The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-04-11

50OU00 ProteStantS dlSprOportIOn
afterwards slightly changed in favor of the Professionals the
respective numbers being in 1861 when the last
aken-Roman Catholics 1900 900 and Proestants 100000
But this apparent increase of the attributed to the
great exodus of the Irish America during the intervening
years. the emigrans almost wholly belonging to the
Roman Catholic Church.
The relative numbers have not been materially altered
since the anamed year. In debate in the House of Com
mons in 1865 Mr. Dwyn, the member who brought forward
the notion estimated the population of Ireland 5S0000O
OF whom not than 600 900 of the Protestant faith
The above figures the whole Protestant population
of Ireland but when the Presbyerians, the Wesleyan
Method and the members of other non bodies
deducted from the total and the question narrowed
comparison of numbers between the Roman Catholics and
the members of the Irish Established Church. the dspropor-
ton will appear still more striking From parliamentary
return ordered by the House of Commons 9th May
1863 find that while in 1861 the number of Roman
Catholics in Ireland somewhat four millions and
half the number of members in the Established Church
only 872 and that consequently the proportion in that
year 100 Catholics to fraction 10 members of the
Establishment And this about the proportion at the
present time One of the principal arguments insisted upon
by the advocates of the Irish Establishment is that the
Church is missionary Church, her mission being the con-
version of the Catholics of Ireland from Popery Protest
antlsm But II the hgues just given are worth anything,
they prove beyond all doubt that missionary agency
the Irish Church has been complete failure 1t is concu
sve this point to quote the fact that the dproporon of
numbers between the Catholics and the in
land greater to-day than it $50 years agoand that
notwithstanding the heavy deductions which emigration to
the New World has made the ranks of the former during
the last twenty-five years.
Let now see what provision is made by law for the
part of the population of Ireland The Hierarchy of the
Irish Church consists at present of two archbshophe
Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublinand
bishops The beneced clergy about AGO. exclusive
of DEANS prebendare and other ecclesiastical dgnitarie
The number of parishes in ireland about 240O of
which have their parish churches but in some of these
parishes there is often of Professionals while the
Roman Catholics in them counted by hundreds thou
sands Every parish in Ireland is provided with clergy
but the number OF clergymen is not equal to the
number of parishes in instances clergyman
has the spiritual of two three parishes In certain
parishes where divine service is regularly performed in the
places of worship belonging to the Establishment the
gregaon might be counted upon the fingers and there
in which, besides the clergyman and the clerk no
worper present themselves when the edces opened
for the performance of the service MEANWHILE in these
places the Catholic churches crowded with devout
wopers The incomes of the parocal clergy arise partly
from 1.-THE charges together with gebe land and houses
and partly from house tax houses in cities and towns,
the proceeds of which known =" ministers money!
The total annual of the Established Church in Ire
land is about 100000 of which e4O0 900 is 1.-THE rent
charge Originally the direct payment of thes univer
sally enforced; then law enacted providing for
position for hes but this plan attended with much
difficulty in the collection of payments and gave rise such
disturbances of the peace the enforcement frequently
provoking outrage and boodshed that thirty years ago.
act passed by the British Parliament abolshng compo-
sition for hes and substituting in their stead fixed pay
of hreefouhs of their amount to be made by the
landlords others having perpetual interest in the land
The arrangement however has by lessened
the odosness of the in the eyes of the Irish people,
The landlord pays the rent charge but the burden falls upon
the tenant in the shape of increased rental The pay of
the ministers of the Irish Church is extremely unequal the
incomes of the ahbhops and bishops being very consider
able while those of the lower clergy is frequently very small
Many of the Irish peas have died enormously rich made
wealthy by savings from their incomes The appointments
by the archbishoprcs the bshoprc and other offices of
ecclesiastical dignity and emolument most of them in
the hands of the British Government and too frequently
made the ground of merit and personal fitness for
Office but in reward of political services rendered to the
In aggravaton of the gross injustice involved in the
rcbe seizure and the appropriation of the property the
Roman Catholics of Ireland for the support of the church
hoc
from time time passed laws of the severely penal
character against the Catholics for the express purpose of
exterminating the Catholic religion in Ireland. Speaking
Edmund Burke said they bloody any of those
that had enacted by the Popsh princes and states and
Slow cruel outrageous in their nature, and kept
alive only insult in their persons every of the rights
and feelings of humanity Among other disabilities Roman