The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-05-23 00:00:00

THE 3EIF PRIVY COUNSELLOR.

.Irchdracon of LIMERICK against thr Parishioners,
&jure the Irish Pricy (.'arid/.

During the last throe years a litigation has been
pending between the Rev. Mr. lull, Archdeacon of
Limerick, and the inhabitants of the newly-built
parts of Limerick, called Newtown-Pery, See. in
which the former seeks to lzvy from the latter an as-
sessment of one shilling iu the pound upon the an_
neat value of their houses.

By the statute (Irish) of 17 and 18 Car. '2, the
Lord Lieutenant and Priry Council are empowered
to issue Commissioiel, from time to time, for the
valuation of homes and buil/hug within the city of
Dublin, end the liberties thereaf; also the cities of
Cork. Limerick, Waterford, &c. &c, and toasseu
°fie shilling per pound upon such valuations, to be
paid to the incumbents haring cure r:f
The object of the Act was clearly to afford gra-
dual angtueutatiotio to such iucumbents, io Fr4pur-

tion to env iscv-ase of itoturs anti it,:.lll,itants, and
coastcreittly of duty, within the di. triers described.

hi 603, Archdeacon llill obtained a Cetamis-
-sion for tiic valuation of those new bititdiugs,for which
Limerick is eo much admired, and ou tLe return of
the valuation, applied for the order of imiessment.

In the tneaq time; the inhabit-3as. apprised of
this Clandestine frioceediog, and dreading *this now
mess:neat of nearly )0001. u-y car, oireo-syll it before
the Privy Council.

Much expense has been i nen rred, thrui
Counsel, Attorneys, Sr. 'fin both sides.
The inhabitants (nude: the. des4nation'of tic
parishioners of St. 11liciate.l's, Limeriek.) object.

I. That their parish is not within the city of Limerick,
though within the bnbarlo or liberties thereof. and tli.:
therefore t►ey err not umier the litre of the
Act, 'bleb eltargcl the libertit s ofNue alone.

11. That it is not a parish with care of souls, tLero being
no pnrih4 Chnreh, but merely a Chard of t
111. That this and other parishes have been appended to
the Arehdeaeovry, merely iu order to support the dignity,
nut fur an incumbent with cane of souls, as by t►e letter
oi the Act.

. I V Thal this parish WS, from time immemorial, paid
t) dies, ansl Ought not nun tube charged with Miaister's 'sooty.

V. That this assessinrut would he • surprise, and almost
• fraud upon those who have thin espended their property
upon improriu; and beautifying the city, and that its pro-
duce it to he paid to a dignitary who wiU do no duty, and is
not hound to do oily.
That •re also some less objections.

The Privy Council, who alrme hate juri,dict;on
under this Act, have twice beard this can:c mom
points of form, once in the Duke of Bedford's
and again last year ; and both times they loase an-
nulled the Arctidcacon's Commissions, for irr,gu-
tority—The merits have not yet been tried.

However, lie now returns to the contest—an in-
come of 20001. o-) car is in view—a Protestant ad-
ministration governs. The Archbishops, especially
he of Dublin, are zealous and diligent in attend-
ance. The incumbents of the sartarhse/ parishes
of other improving cities and towns look forward to
a precedent for the industry of new build-
ers. The Archdeacon has come interest by family
ant connection.

A blustering Canonist at the Council Board to,
guide their deliberations, when the clergy and
such subjects are concerned, and to bully the
Counsel, who are to be employed on the laity's part,
against another Commission, will be a great advan-
tap to the opposite party ; and it is at this moment
the Duke of Richmond has thought fit to recom-
mend Doctor Duigenan as a Privy Couissellor--
the most odious act that any Lord Lieutenant
has, perhaps, ever done in Ireland, and that is say-
ing much--every body in Ireland exclaims against
the impropriety of the Irish Judge of the Pre-
rogative holding any ►cat in Parliament at all.--
It is attended with monstrous inconvenience to
the public, for his Court is shut tip during his
absence, and no contested cause is proceeded its.
—Last year, it was from ,this cause shut up fur
seven montlis,fran February to September; during
which time no will could be proved, nor any ad-
ministrator appointed, in any case where any body
chose to enter a caress ; the consequence was, that
various expensive suits at law and in equity in the
Temporal Courts were necessarily postponed, at
immense expense and injury to parties. The same
complaint is now very general.
Another curious practice of his—being Judge of
the High l'rerogative Court, Vicar-general in the
Consistorial Court of Dublin, Vicar-general of the
Metropolitan Court of Armagh, Vicar-general of
the Metropolitan Court of Cashel, Vicar-general
of Elphin, of Leighlin ■nd Ferns, ice. &v.—he
yet takes fees as a common Counsel, reads ease-.
gives written opinions, and directs proceedings iu
the very causes which he is afterward. to deter-
mine as Judge !—A shameful traffir !
The late unsuccessful proceeding in the Bishop
of Leighlin and Ferns's name, against the Rev. Mr.
Synge, was entirely promoted and directed by him.
.11ostv suppose • suit in the Diocesan Court of
Elphin —he decides that as Vicar-general there—
an appeal lies to the Prerogative Court—he is
there again ; hears the appeal from his own deci-
sion, and dismisses it. The next step in appeal
is to the Court of Delegates—there he is also as
one of the Delegates. if he succeeds in dismissing
it there too, the last resource left to the a orn-ont
suitor is to apply to the Chancellor for a Commis.
',ion of Review, which is rarely granted. Tile
Commissioners are generally the three chief Judges,
who, in this country, will be apt to take forgrauted
that all was rightly done. In that late case of the
Bishop of Ferns against Dr. Synge, Dr. Duigenan,
as Vicar-general of that diocese, passed sentence of
deprivation against the. Defendant for non-resi-
dence. Upon appeal to the Prerogative, lie oil-
finned his own decree—upon appeal to the Dele-
gates, it so happened that they reversed his decree :
he got the Bishop to appl:; fsr and obtain a Com-
mission of ReviPw, ■nd the Commissioners last
'seek a4reed ia cootinning the reversal of his
decree.

DON:IPARTE rind the 111S11 CaIIOLICS.

The following are the documents read by Gm.
rAi Alontagii Matthew in the I.lsoie of Conmions,
in the debate on the ;rant to the Maynooth Col.
Ivge :