It is really fhameful to fee what mean, malicious, and frivolous complaints against papists were received under the notion of grievances, by that parliament. petition of one Edward Sprag and others in behalf of themselves and other proteftant porters, in and about the city of Dublin, complaining, that one Darby Ryan a papist, employed porters of his own perfuafion, having been received and read, it was ordered to be referred to the examination and confideration of the committee of grievances, and that they fhould report their opinion thereon to the house." It is obfervable, that the complaint of the petition was not, that these proteftant porters were not employed by Ryan, but that the popish porters were. 2 And yet thefe fame commons, that fhewed fuch remarkable deference to this trifling petition of the proteftant coal-porters of Dublin, were not afhamed to refufe, in the fame feffion, common juftice, in a matter. of the laft confequence, to feveral of the most respectable Roman catholics of Ireland. For, upon a bill's being brought before them, very improperly intitled an act," for the confirmation of the articles of Limerick." A petition of Robert Cufack, gentleman, Capt. Francis Segrave, and Capt. Maurice Eustace, in behalf of themselves and others comprized under the articles of Limerick, fetting forth, that in the faid bill there were feveral clauses that would fruftrate the petitioners of the benefit of the fame; and if paffed into a law, would turn to the ruin of fome, and the prejudice of all perfons intitled to the benefit of the faid articles, and praying to be heard by counsel to faid matters; having been prefented and read, it was unanimously refolved that faid petition fhould be rejected." СНАР. CHA P. III. The catholics of Limerick cruelly treated. IT would be too tedious and irksome, to recite all the other inftances of the breach of these articles, which we find recorded and avowed in the public jour nals of that parliament. I fhall, therefore, only take notice of one remarkable paffage, which immediately preceded the paffing of the first act to prevent the further growth of popery. The catholic citizens of Limerick thought themselves particularly fecured, by their articles, from any fu ture molestation or disturbance on account of their religion; but befides what they had already fuffered, in common with the rest of their countrymen of the fame perfuafion, they are now compelled to abandon their dwellings, and fettlements there, on that fingle account:" for upon a petition of the mayor, theriffs, and proteftant aldermen of that city, complaining, (like the proteftant coal-porters of Dublin beforementioned) that they were greatly damaged in their trade, by the great numbers of papifts refiding there, and praying to be relieved therein; a claufe was ordered to be inferted in the act "to prevent the further growth of popery," that every person of the popish religion, then inhabiting within the faid city, or its fuburbs, fhould give in fufficient bail or fecurity, before the chief magiftrate of the faid city, that they would bear themfelves faithfully towards her majefty; or in default of giving fuch fecurity, fhould depart out of the faid city and fuburbs."" But By the 2d of the civil articles of Limerick," the inhabi tants or refidents thereof, of what profession, trade, or calling foever they be, fhall, and may use, exercife, and practife their respective trades and callings there, as freely as they did ufe, exercife and enjoy the fame in the reign of King Charles the fecond." And yet fays Sir Theobald Butler, in his pleading against But befides the difficulty thefe people were under of getting fuch fecurity, as, at that period of jealoufy and diftruft, would be allowed fufficient by the chiefmagistrate, who was himself the principal petitioner against them; even those few catholic inhabitants, whose security was unexceptionable, and who confequently could not be hindered to continue in their habitations, were yet, foon after, put under a neceffity of abandoning them, of their own accord; unless it can be fuppofed, that trading people can live contentedly, or with any fort of convenience, in a place where they are forced to remain separate from their wives, children, and fervants. For that fuch was to i be the fituation of thofe few licenfed catholics (not more than twenty were fuffered to be thus licenced), is manifeft from hence, that "in March 1704, a petition from the Roman catholic inhabitants of Limerick, praying that bail might be taken for their wives, children and fervants, as inhabitants thereof, having been presented to the house, and read, it was ordered to be rejected." b 1 Com. Journ. vol. iii. fol. 133. CHA P. 2 Ib. f. 281. against this clause, in the act of the 2d of Queen