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The portico, which consists of four massive columns of limestone of the Doric order and supports an entablature and a pediment, was not finished till July, 1814. A gallery was erected at the bottom of the Crown Court, over the entrance, in the Spring and Summer of 1813.

In the same year the Chamber of Commerce rented from the Corporation, the tolls and customs of the City of Limerick, for one year, for the sum of £1500.

On the 13th of February, 1809, the freedom of the city was conferred in a "heart-of-oak box" ornamented with gold, on Captain Michael Seymour, a citizen, Commander of the King's ship Amethyst, for his brilliant exploit in conquering the French ship Thetis with a superior force. On the 17th of the same month, in the Corporation, not yet at rest, another petition was agreed to against the assessment clauses of the Act 33rd Geo. III., and the same reasons were advanced as those already set forth in a petition, in which reference is made to the St. Michael's Commissioners' Act which had passed the year before, and a call was made for the extension of the Act to the old parts of the city, and for an additional bridge down the river Shannon, as Thomond bridge had now become inconvenient and insufficient for the traffic.1

For the first time for a long series of years, a bell now tolled in the cupola attached to the north gable end of the house inhabited by the Friars of the order of St. Francis in Newgate-lane. During some years before this, Daniel O'Connell, afterwards the illustrious patriot and liberator of his country, had been going the Munster Circuit as a young barrister and visiting Limerick. Indeed his first professional advocacy in favour of prisoners was made in Limerick in 1798, when the late Mr. James Blackwell, then gaoler of the city gaol, was in the habit of retaining his services for persons about to be tried. O'Connell now formed the acquaintance of an energetic and stirring Franciscan, Father Dan. Hogan, who is yet remembered by some of the old citizens, as a priest who had won the affections of all classes, and who was popular even with the Protestant party. Consulting as to how the Penal Laws could best and most safely be evaded, as to bells in chapels, and steeples in Catholic places of worship, O'Connell hit on an expedient, informing Father Hogan that there was no penal statute against erecting a cupola at the gable of his house, and putting a bell there if he chose. The good friar took the hint; masons and carpenters were set at work; the cupola was made;

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On the 17th May, an agreement was entered into between the Mayor and Corporation on the one part, and John Meade Thomas, Esq. on the other, for the erection of a main guard-house. On the same day the Mayor was granted a sum of £61 13s. 24d for clothing the Mayor's Sergeants!! and £6 16s. 6d. were given for three tons of coal; a sum of £200 was given on the 25th of July, to the Recorder for his "trouble," &c., in preparing a long and voluminous bill. A sum of £67 28. Od. was voted to Redmond Walsh and Michael Fitzgerald for repairing the piers of Thomond Bridge; and a small sum was granted for repair of Baal's Bridge.

2 Father Dan. Hogan's portrait in full cauliflower wig, the fashion of the day, was admirably painted by Frederick Prussia Plowman, an able artist who visited Limerick.

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September 9th.-Great illuminations and rejoicings in the city, consequent on Wellington's victory at Salamanca, and the capture of Madrid.

The harvest this year superabundant, beyond anything of the kind ever remembered, and the happiest continuance of fine weather to save it.

August.-A fire engine for St. Michael's Parish, imported by John Norris Russell, Esq. October 11th.-The Earl of Limerick visited this city after an absence of three years, and was drawn into town from Rich Hill, attended by a meeting of the most respectable citizens, and the several guilds of the trades, with their banners and formalities.

the bell was placed in its position; its sounds were heard, and the citizens awoke in amazement and joy, not unmixed with a nervous apprehension of the consequences, when on the 1st of June, 1809, they heard the iron tongue sound for the first time within the memory of the existing generation, to call them to Mass. It was a most remarkable day in the annals of Limerick. Wakefield who had travelled through Ireland at this time, writes as follows, in his great work on the Political and Statistical state of the country :"1810-'11-'12.-Much of the wealth that Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Waterford now possess has been acquired by Roman Catholics engaged in commercial pursuits. * * The Roman Catholic grazier obtains his opulence by remaining quietly at home.

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He invests his property in land, regardless of the income which he is to derive from it, his sole object is its security, and while within sight he considers it safe."

It is certain that at this period the wealth diffused not only among the Catholic agricultural class, but among traders and merchants, nearly all of whom had grown rich in spite of every opposition, was enormous, and contrasted with the Cromwellian and Williamite names that figure even in the list of "the fifteen Corporations," the progress of Catholics and of Catholicity, and of Milesian and Celtic families, is something altogether marvellous. Only a few years before, it was penal for Catholics to aim at a respectable position in society-they had no standing place in the land of their fathers. Their names were blotted out from the local records; they had nothing to which to look; they were helots, hewers of wood and drawers of water for cruel and unrelenting taskmasters. They now, according to Wakefield, had in their hands the greater portion of the wealth, the mercantile enterprise, &c.; they were becoming educated; colleges and schools were springing up around them and for them in every direction; while their oppressors were fighting among themselves, or endeavouring to stave off the evil day by every means imaginable, well knowing that the reign of corruption must one day or other be brought to an end. Persecution had done its worst. Elizabeth, Cromwell, William, Anne, and the 1st and 2nd Georges had endeavoured to exterminate the Catholics from the soil of Ireland; but they did not succeed.

