The Irish standard., 1905-12-09
THE PENAL LAWS
What an Eminent Scotch Hist
0rian : to Say Of Them
And Of That Period Following
the Treaty Of Limerick.


that followed the treaty of Limerick
says: THE peculiar situation in Ire
land seems to have been overlooked il
the contest The desertion, upon which
the deprivation of James had beer
founded in England had not existed il
Ireland. The Lord Lieutenant had re.
tained his allegiance. The government
was uniformly continued under the
name of the Prince, from whom the
servants of the crown had derived their
commissions. James himself had, fol
more than seventeen months, exercised
the royal functions in Ireland. He was
certainly de facto, If not de jure King
The rebellion of the Irish must. there
fore, be founded on the supposition that
their allegiance is transferable by the
Parliament of England. A speculative
opinic,i of great majority of a people.
The Irish ought to have been considered
as enemies, rather than rebels"
AS to their conduct afterwards, even
their most inveterate and most un-
principled enemies did not charge them
with Il single transgression against the
State, from the year 1891 to the year
1904, when the act ito Prevent the
Further Growth of Popery" was
passed. And it is very plain that no
such charge could be maintained, from
the paltry attempt that was made in
Parliament to Justify this act. 1t was
said that the 'Papists' had not DEM
| onstrated how and where, since the
making of articles of Limerick, they
had addressed the Queen or Govern
meht, when all other subjects were
so doing; and that any right, which
they pretended was to be taken from
them by the bill, was in their own pow
er to remedy, by conforming, as in
prudence they ought to do; and that
they ought not to blame any but them
selves" No circumstance can possibly
the Catholics, and their loyalty and
good conduct, from the Treaty of Linz
erick to the passing of this act, than
this mockery of justification; nor could
anything bring to our understand
| ings and accurate comprehension of
the perfdy and baseness of that Gov
ernment, and of that Parliament more
distincly than SO silly an excuse for
such stern and crafty oppression.
Though the Treaty of Limerick was
violated in every point, the spirit of
! persecution was still restless and un-
satisfied. However great was the in
genuity of the legislators who produced
that masterpiece of oppressioh' the act
to prevent the Further Growth of Pop
ery," it was found that another act
was still wanting to explain andsamend
it. Such an act passed in the year
1909.
The first clause provides that mo
Papists shall be capable of taking any
annuity for life."
The following is the third clause,
| which show the vexations with which the
unfortunate Catholics Of Ireland were
opposed: And, be it further enacted
by the authority aforesaid, that where
and as often as any child or children
of any Popish parent or parents hath
Or have heretofore professed or con-
formed him, her. or themselves, to the
Protestant religion, as by law estab-
| lished and enrolled in the High Court
| of Chancery, a certificate Of the Bish-
op Of the diocese in which he, she, or
they shall inhabit or reside, testifying
his, her, or their being a Protestant,
and conforming him, her, or them
selves, to the Church Of Ireland, as by
law established, it shall and may be
lawful for the High Court of Chancery,
fupon bill founded upon this act, to
oblige the said Papist parent or pa
rents, to discover upon oath the full
value Of all his, her, or their estate, as
well personal as real, clear, over and
| dUoNc lIl iedl SllCulHUleiliCcS anu uSUlS
Icontracted, bona flde, for valuable con-
federation, before the enrolment of
such certificate, and thereupon to
make such order for the support and
maintenance of such Protestant child
or children, the distribution Of the
said real and personal estate, to anG
lamong such Protestant child or chill.
dren; and also to and for the portion
or portions, and further maintenance
or maintenances, of such Protestan
child or children, after the decease O
such Popish parent or parents, as th'
said court shall Judge fit"
The twelfth clause provided that "al
converts in public employments, mem
bers Of Parliament, barristers, attor
neys, or officers Of any courts Of Law
should educate their children Protest
ants"
: BY the fourteenth clause, the Pop
ish wife of Papist, having power t
h make jointure. conforming. shall,
she survives her husband, have sue
y provision, not exceeding the power {
her husband, to make jointure, a
q the Chancellor shall adjudge."
II BY the fifteenth clause, the "Popis
xr,{Pa of a Doplok nat ho{n~ &c