be discussed in the present session! Allow me here, as an humble freeholder of the City of Dublin, solemnly to protest against this refusal. I do not dispute nor question the integrity of Mr. Grattan, nor his high honour; but I dispute his judgment; and, humble as I am in talents and in station, when compared with him, yet I can demonstrate that he is mistaken I am ready to show that a member of the House of Commons is, by the Constitution, bound to receive and attend to the instructions of his constituents.ceive any suggestion whatsoever-and I can shew precedents where this duty has been recognized even by the bitterest enemies, as it has been always hitherto asserted, by the best friends of liberty. I mean not to dispute the right of the representative to exercise his judgment respecting the instructions of his Constituents; but I can prove that those instructions have been hitherto received, and attended to as their acknowledged duty by the members of the House of Commons.

sary to give him information of the disgust and abhorrence produced by those clauses; we should owe to ourselves and to our religion emphatically to announce the detestation in which we hold any meddling with the Church. This and more would be necessary, had Grattan been our advocate; but if this meeting were now to retract, and to abandon their own judgment, and to select Mr. Grattan, notwithstanding his letter, the consequences are obvious-he would refuse to re

then you who require unqualified emancipation would have your advocate calling in your name for an emancipation, which, in your judgment, would only increase your slavery.Good God! can any man imagine that Mr. Grattan would find it possible to listen to us upon these matters of importance, when he declares it impossible to answer us on a mere question of time? The question we put to him was as simple as "What is it o'clock ?"-his reply, "It is impossi ble for me to answer." Well, if he cannot condescend to answer as to the

Thus, then, has Mr. Grattan finally rejected you. You offered him your petition upon this condition, that he would agree to discuss your griev-hour of the day, what prospect is ances this session. He refuses to enter into such agreement; he therefore rejects your petition. You may, indeed, cringe and fall before him. The Catholic people may submit, and with Christian meekness seek another blow. The thousands who hear, and who were right in demanding this condition, may retract and degrade themselves;

there is no other course, If you would have Mr. Grattan to present your petition. But is there no other course? He has taken his high station; he will neither descend nor bend. It remains for us to seek another Advocate-an Advocate less brilliant in eloquence, but more suited to our views and wishes. At this period it is doubly incumbent on us to make a prudent choice. Mr. Grattan differs from us on the Veto; he assented to Canning's clauses, though he did not introduce them. If he had accepted our petition, it would have been neces

there of his being able to reply to more weighty reasons? In short, he has taken his stand; he will answer no questions-he will receive no instructions-he rejects all stipulations-and he disclaims the condition on which you offered, and the Earl of Donoughmore re-accepted, your petition.

There cannot, therefore, be found in this crowded assembly any Catholic sufficiently hardy to propose that we should retract and again offer our petition without a condition-(a general cry of No, no! for many minutes.)I know that no person would hazard such a propositiou, whatever powers of effrontery he may possess; nor do I accuse any man of entertaining such an idea. You must have a new selection made-you must have a man selected, who will consent to lay your grievances before Parliament this ses sion-who will consent to receive your instructions—who n short, will

seek to obtain for the Catholics of Ire- | find amongst them an advocate suited
land that which the Catholics of Ireland to our purpose; the cause and the
deserve, and not get up a plan of his principle of civil and religious liberty
own, in which he may be the principal will never be scorned by them.
figure, and the Catholics secondary ob-
jects. The advocate we want is a man
who will require from Parliament au
emancipation that would quiet and
content the people of Ireland, and ex-
tinguish the beart-burnings and animo-
sities which at present rage in this
country-not an emancipation which
would create more jealousy and disaf-
fection, and embitter our feuds, and
increase our rancorous hostility to each
other;-au advocate, in fine, who
would, from his heart, prefer the
emancipation of Ireland to the emanci-
pation of Mr. Grattan and Mr. Can-
ning. Such is the advocate we want;
and such an advocate may, I know, be
found; but, alas! we must, I much
fear, go to England to seek for him.-
We must seek for an Englishman, for
I know of no Irish Member to whom
you can now commit your petition.

