"Catholic Church in Ireland, must essentially injure, and may eventually subvert the Roman Catholic religion in this country.” -With this declaration, the Roman Catholic Prelates appeal to the See of Rome.-Resolutions, of the same purport, had, also, been voted, in various meetings of the Roman Catholic Laity of Ireland;-and respecting the transactions at Rome, connected with the conduct and expulsion of their Delegatethe Friar Hayes," the General Board" addressed to the Pope a pointed Remonstrance.

The Pontifical Brief of the 1st of February, 1816, addressed to the Roman Catholic Prelates of Ireland, is of considerable length, the following passages only are selected from translations given in the Catholic periodical Journals:

"With what pain do we find it expressly declared in your "letter, that the expedient which, amongst others, for satisfying "the Government of the loyalty of those to be elected Bishops, "not only did not meet your approbation, but appeared to you "to threaten destruction to the Catholic religion in Ireland.

"When it became incumbent on us to adopt some method by "which, after the law, granting emancipation, should be passed, "the Government might be satisfied of the loyalty of those to be "chosen Bishops, of which those at the head of it, entertained "very groundless indeed, but very serious apprehensions"what did we propose? Was it, that under the obligation of a "convention, or by any other mode, or in any other form, to be "submitted to, perhaps, if not strictly eligible, the right of "nomination, of presentation, of postulation, should be granted "to Government, so that those administering it might dictate "to us the names of clergymen to be by us appointed Bishops "in that kingdom? By no means; for while we strenuously "adhered to the wise principle of our never-to-be-forgotten "predecessor, Pope Benedict XIV. relative to the never grant"ing to anti-Catholic princes the privilege of nominating to "bishoprics or abbacies, declared by him in a letter, written to "the Bishop of Breslaw, on the 15th of May, in the year 1748,

"we carried our precautions so far, that we proposed nothing "which could, with truth, be said to convey to the Government

a power as to the choice of Bishops. We only declared that we would grant a certain power of exclusion; and, in order "that the power so given, might never be turned into a pri

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vilege of election, we circumscribed it within certain limits, and, as expressly stated in the letter of Cardinal Litta, already quoted, we announced, that what we meant to permit was to "extend no farther than this, That those whose province it is may present to the King's ministers the list of the candidates, in "order that, if there be amongst them the name of any person "displeasing to, or suspected by the Government, such name may "be immediately pointed out and erased; still, however, so that "a sufficient number may remain, from which His Holiness may "freely choose whom, in the Lord, he may judge more fit for

presiding over the vacant sees.' This then is what we pro"posed to allow, in order that all room for doubt concerning "the loyalty of the Prelacy, should be removed from the mind "of Government."

"

"Wherefore, venerable brothers, it is unquestionably evident, "that what we have done, amounts only to this:-We have agreed to act steadily towards the British Government, according to the same rule, (a rule, in itself, founded in "prudence,) which our predecessors, the Roman Pontiffs, even before those times, when the nomination of Bishops was "granted to princes, determined, in their wisdom, to maintain "as effectually as might be; that is, not to promote to vacant sees, any persons whom they might know to be unpleasing to the 'powers under whom the dioceses, to be administered by them, were situated: which rule, far from being considered injurious "to the Church, and far from having brought any evil on it, is "justly approved of, and praised by all.

"

"For it is founded on a principle laid down by another of our

"most illustrious predecessors, St. Leo the Great *,—that none "be ordained Bishop without the consent and postulation of the "flock, lest an unwelcome intruder incur its contempt er "hatred.' Now this principle, although literally applicable to "the people only, to whose postulations, at that time, regard was had, in the election of Bishops, must rightfully be extended "to princes, the necessary circumstances concurring, and even "to those who are not in communion with us, who, from the "nature of their power in temporal affairs, have so easily the "means of preventing a Bishop, who may be the object of their "dislike or suspicion, from the care of the flock committed to "his charge.

