The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-11-09 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLIC MEETING,

A meeting 'tribe Roman Catholics of the City
and Count) of Cork, was held, on the Ist instant,
pursuant to pulilie arleertisesuent, at the Bush 'ra-
ver 11, Cork. At a quarter rast one o'clock, John
Galw■y, or Lots, Esq. was called to the Chair.

Counsellor M'Cit write adilressed the Meeting,
and ebwrveil, that the Catholic taints bad beeu .o
frequently discussed, that he deemed it unnecessary
tociipatiate on the subject. Every individual of the
body in his intercourse with life most oftentimes
feel that he is not placiql out a level with his Prides.
tint fellow subjrts, the uirimest of whom is elevated
above the Catholic, however the latter may be 'mule
respeetuble by his telcut, or dignified by his virtues.
This was a situation which insist operate upon their
kelings, in proportion as they felt a csiiisciotisnesa of
their Miiliticr, or a reuse of the injustice of these re-
stric s. All they prayed was an equality of
privileges, and when lie reflected upon the import-
Miler and uncertainty of the crisis in which we are
engaged, he was surprised there could be rimed any
Minister so impolitic as not to hung every individual
feeling into the public stock of defence. Their
brethren were now employed in other parts of the
country in preparing petitions to be presented in
the next Sessions, to pray a removal of the re-
niaiaing disabilities, end he trusted they would
adopt corresponding exertions in the same cause.
After several other appropriate observations, the
Learned Gentleman coucluded by calling ou the
meeting for subscriptious to defray the necessary
expenses of presenting the petition. and forward-
ing the cause in which they were engaged. He
stated it to be the object of the Committee to co-
operate with the *limn Catholics of Dublin, to
whom Welch merit wee due fur their active exertions;
but that it was conceived necessary to shew the bre-
thren at large, by theirdistinct Itesolutious, that the
Catholics of Cork, who were hitherto so supiue, were
now determined to assist cordially in endeavouring
to establish their claims ; and he submitted the pro-
priety of following the example of other counties, in
baring a separate petition presented by one of the
Members for Cork.

Oa the 'steam tieing put on the first Resolution,
Mr. Bo Li moved the `following atneuchaeat,
which was seconded by Mr. Murphy : " And that
our pctoion be acciunpanied with the offer or a
oeptive power t. the Crown on the appoiuttneuts
to our Prelacy."

Mr.M'Csrruv opposed the Amendment, at some
length, strongly asserting. that It was not in the
power of the Laity to make such an offer ; thit it
was the peculiar province of the Clergy, slid that
that body have already decided against it.
Mr. DOYLE, in reply, was astonished the learned
Gentleman did not give something snare satisfactory
than assertion—he unlisted that it was not the poem-
liar province of the Clergy—it Misdated nut with the
essentials of the religion, had nought to do with
the discipline of the church, and therefore he con-
leaded that the laity had the power to decide up-
on it, standing, at, probably it could, a grand bar
to their emancipation. The admission of the right
of the Clergy to decide upon any qiiirstiou, that
wuaW clisrh with the political rights of their fluek,
is en admission of the truth of that ocausation,
which, he trusted, their conduct on that occasion
would contradict, that the minds of the Catholics
of Ireland was invested in their priesthood. The
King of Prussia exercised this negative power
the Emperor of Russia has a reto on the appoint-
ment of Catholic Bishops—so had the States on
the appointment of Catholic Priests, within the
United Provinces; and this concession on the
part of embolic Churches, similarly situated as
in this country, has been always approved by
the Holy See. In the present subjugated state
of the Continent, when the Pope, in common
a ith the Crowned Heads of Europe, is under
the dominion of a man, whose great object is
the annihilation of these countries, not to allow
this negative power to the King to shield his
throne from the possible iiiftuetice of the common
eheiny, he considered most ungracious indeed. The
successor to the Popedoos may probably be Botta-
itaite's uncle, CarJival fraiche. How desamous
then would it appear for the Catholic Prelacy of
Ireland to receive, without the power of this who
in their Sovereign, their alitstnienta from him--
lie conjured them not to become their own ene-
mies—the givisig this veto would be complimen-
tary to the feelings of the Monarch, it would
ap-
proximate us to him. and tuake us fuel wore int-
' mediate subjects by the Royal breast. It could
quiet the fears of the English people, and sc.
quire such au hest of friends to their cause, as
most issure its soaves. Mr. H. concluded ley
calling on the leartied Gentleman who opposed the
amendment, to *hew, by something more than as-
sertion, that the present uteetihg was use untitled
to discuss the subject; and adman% fur a ino.
meld the truth of suck assertion, as they were
assembled in the hope of the prayer of their pen-
tioo beiug granted, was it not their duty to pre-
sent it with every possible reemorneudation, and
anticipating every obstacle that might stand in
its way, allow themselves the right of discussion
us to the service the refs might be to their cause,
or the deteisakot it might prove to their religion ;
and if the imislt of that investigation should be in
its favour, respectfully to request the dignitaries
of the chinch to take the subject egoist into con-
sideration, iss the hope of their opinion coming
into osincislenee with their own. if they refused
11111Prflikeh it area in dist way, they would exhibit

.• . •

a mental _servility to the priesthood, most deeply
to be deplored.
Mr. POWLII began by apologising for trespassing
us the attention of the meeting, which he felt the
more necessary, as he had been so long removed
from participating in their pursuits. Wherever his
fortune had placed him, and whenever the oppor-
tunity presented itself, he alwayvidvecated their
cause with his best abilities. lie did nut agree with
the Gentlemen who spoke last, on the expediency
of his aniessdaseat ; he declared we had no right to
interfere io polemics, or mingle the pursuit of our
civil rights with the doctrine or discipline of the
Church. On this occasion, we would assume a
power. which neither law um religion pee us. Af-
ter an age of martyrdom, it was, now no time to
barter away our rights, or abandon cur tenets. He
concluded, by declaring himself entirely again►t
the amendment, and for the resolution in its ori-
ginal form.
The question Wkithen pot on the amendment.
and it wee negati►ed by a large majority. The
ether Resolution, were then passed, and tile meet-
ing entered into stibscriptiOns to defray the loci-
dental expenses of the petition.