"Catholic soldiers.-By the mutiny act, if they refuse "to frequent the church of England worship, when "ordered to do so by their commanding officer, shall, "for the first offence, forfeit twelve pence; and for the "second, not only forfeit twelve pence, but be laid in irons for twelve hours; and, by the second section, "article 5, of the articles of war, the punishment even "extends to that of death.

"An Irish catholic officer or soldier, on landing in "Great Britain, Jersey or Guernsey, is immediately "liable to the penalty, among others, by the English "act of 1 Geo. I. c. 13, of forfeiting 300l.

"Catholics are excluded from holding the offices of governor, deputy governor, or director, of the bank of "Ireland.

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"No part scarcely, in fact, of the penal code is "repealed, but all of it is now the law of the land, and "in full force against those catholics who have not "qualified themselves for relief from its violence, by "taking the oaths of 13 & 14 Geo. III. c. 35, or whe

may have lapsed or become converts to the catholic "religion."

NOTE VI.

Oath of Supremacy in the Bill for the relief of the British Catholics, as it passed the House of Commons in 1821.

IT has been suggested to the writer, that his readers may wish to see the form of the oath of supremacy, as it was finally settled in the bill, which passed the commons. He therefore presents them with a transcription of it, and of the recitals, which immediately preceded it,—and a short abstract of the clauses, by which it was immediately followed.

"And whereas after due consideration of the situa ❝tion, dispositions, and conduct of his majesty roman→ "catholic subjects, it appears just and fitting to com"municate to them, the enjoyment of the benefits and "advantages, of the constitution and government

happily established in this united kingdom, thus "putting an end to religious jealousies, consolidating "the union between Great Britain and Ireland, and " uniting and knitting together the hearts of all his majesty's subjects in one and the same interest, for "the support of his majesty's person, family, crown and "government, and for the defence of their common " rights and liberties.

"And whereas by divers acts passed in the parlia "ments of Great Britain and Ireland, the oaths of allegiance, supremacy and abjuration, therein pro"vided, are required to be taken for certain purposes "therein mentioned; and the said oath of supremacy "is expressed in the following terms:

"I, A. B. do swear, that I do from my heart, abhor, "detest and abjure, as impious and heretical, that "damnable doctrine and position, that princes excom→ "municated or deprived by the pope, or any authority

"of the see of Rome, may be deposed or murdered by "their subjects or any other whatsoever; and I do de"clare, that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority, eccle"siastical or spiritual, within this realm.

"So help me God."

"And whereas his majesty's roman-catholic subjects "in Great Britain and Ireland are ready and desirous to "take the said oaths of allegiance and abjuration in com"mon with his majesty's other subjects; but entertain "scruples with respect to taking the oath of supremacy, "inasmuch as they apprehend that the same might be "construed to import a disclaimer of the spiritual autho"rity which they ascribe to the pope or church of "Rome, in matters of religious belief; be it therefore "enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and "with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and "temporal, and commons, in this present parliament "assembled, and by the authority of the same, that "from and after the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful for all or any of his majesty's roman"catholic subjects, in all cases where the said oath "of supremacy is now by law required to be taken, as a qualification for the taking, holding, or enjoying any civil right, office or franchise, in lieu and place "thereof to take, make and subscribe the oath follow"ing:

“I, A. B. do swear, that I do from my heart detest, “abhor and abjure, as impious and unchristian, the "doctrine and position, that princes excommunicated "or deprived by the pope, or any authority of the "see of Rome, may be deposed or murdered by their subjects or any other whatsoever; and I do declare, "that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or poten

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"tate, hath, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm, that in any manner or "for any purpose conflicts or interferes with the duty “of full and undivided allegiance, which by the laws of "this realm is due to his majesty, his heirs and successors, from all his subjects, or with the civil "duty and obedience which is due to his courts, "civil and ecclesiastical, in all matters concerning the 66 legal rights of his subjects, or any of them; 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 read unto me without any evasion, equivo"cation, or mental reservation whatsoever.

"So help me God."

"And that the person so taking, making, and subscrib"ing the same, shall be capable of taking, holding, "and enjoying such right, office, and franchise, as fully "and effectually to all intents and purposes as if such person had made, taken, and subscribed the said oath "of supremacy; save as hereinafter provided."

The bill then proceeded to repeal the declarations respecting transubstantiation and popery, and against the invocation of the Virgin Mary and the saints:

Several provisoes then followed, which expressed that the act should not repeal any laws respecting the succession of the crown,-or the statute of uniformity,and excluded catholics from holding offices or beneficial places belonging to the established churches, or any place in any ecclesiastical court of judicature,—or in any cathedral or collegiate establishment,—or in any of the universities,—or in any school of any royal or ecclesiastical foundation,--from exercising any right of presentation,-from advising the crown in the appointment

of ecclesiastical benefices ;-from holding the offices of lord high chancellor, lord keeper, or lord commissioner of the great seal of Great Britain or Ireland, or of lord lieutenant, lord deputy, or other chief governor of Ireland; and from voting at parish vestries.

The clauses respecting the negative power of his majesty in the nomination to catholic bishoprics, and for regulating the intercourse between catholics in holy orders with the see of Rome then followed; these, as has already been observed, in the text, are similar to those introduced into the bill of 1813, but materially softened.

SUCH, if it had passed the house of lords, would have been the operation of the intended bill, in respect to the civil rights of his majesty's roman-catholic subjects.

By perusing the account, which has been given of the debates upon it in the house of commons, it will appear that several gentlemen, who objected to the bill in the extent, in which it passed that house, were yet willing to consent to a bill in favour of the catholics, if it continued their exclusion from seats in parliament, at the council board, and upon the bench. Such a partial admission of them into the constitution, would certainly be a considerable amelioration of their present condition: the great objection to it, as to every other such limited measure, is, that however it may lessen, it will not remove that general depression, which all the romancatholic population,-(the very lowest among them quite as much as the very highest)-certainly experience, and which makes the great bitterness of their lot.

A maid servant lately presented herself to be hired