Star.
London, England, 1828-11-28 00:00:00

CATHOLIC MEETING AT MANCHESTER.

Tuesday evening a meeting of persons professing the
Roman Catholic teligion was held in the Mechanic:ln-
stitutit n, for the puriose of considering the propriety of
petitioning Parliament for the repeal of the laws affecting
that body. The meeting was called for seven o'clock, and
by a little past that hour the gallety in which the meet-
ing was to be held, and she stairs and passages leading,
to it, Mete literally crammed—the greater part cons•
posed of mechanics and operatives, but with a very re
spectable sprinkling of persons of the upper classes.—.
Ttittscss BCOTIIIIAN, jun. Eq. was unanimously called
to the Chair.

The Rev. Mr. CRooKa (a Roman Catholic Priest)
came fortriord to propose the first resolution. He said
the proposition was simply that an inalienable right,
wire) every man ought to possess, was the right of
worshipping his Goo according to his own conscience,
witlicut any cortailmtnt of his civil rights. This he
co toidered a clear and distinct proposition, and founded
on the, fir•t principles of Christianity. Conscience, Le
said; was implanted in the breast of an for the wisest
of purposes, for without this the worship of GOO was
may lip service, and their obedience to hint the crouching
"of a slave to a tyrant, rather than the obedience of a
child to a kind parent—(Cheers).
Mr. GANNIIOUGII seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously.
The Rev. HENRY GILLOW, a Roman Catholic priest,
proposed the second resolution nearly as follows: When
I came to the meeting I did not intend to take any part
in it, but since I came a resolution has been thrust into
my hand. The'resolution maintains the loyalty of the
Roman Catholics to the House of Brunswick. This, 1
am sure, every one of you can afli,m with every feeling
of his heart, and in the sincerity c f his soul. Our loyalty
is, however, questioned ; first, on account of our alle-
giance to the Pope; and secondly, we are told, we are
ourselves naturally inclined to disloyalty. With re.
spect to our allegiance to the Pope, I say it is entirely
and purely confined to religion—to spiritual concerns
--.(Loud applause). It has nottling to do with civil
matters. The Pope may appoint fast days—days of
.ahstinei ce—he nay make al.erat.ons in the disci; line
of the Church ; but he has nothing to do with civil
sights, with the making of laws, with declarations of
war, or indeed with any thing civil; and if ever the
P.ipe should step out of the pale of the church. if he
should interfere with our civil rights, the Catholics li
would meet him vaord in hand—(Applau e). Were
the Pope to send his Roman legions toinvade our shores,
and were he to effect a landing, though he wire backed
by all his foreign Bishops and all their power—we
should consider it our duty to command you—to com-
mand all our cartgregations—to aim, to march for ward
and meet liim in the field—(L ud cheer:). We should
command you to gird on your swords and meet him;
and if he should present himself at the head of his
rroops, and fall by the hands of a Cathol:e. we would
raise a monument to the man that laid him low—
(Tiemendous cheering). Such is the nature at our alle-
giance to the Pope. But we are supposed tl be naturally
disloyal; indeed every means have been taken to render
us so. They have closed the doors of Pailiament
again .t us; they have excluded us ft% m all Offiies of
.emolument, from every post of honour and of opulence ;
they have iosuled our religion; they have sworn that it
is idolatrous, and that we are a nation of idol, tors ; they
have done all this, and not a sword has heed lifted,
searcery a ;muralist. has been heard— (Cheers). It the
Catholics had been disloyal, they have had many annoy-
tutrities of .shooing it. When the opposite shore was
lined *nit legions of enemies ready to cross the channel,
did the Catholics show any desire to aid them ? Kir
they went and offered themselves cheerfully to fight their
country's foes. Some of them raised regiments, though
they were not allowed to command then', and ft tight in
the ranks under Protestant leaders—(Cheer:). Only look
at .the late war. During that period were there notrhou.
sands and tens of thousands of Catholics led to Catholic
countries, t.i fight against Catholic armies That was the
tiring for [bens to show their did :laity, wheel, frx joining
the ciente, they could have driven the British lines,
back: into the ocean. But no sooner
.wtort,thci ordered
to advance Than they rushed on like lipws; mill even the
DAC of 'Wellington bad declat ed,,tb at theta Syne not
in his army braver or better soldiers thataibtOnholics

—(Applause). Two thirds of our present army are
composed of Catholics. Every thing that is great—
every thing that is sacred and dear—is left to a dis.
loyal arms f These Catholics, these dlsloyal soldiers,
are taught all tI e at tof war; they are taught to, fium
a square, to file off, to attack and to defend, to advance
and t r tetreat I The cannon, the ball, the sword and
the bayonet, the musket and tire pike, the magaZose,
and powder almost enough to blow up a world-mall
these are entrusted in disloyal hands! This conduct
belies the accusation of our disloyalty. The say we
are disloyal, and yet they entrust all that is dear to
them to our loyalty !—The Rev. Gentleman sat down
amidst loud cheer tog.
Mr. T. TURNER seconded the moans, which was car-
ried unanimously.
Mr. ROBINSON proposed and Mr. Combs seconded
the third resolution, which was also parsed unanimously.
Mr. RAWSON, of London, proposed the fourth teso-
lotion, which was seconded by Mr. D Lass, and carried
unanimously.
Mr. J. BOOTRUAN very shortly proposed and Mr.
GRAY seconded a vote of thanks to those who signed
the counter-declaration to that of the Brunswickers last
week. _

The Rev. Mr. MARROCKS mowed the adoption of a
petition toutnied on the tesoluti,,ns.

Mr. SPENcs seconded the motion.

Mr. RAwsoN move d, and Mr. DrLAwNEY seconded
a resolution, that the Petition to the House of Commons
be forwarded to Lord Stanley for presentation, and that
to the House of Lords to his revered father, the Earl of
Derby.
A vote of thanks vs as passed to the Chairman for
his gentlemanly and obliging conduct in the Chair ;
after which three cheers were given for " Oald Leland,"
and at the suggestion of a voice in the crowd with a
beautiful brqgue, three for "Dan O'Connell and the
Association."

'11.,e meeting broke up about ten o'clock.

14; EVENING STAR.

I.U. DON.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1828.