was discharging the highest duties of his profession." I shall now give some more recent proofs of the most treasonable and intolerant principles of Popery. From the year 1756, to the year 1780, the county of Kilkenny was disgraced and disturbed by a Popish banditti, called White-Boys, of whom a particular description is given in Sir Richard Musgrave's Memoirs of the different Rebellions in Ireland, vol. 1, p. 36, substantiated by the informations of persons deeply concerned with them, taken from the original papers in the Crown-Office. It appears from the information of Matthias O'Brien, a Popish priest, and coadjutor to Doctor James Butler, titular Archbishop of Cashell, that the White-Boy-system, was set on foot by foreign agents, and some Popish Bishops, particularly the said Doctor Butler, and some of his Clergy, aided by some Roman Catholic gentlemen. That from being coadjutor to the said Doctor Butler, he had an early opportunity of knowing their dangerous schemes against his Majesty's Crown and the Established Government: that the said Doctor Butler told him that they were set on foot solely for the advancement of the Roman Catholic faith, the extirpation of heresy in Ireland; and to restore the same Vetus Hibernia, by making her sons rise in rebellion, to support France, and other countries, in order to establish Prince Charles on the throne: that Doctor Butler collected money for said purposes: that informant had an ample opportunity of learning from his ministerial functions as a priest, that the ultimate object of the White-boy-system, was to raise a rebellion against his Majesty's government, and to massacre all the Protestants at a certain house. It appears by the information of some of their officers, that they were originally organized to favour a descent of the French, from whose government they regularly received pay.

In the year 1798, a numerous body of rebels who escaped from the battle of Vinegar-hill, retreated into the county of Carlow, under the command of Father John Murphy, by far the boldest and most sanguinary of all the sacerdotal leaders in that crusade against heretics. The Popish inhabitants of Castlecomer in the county of Kilkenny, wishing for an opportunity of satiating their sanguinary hatred against their Protestant neighbours, with whom they had previously lived in apparent friendship and cordiality, sent a deputation to Father John Murphy, to solicit his assistance for that purpose; and he having complied, they proceeded with

The Speeches at their feast of religious liberty, appeared in the Leinster journal,printed át Kilkenny, and in all the Jacobin Dublin prints.

There were six priests of the name of Murphy engaged in rebellion. The next in delebrity to John was Michael Murphy, killed at the battle of Arklow, when leading on his forces against the heretics.

3

the aid of his sanguinary ruffians to destroy the heretics, and to plunder and despoil their property.

Sir Charles Asgill, who commanded the garrison at Kilkenny, ten miles from Castlecom having heard that Father Murphy's corps was approaching the latter, proceeded with a body of troops for its relief; and he expelled the rebels from it. But dreading an insurrection at Kilkenny, whose inhabitants* he knew to have treasonable designs, and to be constantly on the tip-toe of rising, while he commanded them, he thought it his duty to return thither for its protection.

After his departure, the rebel corps returned to Castlecomer, and assisted their sanguinary allies in massacring the heretics!--whose houses they plundered and burned, and among others the beautiful mansion of the Countess of Ormond,† mother of the present Earl; and put to death, with circumstances of barbarous cruelty, such Protestants as were not so for tunate as to make their escape. The honourable James Butler, brother of the Earl of Ormond, commanded a corps of yeomanry, at the head of whom he displayed singular valour, and incurred much personal danger, in defence of Castlecomer.

A number of the most opulent and enlightened Papists of the county and city of Kilkenny, assembled there on the 17th of October 1808, for the purpose of taking into consideration their claims. They voted Major Bryan into the chair, and entered into resolutions in which they determined that it would be right and politic to allow the king a Veto in the appointment of their Bishops. They sent a deputation to Doctor Lanigan, the titular Bishop, with their resolutions, to request the sanction of his signature to them. He gave a positive promise to sign them; but soon after, to their utter astonishment, retracted, and refused to do so.