November 13th.- Anchors and chains landed at the Custom House quay for the bark Fanny, in the service of the Government, to be moored in the pool of Limerick, commanded by Lieut. Philip Wright; this vessel came into harbour the winter before in distress; was sold, on account of the insurers, by auction, to Mr. Martin Creagh and purchased of him by Captain Robert O'Brien, regulating officer of this port, and fitted up as a receiving ship for volunteers and impressed men belonging to H. M.'s navy; the moorings laid down December 8th, 9th. They were the first of the kind ever let go in the river Shannon. Lieutenant Wright was superseded by Lieutenant Smyth, October, 1813-his three years of service having expired. The vessel was sold on the 9th of June, 1814. The anchors and mooring chains taken up out of the bed of the river, on the 10th and 11th of June by a part of the crew of the Virago, gun brig, and carried back to England.

CHAPTER XLVII.

STATE OF THE CATHOLIC CAUSE.-A CATHOLIC COLLEGE FOR LIMERICK DIOCESE. —AGITATION OF THE VETO.NOBLE CONDUCT OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOP AND CLERGY OF LIMERICK, &C.-STATE OF THE COUNTY OF LIMERICK.WELLINGTON. DR. MILNER. →→→ O'CONNELL. - GALLANT LIMERICK MEN ABROAD.ROCHE.-DE LACY.-GOUGH-PROGRESS OF EVENTS, &c. &c.

We have to go back a little to take a retrospect of the conduct and of the struggles of the Catholics of Limerick, soon after the series of events with which our preceding chapter has been so largely occupied. The rebellion of '98, the attempt of Emmett in 1803, the insolent bigotry and exclusive monopoly of the Orange party inside and outside the Corporation, the decay of trade, which to a great extent was influenced by the Act of Union and other causes, had clouded but not destroyed the dawning hopes of the Catholics. The Right Rev. John Young, though a firm loyalist, and an anxious supporter of order, was at the same time thoroughly devoted to the best interests of his country, and the Catholic religion possessed in him a fearless and accomplished defender and advocate in all times and seasons. Learned,' indefatigable, devoted to study, and to the exacting duties of his exalted station, he was an example of piety and self-denial, and exercised an influence, by the unostentatious performance of his duty, which was widely felt beyond the confines of his extensive diocese. There was There was no diocesan seminary or college, at this period, in Munster, except the small one at Peter's Cell, Limerick, and that of St. John's, Waterford, which continues to flourish up to this our own day, when Dr. Young conceived the idea of founding a college, suited to the increasing requirements of the diocese. In this he was aided not only by the clergy, but by the Catholic citizens, who in 1805, had entered into large subscriptions for the purpose: the site was at Park, within the demesne of Park House, which Dr. Young had purchased for £1800, as a residence for the Bishops of the diocese; he presided over the college, which sent out many distinguished clergymen. In the agitation which now grew up, connected with the Catholic claims, nothing became of more absorbing and intense interest than the question of the VETO-in other words, the permission of government interference in the appointment of Catholic Bishops -a proposal against which, the Catholic Hierarchy of Ireland had protested, and not one of them with more simpleness of purpose and directness of aim, than Dr. Young in 1808, when a solemn synod was held in Dublin, and when their sentiments were expressed in language not to be mistaken or

1 Dr. Young possessed the Black Book of Limerick, which bears the marks of his industry in his chronological division of its contents. He had a school for the poor in Newgate-lane, which was attended by his sister, Miss Young, with careful assiduity; he had the catechism translated into Irish, and the English and Irish version published together by M'Auliff the printer in Quay lane, and several editions of it went through the press. He published the Diocesan Statutes before the close of the last century, and in the commencement of them he gave a succinct account of the state of religion in the diocese, from the time of the Right Rev. Dr. O'Keeffe, in 1721, who was the first Catholic Bishop who resided in the city after the last siege. He was a scholar and a divine of the highest order of talent, a great mathematician, an accomplished linguist, an excellent historian; and in love of country he was never excelled.

This college existed until 1830, when the students were drafted to Waterford, Carlow, Maynooth, &c., but the building was not removed till the year 1864.

misunderstood. Certain Catholic citizens of Limerick conceived that they had a right to enter the arena on this occasion, and at a public meeting subsequently held in Limerick, William Roche, Esq., in the chair, a series of ambiguous resolutions were adopted, and the chairman, together with John Howley, Jun., Esq., (the present excellent Mr. Sergeant Howley, Q.C., chairman of Tipperary), Henry Lyons and Michael Arthur, Esqrs, were requested to prepare petitions to the legislature in accordance with those resolutions, which gave anything but satisfaction to the public, and which were strongly inveighed against at the time in a periodical which represented the views of the Hierarchy, clergy, and the overwhelming majority of the people. Dr. Young met every objection with consummate skill and mastery. In a series of powerful letters to the Most Rev. Dr. Bray, Catholic Archbishop of Cashel, he manifested his apostolic spirit and noble bearing throughout a contest in which the malcontents were aided by what had been designated the rescript. of J. B. Quarantotti, vice-president of the college of the Propaganda, Rome, which rescript was denounced by the Irish Hierarchy, almost without exception, and had also in the Right Rev. Dr. Milner, in England, a staunch and able opponent. The question continued to be agitated for a short time after Dr. Young's death, but there can be no doubt that his exertions had been of great use in organising the successful opposition to it.

