The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-07-21 00:00:00

chose lestivisony, if reQuired; r truLuratc the truth or
my statement.

In the year 'got, twelve Cathul.,„ citizens obtained as
audienee of the Hoag Xecretace to the Vice-regal Government,
mid 'fomented to him a list of a part, and but a part of the
'penal Laws, inventing the interest and protection of Govern-
meat, while they sought a removal of any one, although it
should be the rely smallest grievance, The secretary, the
ageut of dila rremhl;ng Court, did out deign to give this re-
spectful deputation even a relatal ; lie tininissed them with-
oat
an answer. Repelled in this quarter, we prepared C.
brief and must tumble petition to the Legislature. But fuer
minium of subjects could not get one member of Parliament
even to pieseut the petition to the HUPP, Mr. (afterwards
Lent) O'Neil had indeed undertaken the task, but superior
influence induced or eompel:eil him to tetrad, and he pe-
remptorily refused to discharge his eugagetneilt.
As to the Aristocracy of the Catholics, they, it must be
confessed, were not inactive: they exerted themselves, it is
true; but their exeitions were directly in opposition to our
seeking any redress.—The peerage was unanimous, nod sup-
ported by sonic of our bishops, by moony of oar wealthy me.r.
chants, and by nearly the whole of the lauded interest, it
is easy to conceive what must have been the aggregate
weight of such • body. They triumphed in our discomfi-
ture ; and the insulting manner in which the deputation
hail been ditinissed from the Castle fat Milled them with a
oecious subject of ridicule. Thies, then,rejected by govern-
ment, refused adinittenee to parliament, scoffed at and op-
posed by oar uwu nubility and gentry, and all over whom
either.passeseed any influence, our petition wan abandoned
by the Catholics of Iluldiu themselves, from a couvictiou
that any farther application for redrew must be hopeless,
while the accumulated influeuee of goverunieut, parliament,
and even of their own body, was plated is the opposite
scale against it. On this, Mr. Chairman, ertibliciet Ips•
has the unparalleled iguaranee, or the unblushing effrontery,
to ground the assertion, that • trembling Court intended
to grant our cinatietpation !" And as the assertion is made
in the form of • charge against me, I am compelled, fur Om
purpose of retelling it, to state tine share I bad in raising
the Catholics frous the despondency, or rather the despair
into which they kid fallen—and I shall do this, with two of
the committee of that iiianspicious period in nay view, who
can correct, if there be any thing err:emotes, or contradict,
if there be any thing false, in my statement. The select
committee was, at my request, summoned, curl met at Al-
letes.court. It was their determatativa to give up the
cause as desperate, lest • perseverance in what they coo-
sidered as an idle pursuit, might not only prove iueffectioal,
but draw down a train of persecution on the hotly. I was of
a different opinion, and pressed that one V the committee
should be deputed to London, to advocate their tartar with
the immaculate ministers of the Crown; and that the ex-
penses of his mission should be defrayed oat of the geueral
fund, which was then eutticieut fur the purpose. The pro-
posal was of a novel, and thought to he of an idle ii
duet—
an emanation of an ardent, and maths ;Ludic, perhaps, a dia.
ordered mind, They were persuaded that the minister would
sot receive their deputy, and at ail events would great no re-
laxative amp grievances ; upon the nut unnatural preirunip-
thin tbat the Irish government must have bees apprised of
his seatimeuts, wheu they closed the doors bolls uf the
Cabinet and the Parliament against as Fivalir eveiy
man refused to go upuu so hupolcss an errand, and the
meeting was actually breaking up, end about to disperse for
ever, when f, and f alone, offered to go to London, and at
my own expense to solicit an audience from Ministers All
I required was the authority of their permission, which
*Maimed ; acid I accordingly set out fur the British capital,
where I remained fir three months, and from *Malec I re-
turned to this king hum in January tgoz.
I arrived in London without any introductions front this
country, without any support, auy assistance, any tints-lie-
haus. I call upon those who bear me, sod who as 1 lecture
said, are competent to contradict me, if I rabid; or exagge-
rate, to lifly whether I hare he' guilty of either. I had
gone, ion the opinion of my brethren of the Committee, up.
on a forlorn hope; and they, probably, Scarce expected to
hear any thing more of me or my mission. I was introduc-
ed to the truly great Edmond Burke the sincere friend of
Ireland, and, for that very reason, of the embolic Body ;
through hint to the present Lord Melville, then Mr. IXtiulus,
and Minister for the Irish Lepartnnut. I will lint, because
it is nail nue meersure, enter into a detail of the reasons I
urged in my ititervies with that Statesman *ethic tt to
say, that I had the good foe tune and liapoluess tu rOll% slice
that Minister, that tltt• interest of 11,4 Majesty ruyyunreal that
the cutillstiou of his Cat Itubjeets in 'ref old should lIC
ameliorated —ln consequence uf this, at the °Knit's; of the
emu* fieseism, ion January a Mauisterial Member,
' Sir H. Laarlabo, intrude, ed a Mill note the House of Coos.
sum of lielasd. which alters arils received the Royal Assent,
arid width opened to asTitaPßOWal,iiiiN OFTlir raW.I.RI-
TILSGS OP STILC•TION MIHICITSIA tern ay Tnr YcrC!-
/ITTer LICLIILE,—inid of LEO•L lITE . t 505
PleTtal A WTI and CATHOLICS. And now for theme
electives, made at say own expense, nail atirtathlt with a
degree of success hermit the moat ardent I:upi• or eves
widest of the t'etlicilies of that penal, an recusatices is
brought against ate by this interpose calumniator of having
betrayed the cause, is hich ory them individual effort's sup.
purled !—Bet let me proered,....

