man-to Egypt and the coast of Africa, spirators against the abettors of inveterate trampled upon by the Janissary and Mame- abuse; but, my Lord, he is unworthy of the luke-to South America, enslaved by the respect of men or the favours of Heaven, who proud Castilian-to Hindostan,under the sway would be deterred by such considerations from of Hastings; and to Poland, partitioned and proclaiming the wrongs and sufferings of the plundered by the Tyrant of the North, and poor, from "declaring to Israel her crimes, challenge these countries or any person on and her sins to the house of Judah." It is not. their behalf, to produce a case of more bitter, imputations that can subdue the spirit of a grinding, and insulting injustice than to comman. Let his principles be examined, his pel the Catholics of this country to pay the assertions investigated, his arguments replied tithe of their substance to a Church which, to; but let not the argumentum ad magnates for three centuries, has not ceased to malign be employed as the only confutation of his and persecute them! Can heaven, my Lord, doctrine. Of what avail is it to stifle opinion witness, or the earth endure, anything more by alarming power, by an appeal to privilege, opposed to piety and justice, than a man pro- by threats of prosecution? Power may infessing to be the Minister of Him" who being carcerate the body, but cannot imprison the rich became poor for our sake"-the teacher mind. Privilege can protect whatever is useof his Gospel, the follower of his law, taking ful to the Sate; but if it cast a shield over the blanket from the bed of sickness-the unrighteousness, or bar discussion, it be ragged apparel from the limbs of the pauper, comes weaker in a little time than the spider's and sell it by auction for the payment of web. Prosecutions are only powerful when tithe? Who with patience can hear and be- sustained by truth and justice: but of prosehold the hundreds of starving peasants as-cutions, no mention at least in Ireland should sembled before the seat of justice (oh! perhaps be made. With us they have be justice, how thy name is profaned!) to come a bye-word, or an index of our party await the decrees of some heartless lawyer, feuds, but have ceased to furnish proofs, either consigning their persons (for property they presumptive or conclusive, of innocence or have scarcely what deserves the name) to ruin guilt. The common sense of the public has or imprisonment for arrears of tithe? In this ignored those proceedings? but why dwell on group of harassed, hungry, aud afflicted pau- this subject whilst writing to your Lordship, pers, you, my Lord, could recognize the for, except the present Lord Chancellor of widowed mother and the orphan child-the Ireland, there is no persou better acquainted naked youth, whom individual charity had than you are with the equity to be obtained just clothed, and the common mendicant, by indictments and prosecutions. Your Lordwhose cabin and rood of earth could not sup- ship also recollects the year '98 and '99, and ply them with food and shelter for one-half how juries and prosecutions upheld that santhe year. But to view this assemblage of guinary spirit which the Legislature, of which human misery, which I so often have beheld, your Lordship was a distinguished member, and reflect that perhaps a moiety of them refused to cherish. These juries and prosecuwere the very objects for whose relief or comtions, my Lord, have passed away, but the fort tithes were consigned by our fathers to passions which guided them are still alive, clerical trust that these paupers were the nor will, I fear, the present generation witness legal claimants on the funds now extorted their extinction. from them under very colour of law-to consider all this, and that the religion of him who claimed this tithe was a religon unknown to them that the priest who fleeced them never prayed with them, never consoled them, never ministered for them to Almighty God;-to reflect on all this and yet be silent or unmoved, should not be expected, unless of some atheist, whose god was his belly, or of some fanatic whose heart was hardened, and whose sense was reprobate. These are the exhibitions, my Lord, which I have seen and touch. ed, and which led me, as they have led the best men that Ireland ever saw, not to con→ spire against tithes, but to denounce them as unjust in principle, destructive of true religion, and subversive of the peace and happiness of our native land. Some man, whose ancestor, a groom, perhaps, or a footman to one of the Henrys or Edwards, and who, raised by the viscissitudes of human things to a place of dignity or power, may look with alarm at the unveiling of those abominations, he may fear and hate those who expose them, and hold them up as sowers of sedition, and con

