The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-11 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL CATHOLIC MEETING.

On Thursday a numerous and highly respectible meeting of the
Catholics of this town was held at the l'atholic School. l'opperas-
hill, for the ptirpene of establishing a Brant of the British atholic
Metmpolitan Association.
At about half-past twclre o'clock. Joint 311•C•iiTwr.v, Esq.
M.D. having been unanimously called to the ('hair, opened the
business of the meeting. Ile spoke to the following effect
•• Gentlemen, we are met here to-day to take into our Myr terj•
ons consideration the propriety ofeetablishing in this town a branch
of die British Catholic Metropolitan Association, which I hope will
meet with your cordial and unanimous approbation. It has beet:
hitherto the miUmtune M *he Catholic body to be a divided body,
and the lilt, of the original Cdtliiilic Board were al ways viewed with
sustOcion. jealousy, and distrust. They have, luOverefs bong seen
the it:moiler of advocating the Catholic cause without the support
tit the Catholic body at large i they have now formed themselves
into an association of British Catholics, and are soliciting the co.
operation of the Catholics of Gn-at Britain, to enable them to carry
into (Feet such measures u shall be deemed expedient to reliese
them front all penalties and disabilities on account of their religion.
I regret that the opening of this business has fallen to my Int, who
ain so little acquainted with the routine of Thane
business, and so
little accustomed to public speaking; but the consolation to
reflect that my delletencies will he amply made up by the gentle-
Dial who are to more the resolutions. otncther most important
point will Ge gained be this and similar associations. It is but too
evident tons 51! that the religion and doctrines of the Catholics are
but imperfectly understisal, and often misrepresented. It has bees
so long the custom to abuse them in the !Lime, the pulpit, and in
the public prints, an welt as in many other modern publication,
that people arc lint too apt to believe what no one take* the psi-s
to contradict. To refute all calumny, to enerect misrepresentation,
and to inform the public mind, will be one great object of this as-
-00!latiOn. Before I sit down, I have one favour to request of those
gentlemen who intend to Utley *this meeting; I beg that they be
lery brief, avoiding all seff.priise on our own body, and eeneure of
ocr opponents; stating their sentimetts in language as temperafe
es passible, and n little mingled with politica as the subject will
permit. I take the liberty of reminding ditto, tl.ut the Catholics
of Liverpool hate ever been treated with the utmost liberality by
their fellow-townsinen, and that, in the eavelse of one different
railings, the distinction of religion has been lots felt in this enter-
enter-
Frising town than is any other part of the ktensfont ; and it is, in
act, owing to the generous conduct of the Corporation of Li-
verpool. that ac arc now enabled to Mid our meeting node: dos
riot:

Mr. Rosen then ruse. and commenced 'es Redress by a nana
tire of the proceedings which led to the nerablistment of brunet
isenciations in the towns of Manchester, Preston, Birtiiingleant,
and Blackburn, Which, though interesting to the meeting, we has
net apace to give at length. He then continued Gentlemei•,
among the various difficulties that, from tune to time. we hart had
to strugelc with, the want of active co-operation and uu:on of the
Cltholie people with their neturri leaders was the most perplexing,.
We were, pelitieally speaking, in the condition in which the mo-
de of Scotland round theniseei in edition to sense of their rebid
and influential men, after funning the " solemn league and cave-
nant," all who did not subscribe to that far-famed proteviatiost were
denounced as irreligious ; and such will always be the ease with an
bellies of religionists at the commencer.ent of negotiations with
their Govennnent. The people will always be less compreeniaing
than their supenore in rank ; having less Immediate advantage to
look to, they will give up nothing, abether in fundantenraes or
otherwise ; and their loaders, cepiany steadfast in fundamentals:
yet are inclined to dismiss the propriety of certain arrangentente
which they think consistent with the safety of their faith. Ifer.er
arose among us the vii':lll.l2 and anti-vetolsts, whose dientssiots
have made England and Ireland rine from side to side. la one
respect, I rejoice at thane discussions; for they made our Proteseent
countrymen better acquainted with one principle., and by tile=
Government made the discovery teat the veto, it granted, would
confer no solid power. !loth parties, at length, seeing the folly of
division, have united. and, Instead of droning to Ins Majesty's,
Government the shadow of authority, they humbly tender to deck.
beloved Sovereign, the father of his people, their solemn oaths pad
declarations contained in the Act of the 31st year of his late Ma-
testy—declarations more full and ample than ever subject before
endered ill his "'rine •--of their entire allegiance to his person and
govemment, to *huh they are as much bound by the ties even of
interest as their Protestant fellow-subjects; for how is the Catholic
Nobleman to retain his rank but by the stability of the Government
from which he alone derives it ? I low is the Catholic commoner
in gratify hit 'amiable ambition to sit among die rtresentahres of
the people, but by the Whitey of the Constitution, by which alone
lie can make his way into that areseeibly—and by the prmervatine
of which, the Catholic of the lower order can alone hope to emulete.
his Pronettant felloweeubjects, and rise, by its liberal invitations,
from the lowest to the highest offices of the state ? Gentlemen, it
is almost humiliating to be obliged to trove what is sot ell-evelent,
and it is a great consolation that the happy union, ar w eaistiag
among us, will enable us, in a tenfold degree, to prove ts oar PPO.