I cannot conclude without depre-
cating any declamation on the merits
of Mr. Grattan. No man can be more
sensible of those merits than I am.
I recal to mind his early and his glo-
rious struggles for Ireland. I know
he raised her from degradation. and
exalted her to her rank as a nation.
I recollect too, that if she be now a
pitiful province, Grattan struggled
and fought for her whilst life or hope
remained. I know all this, and more;
and my gratitude and enthusiasm for
those services will never be extinguish-
ed. But I know, too, that to use his
own phrase of another," he was an
oak of the forest, too old to be trans-
planted." I see, with regret, that,
except his services in our cause, he
has, since the Union, made no exer-
tions worthy of his name and of his
strength-since he has inhaled the
Let me not be taunted with this foul and corrupt atmosphere that fills
preference. I do not prefer an Eng- some of the avenues to Westminster,
lishman, as such. Oh no! My pre- there have not been the same health
ference and my prejudices are altoge- and vigour about him. He seems to
ther Irish-my patriotism is almost have forgotten his ancient adorations;
exclusively Irish, and I remember the he supported the Insurrection Bill,
wrong England has inflicted on my and every future Peel has the autho-
wretched country, with a hatred doom-rity of his name to aid in outlawing
ed to be immortal and unrelenting. Ireland. He accused his fallen coun- !
But there is now no choice. Ireland trymen of cherishing a French party;
was, in the last session, abandoned aias! he ought to have distinguished
by all the Irish members; she was between the strong Anti-Anglican spi-
flung at the feet of Peel, to insult and rit, which centuries of oppressive go-
to trample upon her, as he, in his vernment created and fostered, and
majestic forbearance and wisdom, any attachment to the enemy of free-
should think fit; and, lastly, our Irish dom. The very party whom he was
patriots have found out that he is an induced to traduce hated despotism as
Alfred!!!-an Alfred-nothing less- much in France as in Russia, or in
(much laughing) Oh, it is sorrowful England, and it assuredly had nothing
mirth but this is true. Ireland was
French about it. But above all, Mr.
defended only by Englishmen; there Grattan has. mingled the support of
remained amongst them the still un- our cause with the procuring for a
extinguished flame of liberty, and they Protestant ministry the patronage of
made a generous effort to protect Ire- our Church. These recollections mi-
land. May the best blessings of hea-tigate the sorrow I feel at his having
ven be poured upon them. Whitbread, now disclaimed our petition. I feel
and Horner, and Romilly, and Grant, for him unfeigned respect; but he has
and others, fought for Ireland. We will refused to accept the petition upon our

terms. I shall therefore move," that the Catholic Association be requested to send a delegation to London, in order to procure a member of the House of Commons to present our petition, and apply for unqualified emancipation.

This speech was followed by a simultaneous burst of approbation.After a few words from Mr. Randal M'Donnell and Mr. N. Mahon against the motion, Mr. O'Connell withdrew it, on the ground of an unwillingness to create a difference of opinion.

Mr. O'Connell then rose and said, a matter of the most particular importance was now going to be submitted to the meeting; it was the Report of a Sub-Committee appointed by the Association to wait on the Most Rev. Dr. Murray, to inquire into the success of his mission to Rome. A learned friend of his would, as Chairman of the Committee, read the Report.

Counsellor M'Donnell then proceeded to read the following report :— REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION. ppointed February 14, 1815, to wait upon the Most Reverend Doctor Murray, in order to ascertain from him the facts respecting any negociation that has existed, or does exist, respecting any Arrangements of Catholic Discipline in Ireland, as connected with the Crown, or the Ministers of the

Crown.

