one which ought to be stedfastly resisted, as a daring attack upon the just rights of the British Crown; of the independence of the Church of England, and the liberties of your Majesty's faithful and loyal subjects.

"Your Petitioners, therefore, feel it to be their bounden duty-to Almighty God, to your Majesty, to their Church, and to their country, to express not only their deep sorrow, that there should have been anything in the theological, or the political state of England, which could be construed as encouraging or inviting such a stretch of power on the part of the Pope, but also to implore your Majesty to take such steps as your Majesty's wisdom may deem most advisable for the enforcing or enacting of such laws as may be necessary for the protection of your Majesty's dominions and subjects against the interference of any foreign Court or Church, more especially that of the Pope or Bishop of Rome.

"Your Petitioners beg leave also to assure your Majesty, that it will be their continued prayer and persevering effort, as they value the principles of loyalty, of nationality, and of religion, that the honour and independence of the British Crown, the British Church, and the British Constitution, may be preserved inviolate, and transmitted unimpaired to posterity.

"And your Petitioners," &c.

144

APPENDIX (G.)

ROMISH ENCROACHMENTS.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF ACT OF 1829, ETC.

THE following Report* was not originally intended for publication. It was drawn up for the use of the General Committee; but the many and important points on which it touches, will make it a matter of interest to Protestants in general.

66

REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE TO THE GENERAL COMMITTEE OF THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.

"The Sub-Committee appointed by minute of 12th of October, to consider the letters then referred to them, and also the 10th Geo. IV., c. 7,- An Act for the relief of his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects,' and to report as to any violations of the provisions of the said Act, and on the position of Popery and Protestantism, preparatory to an address to the Protestants of the United Kingdom, have to report as follows:

"I. With reference to the 10th Geo. IV., c. 7, commonly called the Roman Catholic Emancipation Act, they find that provisions on the various points hereinafter enumerated, are, amongst others, contained in the said Act.

"The objects of that Act appear to have been twofold.

"1. To confer benefits on the Roman Catholics, by removing certain civil disabilities.

"2. To secure Protestants against Romish aggressions, and the evils which they apprehended might result from such concessions.

"The first of these objects has been accomplished. A few instances from many more which might be enumerated, may be mentioned in illustration.

"Roman Catholic Peers sit in the House of Lords.

"Roman Catholic laymen sit in the House of Commons. "Roman Catholics sit at the Privy Council Board.

"A Roman Catholic is Master of the Mint.

"A Roman Catholic is Governor of Malta.

"A Roman Catholic is Master of the Horse.

"A Roman Catholic is Under-Secretary in Ireland. "A Roman Catholic is Attorney-General there.†

*Dated November 23, 1849.

It is to be remembered also, that a Roman Catholic is Vice-Chamberlain of the Queen's Household, in England: a Roman Catholic, also, is Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, in Ireland.

"Roman Catholics also hold various judicial and other offices of importance in this country, in Ireland, and the Colonies.*

"The second object contemplated by the Act, viz., the protection of Protestant interests, was but inefficiently attempted, and has been very inadequately accomplished.

"This was from no want of avowed intention on the part of those by whom that measure was passed into a law, to provide ample security. For, to effect it, special provisions were enacted, and to secure their performance, penalties were attached.

"Most of these provisions, however, have, in the opinion of your Sub-Committee, been violated or evaded. It is now, therefore, proposed to ascertain what those evasions or violations have been, and how far the protective provisions of the Act of Parliament under consideration may be put in force, so as to prevent a like infringement of those provisions in future; and give to the Protestant Institutions of our country that real protection, which at present they only nominally enjoy.

"Your Sub-Committee would, therefore, draw attention to the following points :—

"I. What were those provisions?

“II. What are the penalties?

"III. What is the mode of proceeding?

"IV. What have been the infringements?

