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obtaining his sanction for proceeding to this last of spiritual Punishments. It is, then, a matter of just and grievous complaint amongst the Catholic Clergy of Ireland, that the exercise of this species of Jurisdiction has been assailed by Judicial decisions, of recent date, declaring it to be ob. noxious to the Laws, and punishable equally with common defamation.These decisions, coupled with strong declarations from high authority, hos tile to the existence of a Catholic Hierarchy, amount to a public avowal of an intention to extinguish all Power and Jurisdiction enjoyed by the Catholic Clergy, even with the voluntary concurence of the People. If, indeed, the Catholic Clergy under the pretence of excommunication, sought to establish an arbitrary right of overstepping the legitimate boundaries of this Jurisdiction, at their discretion; for instance, in adding slander or defa. mation to the Language of the sen• tence, in cautioning the public against the expelled member, as immoral, &c. by injuring him in his trade, or by similar extra-official Acts-If they sought to deprive him of his temporal Rights, or to subject him to the temporal Penalties annexed by the Laws of those realms to Excommunication; then, indeed, they could not complain of being deprived of the exercise of this Power. But they neither profess, nor mean, any such thing. Excom. munication, as understood by them, we have already described to be "a mere separation of a person from the "faithful in Spirituals." Of this Right no power upon Earth can divest them. If they refuse to admit to Communion a notorious Sinner, or an incorrigible delinquent, how can the laws take cognizance of such refusal? Yet this is a species of excommunication.

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All Classes of Religious Dissenters, Presbyterians, Quakers, &c. and even Jews, exercise this Right of excommunication. Nay, it is a Right,

recognized by express decisions of the Courts of Law in England. It is inherent in the Constitution of every Community, Civil and Religious. If a member of such a Community acts disgracefully in it, or chooses to violate its settled Rules and Laws (and which he must be taken, as a mem· ber, to have assented to) nothing seems more reasonable or necessary, than that the Community, or its chief members, should exercise the right of expelling him. And, if any conse quences, injurious to his interests cr reputation, should happen to result from such expulsion, it would be an enormous injustice to compensate the Offender at the expence of the Com munity, who were so compelled to remove him.

(To be Continued.).

Counsellor Plunket.

This Gentleman published a long affidavit sworn before one of the Justices of the Kings Benchof—in which he utterly de nies any intimacy having ever existed between himself and any of the F mily of the late Doctor Emmet. The following circumstances copied from sketches of Irish History, written by Doctor Mac Neven, and published by Dornin, in New York, in 1807, we lay before our readers, which enable them to give credit, where it mest justly is deserved. At the same time they are to observe, that work has been composed and given to the world as Historical facts, by the concurrence of Counsellor Emmet,-(Brother Ex Director of Doctor Mac Neven's,) both at present residing in New York, in the most respectable ranks of life, and on the most friendly intimacy with each other. The causes which gave exist ence to the documents we quote, werd, that the Government Prints had mah ciously insinuated stories to the preju dice of the bonor and character of Ar thur O'Connor, Counsellor Emmett

and

and Doctor Mac Neven, confined nistration, which imitated in this pro

at that period in Kilmainham Goal, which they refuted by the following advertisement inserted in Saunders's News Letter."

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Having read in the different news papers, publications pretending to be abstracts of the report of the secret Committee of the House of Commons, and of our depositions before the Committees of the lords and commons; we feel ourselves called upon to assure the public, that they are gross, and to us, astonishing misrepresentations, not only unsupported by, but, in many instances, directly 'contradictory to the facts we really stated on those occasions. We farther assure our friends, that in no instance did the name of any individual escape from us; on the contrary, we always refused answering such questions as might tend to implicate any person whatever, conformably to the agreement entered into by the state prisoners with government.

ceeding the ancient policy of the English, in making Irishmen the executioners of one another. The conduct of both marks the inhumarity and meanness to which Irish gentlemen debased themselves at this period, the better to signalize their loyalty towards the rulers of wretched Ireland."

ARTHUR O'Connor, THOMAS ADDIS EMMET, WILLIAM JAMES MAC NEVEN." "The sending forth of this advertisement from the body of a prison, and authenticated by the names of the parties, left no doubt of the truth of its allegations. A tempest of folly and fury was immediately excited in the House of Commons. Blinded by their rage, the members of that honourable assembly neglected the obvious , distinction between the newspapers and their report. They took to themselves the falsehoods that had been repelled. Mr. M.Naghten, and two virulent barristers, Francis Hutchinson and Cuningham Plunket, were even cla.morous for having the persons who signed the refutation disposed of by a summary execution. Plunket had been the bosom intimate of Emmet, the companio: of his childhood, and the friend of his youth. Hutchinson af. terwards acknowledged that he was instigated to what he did by the admi

