Star.
London, England, 1823-03-06 00:00:00

this institution might be described in a few averds.l
It consisted of a large number of persons, having
a Master, Grand Mastef, Treasurer, Secretary, alai.,
' Committee.' There were various orders, and nu-
merous meetings in different parts of the country,
but the most important of was the Grand Lodge,
in Dublin: He read a list of the names subscribed to
the papers which he had just mentioned, and stated
a Committee to have been appointed to inquii e into
the state of the Association, in order to correct abuses
which had crept in and to make it more useful, pure,
and meritorious than it had been. Fr om the language
held by this Committee, the House would gain some
idea of the natur.e of the abuses which had occurred.
It was stated that forms of initiation had been
adopted in various Lodges. which departed from the
simplicity of the original design, and which were ie-
pognant to common sense, to the religious feelings
of many worthy brethren of the Order, anti even to
common decency. The Committee, therefore, pre-
pared a form of admission which combined with pro-
per brevity sufficient solemnity to hind the Member to
those doctrines which it was his duty to maintain as
a loyal Protestant. Here, then, they had it on the
authority of an Orange Committee, that some of the
forms which had been in use amongst them were re-
pugnant to common sense, to the religious feelings
of v..orthy men, and even to common decency. He
proceeded to shew that the Committee had thought
it necessary to check the over-zeal of some indiscreet
members; and he then read to the House the decla-
ration of their resolution to reverence the memory of
King IViliam, the Constitution established by him,
and the succession of the present Royal Family to the
Throne. They resolved annually to eelebi ate the de-
feat of King James in the battle of the Boyne, and
tie anniversary of that event (the Ist of July, old
style), was to he always their grand sera.. In the Re-
solutions of ISO°, a declaration of some importance
was found, which had been omitted in 1820. The
declaration which he ieferred to set forth a determi-
nation never to persecute any one on account of re-
ligions differences, provided the parties were not hos-
tile to the State ; but, on the contrary, to protect
their fellow-subjects ho might be of adiffeient per-
suasion from themselves. • Ile proceeded to describe
the oaths of the Orat.ge Clubs. The first oath a
member was ob!iged to take ran thus:
" I, A. B. solemnly swear allegiance to King George tjae
Fourth, and will, to the utmost of my power, maintain the Bri-
tish Constitution and the successiGn of his Majesty's titular,
being Protestants, to the Throne."
Ile sheaved that the words " Protestant ascendancy"
had a different meaning in Ireland from that which
attached to them in this country. In the year 178'2,
the same party, who were now distinguished by their
' zeal for Protestant ascendancy, were called " The
Friends of English interest." When Ireland, by her
efforts to gain independence, had emancipated her-
self from the thraldom of which she had previously
complained, the distinction which he had mentioned
was no longer preserved. The friends to the Pro-
testant ascendancy succeeded, and it was the same
party which now called itself the Orange Associa-
tion. He was far from objecting to the words,
" being Pi otestant," in the oath which he had quoted.
He was friendly to them in themselves, as he asso-
ciated with them the idea of everything that was
good and beneficial to the country, the establishment
of the present Royal Family, and the assertion of
English liberty. The oath to betaken by a mem-
ber of the Orange Association went on to declare
that the indivi. ual had never belonged to the society
of United Irishmen; had never been bound to any
S:,ciety by oaths of secrecy. It.bound the party to
be faithful to all Orangemen in all just actions, and
wade the initiated solemnly swear, hi the presence
of ALMIGHTY Goo, never to reveal part or parts of
what was about to be privately communicated to him
to any one, without strict trial being made, arid
proof obtained, of his being a brother Orangeman ;
and further, that he would not write, print, or stamp,
or cause to be. written, printed, or stamped, any part
or parts of such communication, nor in any other
way disclose it, so help him GOD, and keep him
steadfast in this his oath. When the members were
sworn thus never to reveal what was communicated,
it was no uncharitable construction to suppose that
this self-constituted Society, making such an oath,
supposed that there %VAS something connected with
the institution which it was most essential to conceal.
Such a Society ought to be viewed with great sus-
picion in the present situation of Ireland. The state
of that country being remembered, did not the pro-
ceedings of that Society demand their serious atten-
tion, which, from the manner in which .its members
were registered, could, at any time and place, bring
forty, .fifty, or sixty thousand men together ? He de-
scribed more minutely the regulations of the Orange
Lodges. The system of the Society, the oaths of se-
crecy administered, and its general regulations,
would justify them in looking with the greatest
jealousy at its intentions. Very soon after its estab-
lishment, the Association had distinguished itself by
adopting a most important tone-L4 tone equal to
that of the Government. It had subsequently con-
sidered it necessary, in consequence of the notice
taken of it, to disclaim the principles which had been
imputed to it, and to declare before ALMIGHTY GOD
that it was not their object to persecute those who
differed from them in matters of religion—(Hear).—
He thought it but justice to the Association to state
this, but at the same time he had more reasons than
one for doing so. He particularly wished it to be
noticed, that so long ago as in the year 1797, it had
been obliged to defend itself against the imputation
of acting on principles which were opposed to the
interests of the country; and that they were bound
together by oaths that would make human nature
shudder. He mentioned this to shew that the name
of an Orangeman, must for ever be associated in the
minds of the people of Ireland, with outrage and
bloodshed. This had been felt when that vindica-
tion to which he alluded was considered necessary.
He found in one of the papers issued by the Asso-
ciation, 'that its members set forth it was in their
judgment high time to rally round the Throne, and
support their good King against all his enemies,
whether those enemies were rebels to GOD or their
country. He wished to know who had given this
body authOrity to determine when a man was in a!
state of rebellion against Goer? Who was to be so',
considered? Suppose the case of an Atheist, who ac-
knowledged no Dattt.• lie could. net be called a
rebel, because he only denied the: power of a being
whom he did not believe.to exist. It was, iherefOre,
I difficult to define what was meant by the language