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"accordingly these Sovereigns, have each of them an accredited "agent at Rome, chiefly for the exercise of this power.-The King himself enjoys it, with the consent of Rome, in the "province of Canada; the Bishop of Quebec not being allowed "so much as to choose his coadjutor, until the latter has been "approved by the civil governor.-Fourthly, Whatever out"cries of the Church in danger may have been raised by "ignorant or violent Catholics in Ireland, I challenge any "learned divine or other writer, to shew that the allowance to "Government of an exclusive power in presenting to Catholic "Prelacies, if confined to three times, and accompanied each time "with the avowal of a well-grounded suspicion of the candidate's "loyalty, contains any thing either unlawful in itself, or dangerous "to the Church*."

This qualification of the original Resolutions of the Roman Catholic Prelates of 1799, is here first suggested by Bishop Milner, though the Bishop's proposal to Mr. Ponsonby, was unqualified by any restriction whatever, as to number, and indeed, such a restriction is, obviously inadmissible, nor does the Pope himself contend for it:-the proposal of Bishop Milner to Mr. Ponsonby, was as follows:

"The Catholic Prelates of Ireland are willing to give a direct "negative power to His Majesty's Government, with respect "to the nomination of their Titular Bishopricks, in such manner, "that when they have among themselves resolved who is the "fittest person for the vacant See, they will transmit his name "to His Majesty's Ministers, and if the latter should object to "that name, they will transmit another and another, until a name "is presented, to which no objection is made; and (which is (6 never likely to be the case) should the Pope refuse to give "those essentially necessary spiritual powers, of which he is "the depository, to the person so presented by the Catholic "Bishops, and so approved of by Government, they will con"tinue to present other names, till one occurs which is agreeable to "both parties, namely, the Crown and the Apostolic See."

The learned Prelate then proceeds to assign the grounds of his opinion, and afterwards deprecates the outcry, as if the rights of their Church were about to be surrendered, and the King's ecclesiastical supremacy over it acknowledged.

"But, since this opinion (he continues) is founded in the "grossest error, nothing is so easy as to dissipate it, by exposing "the true state of facts, in opposition to newspaper falsehoods, "and by explaining, in its several parts, the true system of "canonical elections."

Bishop Milner then proceeds thus-"Should the Prelates "recede from the Resolutions, which they entered into at "Dublin, in 1799, I hope they will be able to vindicate their "proceedings and character, against the numerous and able opponents of each communion, who will not fail to attack "them on the subject, and harass them for many years to come. "I hope they will provide answers, and such answers as may be "defended against men of talents, to the following questions, "which will incessantly be put to them, as they have in part "been already frequently put to me. The head of the Church "has allowed a direct interference and power in the appoint"ment of Bishops throughout the greater part of the Christian "Continent, to a man who has apostatized to Mahometanism; "" and shall it be deemed unlawful for our Monarch to interfere "in this business just so far as it is necessary to ascertain the

loyalty of men, who are to possess such great influence over "his subjects? The schismatical Sovereign of Russia, and the "heretical King of Prussia, have always been consulted in the "choice of Catholic Prelates, for the vacancies within their "respective dominions; what then hinders the Sovereign of "the United Kingdom from enjoying the same privilege? "He actually possesses it now in his American dominions; is "that unlawful in Ireland, which is lawful in Canada?' But "you have already declared, after three days' solemn delibera"tion on the subject, that such interference of Government in the appointment of Prelates, as may enable it to be satisfied "of the loyalty of the person to be appointed, is just, and ought

"to be agreed to; and that, therefore, the candidate elected is "to be presented to Government: and that if Government has any proper objection against him, the President will convene "the Electors, and proceed to the election of another candi"date.”—“Such were your decisions, delivered to Government "nine years ago, and which have remained with it ever since, "to be acted upon whenever circumstances should permit. Do "you break faith with it?-Or, is that become false and "unlawful now, which was true and lawful then? In a word, "will you reject these Resolutions (for the purpose of quieting "the alarms of the nation, and promoting the emancipation), "which you heretofore voluntarily made in order to obtain a "provision for yourselves?"

"Such are the objections, in part, which I am confident will "be thus held out against the Prelates on every side, should "they retract their decisions. It is wise, Sir, to anticipate "mischief of every kind, in order to guard against it. If, on "the other hand, the Prelates should abide by what they have "solemnly resolved upon, they will have nothing more to do "than what is perfectly within their sphere, and what is com"paratively easy to be done; namely, to enlighten their people, "and shew them how grossly they have been imposed upon, "both as to facts and reasoning."