Mr. Finlay's Dinner,

Mr. Finlay, the free Hosier, whose musical talents on the Nottingham piano, is the subject of a pretty song, by the pen of Mr. Coady, poet laureat to the Beef Stake Club, gave his inauguration dinner on Monday, as successor to Mr. Wickham, late of the loyal Dunlavin Rangers, to the post of clerk of the markets; an office in the gift of William Henry Archer, Sword Cutler, Police-man, and Lord Mayor. No loyal eating since the demise of Alderman Fleming was better arranged, in Morrison's best stile: the meat was of Jack Keegan's killing, and the wines were selected from those frequently enjoyed at the table of Sir John Ferns, by the present Lords Ormond, Cahir, and Barrymore, and General Sir John Cradock, judiciously preserved for particular occasions, from the aucMr. tioneer's hammer by a friend. Finlay gratified the company with an exquisite display of his fingers on a stocking loom piano, accompanied by the vocal powers of Messrs. Spray, Weyman and Jager. Mr. Clarendon, the free Barber, whose nose gave a color to his corporation patrons, fə reject him on the supposed incapacity of the organ for discovering stinks, sung the "Boyne Water," great command of voice, and much musical accuracy. Mr. Judge representative for the corporation of Cooks, and formerly groom of the stool, to Lord Kingston, gave his favourite "The Mud Island Traitors." song, Larry Tighe governor of Bridewell,

with

sung

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"Who should it be but the sung " which was encored repeatMajor," edly. Mr. Supple, Senior Surveyor of blown mutton, gave "A fishing we will go." Mr. Firethatch, who was since appointed to the canal business, at the invitation of the associated lords at Mullingar, houered the comwith the powers of base voice, in pany the song

"The Mafor saved states, and the Major hung mess

« And if Traitars provoke him he ll do it again."

Nothing could exceed the applause this beautiful song of thirty verses excited; loyalty with all the burning zeal of 1798, were almost so far roused beyond mere theory, that, nothing but the inaccuracy of the hands, deranged as much the heads, prevented the assembled heroes of igniting the paper hangings with the waxen tapers, It required all the moderation that Cody got with his place from the Bishop of Meath, to restore tranquil. lity. Captain Huddlestone who sat between his two brothers, of the bat. talion of, Counsellor Fitzsimons and the Wrestling Doctor being called on, sung in good stile

"The State and the Laws will destroy Traitors hope,

"By chastising each rogue with a gibber and rope;

"And though one fellow swings, and another doth curse, 'Tween the Castle and Bible, I'll garnish my purse.

This song of ten verses, was received with enthusiasm, and a copy was requested by one of the attending choristers, who promised to set it to

music.

Doctor Brenan next favored the ex. pecting company with a few verses of his own pen, which were highly praised for their classical elegance, by Mr. Cody; they began in those words:

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Tuesday, the 17th of March, the Anniversary observed by our poor Coun try, in Commemoration of our patron Saint, my American friend requested my company on another excursion through Dublin, and we began our day's amusement at the Marine Hose pital.

My friend inquired the nature of this institution? I described it thus ;

Citizen.--This is the Marine Hospi. tal, founded for the apparent purpose of educating the orphan sons of sea. men; but is like other establishments professedly endowed for charitable pur. poses, congerted into a crib for enticing the children of poor Catholics to be educated in the English system of Christianity, which is directed to make the unfortunate child forget-his pa rents, his country, and friends, and to transfer those generous and natural attachments to another country. Tho' it does not at present contain two hundred pupils; yet on the late grant made by Parliament to the sup port of various public institutions. A

sum

sum equal to the one-third of that voted for the use of the whole Catholic priesthood of Ireland, was granted to this beggarly school, where there is not more than one schoolmaster.

Stranger. Your law-makers should do things with more decency, and with some apparent attention to the - general sentiment. They ought to avoid any gross insult that would be understood by the great community of the nation. It would appear, that the nation who could thus insult and degrade five millions of people is as powerful as she is unjust, or, that the multitude which she governs so clum sily are insensible to injuries, and patient enough to crouch under every form of oppression.

Citizen. Such is the plain and un. equivocal conduct of England, that she would not deign to disguise the plans of her policy.

Stranger. You promised to con. duct me to the Dublin Society, in which I understand are preserved many very curious articles of the fine and useful arts, with a good collection of plants, minerals, and other branches of natural history.

Citizen-Let us proceed to the Dublin Society House.

DUBLIN SOCIETY. Citizen. This is the House you so much desired to see: we will, if you please, go in. They enter.

Citizen. This room is the meeting hall, where the members meet, under whose care this great national establishment is conducted.

Stranger. It is judiciously constructed. The members, I presume, are men of taste, learning, and well versed in the fine arts, and the various branches of natural history, rural economy, and mechanical ingenuity and science.