The state of the county and city of Limerick in these years was otherwise extremely disturbed. In several parts of the country a spirit of resistance had arisen, which threatened the very worst consequences. Sir Arthur Wellesley, afterwards the great Duke of Wellington, on his departure for the Peninsula in 1808, wrote a letter in reference to the state of the county of Limerick at the time, which is eminently characteristic of the great man. The ability with which he condenses the wide range of his ideas-the attention which he nevertheless pays to the minutest trifles and the extraordinary knowledge he displays of the secret springs of action in Ireland, are really surprising. Even if not unqualified admirers we can hardly help wondering at the character of the man who could enter with such minuteness and deliberation into these matters connected with an Irish county, at the moment when he was preparing to meet the mighty Napoleon Buonaparte face to face in the most terrible of struggles. No record exists of the then state of the county of Limerick, which could for an instant be compared for forcible illustration and accuracy to this:

TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL LEE, AT LIMERICK.

Cork, 7th July, 1808.

"My Dear Sir,-According to the desire which you expressed in the conversation, which I had with you at Lord Harrington's on Wednesday, I proceed to give you my opinion on the nature and circumstances of the command which you are about to exercise in the County of Limerick. In the first place I must point out to you, that the situation of a general officer commanding in a district in Ireland, is very much of the nature of a deputy-governor of a county or a province. He becomes necessarily charged with the preservation of the peace of the district placed under his command; and the Government must confide in his reports and opinions, for the adoption of many measures relating solely to the civil administration of the country. From these circumstances it is obvious, that it is the duty of every general officer to make himself acquainted with the local circumstances of his district, and with the characters of the different individuals residing within it, in order that he may

decide for himself according to the best of his judgment and information, and that he may not be misled by others.

"This duty will be still more obvious, by a consideration of certain circumstances which exist in nearly all parts of Ireland. It frequently happens that disturbances exist only in a very small degree, and probably only partially, and that the civil power is fully adequate to get the better of them. At the same time the desire to let a building to Government for a barrack-the desire to have troops in the county, either on account of the increased consumption of the necessaries of life, or because of the increased security which they would give to that particular part of the country-would occasion a general rise in the value and rent of land, which probably at that moment might be out of lease,-or in some instances the desire to have the yeomen called out on permanent duty-occasions a representation that the disturbances are much more serious than the facts would warrant. Upon these occasions letter after letter is written to the commanding officer and to the Government; the same fact is repeated through many different channels; and the result of an enquiry is, generally, that the outrage complained of, is by no means of the nature or of the extent which has been stated. The obvious remedy for this evil, and that which is generally resorted to, is to call for informations on oath of the transactions which are complained of. But this remedy is not certain, for it frequently happens that the informations on oath are equally false with the original representations. The general officer then has no remedy, excepting by his acquaintance and communication with the magistrates and gentlemen of the county to acquire a knowledge of characters, and to become acquainted with all the circumstances which occur.

"It frequently happens that the people who do commit outrages and disturbances have reason to complain; but in my opinion that is not a subject for the consideration of a general officer. He must aid in the preservation of the peace of the county, and in the support of the law: and he who breaks the law must be considered in the wrong, whatever may have been the nature of the provocation he may have received.

"It is possible that grievances may exist in the County of Limerick; provisions may be too dear, or too high a rent may be demanded for land, and there may be no poor-laws, and the magistrates may not do their duty as they ought by the poor. But these circumstances afford no reason why the general officer should not give the military aid he may have at his command to preserve the peace, to repress disturbance, and to bring those to justice who may have been guilty of a violation of the law.

"In respect of the gentlemen of the county in which you are posted, I recommend you to attend particularly to the Lord Chief Baron O'Grady; you will find him well informed of the transactions in the County of Limerick, and well acquainted with the characters, and disposed to assist your judgment. I also recommend to your attention Mr. Dickson, the late High Sheriff of the County, and Colonel Vereker, the member for the City of Limerick. There may be, and certainly are, other gentlemen in the County of Limerick on whose information you may depend. But I have requested Mr. Trail, through whom I send this letter, to apprise you confidentially of the names of those whom you ought to consult. Believe me, &c. "ARTHUR WELLESLEY."

Just about the time that this letter was written by one who became so famous for all time, the County and City of Limerick were visited by another very remarkable and accomplished man; not a soldier or a warrior, but an ecclesiastic and a prelate, the Right Rev. Dr. John Milner, D.D. F.S.A.,

1 of these three men, particularly selected by Wellington, in Limerick, the son of one (the present Lord Gort) married the daughter of another (Chief Baron O'Grady and first Viscount Guillamore) by whom Lord Gort has a numerous family.

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