But to relieve the Tithe system from the charge of impiety and injustice, it is said, "this system is sanctioned by law, and should not, therefore, be denounced; to which our reply is-Yes! The law sanctions it, but law also sanctioned the burning of witches, the persecution to death of men, women, and children, for following the dictates of their own conscience; law sanctioned the slave trade, and all manner of monopoly, of feudal tyranny, of rapine, prostitution, and fraud. There is nothing in the history of mankind so absurd aud iniquitous which might not at one period or another claim the sanction of law. The laws, therefore, themselves may be as replete with error or injustice as any other human institution, and we can obtain their amendment or repeal only by exposing and urging their pernicious effects. There is, I admit, in Ireland, not a law, but a whole code of laws, enforcing the payment of tithes; but they are all unwise, prejudicial to the public interests, and odious, in the last degree, to the entire people, except only the few attached to them by interest, the hope of

gain, or by a blighting bigotry or stupid fana- fact, or his abettor after the fact, may be so ticism, which leads them to confound religion stultified by an inherent bigotry, or so blinded with the very poison which mortifies it—which by habitual error in matters of human right, turns its healing influence into a seminary of or so agitated by disappointed ambition, by hatred and source of discord. These laws do defeated intrigue, or wounded pride, as to imexist, but they are the worst remnant of feu-pute crime to the innocent and discharge the dalism, and it is the duty of every good man guilty; but these errors and these passions will to co-operate in procuring their repeal. vauish, and truth and unchangeable justice, But it is said, "Has not the state a right to like the word of God, will endure for ever. support, in Ireland, an Established Church, But it is said, "If you meddle with or enand if so, why complain of the tithe-laws? croach upon church property no other proWaiving the question of right, which Govern-perty will be secure." This assertion is ments are too apt to confound with might or employed by two classes of persons; the one power, I say the state has no right to sustain class extremely ignorant, who speak of what what is injurious to the public good. The they do not comprehend, and often with a right of Government is the interest of the peo- degree of assurance proportioned to their ig ple; there is no right in the legislature of a norance. The other class consists of selfstate to do wrong; the source of their power interested knaves or their advocates, who is the will of the people; their office is a trust know as well as I do that churchmen are not for the public good; they confer no favour proprietors, yet represent them as such to when they enact good laws or repeal bad ones; create alarm in the minds of real owners of and they fail to fulfil the trust confided to property, who are led by this alarm to defend them when they neglect the interests of the the tithe system, regardless of its injustice, community over which they are commissioned as if it were an outwork necessary to the seto preside. Every executive Government or curity of their own estates. There are many power is identified with the legislature, or of the former class who are incapable of comemanates from it, so that if the above truths prehending the plainest truths, and others be indisputable as applied to a legislative whose pursuits in life render them unfit to body, they are not less so as applied to a Go-enter upon legal disquisitions; these men vernment. must be borne with; but the second class are The application of the principles thus set noxious animals, who never pursue right or down, and which cannot be questioned, is avoid wrong, when doing so would comproeasily made to the case before us; the infer-mise their love of "base lucre." It is suffience to be drawn is neither obscure nor diffi- cient, however, for the guidance of the public cult. But is it then permitted to coerce Go-to know that the State or Legislature has at vernment, or resist the law? God forbid. It all times dealt with church property as with a is criminal to do either, for Government public trust. The holders of this trust, or, as should be honoured, as representing the state, the law-language calls them, the Usu-frucand preserving with a power ordained of God, tuarii, are not the owners of the property, of the rights of all the citizens. But Government which they have a life use; and to suppose should be admonished of its duties, and in-that any legal modification of the property structed as to all the grievances of the people. thus held by them, or of the terms So with law: even bad laws should be suffered, which they, as trustees, bold it, would affect, and patiently borne till repealed. All resist- even remotely, the ordinary titles by which ance to law is criminal; it goes to the sub-men hold their estates, is to confound things version of the state; and unless where natural as distinct as light is from darkness. The rights are grossly violated, he who lifts his real and only question is, whether it be conarm against the law offends heaven. Sub-sistent with the public interests in Ireland, mission, therefore, even to the tithe-laws, is a duty; but there is a wide difference between that submission and an acquiescence in their injustice, or a co-operation in the enforcing of them. No man can be innocent and resist the law; but no man is obliged to give money in lieu of tithe.

Let his corn be seized, or his cattle distrained, and if by suffering this law-process he either gratifies himself or draws public attention to the nature and injustice of the tithe system, he only uses his own right. He is guilty of no offence-he violates no law--he offends no Government-he deprives no man of his goods or chattels-he is innocent of all offence before God and man. He who does this may be called a conspirator; and he or those who sympathise with him may be reviled, abused, prosecuted, or murdered; and the murderer or his accomplice before the

on

that the persons enjoying the use and fruit of church lands and tithes, should not only hold them for life, or a consideration in lieu of them, but also transmit them to their successors?

