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time, in fuch a manner, as to prepare the minds of the people to receive with less furprize, the total violation of them by acts "to prevent the further growth of popery," which were then in contemplation.

"It was

For although by the firft military article, agreed, that all perfons of what quality foever, that were willing to leave the kingdom, fhould have free liberty to go into any country beyond the feas (England and Scotland excepted) with their families ;"' yet, it is confeffed that the lords juftices, and General Ginckle, endeavoured to render this article of as little force as poffible," for as great numbers of the Irish officers and foldiers had refolved to enter into the service of France, and to carry their families with them, Ginckle would not fuffer their wives and children to be shipped off with the men; not doubting but that by detaining the former, he would have prevented many of the latter from going into that fervice. This, I fay, was confeffedly an infringement of that article.

2

And in less than two months after the capitulation of Limerick was confirmed by their majefties, "the juftices of peace, fheriffs, and other magiftrates, prefuming on their power in the country, did, in an illegal manner, difpoffefs feveral of their majefties fubjects, not only of their goods and chattels, but of their lands and tenements, to the great difturbance of the peace of the kingdom, fubverfion of the law, and reproach of their majefties government." It appears from a letter of the lords juftices of the 19th of November, 1691, that their lordships had received complaints from all parts of Ireland, of the ill treatment of the Irifh, who had fubmitted, had their majefties protection, or were included in articles; and that they were so extremely terrified with apprehenfions of the continu-` ance of that ufage, that fome thousands of them, who had quitted the Irish army, and went home with a resolution not to go for France, were then come back again, and preffed carneftly to go thither, rather than stay in Ireland, where, contrary to the public faith (add these juftices)

Harris's Life of King William.

2 Id. ib. f. 357

justices) as well as law and justice, they were robbed of their fubftance and abused in their perfons."

In vain did the government of Ireland pretend to put a stop to this crying injuftice and cruelty of the inferior civil officers. The lords juftices themfelves foon after became equally guilty in thefe refpects. It is confeffed, "that Capel, lord juftice, in 1693, proceeded as far as it was in his power, to infringe the articles of Limerick." In 1695, the fame lord Capel being deputy, was held the first Irish parliament in this reign. If the Irish catholics, then expected the performance of their articles, and of their majefties folemn promife, to procure them fuch further fecurity from parliament in the particular of religion, as might prevent them from any future disturbance on that account, "they were indeed miferably disappointed; for instead of performing that promife, his majefty, on the contrary fuffered feveral fuch acts and refolutions to be paffed in that parliament, as gave them infinite disturbance, on account of their religion." But these were only prepa ratory steps to the feveral acts then in agitation, "to prevent the further growth of 'popery."

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3.Harris's Life of King William, f: 350...

a

СНАР.

14. Id. ib...

7 & 9 Wm. 3. feff. 1. c. 26. All popish archbishops, bifhops, vicars general, deans, jefuits, monks, friars, and all other regular popifh clergy, and all papifts exercising any ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, fhall depart this kingdom before the 1ft of May, 1698. And if any of them, fhall be at any time after the faid day within this kingdom, they fhall be imprisoned, and remain there without bail till they be tranfported beyond the feas out of the king's dominions, wherever the king, his heirs or fucceffors, or chief governors of this kingdom fhall think fit; And if any fo transported, shall return again into this kingdom, then to be guilty of high treason, and to fuffer accordingly.

And from the 29th of December, 1697, no popifh archbishop, &c. fhall come into this kingdom from any parts beyond the feas, on pain of twelve months imprisonment, and then to be tranfported in manner aforefaid; and if after fuch transportation, any of them return again into this kingdom, they fhall be guilty of high treason, and suffer accordingly.

And

CHA P. II.

Severe laws made against catholics.