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"But you appear to entertain serious apprehensions, that, if, "the power spoken of, be granted, the Government may successively erase, from the list to be presented to it, the names "of those most worthy of the honour of episcopacy, and by this means compel those, who shall have the transaction in the "business, to name the clergymen whom it shall judge most "likely to be subservient to its views, and that the destruction " of the Catholic religion may thence take its rise. Observe, "however, venerable brothers, how destitute these your appre"hensions are of all reason and all foundation. Remember, that the "Government which, under other circumstances, might be suspected "of entertaining projects hostile to the Catholic religion, is the "same, which by laws, especially those passed in the years 1773, "1788, 1791, and 1793, repealed a great part of those penal "statutes by which the Catholics of the British empire were so "grievously oppressed :—remember how often your most excellent King George III. and his illustrious Son, have extended their 'protection to Catholics, and that the British Government was amongst the chief of our supporters in procuring our return to "the Pontifical chair, and our restoration to our ancient independence in the exercise of those spiritual rights, which the "hand of violence had wrested from us. Upon what grounds,

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* Leo Magnus, Ep. 12 An. Cap. 5.

"therefore, could any one suspect, that this same Government "entertained a design to destroy that most holy religion, which, "by its favour and protection, it had so often guarded? and if "certain attempts are still made in your island, to the injury of "the Catholic religion, these undoubtedly either are the acts of pri“vate individuals, or they will altogether cease, as soon as, all laws "enacted against Catholics, are repealed, the latter shall be placed "on the same footing as other subjects, and no objection be farther "made to the free profession of the Catholic religion."

"The humble Address and Remonstrance of the General Board of "the Roman Catholics of Ireland.

"MOST HOLY FATHER;

"The General Board of the Roman Catholics of Ireland,' "with sentiments of veneration, which are due to the Supreme "Head upon Earth, of the Roman Catholic Church.

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They desire to assure your Holiness, that no change of "circumstances shall ever induce them to interrupt that spiritual connection with the Holy See, which they esteem to be "essential to the Catholic Communion, and which their an"cestors protected and preserved in defiance of most cruel persecutions, and the most seductive temptations.

"It is, therefore, with deep regret that they find themselves "called upon to submit to the paternal consideration of their "Holy Father, any expression of disappointment or dissatisfac"tion; but their zeal for the preservation of their religion compels them to unfold to His Holiness the subjects of their anxiety, and the sources of their affliction.

"They could not, with safe conscience, admit, that they "discover, in the recent conduct of the advisers of the See of "Rome, any proof of an existing reciprocity of attachment. It

"

"would seem to have been forgotten, that the conduct and perse"verance of the Roman Catholics of Ireland had entitled them to any share of regard, or even of favourable consideration-the martyrs of three centuries appear to be already forgotten, and "the zealous perseverance of the present generation is not esteemed I worthy of being taken into account.

"We put forth no claims to gratitude. What the Catholics " of Ireland did in support of their religion, they did it not from "human respect, but for God's glory and their own sanctification; "and with cheerful hearts do they avow the gratitude which they owe to Providence for their preservation, notwithstanding "the continued dangers of persecution and neglect.

"The Catholics of Ireland have observed, with painful emo"tions, the marked disinclination evinced at Rome, to entertain "their most humble solicitations for attention. Nearly two years "have elapsed since they forwarded to the Holy See, an Address "and Remonstrance, by the hands of their Delegate, the Rev. "Richard Hayes; to this respectful communication, to the sen"timents of which they unalterably adhere, no answer has been "obtained, nor has any inclination been manifested to cherish "those Catholic principles which induced that address; this sense of indifference is much aggravated, when the Catholics of Ire"land observe an active anxiety evinced to forward the wishes, "and accomplish the purposes of that power, which persecuted our " ancestors, and still oppress their posterity, on account of their "adherence to the Catholic Faith. The consummation of our "disappointment is accomplished by the banishment of the faithful "Delegate, of near six millions of the most constant and attached "members of the Catholic Church.

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"We sincerely lament the necessity which obliges us to "address this Remonstrance to your Holiness, whose character we venerate with unequalled attachment; we cannot for a "moment entertain the belief, that the conduct, against which "we complain, could have been approved of by the Head of "the Catholic Church, or sanctioned by him.