If the holders of this property were the owners of it, this question could not be raised; for who could challenge the right of a man to transmit his inheritance to his heirs? But if the churchman only enjoy the use and fruit of the fuud during his lifetime, who can doubt the right of the state to which the fund itself belongs, to deal with it on the demise of the ecclesiastical incumbent in such manner as the public interests require? To question this right is to deny the high dominion and supreme jurisdiction by which all society is governed and all rights secured. The exercise of this jurisdiction by the State has as much conuexion with an invasion of private property,

as it has with measuring the height of the Andes.

NEW

† J. DOYLE.

LONDON-BRIDGE SHOW.

the Irish nation is true of every class and denomination which compose it, excepting only The question to be inquired into, therefore, those whom I have before excepted. Not is this, "Whether the amount of Church pro- only the original inhabitants of the country, perty in Ireland, and the mode of collecting but the great bulk of those settlers who conit in tithe, be, or be not, suited to the sidered Ireland as their country, have ever country?" No honest man will pretend it is been at war with tithes.. Dean Swift bears so. The full amount of this property has undoubted evidence to the temper of the Irish never yet been ascertained; all the returns gentry in his time, as it regarded the church. made respecting the Bishops' lands, and the The Vote of Agistment, and the almost last rentals of them, are fallacious. These lands Act of the Irish Parliament, legalizing that are supposed to amount to two-elevenths of the vote, prove what the proprietors of our soil, entire kingdom; and the bishops, in all their the men most interested in her prosperity, zeal to dipsrove this estimate, have never thought at all times of the enormous wealth made, nor caused to be made, a survey of and exactions of the church. I would blush their possessions, or even furnished a single for my countrymen, of whatever creed or satisfactory return of either the condition or class, if they did not properly estimate the tithe extent of their lands. Then, as to the in- system; and I cannot more properly conclude comes of the Sees-which incomes consist, this letter than by reiterating the prayer alfor perhaps the greater part, of renewal fines ready known to your Lordship, "May their -they are calculated, if I understand the re-hatred of tithe be as lasting as their love of turns rightly, not by their real amount, but justice." I have the honour to be, my Lord, by the amount of rents exclusive of fines. The Your Lordship's most obedient estimate of their value can be more justly apHumble servant, preciated by the quarter of a million of money, which not one, but several of those bishops have been enabled to amass from their sees in a few years, after maintaining the charitable institutions which bear their names, and exercising (that hospitality for which they are, or have been so distinguished. Dr. Elrington is represented by this writer in the Dublin Evening Post to have said that the average income of the clergy from tithe in the county Carlow was 3841. a year. Admitting this average, which is equal to 5007. a year in England, and which does not include glebe lands, it may be asked, can Ireland afford to pay this sum to a class of men who render no service or make no return to the vast majority of those who pay them? Can Ireland, the poorest country in Europe, support the most affluent and luxurious priesthood which inhabit the earth, a priesthood which does not profess The Royal Party, after having seen the the religion of the people nor minister to the aëronauts aspire the skies," returned in the wants of the poor? Is it just that the Elring-same order. For a time it was feared that the tons, the Magees, the Knoxes, the Totten-pleasures of the day might have been abruptly hams, the Jocelyns should enjoy princely broken off. fortunes extracted from the industry of this people? that not two-elevenths of the soil of Ireland, but the tenth of all her agricultural produce, and of the capital, labour, and industry employed therein, should be perpetually devoted under the pretence of religion to men who have no title thereto, derived from inheritance, purchase, or public services? Is this just? Is this consistent with the Gospel or with the public good? Is this a system which an enlightened nation can tolerate? Is this the system for whose protection the aid of religion is invoked? This writer whom I combat would represent your Lordship as holding me forth to the censure of your noble colleagues, because I said the Irish nation was always at war with this system, but in my doing so, you are aware I only stated an historical fact recorded in every page of the aunals of our country. What I have asserted of

THE opening of this Bridge, by the King, took place on the 1st of this month, the King and his cortége going and coming by water. There were, of course, all sorts of splendid and expensive exhibitions; the account fills a whole newspaper: I shall only extract the concluding part, as follows :

