The Irish standard., 1911-02-11

thought it proper in the year 1897 to
pass an act to confirm the Articles OF
Limerick 10Th w. Ill. C. 81. Of this
act it is to be observed, in the first
place, that the very title of it is a
proof OF its injustice, for it is styled
IAN act for the confirmation of ar
ticles," and not, as it ought to be, 80
the articles made at the surrender OF
Limerick The preamble affords fur
Their evidence of the intention of the
trainers of it to evade it's PROPER OBJ
jects. 1t runs thus: That the said
articles, or so much Of them as may
consist with the safety and welfare
of your majesty's subjects Of the king
dom, may be confirmed" etc.
But the whole act goes to convict
the Parliament and (as this Parlia-
ment was completely under the con-
troll OF the Lord Deputy, HE, Lord
Capel. the Lord Deputy, carried the
projects of the crown in Parliament
and was recommended as an excellent
Governor, in special address sent
by the Commons to the king says
MACPHERSON even William himself,
of gross injustice to the Catholics
For the first article of the Treaty is
wholly omitted, which guarantees to
the Catholics the free exercise OF
their religion, and an exemption from
all disturbance on account OF it; and
each clause OF the act has the effect
OF limiting the terms OF the other ar
ticles, and depriving the Catholics OF
ing and confirming them.
The first clause, which refers at
once to the second article, explains
who are entitled to the benefit of it,
and the rights conferred upon them:
assuming as IL fact, for which there
could be no foundation, that this ar
tcle required explanation. With re-
spect to the persons entitled to the
benefit Of the Treaty, a most remark
able difference occurs between the
words OF the second article. and those
Of this clause, in describing them. r.
the ratification of the Treaty by
William, there is the following pas
sage: And whereas it appears to
us, that it was agreed between the
parties to the said articles, that aftc,
no .i,l. =
Cork and Mayo, or any OF them, IN
the second OF the said articles, the
words following, viz, and all such rs
are under their protection in the sal
countless should be inserted and part
of the said article; our further will
and pleasure is, and we do ratify and
confirm The said omitted words
These words. according even to the
strict letter of the articles, extended
to the benefit of the Treaty, TO the
whole Catholic population OF these
counties, which certainly was the OBJ
jcct of the Treaty, as it may be col
lected from the preamble TO it, in
which it is stated that the Irish gen
erals acted in behalf of the Irish in
habitants of these counties. But in
this clause OF the act OF Parliament
TO confirm the Treaty, these words are
omitted. Although it secured to the
Catholics the possession Of their es-
tate, the Parliament dispossessed
them all. and seized their lands. No
better pen-picture Of this contiscaton
can be given than by quo"
words OF the English writer, Smiles
who says, commenting on the report
of Williams commissioners in 1899:
This extensive seizures of Irish
estates by the government of William
completed the confiscation OF the sew
enteenth century-a century OF in
jury, evaporation and revenge-of
war. blOodshed, and spOilation. The
forfeitures for rebellion, during the
century, amounted to about eleven
millions and a half acres, the entire
surface of Ireland amounting to only
about twelve millions of acres! 1T
is subject of curious and important
speculation says Lord Glare, in his
celebrated speech on the Union, to
look back to the forfeitures of Ire
land Incurred in the last century. The
superficial contents of the island are
calculated at 11,O42,6S2 acres.
LET us now examine the case OF
the forfeitures: Confiscated in the
reign OF James l. the whole of the
province of Ulster, containing $780,,
S%7 acres; set out by the Court Of
Claims, at the restoration 100000
acres; forfeitures of 1888. by COM
missioners, 1,060.792 acres. So that
the whole of your island has been con-
fiscated with the exception OF six es-
tates; =" " and no inconsider