"I. The provisions intended to be protective of the Protestant Institutions in Church and State, are contained in various sections, and were to the effect following, viz. :—

"1. Requiring the oath prescribed by the Act to be taken by Roman Catholic Members of Parliament, and electors, and persons holding military and naval offices, and places of trust and profit under the Crown, and also by Members of Lay Corporations, in lieu of the former oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration, and the declaration against Transubstantiation, Invocation of Saints, and the sacrifice of the Mass; see sections 2, 5, 8, 10, and 14. The concluding portion of that oath is as follows:-'I do swear that I will defend to the utmost of my power the settlement of property within this realm, as established by the laws; and I do hereby disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present Church Establishment, as settled by law within this realm; and I do solemnly swear that I never will exercise any privilege to which I am, or may become entitled, to disturb or weaken the Protestant religion or

*It is rumoured that a Roman Catholic Peer is to be appointed to the important office of Chairman of Committees of the House of Lords. 1849.

L

Protestant Government in the United Kingdom: and I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever:' section 2.

"2. Forbidding Roman Catholic priests to sit in the House of Commons: section 9.

"3. Withholding certain civil and ecclesiastical offices: sections 12, 16.

"4. Forbidding interference with Church patronage and ecclesiastical appointments: sections 15, 18.

"5. Forbidding the assumption by Roman Catholics of the name, style, or title of Archbishop of any Province, Bishop of any Bishopric, or Dean of any Deanery: section 24.

"6. Prohibiting, also, judicial and other officers from attending other places of public worship, than those of the Established Churches in England, Ireland, and Scotland, with the robes or insignia of their office, and imposing penalties on Roman Catholic ecclesiastics, for officiating or wearing the habit of their order, except in their usual places of worship: sections 25, 26.

"7. Providing for the 'gradual suppression, and final prohibition' of Jesuits, and members of other religious orders, bound by monastic or religious vows, and prescribing terms on which, during the mean time, they might be suffered to reside in the United Kingdom: sections 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36.

"By sect. 37: Religious orders, consisting of females, are exempted from the above regulations. But it would appear to your Committee that such establishments should be open to the inspection of visiting justices, as other places of confinement are, in order to prevent the young from being improperly entrapped, or detained against their own or their parents' wishes.

"II. The various penalties prescribed by the Act for infringing its provisions are:-Fine. Imprisonment. Forfeiture of office. Disability to hold any civil or military office under the Crown. Banishment. Transportation for Life.-(See schedule attached, in subsequent column.)

"III. The mode of proceeding is in some cases, before the Queen in Council, or by indictment, or information in the name of Her Majesty's Attorney-General, &c. Sect. 38.

"IV. The infringements have been numerous, some of them well known, viz. :

"1. Violation of the spirit, if not of the letter of the oath by

Roman Catholic Members of Parliament, in voting for one Bill which diminished the number of Irish bishops by ten, and another which took off twenty-five per cent. of the incomes of the Irish clergy.

"2. The assumption of the name, style, and title of Archbishop, &c., &c., contrary to provision of sect. 24, as in the case of Dr. M'Hale, who usurped the title of Archbishop of Tuam, while the Protestant Archbishop was living, and of Dr. Murray, now styled Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.

"3. Attending with robes and insignia of office, against the provisions of sect. 25. This was frequently done by the late Mr. O'Connell as Lord Mayor of Dublin. It has too been done by others in England.

"4. Officiating or wearing the habits of their orders out of usual places of public worship. This also has been repeatedly done.

"5. Increase in number of Jesuits, and members of other monastic institutions. This is a matter of boast amongst Roman Catholics, and their own Directory gives a list of the institutions.

"It is therefore suggested that, with other steps to be taken, it might be desirable to move for a return from Her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, and from the Secretary of the LordLieutenant of Ireland, of all copies of notices delivered to the Clerks of the Peace of counties, by Jesuits, or Members of other religious orders of the Church of Rome, pursuant to provisions of sections 28 and 30, containing the particulars required to be set forth in conformity with the Schedule thereby prescribed.

"And to ask also in the House of Commons,-Have there been laid before Parliament any accounts of licenses granted by any one of Her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, to Jesuits, or Members of other religious orders of the Church of Rome, to come into the United Kingdom for the limited period prescribed by sect. 32; and whether any such licenses have been granted? And if any have been granted, to move that an account of them be laid before Parliament. "The following tabular statement may assist in referring to the provisions of the Act, and the violations of them :—

SCHEDULE.

ANALYSIS OF PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN 10 GEO. IV. c. 7.