Large drops of rain fell, and a shower was apprehended, which might have completely drenched his Majesty before he attained the friendly shelter of the tent. The fear, however, was vain, the clouds passed away, and the sun once more looked lovingly upon as gay a scene as in his long existence he ever shone upon. His Majesty once more passed through the long tent, and hearing the Queen's reticule in his hand, scattered, as he went amongst the crowd, medals beating on one side a representation of the bridge, and on the obverse the arms of the Bridge-Estate Corporation.__Their Majesties then took their seats on the Thrones prepared for them in the circular tent, and the repast commenced. Abundant too and tasteful was the provision in the extreme. Every thing that could be desired at the season was laid before the guests, and the wines were choice and excellent as hearts could wish, and your enjoyment of

them was restrained by no limit except your own prudence.

His Majesty appeared to be highly delighted with the entertainment, and addressed several complimentary observations to the gentlemen of the Bridge Committee, who stood behind his chair.

Upon the right of his Majesty sat the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Sussex, and the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Saxe Weimar, her daughter, and Prince George of Cumberland.

On the left of his Majesty sat the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland and Prince George of Cambridge. Mr. Jones stood behind the King's chair, and Mr. Routh stood behind the Queen's. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress sat at the table at the right of the Royal table. The Bishop of London said grace.

After dinner (for although the entertainment was not called by that name, every one seemed disposed to make it pass for one) —

The LORD MAYOR rose to drink his Majesty's health. "His Most Gracious Majesty (said the Lord Mayor) has condescended to permit me to propose a toast. I, therefore, do myself the high honour to propose that we drink his Most Gracious Majesty's health with four times four."

The company rose and cheered in the most enthusiastic manner.

His Majesty bowed to all around, and appeared much pleased.

and accompanied after the same fashion in which they had arrived. The pealing of the bells, the roaring of the cannon, and the shouts of the multitude, once more greeted their ears. Their departure, however, was no signal of general dispersion. The promenade on the uncovered portion of the bridge was continued until eight o'clock by the younger and more active, and more sentimental portion of the company; while those who confessed to a certain age, and did not care to be locomotive, and who in the sunset of their years had arrived at the philosophic conclusion that the universe presents no view so splendid or so enchanting as a well-furnished table and a brimming glass, consoled themselves in the dusky atmosphere and dreary quiet of the tent with the goods which the gods or the ComImittee (we wish to quote correctly) had provided for them. Those last-mentioned individuals, as John Churchill's song hath it, "made their own joy."

For the others, in addition to the two mili. tary bands, there were the Alpine singers, and the man who imitates the whistling of all manner of birds, Michael Boai (the performer on his own chin), and other of the like melodious mountebanks, to amuse all who fancied to listen, and to break the formalities of a simple promenade.

At eight o'clock the great majority of the visitors had disappeared, in bumble imitation of the daylight; and senseless indeed must be the heart which does not cherish the memory of the scene that the day displayed, as a thing of magnificence, and grace, and beauty, which during its mortal pilgrimage never may be repeated.

Sir CLAUDIOS STEPHEN HUNTER then rose and said, “I am honoured with the permission of her Majesty to propose a toast; I, therefore, beg all her good subjects here assembled to rise and to drink her health, and that every blessing may attend her Majesty the Queen." The Lord Mayor then presented a gold cup A little wildness in language is exof great beauty to the King, who said, taking cusable in a case like this; but I must the cup, "I cannot but refer on this occasion caution my young readers, that when "to the great work which has been accom- they take pen in hand, they must not plished by the Citizens of London. The "City of London has been renowned for its imitate the Editor of the Morning "magnificent improvements, and we are comChronicle, and "send the heart" on a memorating a most extraordinary instance" mortal pilgrimage." Perhaps the "of their skill and talent. I shall propose king's words, as above given, are mis"The source from which this vast improve- reported: if they be not, his Majesty "ment sprung-the Trade and Commerce of the City of London."" might have been advised to say, " sprang," or “has sprung" (which last would have been the most proper), and not," the source from which this vast "improvement sprung.”:

The King then drunk of what is called the loving cup, of which every member of the Royal Family partook.

