The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-18 00:00:00

REPORT.

" The Committee appointed b_y a general ballot to consider
in pursuance of the Resolution of the last Aggregate Afeeting—
Whether there can be framed, without any violation of ,the
existing law, a permanent body, to assist in the conducting
.or
management of such portion of Catholic Affairs as it may be by
law permitted to have managed, without resorting to the too
frequent holding of. Aggregate Meetings, and, in particular,
without in any way infringing on a recent statute'—
" Have agreed to the following Report :
" The Committee have anxiously endeavoured to fulfil the.
duty imposed upon them. They have been deeply impressed,
on the one hand, with the conviction, that the cause of the.
Catholics must retrograde, and the calumnious imputations of
their enemies increase in 'number,. power, and effect, unless
there be some permanent body. watching over Catholic interests,
and taking care to maintain and preserve the station the Ca-
tholics have already attained, while it is not permitted to pro-
ceecl•further ; and, on the other hand, we were, and are, un-
alterably determined not to suggest or advise any course, which
could, with any degrO of fair dealing or justice, be deemed
any, even 'the slightest, infringement on the law. We are de-
termined to obey a statute which we cannot respect, and to set
to our countrymen the example of a dutiful and ready submis-
sion to that which is law, notwithstanding our conviction of the
impolicy of its enactment.
" We have, is fact, lately received from our Protestant fel-
low-countrymen, such support as requires our utmost grati-
tude, and such 'advice as commands our ready and -respectful
obedience—we allude, in particular, to the advice of the illus-
trious Noblemen lately assembled in Loadon.. They have re-
commended to the Catholics firmness, temperance, and union;
we place full and cordial confidence in them and in their coun-
sels, and we are resolved to merit their patronage and protec-
tion by the alacrity with which we ourselves submit, at all
times, to the law of the land, and the zeal and activity which
we shall ever display, to procure a similar submisssion from all
classes of our countrymen.
• " With these impressions we have come to the determination
to recommend to the .Catholics of Ireland, to conduct.their
affairs, in future, in strict obedience to the law, by managing,
means of a permanent Association, such portion thereof as has
no reference to obtaining relief or redress, or any alteration of
the existing code,; but to reserve every thing that relates to pe-
titioning ljr relief, or obtaining legal redress, or altering the
existing code, to such separate or Aggregate 'Meetings, of short
duration, as shall be in strict conformity with the recent
statute. --
" We, therefore beg leave to lay before the public, the fol-
lowing plan of a New Catholic Association, and to express our
unanimous and fixed conviction, that it will not, in anywise,
violate or infringe upon any law or statute whatsoever •
•‘ PLAN OF THE NEW CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION.

" No. 1. As it is desirable that the proposed Ne;daiWojiC
Association should combine. Irishmen of all religious persua-
sions, it is expressly declared, that no presons professing any of
the forms of religious faith allowed or tolerated by law shall be
excluded therefrom ; but, on the contrary, Christians of all de-
nominations are invited to become members thereof.
" 2. No member of the New Catholic Association shall be
required to take any oath, or make any declaration whatsoever.
" 3. -To avoid the possibility of its being alleged, even by
means of any perverse interpretation of the Act of fish Geo. IV.
chap. 4, that the New Catholic Association can come within the
provisions thereof, it is expressly declared, that the New Ca,
tholic Association shall not assume, or in any manner, or by
any means or contrivance, exercise the power of acting for the
purpose, or under the pretence of procuring the redress of griev-
ances, in Church or State, or the alteration of any matters by
law established in Church or State, or for the purpose, or under
the pretence of carrying on or assisting in the prosecution or de.
fence of causes, civil or criminal.

"4. That the New Catholic Arisociation shall not be com-
posed of different divisions or branches, or of different parts, act-
ing in any manner separate or distinct from each other ; and that
there shall be no separate or distinct secretary or delegate, or
other officer, elected or appointed by or for any particular part,
or authorised to act for any particular part ; neither shall the
New Catholic Association counnunicate or correspond; neither
shall its constitution contain any provision for communication
or correspondence with any other society, committee, or body of
persons; neither shall it any respect act in any manner incon-
sistently with the said Statute of the 6th Geo. IV. cap. 4.
" 5. The New Catholic Association can and may be formed
merely fortthe purposes of public and private charity, and such
other purposes as are not prohibited by the said Statute of fith
Geo. IV. cap. 4. •
" 6. The first purpose of the New Catholic Association is and
shall be, that of promoting public .peace and tranquillity, as
well as private harmony and concord, amongst all classes of his
Majesty's subjects throughout Ireland.
" 7. The second purpose of the New Catholic Association is
and shall be the encouragement and extension of a liberal, en-
lightened, and religious system of education, founded on the
basis of Christian charity and perfect fair dealing.
" 8. The third purpose of the New Catholic Association is
and shall be that of ascertaining the number of the population
of Ireland, and the relative proportions which the professors of
the various Christian persmnsions bear the one to the other •
and in particular to ascertain the number of children of each
persuasion in a course of education.
"9. The fourth purpose of the New Catholic Association is
and shall be to devise the means of erecting suitable Catholic.
Churches for the celebration of Divine Worship, and to procure
and establish Catholic burial wounds, wherein the Catholic
dead may be interred without being liable to any species of
contumely or insult.
" 10. The fifth purpose of the New Catholic Association is
and shall be to promote all improvements in science, and in
Irish agriculture, to encourage the consumption of Irish manu-
factures, and the extension of It ish commerce.

" 11. 'The sixth purpose of the New Catholic Association is
and shall be to encourage, as much as possible, a liberal and
enlightened Press, to circulate works calculated to promote just
principles, and mutual toleration and kindness, and to vindi-
cate the principles of the Catholics. against the, unjust and slan-
derous attacks daily made npon them.
" 12. The seventh purpose of the New Catholic Association
will be, to prepare a detailed statement of the various charges
made against the Catholics, in the petitions presented to Par-
liament during the recent. Sessions, and to publish authentic
refutations of such charges, in the places where they respec-
tively originated..
" 13. That every person who shall think fit, on or before a
day to be, named, to pay the sum of 1/. on this admission, shall
be a I%lember of the New Catholic Association ; and after that
day, each person paying 11. and procuring one member to pro-
pose and another to second hint shall also. be a member. •
41. The Committee having thus stated affirmatively and nega-
tivdly the limits within which the New Catholic Association
can and ought to act, deem, it their duty to call the attention of
the Catholics in general to those provisions of the statute of the
6th Geo. IV- c. 4, which muserestrain the sphere of the New
Catholic Association, and render it necessary for the Catholics
the intervention of other instruments.
ha general to seek for tedress and relief through the medium of
unconstitutional statute. prohibits these two
things:-
otrTmheeattiningosattid by
" 1. The sacred right of petitioning for the redress of real
end I,4l:enthil grievances in -the. only mode likely to be suc.