committee, who made upon them the following report:

"Your committee having, in obedience to 66 your directions, carefully perufed the refolutions of the Catholics of Ireland, report, that faid re"folutions contain the most unequivocal fenti❝ments of loyalty to our most gracious Sove66. reign, George the Third, of love for our coun

try, and obedience to its laws, and the moft "humble hope of being restored to fome partici"pation of its excellent conftitution.

"That your Catholic brethren refer, with con"fidence, to the numberless proofs they have "given of fidelity in times the maft perilous, "when rebellion raged in the bofom of Britain, "and when foreign invafion threatened our coaft;

and to that alacrity with which all defcriptions "of our people took the oath of allegiance; " and they rely that their fcrupulous obfervance "of fuch facred obligation will no where be " doubted, when it is confidered, that if they "took thofe oaths required by law, they would "thereby

"thereby become entitled to all the rights of ❝ citizens,

"That, with all humility, they confide in the "justice, liberality, and wisdom of Parliament, " and the benignity of our moft gracious Sove, "reign, to relieve them from their degraded fitua❝tion, and no longer to fuffer them to continue "like ftrangers in their native land; but thus "have the glory of fhewing all Europe, that in "the plenitude of power, ftrength, and riches of "the British empire, when nothing they grant "can be imputed to any motives but those of jus ❝tice and toleration; that, at fuch a period, they "deign to hear and relieve their oppreffed and "faithful fubjects, and to unite them for ever to "their country, by every tie of gratitude and in"tereft; and that they will fhew to all Europe, "that humble and peaceful conduct, and dutiful "application, are the only true and effectual me"thods for good fubjects to obtain relief from a "wife and good government.

"That our Catholic brethren therefore defire, that application may be made for such relief as

"the

"the wifdom and justice of Parliament may grant; "and they hope to be restored, at least, to fome

"of the rights and privileges which have been

L

wifely granted to others who diffent from the "established church; that they may be thus "enabled to promote, in conjunction with the rest " of their fellow-fubjects, the present and future happiness and ftrength of their country.

"That our faid Catholic brethren direct, that "fuch application be immediately made, and con"tinued, in the most fubmiffive and conftitutional "manner, for a mitigation of the restrictions and difqualifications under which they labour.”

The general committee having agreed with and adopted this report, a petition was prepared in order to be laid before Parliament in the ensuing feffion.

With this petition a deputation of the general committee waited upon the chief Secretary, Lord Hobart, to folicit the countenance and protection of government, but in vain. This was not only refufed them, but the Catholics of Ireland, conflituting,

$ 2

conftituting, at the loweft calculation, threefourths of the inhabitants of the kingdom, had not even fufficient influence to induce any one member of Parliament to prefent it.

A fecond deputation having failed to obtain even an answer from government to a renewed application for its fupport, it was determined to fend Mr. Keogh to London, to lay before his Majesty's Minifters the state of his Catholic fubjects.

Mr. Keogh, on his arrival in London, inftituted a negociation with Mr. Pitt and the Cabinet; at the clofe of which, the Catholics were given to understand that they might hope for four objects-grand juries, county magiftrates, high fheriffs, and the bar. Admiffion to the right of fuffrage was alfo mentioned, and taken under confideration.

The spirit of religious liberty having, at this time, made great progress among the Proteftant diffenters in Ulfter, the 1ft Belfast volunteer company, in July 1791, paffed a refolution in favour'

of

of admitting the Catholics a full enjoyment of the constitution; and, in October, the great Northern Affociation of United Irifhmen* pledged themfelves" to endeavour, by all due means, to pro"cure a complete and radical reform of the people in Parliament, including Irishmen of every religious perfuafion."

In the mean time, whilft Mr. Keogh as in London, the Irish Administration had been endeavouring to counteract the views of the Catholic body, by a negociation with the principal nobility and gentry belonging to it; and, in fome degree, their exertions were successful. For, at a meeting of the general committee, held in December 1791, for the purpose of considering of the policy of petitioning Parliament in the enfuing feffion, fome of the meeting wished to adopt a refolution of feeking no removal of the existing dif abilities, but in fuch a manner and to fuch an extent as the wisdom of the legislature deemed expedient. This was refifted by others, and, on a divifion

* It was not till 1794, that a new society, under this name, embarked in an attempt to feparate Great Britain and Ireland.