On this the Chairman of the committee published some observations on his singular conduct, which ended with the following paragraph: "I can. not avoid saying, that the manner in which Doctor Lanigan has acted on this occasion, convinces me more than ever, how necessary it is that the Crown should have a Veto in the nomination of Irish Roman Catholic Bishops." GEORGE BRYAN,

Chairman of the Roman Catholic Committee of Kilkenny.

Jenkinstown, Nov. 4th 1808.

* He was constantly under apprehensions of an insurrection in Kilkenny, while he commanded the garrison.

This noble lady, swayed by no motive but a steady and sincere attachment to the constitution in Church and State, and knowing how much it is endangered by Popery, lately signed the PROTESTANT PETITION to Parliament, at Kilkenny, against making any more concessions to the Irish Papists.

He is her son.

As soon as these observations appeared in print, the Bishop's staff, or body guards, consisting of the Rev. Richard O'Donnel, titular Dean, and thirtythree Popish Priestя, assembled to palliate the Bishop's conduct; entered into resolutions, in which they expressed great pleasure at the decision of their venerable Prelates, in their late national synod; and said that they "felt the deepest gratitude to them for preserving the bulwarks of their holy religion," alluding to their refusal of the Veto. Doctor Lanigan, on the 8th of November, published, in answer to the observations of the committee, reasons, under five heads, why a solemn promise may be broken without any violation of religion or morality. These reasons, which were justly and universally reprobated, both in England and Ireland, contained precisely those principles, for the practice of which the order of the Jesuits became so obnoxious, as finally to be abolished. On the 12th of November 1808, Major Bryan, on behalf of the committee, published an appeal to the public, to decide, whether the Doctor's justification was complete ; and to enable them to do so, he, at the same time, published the resolutions which the Doctor had promised, but afterwards refused to sign. On the appearance of these advertisements, an outcry was raised against Major Bryan and Mr. Loughlin; and in consequence of insinuations that they meant to oppose the Bishops, and deserved to be punished, the Popish multitude were very much inflamed against them. Anonymous threatening letters were sent to Major Bryan. Mr. Loughlin, who kept a bank, and was therefore particularly vulnerable, had at times sat in the chair, and signed the resolutions. He was required by the Bishop to retract, but having refused, the Popish Priests denounced him, and persuaded their several flocks to make a run on his bank, (in order to render him a bankrupt), by demanding for his notes those of the bank of Ireland. As Mr. Loughlin was much esteemed, and as the public derived very great advantage from his bank; the Protestant nobility and gentry, and some liberal Roman Catholics, signed and published an advertisement, that they would take his notes in payment of their rents and of all other demands, and even sent him all the bank of Ireland notes which they could procure; but still the multitude in thousands, repaired to the bank, crying out, that they would ruin Mr. Loughlin. At length they proceeded to kill his sheep, and even threatened to destroy his family. He was at last compelled to retract, and to make a submission to the Bishop, and that haughty champion of religious liberty, Major Bryan, himself, was obliged to follow his example. On this, the multitude retired to the country, but returned in the evening with large quantities of the boughs of trees, made a bonfire opposite to the bank, and continued for some hours of the night, with yells and exclama

tions to express savage joy at the triumph of their priests. To such a state of mental slavery was Major Bryan and his associates reduced, by their bigotted clergy!

What wise and gallant man could hope to free

Those thus degenerate, by themselves enslaved,

Or could of inward slaves make outward free! MILTON.

And yet, that gentleman had the hardihood, in the month of March, to move in that pandemonium the Catholic committee, an address to the Prince Regent, to remove from thegovernment of Ireland the Duke of Richmond, a nobleman universally and justly revered for his courteous and condescending conduct to all ranks, his general benevolence, and his unbounded charity and hospitality.

