The Sun.
London, England, 1812-07-20 00:00:00

rifiE Iti6ißA.

The following letter, which bas excited- great
attemtion in Ireland, was addressed by this Nc>ble-
man to the Earl of FIN.GAL, in consequence of the
proceedings of the rgregate Meeting of the
Catholics-ou the 18th of last month, h Dublin.

TO THE EPJ OF FINGAL.
" Mr LORD, . LAndcn, .Tube 23, 1812.

On my return from a.`tour into Sussex; I
have found the Irish papers, containing the pro-
ceedings of a Catholic Meeting, With reference to
recent political transactions here. To forbear
advertence to the sentiments expressed on that
occasion might appear on my part a disregard of
opinion, little compatible with the respect which
I truly entertain for your Lordship„ and the pei-
sons over whom you there presided. On that
count I trouble you with a few remarks.
" The uniform tenor of a long political Career,
during which I had constantly opposed a bar to '
my own personal advantages by the tenaciousness
with which 'I had insisted on the conciliation of
Ireland, involving specifically the removal of. Ca-
tholic disqualifications, might have secured me
against the suspicion .that I could, without any
conceivable temptation or inducement, at once
abandon -a principle so perseveringly maintained.
This is not stated in any tone of complaint; fot
nothing has passed.which I can vieW captiously ;
but it is fit arid equitable that your attention
shOuld be recalled to'factS which •bear so power-.
fully on the present topic. - -
When it is protlaimed, that yOuretract yeyur
confidence front toe, you only withdraw' that
Which I never solicited. 1 bad no demand upon
the Catholics as a distinct body for any alcuow:.
ledgments. 1 *never attempted to make a party of
you. The linel have lot so many years pursued
was,dietated by a sense of the justice due to a
. large portion of my countrymen, and by a con-
viction that the fulfilinent of such justice_ wasane-
cessary to the weal of the British Empire. Yet,
although this principle was operative, with Out
any reference to the good will of those who were
to he benefited by it, and would secure the conti-
nuance of my best exertions, . howsoever thank-
less, I should have lamented, had the declaratiori
of your Meeting been more deliberate than I can
suppose it. I have been honestly proud of the
generous gratitude exhibited at various junctures
by so large a portion of my countrymen, for my
humble efforts in their behalf ; but I was so, -be-
cause I thoUght their applause the result of their
judginent. Were the confide tee of the Catholics
of Ireland indeed so inconsiderate and so fleeting
in its nature as ycur late proceedings mightim-
ply, the possession of the loss of it could not
affect even the vanity of any .man. It would,
however, be most unfair to take the casual effer-
vescence of a public assembly in so grave a sense.
Nor can I be revolted by the error of a glowing
disposition in any individual, h6wever unjustly it
May bear upon me. It is only the selfish manage.;
merit of cold calculations that can be permanently
disgusting.
In the vexation of an apparent retardMent
to your hopes, you have not allowed your, can-
dour a due exercise upon the motives of my pro-
cedure. 'The practice of stipulating- for changes
in the Household, if, indeed, it May "assume oo
Innen of prescriptive custom as can entitle it to
be called a practice, has been- tong deemed by me
improper in the formation of a Ministry. The
grounds of ,my objection have acquired. additional
strength from repeated reflection.; I consider it
as indecorous, at leastaif not unconstitutional, to
make any requisition for places in the Household.
At the same time that it interferes uubecothingly
with the appointment's made by the Sovereign, it
proclaims a view to votes, little reconcilable to
the attention we 'profess to pay to the ilurity of
Parliament.—The plea, that an ostensiole con-
nection between the Cabinet and the Great Of-
ficers of .the Household, . giVes -effective strength
to a 111inistry, is manifestly idle. They, upon
Whom such an appearance is supposed to operate,
are WO near the fountain head of information, to
be influenced by those exterior.signa.—They twist
be perfectly "competent to'know, Whether the-So-
vereign be repugnant to, the change of-the House-
hold Of or. indifferent. In the latter case,
the_ wishes. of the Adininistraion are as efficiedtly
Catried by private representation as by, demand ;
land much more decently. Tn the former case,
though the:Sovereign may acapriesee, every body
will infer a latent dissatisfaction, the supposition
of which, will counterbalance any spew of support
front the connection of the Great Officers. .The
:Ministers must fed this ; therefore; they Wont&
iii this case, (MAY palm upon the public an exhi-
bition of the Sovereign's confidence, which they
themselves know to be hollow and delusive. On
sUch tortes, they must, in fact, compound to ebn-
auct business; with a direct, hut private convit-
tioni • that there is riot between them and the
-Sovereign the essential confidence, indispensable
for the public welfare.
'' If secret influence be feared, is it really
throargh the possession of an Office in the House-,
hold that it can alone be exercised ? And if the.
indisposition' of an. individual to the Miniatry be'
apprehended, is that indisposition likely to be
More active, when a natill-al consideration of the
risk of losing Office, must tend to restrain it:,
than when the person is freed from the checlaand
instigated to virulence, by the: pro-vocation of
having been turned out ?—And -what species. Of
.Ministry must that be, which is to start. with an
avowal of its. fear of secret influence which is
to satisfy itself with a security so wretchedly in-
sufficient, and Which cannot repose itself 0.1 the
legitimate resource of throwing up the, reins. of
Government, if it at any time finds itself counter-
acted by underhand intrigue !

