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ment to fulfil the Treaty, was not ashamed to break through these Articles, and his own Word, within a very short space of time, after he had obtained what he so earnestly wished.

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Another author of celebrity, speaking of this affair, says, "The opponents of William give him no credit, either for his justice or humanity, upon the present occasion. They ascribe his eagerness to finish the troubles in Ireland to his "earnest desire of prosecuting with vigour the "War on the Continent. They allege, that had "not an English Parliament deprived his creatures "of the hopes of Irish forfeitures, he would have "been less liberal in the concessions which he “made.”—(Macpherson's History of Great Britain, vol. 1, p. 623 )

We have hitherto principally dwelt upon the right of the Catholics to their seats in Parliament, down to the conclusion of the reign of Charles II. But there are other important privileges which they enjoyed in the same period, and of which they are now deprived. Of these is to be reckoned the Freedom of Corporations, and the right of voting in them upon every occasion. That they had early enjoyed that right will not be denied, and that they still enjoyed that right in the time of Charles the Second, and consequently that it was insured to them by the Articles of Limerick, is proved by the subjoined DOCUMENTS, No. 14, page 64, and No. 15, page 68.

But Limerick had scarcely been surrendered to the English, when the Articles by which it was delivered up to them, though guaranteed by every thing that could make a Treaty sacred and binding, and afterwards ratified by King William, and confirmed under the Great Seal of England, were, in the most scandalous manner, basely broken through, by those who had profited so much by them, contrary to the law of nature, the law of nations, of public faith, and of the royal word

Not to notice the illegal acts of oppression and injustice committed on the Roman Catholics by Sheriffs, Magistrates, and even the Lords Justices, immediately after the surrender of Limerick, as mentioned by Harris, in his life of King WilTiam; the Parliament, which met in the year 1895, had no sooner assembled, than they, instead of confirming the rights of the Catholics as granted to them by the Articles, and by the pledge of the King, commenced this work of injustice, by depriving the Catholics of these rights. (See the subjoined DOCUMENTS, No. 17, page 79.)

The proceedings of the Parliament in 1697, was even more cruel and unjust than that of 1695, for under the pretence of passing a Bill for the confirmation of the Articles of Limerick, the most severe Penal Laws were passed against the Catholics. Laws so severe, so unjust, and so repugnant to the Articles, that several of the Memof both Houses were so much dissatisfied with, and ashamed of them, that many of the Commons retired from the House, and several of the Lords entered their Protest against the Bill, among which was Doctor William King, then Bishop of Derry, afterwards Archbishop of Dublin, and author of a Book, entitled, The State of the Protestants of Ireland, under the late King James's Government,' a Book stuffed with the grossest falsehoods and the most virulent abuse against the Catholic Body. To this Protest the names of seven Bishops and seven temporal Peers are signed'; some of whom also protested against the Act to prevent the further growth of Popery, passed in 1703.-(See DOCUMENTS, No. 18. page 82.)

Many of the civil enactments of William's Parliaments, and of some of his successors, which were passed against the Roman Catholics, contrary to the express stipulations of the Articles of

Limerick have been repealed by the Irish Parliament, during the late King's reign; and if Ireland were now a Nation, instead of a Province, if she had not been robbed of her Parliament, by an UNION, which has depopulated her cities, and reduced her children to beggary, not one Penal Law against Catholics would now remain a disgrace to her Statute Books.

For years have the Catholics of Ireland unavailingly petitioned the Imperial Parliament, for redress of their Grievances; for simple Justice.Many of both Irish and English Members have powerfully advocated their cause, yet still justice remains to be done, and Ireland is still to be pacified. Of the Irish Members who have opposed the Catholic claims, none are to be reckoned, but the bigotted and intolerant, who wish to perpetuate an odious distinction amongst their countrymen. Of the English Members who oppose the claims of their Catholic fellow-subjects, it is supposed the majority do so, not from a desire to give permanence to injustice, but because they have been led astray by early prejudices, misstatements on this question, and the opinion, that no injustice is done to the Catholics, by rejecting their claims. To shew these gentlemen that the privileges the Catholics now ask, and which they did enjoy until the reign of William III. have been purchased by them for valuable considerations, that they have been secured to them by the most solemn treaties, and that they have been deprived of them by flagrant injustice, the subjoined DOCUMENTS are referred to with confidence; a confidence founded on the good sense of the English People, who must see, that until justice is done to the Irish, by restoring to them their just rights, no settled or permanent tranquility in Ireland, and consequently no complete security to the Empire, however desirable, can be expected.

April 15, 1828.

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OFFICIAL

Documents, Extracts,

&c. &c. &c.

No. 1.

Extract from the Statute, Second of Elizabeth, Chap. I. entitled "An Act restoring to the Crowne the Auncient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and abolishing all Forreine Power repugnant to the same."

"AND for the better observation and maintenance of this Act, may it please your Highness that it may be further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, That all and every Archbishop, Bishop, and all and every other Ecclesiasticall Person, and every other Ecclesiasticall Officer and Minister, of what state, dignitie, preheminence or degree soever, he or they shall be, and all and every Temporall Judge, Justice, Mayor, and other Lay or Temporall Officer and Minister, and every other person having your Highnesse fee or wages within this Realm, shall make, take and receive a corporall Oathe upon the Evangelists, before such person or persons as shall please your Highnesse, your Heyres or Successours, under the Great Seale in England, or of this Realm, or the Lord Deputie or other Gouvernour or Gouvernours of this Realme, for the time being, by Letters Patents to be made by his or their Warrant, under the Great Seale of this Realme, to assign and name to accept and take the same, according to the tenour and effect hereafter following, that is to say ;

I, A. B. doe utterly testifie and declare in my conscience, that the Queen's Highnesse is the onely Supreme Gouvernour of this Realme and of all other Her Highnesse Dominions and Countries, as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or Causes, aș

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