Nothing could be more farcical, than that they who were humbled and degraded by their Priests in the year 1808, by being compelled to renounce all freedom of opinion, should give a feast in celebration of civil and reli gious liberty, in the year 1812, in the very place which witnessed their debasement,*

The papists of the county and city of Kilkenny had another meeting, on the 8th of November 1812, at which Major Bryan took the chair; when the following, among other resolutions, was unani:nously voted: "We feel it our duty, thus finally to declare, that we consider this question of Velo, or arrangements and securities, to have been set at rest for ever, by the declaration of our Prelates†, and that we would consider the enactment of a law which should give us emancipation, incorporated with Veto, or arrangements and securities, as a penal law, a law of persecution,* and such a law, as when promulgated in Ireland, would be likely not only to add to the agitation and irritation of men's minds, but to put to hazard the safety and salvation of the empire."‡

In the month of March 1812, the Kilkenny Committee, Major Bryan in the chair, voted very flattering addresses to Earls Harrington and Grey, Lord Grenville and Captain Stanhope. Solomon says, “he that praiseth his friend aloud, rising early, it shall

be to him no better than a curse."

+ These gentlemen, whose inconsistency is so flagrant, are desirous that their fellow religionists should be admitted within the pale of the constitution, without any security whatsoever, at the instance of their Prelates, who are bound by various general coun⭑ cils, by the Canon law of their Church, and by their consecration oath, to subvert a Protestant state and to extirpate heretics.

Ireland was in a tolerable state of tranquillity, while the penal laws kept the Papists in a state of constraint; but ever since their repeal, it has been uninterruptedly, disturbed by their treasonable machinations, and rebellious insurrection.

I shall conclude with the following incident, which will shew the reader how far the Kilkenny Papists would be disposed to give religious toleration to Protestants, had they that ascendancy to which they aspire. In the month of May 1810, the Kerry militia, all whose privates are Papists, marched into that city; and on their arrival there, the Popish multitude thinking that they partook of their sanguinary spirit, assembled in a tumultuous manner, and declared, that now having their friends to support them, they would not leave a heretic alive. Every evening the taptoo was attended by a ferocious mob, who shouted and huzza'd, hoping thereby to incite the militia soldiers to second them in their nefarious designs. They at last proceeded to assault the houses, and to insult the persons of Protestants. It was at length thought necessary, for their protection, to send a body of cavalry to Kilkenny.

The good people of England, I fear, are almost perfect strangers to the actual temper, and real character of the Irish Papists. I hope that what I now write will tend to exhibit them in their true colours. The Protestants of Ireland are astonished to think that the English Parliament can enter tain a hope of conciliating the Romanists in this country. They trust that the new Parliament will not abandon them to the tender mercies of the Papists, and the horrors of another rebellion. The Parliament may rest assured, that the withholding a few places (about three and thirty) from the bulk of the Irish Roman Catholics, cannot be counted a grievance. Complete toleration they enjoy. Nothing will satisfy them short of absolute ascendancy, and a separation from England; and the only way to prevent the horrible mischiefs which must attend the realizing of such

It ill becomes the Irish Papists, particularly those of Kilkenny, to accuse the Protestant state of persecution.

To admit Papists to high and confidential offices in the civil and military departments of the state, in order to secure it, would be as absurd as for a person to introduce tigers and lions into his house, for its protection. The above resolution reminds me of one entered into by that rebellious assembly, the Leinster provincial committee of United Irishmen, on the 19th of February 1798, (the very day by the bye, on which Lord Moira made a motion in the Irish House of Lords in favour of the Irish Papists), “that they would not be diverted from their purpose, by any thing which could be done in Parliament, as nothing short of the total emancipation of their country would satisfy them."-Report of the secret committee of the Lords of 7th of August 1798, Appendix III. p. 20. They at that time had invited and then expected a descent of the French, to separate Ireland from England.

There is a very interesting pamphlet entitled "The Character of the Irish Roman Catholics, illustrated by historical Facts and public Records." J. J. Stockdale, price 38. 6d. It will amply repay the time bestowed on its perusal.