AMONG many other fevere laws, then enacted, against Irish catholics, his majefty gave the royal affent to that illiberal act to reftrain foreign education," by which it is provided, " "that, if any fubjects of Ireland fhould after that feffion of parliament, go, or fend, any child or perfon, to be educated in any popifh univerfity, college or school, or in any private family, or if fuch

child

And any person that shall from the 1st of May, knowingly conceal, or entertain any such popish archbishops, bishops, &c. hereby required to depart out of this kingdom, or that after the faid day shall come into this kingdom, fhall for the first offence forfeit 201. for the second double the fum, and if he offend the third time, fhall forfeit all his lands and tenements of freehold or inheritance, during his life; and alfo all his goods and chattels; one moiety to the king, his heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety to the informer (fo as it exceed not 100l.) and the furplusage of what shall remain, to the king.

December 1ft, 1697. "Refolved, that part of the act 2d Eliz. chap. 2d. which obliges every perfon, not having a lawful or reasonable excufe to be abfent, to refort every Sunday to church, and there abide during the time of common prayer, preaching, and other service of God be there ministered, under pain of forfeiting for every neglect, twelve-pence, ought to be put in execution." Com. Jour. vol. ii. f. 984. Are not these a direct and immediate violation of the firft article of Limerick, and of king William's folemn promife for the free exercife of the catholic religion?

"Whilft this restraint upon foreign and domeftic education was part of an horrible and impious system of fervitude, the members were well fitted to the body. To render men patient, under a deprivation of all the rights of human nature, every thing which could give them a knowledge or feeling of those rights was rationally forbidden. To render humanity fit to be infulted, it was fit that it should be degraded. . . . Indeed I have ever thought the prohibition of the means of improving our rational nature, to be the worst fpecies of tyranny that the infolence and perverfeness of mankind ever dared to exercise. This goes to all men, in all fituations, to whom education can be denied." Lett. Eng. Commoner to a Peer of Irel. P. 13.

child fhould, by any popish perfon, be inftructed in the popifh religion, or if any fubjects of Ireland fhould fend money or other things towards the maintenance of fuch child or other perfon, already fent or to be fent, every fuch offender, being thereof convicted, should be for ever disabled to fue, or profecute any action, bill, plaint, or information in law, or equity; to be guardian, administrator, or executor to any perfon, or to be capable of any legacy or deed of gift, and befides, fhould forfeit all their eftates, both real and perfonal, during their lives." This law was rigorously executed during that and the fucceeding reign.

b

In the fame feffion, "it was refolved, nemine contradicente, that the excluding of papifts from having votes for the electing of members to ferve in parliament was necessary to be made into a law." Nothing certainly, but fuch a law was wanting to complete the flavery of these people, and they were, accordingly, afterwards excluded in the first act to prevent the further growth of popery in the following reign. Thus were thefe, and divers other proceedings of the like enflaving-tendency against these people, permitted and countenanced by a prince, the boasted restorer of liberty to these kingdoms, whofe public faith and honour were folemnly engaged to preserve their former privileges entire ; and to endeavour to obtain from parliament further fecurity for them, in the article of religion, which was what alone rendered them thus obnoxious to government.

b

It

"The taking away of a vote (fays the fame English commoner) is the taking away the fhield which the subject has, not only against the oppreffion of power, but that worst of all oppreffions, the perfecution of private fociety, and private man

ners.

No candidate for parliamentary influence is obliged to the least attention towards them, either in cities or counties. On the contrary, if they should become obnoxious to any bigotted or malignant people amongst whom they live, it will become the intereft of those who court popular favour, to use the numberlefs means which always refide in magistracy and influence, to opprefs them. The proceedings in a certain county in Munster, (in the 1769), read a strong lecture on the cruelty of depriving men of that shield, on account of their fpeculative opinions. Id. ib.

It is really fhameful to see what mean, malicious, and frivolous complaints against papists were received under the notion of grievances, by that parliament. 1 66 A petition of one Edward Sprag and others in behalf of themfelves and other proteftant porters, in and about the city of Dublin, complaining, that one Darby Ryan a papift, 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 thefe proteftant porters were not employed by Ryan, but that the popish porters were.

And yet thefe fame commons, that fhewed fuch remarkable deference to this trifling petition of the protestant coal-porters of Dublin, were not afhamed to refuse, in the fame feffion, common justice, in a matter of the last consequence, to several 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 Euftace, 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." CHAP.

Com. Jour. vol. ii. f. 699.

2 Ib. f. 932.

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