"we find from the conclusion of your letter, you "entertain concerning the ecclesiastical affairs of

your country, we order you to be at ease.

For

you ought to consider that we have viewed and weighed the manner in which we should conduct "ourselves in regard to these matters, whenever "any opportunity should present itself."

... We shall conclude the article by observing, that up to this very moment, the veto has never been a subject of any motion, or even of any serious discussion among the English catholics. To the acceptance of it, either unfortunately given, or unfortunately retracted,by the Irish prelates, the veto, with every thing that belongs to it, is solely owing. To charge it on the English is unjust and ungenerous in the extreme.

CHAP. LXXXVII. •

BOARD OF THE ENGLISH ROMAN-CATHOLICS.

THE nature of the board of the British romancatholics having been greatly misrepresented, the writer apprehends that the following short account of the formation and construction of it may be inserted without impropriety in this place.

In the preceding pages it has been mentioned, that, in the year 1782, a committee of romancatholic noblemen and gentlemen was appointed at a general meeting of the body for the management of their public concerns; that, successive'

committees for that purpose were afterwards appointed; that, the members of the committee in 1791, considered that immediately after the act of parliament of that year, for the relief of the roman-catholics, was passed, and some measures consequential to it had been effected, the trust delegated to them was expired; and that, accordingly, at a general meeting of the roman-catholics in 1792, the committee announced that they considered their powers to be at an end, and that they should no longer meet in their collective capacity.

All roman-catholics remember with gratitude the leading part which the late Robert Edward lord Petre took in all the proceedings of the last committee. He was actively employed in every transaction respecting the act of 1778; and, through the remainder of his life, dedicated all his time, his mind, and his fortune to the catholic cause. All his actions were distinguished by rectitude, openness, and dignity; his ample fortune sunk under his beneficence. He was the centre of a numerous band of illustrious friends, eminent for their strong and undeviating attachment to civil and religious liberty in the exercise of his bounty he knew no distinction of persons; it may be truly said, that he seemed to be born to relieve the distressed, to spread happiness among his friends, and to promote and illustrate the catholic cause. death, (though his conscientious adherence to his religious principles had excluded him from those situations to which his birth entitled him,) was generally bewailed, as a public loss.

His

In 1798 he met with a sensible mortification. Having, with the express leave and encouragement of government, raised, equipped, and trained, at his own expense, a corps of two hundred and fifty men for his majesty's service, he petitioned that his son might be appointed to their command. His religion was objected. It was admitted, that, by accepting the command of the corps, without complying with the provisions of the test act, and the act of Geo. I. s. 20, sess. 2, c. 13, Mr. Petre would subject himself to the penalties empowered by those, acts; but it was observed, that the appointment would be good; that the penalties would not be incurred till the expiration of the sixth month after the appointment, and that the annual act of indemnity would pass before that time, and remove the penalties. It was also suggested, that protestants and romancatholics stood, in this respect, exactly in the same predicament; few of these, in point of fact, qualifying themselves for office, within the regular time; so that both were equally liable to the operation of the penal acts, and both equally within the relief of the act of indemnity.-Mr. Hill, his majesty's premier serjeant at law, and sir James Mansfield, afterwards his majesty's chief justice of his court of common pleas, were decisively of this opinion; but the refusal was persisted in; another person was appointed; and Mr. Petre served under him in the ranks. Lord Petre died in July 1801.

While the writer was committing these words to paper, he was informed of the death of sir John Throckmorton, his lordship's steady and active

associate, in all his exertions for catholic emancipation, and, after his lordship's decease, an active leader in that interesting cause. It was placed by both on its true ground,-on the only ground, on which an exertion for religious liberty is defensible in every point, and on all its sides:-the universal right of every person, so far as the magistrate is concerned, and civil and social duty is not affected, to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. "Neither breathing, nor "the use of common ayre," says father Parsons in a work equally distinguished by strength of argument and eloquence*, " is more due in common to all, "than ought to be the liberty of conscience to "christian men, whereby each one liveth to God "and himself." Narrow this principle but a single pace, and you make the magistrate,-a man necessarily liable both to moral and religious error,the arbiter of moral and religious dogma!

Sir John Throckmorton was extensively known, and no where known, where his probity, his beneficence, his extensive endowments and polished manners, did not obtain universal regard and reverence. Those, who differed most from him, did justice to his talents, his candor, and his consistency. Mr. Fox particularly respected him :-That great man once mentioned to the writer, that, "he "did not know a person from whom it was more "unsafe to differ, than sir John Throckmorton."

"Judgment of a Catholic Englishman on the Apology for "the Oath of Allegiance," &c.-This excelleut work is now extremely scarce.

Such were the two men, who, for half a century, had a principal part in directing the exertions of the English catholics for the repealing of the penal laws. None, who knew them soon forgot them :While this page shall remain, the writer wishes it to record, that they were his friends.

From the dissolution of the catholic committee in 1791, till the year 1808, the British catholics had no point of union. On the 23d of May, in that year, a meeting of them, convened by public advertisement, was held; and it was unanimously resolved, "that a subscription should be collected "for the general benefit and advantage of the body, to be placed under the control of a cer"tain number of noblemen and gentlemen, who "should be requested to apply the same according "to their judgment and discretion." A select board for this purpose was accordingly framed; and a resolution entered into, by which, "a hope was confidently expressed, that the subscription might

66

prove the medium of forming the desired asso"ciation." On that ground, the subscription was earnestly recommended to the catholics of Great Britain for their concurrence and support.

The meeting then proceeded to an act, which pleased every catholic,-the appointment of Mr. Edward Jerningham to be their secretary.

The hope thus confidently expressed, that the subscription might prove the medium of forming an association, was happily realized.-An association of the most respectable description, was formed, and finally organized in 1813. It was settled, that