The Irish standard., 1905-10-28
THE PENAL LAWS|
That Followed the Treaty of
Limerick Considered.
What the First Article Of the
Document Guaranteed.

|
olics of Ireland should enjoy such priv
ileges in the exercise Of their religion
as are consistent with the laws of Ire
land, or as they did enjoy in the reign
of King Charles H.; and their majes-
ties, as soon as their affairs will permit
them to summon a Parliament in this
Kingdom, will endeavor to procure the
said Catholics such farther security in
that particular as may preserve them
from any disturbance upon the amount
of their said religion" We shall now
see how the honor of England was
carried out.
If this Treaty. says Sir Hery Par
nell. is only considered according to
those rules of common morality which
influence the conduct of man to man;
if, in proportion to the great advan-
tages which England derived from it,
she was bound to 'construe it with lib
crafty as well as to execute it with
good faith, then the Irish Catholics
must be considered as placed by it in
Il situation of complete equality with
their Protestant countrymen. The free
exercises of their religion was granted
in the most unqualified manner; secur-
ity of property was as fully confirmed
ity, they were pardoned all mis-
demeanors whatsoever, of which they
had been guilty, and We're restored to
all their rights, liberties privileges and
immunities, which, by the laws of the
land and customs, constitutions and
native birthright, they, any and every
one Of them, were equally with every
other of their fellow subjects entitled
to.
! The practice of the several trades or
professions was secured to them. They
were allowed the use of arms, some of
them especially, but all of them in con-
sequence of no limitation or exception
to the contrary; and they were left at
liberty to vote for members of Parlia-
ment and to sit in Parliament The ar
t:c!cs of Limerick were signed by Or.
CInhlc on October g. 1891. The British
Parliament that passed the Sd, William
ANA Mary c. 3, by wlicl Irish peers
and members of Parliament were first
required to take the Oath of Suprem-
acy, met on October %, 1851. Accord
ing to the Constitution of Ireland as
granted by Henry II, and confirmed in
1882, this act of the Sd William and
Mary c, 2 was not binding in Ireland.
| This act was in direct violation of the
Treaty Of Limerick.
Even the laws which were in force
against the Catholics when the Treaty
Etook place ought, according to the first
article, to have been repealed, because
William and Mary engaged by this ar
ticle, to obtain for the Catholics such
further security in respect to the exer-
else of their religion as might preserve
them from any disturbance on account
of that religion.
1t is impossible for any other fair
construction to be given to this article
than that Of which is here given.
These laws, according to statement
taken from the Report of the Commit
tee of the House of Commons, appoint
ed in 1897 to consider what Penal Laws
We're then in force against the Cath
J olics, We're. first, an Act against the
authority of the See of Rome. 1t en-
acted that no person shall attribute
any jurisdiction to the See of Rome;
that the person offending shall be sub
have any office from the King, every
person entering into orders or taking
a degree in the University, shall take
the Oath of Supremacy. Second, An
Act restoring to the crown the ancient
jurisdiction over the State, ecclesiasti-
cal and spiritual 1t likewise enacted
that every ecclesiastical person, every
person accepting office, should take the
Oath of Supremacy. Third. An Act
for the uniformity of Common Prayer
1t enacted that every person having
no lawful excuse to be absent, SHALL
every Sunday, resort to some place of
worship established Church, or forfeit
12d.' Fourth. An Act by which the
Chancellor could appoint guardian to
the child of a Catholic. Fifth. An
Act by which no Catholic schoolmaster
could teach in private house without
a license from the ordinary Of his
diocese and taking the Oath of Sup
remacy Sixth. The new rules, by
which no person could be admitted in
10 any corporation without taking the
Oath of Supremacy.
No doubt there are those who would
wish to act on all occasions toward
the Catholics. according to that sys-
tenn of prevented morality which the
powerful always impose on the weak
but so long as the true principles OF
Justice shall have their due influence
the majority of mankind can never
consider this first article Of the Treaty
of Limerick In any other light than as
a complete and perpetual exemption OF
the Irish Catholics from all political
and religious disqualification on ac-