His MAJESTY next drank "The Health of the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress;" and His LORDSHIP, in a few words, expressing the deepest gratitude, thanked his Majesty. Soon after this toast was drunk, the King rose, it being near six o'clock, and bowing to the company, intimated his intention to bid farewell. The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Routh, and the whole of the Committee, followed the King to the Royal Barge. His Majesty again expressed his high satisfaction at the grand scene presented to his view, and at the whole of the occurrences of the day. Their Majesties departed in the same order,

With regard to this "source," the of fact. The bridge, and its destructive king was by no means correct in point and wasteful approaches, have not sprung out of the "Trade and Commerce of the City of London ;" but out of mortgages on the property bestowed on the city by our more frugal and public-spirited ancestors: out of enor mous taxes imposed on us who are now

i nhabitants of the city, and out of an demnify each other for losses occasioned immense sum advanced out of the taxes by seizures; but they must not enter of the nation, part of which taxes are into combinations to resist the law. paid by the half-starved labourers. If They may safely do that which the the king had been fairly told all this, Quakers do; namely, suffer the seizures he would have received the gold cup to take place; and all resolve not to with less glee; and, indeed, I hope purchase any of the things seized. They that he would have disdained to make have already done this in Ireland to a one upon this occasion. I rent a house great extent, and the Irish newspapers in the City of London, and my City- say, that the cattle and other things that taxes, of one sort and another, are equal have been seized, have been sent to Engin amount to the rent of the house. The land to be sold! Poor St. Paul and St. City Corporation has anticipated its James, and the rest of them, never revenues even more deeply than the thought that there would come an age government has anticipated the re- of such vast improvements as this. They venues of the nation: the CITY DEBT is never dreamed that Christian Ministers greater than the NATIONAL DEBT in would seize the goods of their flocks in proportion to the revenues. In positive one country, and send them to be sold amount, it exceeds the debt of the United in another. States of America. Why, then, was this unnecessary work undertaken; why was the Fleet-market work undertaken; why was our church of St. Dunstan's pulled down, in order to erect another a few yards from the spot? Why? Why? Why have wars been begun and carried on for the last fifty years! The why is plain enough; and if it be not, it will be made plain enough, as soon as there shall be a parliament to listen to the statements that will be made to it on the subject.

TITHE PROSECUTION.

THE parsons seem resolved to fight it out. Read the account of the following trial. Look at the sentence. Observe the whole well. The Irish newspapers say that the jury consisted of twelve Protestants. The two gentlemen tried appear to have been Roman Catholics. This is amongst the fruits of the Irish tithe-system; but that system cannot last either in England or in Ireland: it will be put an end to by law. But, in the mean while, those who wish the system put an end to, will here find that, at present, there is no great danger in entering into any combination, to prevent the payment or rendering of tithes. Men may talk together upon the subject; but every man must act for himself; they may agree to in

(Abridged from the Kilkenny Journal.)

On Thursday, Mr. Blanchfield and Mr. Byrne, two gentlemen of Kilkenny, were tried 1st, for conspiring with others to compel the before Judge Johnson. They were charged, Rev. Dr. Butler, Vicar of Burnchurch, to reduce the amount or rate of tithes, payable out of such union; 2d, for conspiring with others for tumultuously assembling and causing an to injure Dr. Butler in his property; and 3d, affray.

When the traversers appeared at the side bar, the empanelling of a jury was proceeded with, and the Crown Solicitor, on the part of the prosecution, objected to a number of names. Mr. Costelloe objected to the course followed by the Crown; every Catholic was objected to.

Counsellor James remarked, that his own local information enabled him to say, that not only was every Catholic juror put by, but also every liberal Protestant.

*The following Jury were sworn, Mr. Costhe traversers, to object to a few Jurors telloe having been permitted, on the part of

R. Neville, Sydenham Davis, W. H. Hunt, Thomas H. Ball, A. Shearman, John Handy, E. Burnet, John Bryan, Thomas Waring, J. Davis, S. Blackmore, and T. Bayly, Esqrs. said, that the facts were so simple, it was not Mr. Scott, K.C., on opening the case, merely necessary for him, and neither was it his wish to enter into any statement calculated to make an impression against the traversers. If the evidence were true, no doubt could exist sense of his old friend, Counsellor Dixon, on as to their guilt; and he would trust to the the other side, that he would be equally tem

were not acting contrary to law in their chalThe Judge said, that as the Crown lawyers lenge, he could not interfere.