romancatholic church, and was, in that respect, and to that extent, approved by them.