Citizen. As I am not very competent to judge of the acquirements and talents necessary to guide so great an establishment, I can do little more

than repeat the names of the leading persons. The first is Town Major Sirr, head of the Committee of Arts. If we are to judge of his capability to conduct this department, by his pas sion for valuable paintings, engravings, statues, vases, lamps, tapestry, and models in wax and plaister; and by the great collection he has made, in less than sixteen years, the Major must be equal to Monge or David. Captain Stanley, late a member of Beresford's cavalry, and rough-rider to that cele brated corps. The Right Hon. John Foster, whose picture ornaments the Hall, and whose character is so much appreciated with his grateful Country, is another of the Committee; with Major Vallancey, and J. C. Beresford, are the most distingushed of the mem. bers.

Mr. Kirwan, as Professor of Che. mistry, has the care of the gas bottles; Dr. Wade is lecturer on after grasses and Mr. Davy, on sand quarrys and coal-pits. The learned Mr. Lanigan is letter reader; and Mr. Wynne is birdcatcher; by this you may discern the temper and policy of a Legislature, that in its present sitting, to such a trifling childish establishment, granted 10,000l. and refused it to a College for the use of five millions of people.

Stranger-Indeed, it must be admitted, that in opulent communities the cultivation of the fine arts is an object of refinement highly useful; but this object is defeated, and is highly ridiculous, when the care of it is intrusted to tasteless and illiterate men. To this folly and prodigality, you apply considerable sums to bird catching, merely for imprisoning the creature's plumage in glass cases. Pay another man for talking an entire season on chick-weed and marshmallows; on the breed, sexes, and amours of butter cups. This is folly in the extreme, at the very moment your peasantry are starving. Another man you have for boiling flints, decomposing cows horns, or bottling aqua fortis, retained

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at a considerable expense, while trade languishes, and the people are either emigrating to seek a subsistence, or shot, to amuse a licensed association of murderers. The absurdities are encreased, by paying another person, with an augur in his hand, travelling the country, to look for mines that dare not be opened.

Every act of your public economy is at variance with common sense, and with humanity. Your entire people are in want of the necessaries of existence; they have been deprived of bread by the Act of Union; and the authors of that measure, would barbarise them by discountenancing education; while you legitimate misery by your silence on industry, and an avowed enmity to the improvement of morals. You erect a show box, fill it up with but terflies, dead goldfinches, salted serpents, black spars, gravel, and paint ings. You call the barbarous miscellany, a Dublin Society of Arts,' and select Vandals to direct the nonsense. In America we never engaged in silly whimsies, until our people had secured every means of abundance; which unrestrained trade, and unknown taxation, had extended to every person in the community, We have warm cottages for our peasantry; good food and raiment ; and every man is so conscious of the general happiness, that it is not necessary to distribute mercenaries to preserve order.

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Citizen. I think we have given too much of our time to this ridiculous institution. It gives pain, and excites indignation. Let us proceed to the Farming Society.

FARMING SOCIETY HOUSE.

Citizen-If your surprise has been raised by the Dublin Society, it must be encreased an hundred fold, on inspecting this Farming Society, found ed in the year 1801, for the patriotic purpose of introducing a more improved system of agriculture into the Country, and improving the breed of

cattle. These were the plausible ob jects of these patriots. The real cause has developed itself in the transactions of the Society. The suspicious cha racter of the institution by the men who formed it, ought long since to have brought on it what it eminently deserves. As it was the very person! who sold the Country, and taxed the people for the price of their treason, who were the authors of the Farming Society. A petty contrivance, to keep the public mind engaged in foolish pursuits, and to stifle the recent hor ror raised in every man's breast at the Act of Union, and for the authors of it. The exhibitions of fat cattle an nually at this House, would give some tolerable idea of the respective conditions of cattle and men in Ireland, and of the patriotism and humanity of the landed proprietors. The cattle and swine appear of considerable size, sleek, and well formed-evidences of the great attention paid to their food and manner of lodging; while the attending men, who have conducted them from the different parts of the Country, have all the marks of exces sive poverty, haggard, and covered with rags; and not one sentiment of compassion, of mercy or tenderness, it ever expressed for the suffering man, by the Bishops, Lords and gentry who compose the Society; for in fact, the comforts of the poor are so much disregarded, that their very numbers is an object of alarm, as the opinios of Earl Grey, on a superabundant population prevails with every individual of the Society.

The improvement of Hog-styes and Cow-houses, are not the only parts of this political menageric, the society have undertaken to engage the public by another silly artifice. They have stated days for exhibiting some articles from the Irish Loom, and distribute premiums to encourage the spirit of emulation. This specious show of attention to domestic ingenuity, bas had the effect of drawing approbation

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