The Sun.
London, England, 1828-10-09 00:00:00

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tage to his flock. • For that purpose, let all persons,
whom either the Pope or his Vicar-General judges
fit to exercise Episcopal authority over the 'Catholics.
iti'lteland, receive a .diploMa declaratory'of their eli-
gibility. yroth a list of Priests thus pronounced by
proper authority to be 'eligible,' let the cleigi of the
Diocese choose three, and out of these three, let the
Sovereign, or his Representative' in Ireland; nomi-
nate• one; who shall be installed as Bishop. In
this way, it seems to me, that every difficulty in the
nomination of Bishops will be obviated. By the
" tria june/a in flan," the fittest person for the
Episcopal office is likely to be ultimately fixed upon.
Previous, however, to his being installed, the new
Bishop. ought to take an oath to .the folloWing ef-
fect :—" I swear and promise; on the Holy Gospels
of God, obedience and fidelity to. hi4',-Majesty the
King of Great Britain 'and Ireland'," ;my lawful
Prinee.-7I promise also to hold no communication,
to assist at no Cotincil, to maintain, withfn or with-
out, no suspicious connexion that may injure the
public tranquillity ; and if I learn that something is
conspiring in secret to the injury of the State; I
will make it known to the King my master."
As that oath is contained in the Concordat entered
into between the King of ;the Netherlands. and the
Roman Pontiff, it ,is ;impossible that those,Who ac-
knowledge rhernselres subjects to the King of Great
Britain and Ireland can object to it.
In regard to the oaths or declarations required
from the Lay Roman Catholics, when appointed to
any official situation, they cannot object, with some
`slight alteration, to the oath Or supremacy, if their
taking the oath against. transubstantiation is not
in-
sisted ".

Q. MODE OF PROVIDING A MAINTENANCE FOR THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CLERGY IN IRELAND.
It is certainly desirable, that the Roman CadaColic
Clergy in Ireland should have a maintenance inde-
pendent of their flocks, who are in many cases sub-
jected to great privations, in order to furnish an ade-
quate means of subsistence to their pastors. It has
occurred to me that the best mode of raising such a
fund would be, to impose a tax of five or ten shil-
lings per annum on all who claim the privilege of
voting for a Member of Parliament, either in coun-
ties or boroughs. By this means, Protestants as
well as Catholics would contribute to the Mainte-
nance of the Irish " Catholic" Church, in the same
manner as Catholics as well as Protestants mutually
defray the expense Of the Irish " Protestant" Clergy.
There is a reciprocity in this plan, which I trust will
render it generally acceptable. .
S. ON THE PROPOSAL FOR. DISSOLVING THr UNION BE-

TWEEN °MCAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.-
We shall now proceed to discuss a subject:of still
greater importance than even Catholic Emancipation,
for, if successful, it would shake the Empire to its
centre. What I mean is, the idea of dissolving, as
essential for the interests of the Catholics, the Union
between Great Britain and Ireland. It is indeed
proposed, that both nations shall swear allegiance to
the same King; but how long that slender tie. would
be preserved may easily be anticipated.!
It Seems to ine hardlY pOssible' to suggest • a
plan that‘vvould be Proditctive'Of mote infichie*ons •
consequences to both countries:. It would; lay a.
foundation for perpetual jealousy, 'endless' irritation,.
and destructive wars between them. The mind
sickens at the contemplation of the horrors which
such a frightful state of things would produce. In
fact there are no limits either to its duration or its.
extent; for how is it possible that a Protestant Go-
vernment in Great Britain can suffer the Protestants
of Ireland to be overwhelMed ! It is evident that
every possible exertioninnat be made in their behalf.
To prevent such fatal consequences. the union must
be•preserved, for it was 'With the view}of: being
enabled to grant. additional-iptivileges .to the 'Ca--
tholics that the compact was originally entered into.
'lt was thought that a certain 'number of Catholic
Members might be admitted into the two branches
of the British Parliament, but that the existenceof a
Catholic Parliament in Ireland was inadmissible. In
regard to a disunion, it' is now as impracticable to
replace the two kingdoms under separate legislatures,
without breaking up the connection between them,
as it would be to fill up the channel that divides the
• two islands from each other.
' And here a most important distinction may be
made. It seems hardly possible for the King of
Great Britain and Ireland, consistently with his
Coronation Oath, to sanction the establishment of
" a Catholic Parliament," in any part of his domi-
nions : but be may, with perfect justness, authorise
the admission of a certain number of Catholiea into
a Protestant Parliament," where they are inferior
in number, for the purpose of defending•the rights,
and Maintaining the interests, of so large a portion of
his subjects.
That Ireland has gained much by the Union can
hardly be denied by any impartial inquirer, and has
been fully recognised by that respectable body," The
Society for promoting the Improvement of Ireland,"
in an address recently presented to the Lord Lieute-
nant. On this remarkable occasion, the Lord Mayor
of Dublin, the Duke of Leinster, and, it is said, Mr.
Daniel O'Connell, attended. For above half a cen-
tury, the union between England and Scotland was
productive of scarcely any benefit to the latter; but
now who can question its utility ? And Ireland, with
its greater natural advantages, will make more rapid
strides to prosperity limn Scotland, if the people of
that cordially
their co-operate,ovn i n
mea-
suresindividual
ag e asn
for
essential
the l
wi
d
Therea is certainly no part of the United Kingdom
Icountryl
common good.
that would be less injured by the separation of Ire-
land from Great Britain than Scotland ; for since the
introduction .of twenty-eight Peers and a hundred
Commoners, into the British Parliament, from Ire-
land, the sixteen Peers and forty-five Commoners,
from Scotland, have very little influence compared
to what they previously enjoyed. But much as the
influence of the Scots would be increased, if the two
islands had separate, legislatures, yet as a friend to
the prosperity of the three kingdoms, I should feel
it a duty to resist the attempt, by every exertion in
my power.
Some years have now elapsed since I first had oc-
casion to discuss the propriety of a Union between
Great Britain and, Ireland; and to point out the
following advantages as likely to result from that
great measure being accomplished:—
. " The two countries, knit together by anincorpo-
rated Union, may stand for eversafe and independent;
nor can any empire arise, nor can any confederaerbe
formed on the Continent, that can possibly injure
it. A kingdom inhabited by nearly twenty millionsof people, living under a free and united _a-
s vernment, and separated by the sea from every other
Power, must be the seat of arts and of arms, the
; centre oof
feosmocmi
aelreceo,m
foorr t naval
inashsotrret,ngot,
fheloefrmymilitary
that can possibly promote, either the happiness of
the individual, or the strength of a great com.

allas thet h e se
hor-
rorstoynpire thrown
conciliatory
rhirl blessingsroo illivei
ae
tdt o imi,
enunity." * •
conduct on
the part of the Catholics on the one hand, and of the
Protestants on the other, the peace of Ireland. may
binetAorirseekoentd::::::
be preserved, and every -object of real importance: td
that country may ,be secured Forbid it-Heaven,
that .discord should prevail between nations who
of civilw'nja°lrivr?if—leetinnna:tdnsdbtooyftbhastil

History of the Revenue, 3d Edition, an 1804, yol
p. gO9,