Anne, "the Roman catholic citizens of Limerick are prohibited by it from living or staying there, even fuch as were under the articles, and by virtue thereof had even fince (1691) lived there, without giving fuch fecurity, as neither these articles, nor any law heretofore in force, do require, except feamen, fishermen, and day-labourers, who did not pay above forty fhilllings a year rent." The act to prevent the further growth of popery fets forth, "that if any person or perfons of the popish religion, other than fuch trading merchants (viz. feamen, fishermen, and day-labourers, who did not pay above forty fhillings a year rent), not exceeding twenty, in each of the towns of Limerick and Galway, as fhall be licensed by the chief governor and governors of this kingdom, for the time being, fhall prefume to live, dwell, or inhabit, or take any houfe or tenement, in either of faid towns, or their fuburbs; he or they shall forfeit all his or their goods and chattels, and fuffer imprisonment for the space of one whole year." Com. Journ. vol. iii. f. 133. С НА Р. IV. Penal laws to prevent the further growth of popery. It is worthy of particular notice, that about the time of paffing this first act to prevent the further growth of popery, feveral members of the house of commons refigned their feats, defiring that writs might be iffued to chufe other members in their room. And these refignations became then fo frequent, that the house found it neceffary to refolve,' " that the excufing of members, at their own request, from the fervice of the house, and thereupon iffuing out new writs to elect other members to ferve in their places, was of dangerous confequence, and tended to the fubverfion of the conftitution of parliament." But the humour of refigning ftill continuing, it was afterwards "unanimously refolved, that it might be made the standing order of the house, that no new writs for electing members of parliament, in the place of members excufing themselves from the fervice of the house, do iffue, at the defire of fuch members, notwithstanding any former precedents to the contrary." So many, and fuch unufual refignations, evidently fhew, that several members, even of that parliament, were ashamed of their proceedings, and unwilling to be thought to have been any way concerned in them. In 1703, when the Irish commons, in a body, prefented to the Duke of Ormond, then lord lieutenant of Ireland, the first bill to prevent the further growth of "The commons (fays Burnet) offered this bill to the Duke of Ormond, preffing him with more than ufual vehemence, to intercede fo effectually, that it might be returned back under the great feal of England. It came over warmly recommended by the Duke of Ormond, &c." Hift. of his own Times, vol. ii. f. 214. of popery, to be tranfmitted into England, his grace was pleased to give them his promife, which, indeed, he punctually performed, "that he would recommend it in the most effectual manner, and do every thing in his power to prevent the growth of popery." There is no room to doubt of the Duke of Ormond's having always profeffed himself a zealous and fteadfast proteftant. But what evidently fhews, that hiş civil orthodoxy was not, therefore, the more to be relied upon, is, that he afterwards deferted his protestant king, and adhered to a popish pretender to his throne. For which the Irish commons unanimously voted him "guilty of high treafon; his eftate to be vefted in the crown; and that a reward of ten thoufand pounds fhould be offered for apprehending him, in cafe he landed in any part of Ireland." So that he who, in 1704, had been addreffed by them with particular marks of love and veneration, on account of his having procured this barrier to the proteftant religion, as that law was then, and has been fince called; became afterwards, in 1715, the public object of their averfion and contempt. For in their addrefs to the king, on occafion of the rebellion which had then broke out in Scotland, they told his majesty,'" that it was with the utmoft concern, they found that this country gave birth to James Butler, late Duke of Ormond; a perfon who, in defpite of his allegiance, and the obligations of repeated oaths, has been one of the chief authors and fomenters of that wicked and unnatural rebellion." 6 But, indeed, what better could thefe commons have expected from a perfon," who, regardless of public faith, and the articles of the capitulation of Limerick, had procured to be enacted, a penal statute, through which there runs fuch a vein of ingenious cruelty, that it seems to be dictated rather by fome prætor of Dioclefian, than by a British or Irish nobleman ?" It was a fingular circumftance in this duke's fortune, that although 3 Com. Journ. vol. iii. f. 201. + Id. vol. iv. f. 64. |