totene fellow-subjecte the soundness of our principles. I come new
to the duties of the branch medial inns. It will be one of the duties
of the branch associatiens to watch the provincial press—is peat part
of which teems with slander anti invective respecting our principles,
civil and religious. Our answers to those attacksshouldbe inserted,
and the same papers distinguished, as we have stated in the metro-
politan report, '• by unrullcd temper, eaten reason. and the einem
desire to promote harmony and peace." I would also recom-
mend my friends, who reply to those effaces, to give their
name and address. This sill put their anonymous libelers
to the blush, if anything can make men blush who know
that they are publishing falsehoods of their innocent fel-
lew-suieents, for which they are amenable to the tribunal of the
laws. Another pan of the duty of the Branch AssoCiatious will be
to bring to justiee persons who ineure any of our ckrgy of small pe-
euidare mean,. in hat person or property. lam much 1:011C011011
to state, that t flagrant instance of religious intolerance, aenottime.
nied by injury tn the property of a iv- nt respectable Cetholic Cler-
gymare has lately disnreced the town of Northampton, a town that
raised Itself to the " bail emir:nee," in 111416, of being the first to
echo the cries of "no Popery," and "the Church to danger."--
" On the 6th of last month the groan!! intended for the erection of
a Catholic chapel, in that town, was entered, by !ening the gate,
by some persona, who eeeaccel and rendered melees the test ut the
cone-work, unlamented and plain, prepared for the building. This
is the second attempt to frustrate the intention of the Catholic Pastor
Of Northampton the Rev. Mr. Foley, to raise a chapel for the ac.
commutation of dock. 3le Foley, we understand, had so ar-
ranged his plan of erection as to avoid falling into dels, but three
scandalous excetsmeand the expense of employir.g a nightly watch.
will frustrate his intentions, el likes he receive pocuidery assists: e.'•
It will be the duty rf a !french Associate:in, in such a case as this, to
offer a reward tor ,he apprcher.sinn of the ofeeders, and, if diner-
erect, to make them find tail to appear at the ensuingStssiiris. to
be dealt with according to law. 'f he Branch .Assetiation will .ho
defray the expense of publishing the various pampelets which our
harmed l'iergy may twin time to time circulate in answer to the
misrepreventanons of our enemies, who, by their repeated Falun:-
nies, seem to have iliseovered that the ryt-tuld_ j'illrelwod is, at ;use
regarded as t: nth. The same Association will find funds to daisy
the expense of preparing petitions to Parliament, for the restore: Hie
of our civil rights. Havieg spoken of our duties, it now re-mains
shortly to advert to the policy of England, and to Comment epee: a
statement often made by our opponents, that the British is the
most liberal of Protestant Govenmients. You all know diet t. t •.-
tbolic gentleman t:41111A represent the meanest burgess in linefeliese.
and yet the Protestant eeetereign of Denmark was lately rrierstreed
at the British Court, not merely by a Catholic. but by an Jr Lf.'i
Catholic, a subject of our own minuet Monarch. I &Beet to
Count Make, who was, for many years, the Danish Audereeador
at the Court of Se James's. In speaking of the conduct of tie
British Government towards her Catholic subjects, it tisturelir re-
run to me to look at the conduct of our neighbour, and grt.,, 1:, al,
France, to to her Protestant subjects: and it will furnish 11. a ea
a refutation of the charge that the Catholic religion "is le
and avowedly hostile to every other religious meshes/ate he" es
meted, when I inform you, that a congregation of liegh • • '-
tants, domiciled at Celets, applied to the FreatllGoverlllii. 't -pt -
cuniery aid fur the support of the Protestant 31inister. 'le:
wits granted; the ministerof the English ProtemenisatC.L' r•r A -
ally paid by theltoman CathedieGovernment of France;
have occurred where • larger allowance has been n nee t.. t rc-
toatant Minister than to the Catholic, in consideration of t'-
having a wife and family to %import. The Prolowatas of Brene,,
as ascertained by their own Conte:stories in the year liUl,
to 412,1100 soul., about ondaixtieth part of the poled. Coe et at a,
cinmtry. and one-eleventh part of the Catholic teopulaticei of Ire.
laesl. The Report states, that diry possess elle temples, of eke!,
21 hod be: edihtdiC Imrchii. That since the restora•ien or hi.
310-t Christian Majesty, in lel s, the Catholic G r enter ,r
France has contributed to the ma: st !fleece of the relisecris henna-
time of the Protestants of that estuary the sum of 4,49!• , 14: Ira:les,
in the Mlle:wing manner:—For temples, 341,fe1et,; meet •-:
pastors or their widows, eft:Jere All of which aids arc cs,'•• • ,ve
of the provision made by that Cosemmewt for the eeu of
Lutheran and Calvinist Midst:vs in the two facuiteeof e ••, at
etrasburgli and Monteuben. I will close this Imo: 11.,•• •, .
men, by stating a plain aritlunetical question. If Cat! •a,.:
allow 44:19,111 franca ter 642,014 of her Frotest.— •S. •• • .
what ought Protestant linelatiel to allow for at sty s ••••• s.l
her Catholic subjects? I ha.-e shown that Esisea• ! ••• eel
not so liberal as l'rct,.staia Ileamerk, but I •• • e s• t et
she is not so liberal as Ceritee: Franco. t.l eet, cc.
.•