Such was Bishop Milner's statement and advice to the Prelates of his communion, in 1808. In 1810, the same learned Prelate published his "Instructions to the Catholics of the "Midland counties in England, on the State and Dangers of "their Religion,"-dangers which he seems to have just then discovered; and one of the greatest of which dangers he considers to be that security, which is demanded of Roman Catholics, for the "religious Establishment of the State."Referring to the opinions he had expressed in the preceding Extracts, in conjunction with all the Metropolitans and the six senior Bishops of his communion in Ireland, in 1799, he proceeds to a retractation, in these words:" I hereby publicly

Extract of a Letter from Sir J. C. Hippisley to His Holiness Pope Pius VI. on the Subject of the Irish Secular College of Rome, da Rome, 17 Feb. 1818. 1735

Lettre à sa Sainteté Pape Pie VI.

[TRES SAINT PÈRE,

Daignez permettre qui je mette respectueusement à vos pieds les dernières, et désagréables feuilles de ma correspondance au sujet du Collège Irlandais.

"retract and condemn my aforesaid Letter to a Parish Priest,' " and all my other Letters and Writings, whether printed or manuscript, on the subject of the Veto, which I wrote while "I was under the aforesaid delusion; that is to say, from the "latter part of May, till about the conclusion of November, "1808."-In the same note, Bishop Milner observes, that, "after all, that unfortunate private, though printed Letter [to " a Parish Priest], was a mere piece of mooting, intended for "the consideration of the Irish Bishops, at their approaching assembly [in September 1808], and withheld, as far as lay in "my power, from the inspection of others."-We are not disposed to controvert the Bishop's privilege of dispensing with the obligations apparently resulting from his own opinions, however solemnly or formally stated; but we cannot so readily admit his power of changing or extinguishing the essence of facts. If the regulations and restrictions upon the appointment of the Roman Catholic Bishops, as admitted by Bishop Milner, exist in the several States which he has enumerated-whether of the Roman Catholic, Greek, Lutheran, or Reformed Churches -they must exist, independently of the learned Prelate's change of opinion. So-if all the Metropolitans, and the six senior Roman Catholic Prelates of Ireland-in the year 1799resolve that "such interference, as may enable it to be satisfied of the loyalty of the person appointed [a Bishop], is just and "ought to be agreed to;"-we cannot admit such interference

Comment sous un Souverain, dont le Règne glorieux à tant des titres, le sera sur tout à jamais par cette sagesse, cette modération, et cette bonté, qui subjuguent tous les cœurs, est-il des Personnes, qui comptent pour rien le péril d'aliéner, par

to be less just and expedient at the present hour, although Bishop Milner has thought proper to retract his own opinion in favour of it, on his discovery that security was demanded of the Catholic, in favour of the Establishment of the Church as well as of the State;-a security virtually recognised in the oaths taken by Catholics in all parts of the United Kingdom. So likewise may we consider, that, whether the Roman Catholic Prelates are disposed to accept, or reject, the "State Provision for their "Clergy," which all the Metropolitans and six senior Roman Catholic Bishops declared, in 1799,"ought to be thankfully "accepted;" it does not follow that the State should abandon the means of ascertaining the loyalty and civil eligibility of the person appointed to a charge, holding so great an influence, in opinion and habit, upon the minds of those within the sphere of its jurisdiction*. Having adverted to the opinions held on these points in 1799, we are naturally disposed to put the question suggested by Bishop Milner himself: "Is that become false " and unlawful now, which was true and lawful then?" And to conclude, in the words of a Right Honourable Baronet †,— a zealous supporter of the Claims of the Catholics," the rule "of right, the measure of justice, must be the same to-day"yesterday-and for ever."

[The preceding Note was originally annexed to an extract of Bishop Milner's Letter to a Parish Priest, subjoined to Sir J. H.'s Sketch of Proposed Regulations, No. XII.]

To the justice of this principle, the Pope himself, distinctly assents in the Brief addressed to the Roman Catholic Prelates of Ireland, dated 1st of February, 1816.—Page 95.

Sir J. Newport's Letter, in the Dublin Herald, dated 18th of November, 1812.

Q