Such is the true portraiture .of a constitu-
tional practice, (as it has been described) which
common sense must ridicule, which ought to be
held incompatible with the frank pblicy of a Bri-
tish Minister, and which manly feelings should
not stoop to contemplate ~Even were it granted,
that this could
.be adMitted 4ts a 77onstitutional
practice, stilt it would be one, which like every
other, must be open. to be governed, by a whole-
some discretion. The' conduct of Lord Grenville,
in not. stipulating for _ the removal of the Lord
Chamberlain; and the Lord Steward, on the for-
mation of the Ministry,
,in. 1806, must prove that

the' principle was;. in his- judgment, liable to
pliancy and subject to consideration of c:reum-
stances. Now, if ever the consideration of cir-
cumstances could influence the exercise of.: uelt:
pri,tiCiple, it ought to have been done so c,n the
late occasion, for reasons which must be too pro-
minent in your mind to require being indicated by
rne That the Noble Lords with whom I was ne-.
gociating, acted upon other. motives than what
they deethed constitution:A, and thence imperious,
I never surmised. It is not in their ho;iourible
characters to adunit consciously any but a 'worthy
impulse. But there is an intoxication in the no-
tion of party triumph, which prevents attention
to the collateral effects of measures The Noble
Lords did not,appear to me to set the inevitable
consequence of, what they urged. For ,myself, ai
'least, I must Say that I conscientiously regarded
their proposition, as requiring nothing less front
me than that I should subscribe to the humiliation
of the Throne.

c• I need not expatiate on the impossibility of my'
acceding to a measurc-,, which I contemplated as
S 6 irrecOncilable to the sacred trust which I was
endavdiiiin to discharge for the public benefit.
Even a measure whiCh I had always so earnestly
at heart, as the uniting all my fello-,y subjects in
a bond Of 'coalmen interest, was not to be
ated at the price of an unworthy compliance.—
The cause of the Cathblics stat-0,1 too dignified in
its intrinsic jittice to be advanced by petty chaf;%_.
feting; hut I persuade_ Myself tbere•is ii“t a re-
spectable.nian of -our, Communion, who wouid.
have Wished the to prOmote his a.dvantag,es ar the
expente of a step debasing for myself and injurious
to the country. _

That the removal of the Catholic Disabilities
h id beenthe ground on which I immovably stob;l_,
is teStified.by Lord Grey and Lord Grenville, in
their minute of our _last conversation. The ex-
planations on that point were "most minute, and
their-. Lordships have _recorded their entire satin=
factibn at what bad been provisionally settled on
that paramount subject. 1 ?rave in no shape coin-
promised that point. My receiving the honour of
the Garter, affer .tiictinistances which are in the
knowledge of you all, might well have heeri
derstood as a testimony borne to the ingenuous
conduct of an Illustrious Personage on the pre-
eminent question of giVing to British Subjects,- Of
every description, an equal interest,in the wofare
Of the state. Events will best tarnish the com-
ment; and can alone do justice to the benevolence
of his wishes.

gi I have the honour to remain,
With sincere respect, my Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient and
Very fumble servant;
" MoirtA.'•

tre Earl of Fingal."

An order arrived at the Royal Barracks, at
Chatham, on Friday, to select two companies,
Who are to form a part of a battalion of seven
companies of marines, to be'employed, it is sup-'
pose 4 on the coast of Spain,
BCAIXG.—A desperate battle' was fought be-
t Ween the Life-guardsman and Burrow; on Sa-
turday, at Coombe Wood. Thirteen rounds were
fought in 17 minutes. Shaw sheweti off some
good. science upon the head of his antagonist,
who.certainly is not so good as when he fought
Molineaux. The Life-guardsman, by Fives Court
sparring, has beconie,. if not a Belcher, with the
gloves a seientific man, which he had an oppor-
tunity of displaying on Saturday to much advan-
tage. lie has adopted the mode of fighting suc-
cessfully practised by Cribb, that of retreating and
hitting. His left hand is very effective in thus re-
treating, and the game of his. antagonist threw
every thing.in his way Above all, the Guards-
man fights with great temperance, not to ssy
jollity,.and from his length, Weight, and strength,
will We esteemed very formidable. If he be, as
represented, a bad in-fighter; he is a- long left--
hand hitter, and he beat this 14. stone game man;
till he. could not see his way cput of the ring, in
17 minutes.—Paddington Jones seconded the win--
ner, and Richmond the loser.

A female, named Anna Gagerin, was beheaded
at Munich in May Last; It appeared that she had
for some time inaintaiued an illicit intercourse
frith her Maiter and having conceived a violent
hatred against her mistren, attempted to destroy
her by superstitious means. Failing, hoWever, she,
one Sunday, 'CACI] the: husband was atchurch,
enticed her mistress to the brink of a dry Vr:ell,
45 feet deep, tbrid precipitated her into it. The
.poor woman was not found 'until two days after,
when she was takeu out, and lived sufficient time
to expoae the hypocrisy of hzr servant, who had
pretended immoderate grief at her loss.