do far OAS complete rinancipetion from being demanded,
or awe thought of, at that time, lunch nme, of course,
Bolt being in the contemplation of the Government, that
the Irish Parliament, on the Guth day of the fulknviant
month (February 17se), rejected a petition from the t'allesi•
hc Body for o 0 sooty sone sue in the eLelim kauChisic,"
tries a majority of got against id.
The hostile spirit of the Irish Government met, in the
Aristueracy Of the Catholics, very active, very zealous, bet
certainly eft very able partizan-. l'hr Peon sod Gentry,
aid all whom they could influence, se.mi I a declaration, tit
the iastigatiuu of Gov.-tannest, is which measures and folly
were combined, opposing, the intendeol relief to their Coo 111.`
TRY, their CHI LIMB, sun Tit C. alai LA ES ! aid the Irish Go.
refitment forwarded this declaration to lewd rtheu,
as I before said, Mr. Su-(u . tare lynnd,,st fut the &dorsal inte-
rest of inducing him to withrinor the support of Government
from the proposed Bill of Sir llercults Lasignalte: Let that
Biuistu refused to gratify theta in this iiistance.
Animated by the retaliation tits' had otitained, the Ca•
deifies if Iya6lm swim...o.m • c 0,...•,.,;„„ from every pout a
the kingdom to assemble in the capital Ti... ensasare treat-
ed an L invents% outcry from the trials Govereeneul *Malt its
agents, w hello r at count! tow, 'lugs, Zraml juries., or corpse-
...time at wire charged • till an etteitipt to oace.awe the
the Parliament, or to‘fhet The standard of reledlion. The
Catholic nobility were again pressed boo the service, Aar
*lnch they were apparently tome catcall. d by their dispos:-
lion thaw their abilities. They pledged themselves, not writ'
nut to its, lost likcwase to prevent thi- assembling of the
Courcattoss. Terrified by the threats of Guiernment upon
the une side, weighed dies, by the millstone of Aristoeratte
induenee upon the other, the fantasies er meine4 tututivreil,
apparently unaffected; at keel they aid not make any 'Bolt
Gm anti ap;ssintiug Berri seolstives to tier intended t elocu-
tion. Mown le was to Ire overeuum, air the hop., of fur
Catholics weir Wastrel for ever. I apou came turn aid I
went thiongts the Wm provinces, accompanied by sus ts.
mated friend, T. lt 'Pose; I *needed the meeting of the
Catholic Bishops in Ulster, bald in that premises.. liVith
thew Prelates I fused it mummy to hare an tater; err;
likewise with the Bishops of Cotioaught, who h.,4 been
i 1111411114 with mid el: craved by the mierepreientatk.na of a
Catholic his yer. In our kosirtwy thither, 1 was lareunspa.
pied by my dear ant meek lanonied friend, roma' knew-
ball, WI le shows I bravereed the South of Itelised. %Viotti a
good esier plc was mice set, it ass billowed with enthosinon,
and the Cementer's became the genuine' fill, and complete
reprearottatins of the (catholic, of Irelrind. Yet eves this
Conveislion dirt not eatertaist so idea, kw mow slue, of sp.
plyiag for more than the elective Gamble, sed aisisoine
grimed Pores ; mill, towards its time, it estimatimal to pi-
tithe& the Sovereign himself fur a full whimsiesn to all the
rights and privikges of (hr Coe/notion. The Convention
appointed lye of tee oweenbers to ran! the Petition tc the
foot of the Thome. le Jaauary t;us, the depilation was
introduced lotto King, sad presented the Petition. I was
of the ausober, V4l were lord french, Christopher
and Jsm,s Edward Devereue, F.grs, *hoar/still lasing; and
to throe three snaring delegates I refer, fur the honourable
teiliinoey winch they ham with respect to my services at oat
tisiervise with Lord Melville. Bel I hasten is what gives nee
nifiaitely greater pleasure, the result The melt WA%
that the Catholics acts testified to the elective franehist--to