The Most Reverend Doctor Murray having appointed the hour of three o'clock in the afternoon of Wednesday, 15th February, as the most convenient hour for meeting the Deputation of the Catholic Association, your Committee waited upon his Grace accordingly, at the appointed hour. His Grace was pleased to open the interview by stating, that he had received the letter of the Chairman, Owen O'Conor, Esq. intimating the objects of the Deputation-that he felt every disposition to give any information in his power, at the same time that he felt it necessary to observe, that he could not admit that the Catholic Association could claim his compliance with their desires as a matter of right, or that they possessed any authority to demand from him any account of his conduct. He proceeded to Rome as the Delegate of the

| Catholic Bishops, not of the Catholic Association, and he felt himself accounta ble only to the Prelates for his conduct on that mission to which they deputed him. He thought it necessary to state thus much, to prevent the present case being made a precedent on any future occasion. He, however, felt, that in the present times, all matters of form and ceremony should be waved, and that all classes of Irish Catholics should co-operate together in support of the great cause in which they were engaged. Your Com mittee most distinctly informed his Grace, that there did not exist in their minds, or in the minds of those who had deputed them, the most distant disposi tion to press upon his Grace's consideration any subject, which he did not feel himself perfectly disposed to entertain. They did not, by any means, desire or intend to ask of his Grace that he should enter into any account of his conduct, as they felt fully sensible of the justice of his Grace's observations; they merely desired to receive from his Grace any information which he should consider worthy, or fitting to be communicated to the Catholic Body, and would feel indebted to his Grace if he should please to grant such information, which they would receive as a favour, without pretending to demand it as a right. His Grace was pleased to express himself perfectly satisfied with this explanation, and proceeded to say, that he did not consider himself called upon to refer to any negociations which may have existed prior to his having been deputed to proceed to Rome, such as the negociations in 1790. To this your Committee assented. His Grace then stated, that he proceeded to Rome as Delegate from the Irish Prelates, for the sole purpose of remonstrating against the rescript of Quarantotti; that that rescript had been recalled by the Pope, on the principle that it was issued without due deliberation in the absence of his Holiness and the Sacred College; that the matters contained in that rescript had been referred by his Holiness to a Special Congregation, composed of the most exalted and incorruptible characters in Rome. His Grace further expressed his complete conviction that the opinions of that coun cil would be formed upon principles purely of a Spiritual character; and he was also satisfied, that when the opinion of the Council should be referred to his Holiness, who had reserved to himself the right to pronounce definitively on the sub

commenced by reading the Resolu- | ties watch, with undiminished, or ration adopted at the last Aggregate ther, I should say, increased zeal, the Meeting, postponing the consideration the interests of their cause. It beof the Resolutions proposed by him comes, therefore, not merely prudent, on that day to the present Meeting. but necessary, that the People of IreHe then read those three Resolutions, land should seek, with corresponding and proceeded to observe, that when fervour, their great object, Unqualihe had the honour of submitting them fied Emancipation, and not again have for consideration at the last Meeting, reason to attribute the failure of thetr they appeared to have obtained general desires to their own apathy or indoapproval, but were postponed on the lence, as they have often had good suggestion of some distinguished indi- reason hitherto to do. I have heard viduals who wished that they should it said, that the passing such Resolunot be too hastily passed; lest it tions as those now under discussion, should be said that they did not ex- would have the effect of preventing the press the deliberate sense of the Ca- return of those Members of our Body tholics of Ireland. "I have," said Mr. who have thought proper to secede M'Donnell," considered them fre- from us. In answer to this objection, quently since the last day of Meeting I have, in the first place, a right to -I have also taken into my most se- state, that I do not introduce any new rious consideration the circumstances doctrine; I do not call upon the Meetwhich have come before us since that ing to say more than has been said on day, and particularly the information former occasions, when those Gentlecontained in the Report which I have men attended our Meetings, who now just now read; and I have no hesita- think proper to affect great astonishtion in stating my conscientious con- ment that such Resolutions should be viction, that so far from such Resolu- submitted for adoption; I have, howtions being rendered unnecessary by ever, a shorter answer to this objecthose circumstances, it is, on the con- tion, namely, that I would not consitrary, become more necessary now, der any man who would object to such than at any former period, that the Resolutions a desirable accession. It Catholics of Ireland should declare is impossible, after the scenes we have their opinions and determination on witnessed within the last few weeks, those vital subjects in language firm to mistake the objects of these Genand unequivocal.-It appears from the tlemen denominated Seceders. It canReport, which I just now had the ho- not any longer be alledged that they nour to read to this meeting, that the separate from their Countrymen on acEnglish Vetoistical Faction, styling count of any violence of conduct or itself the English Catholic Board, has intemperance of proceedings. Hitheractually forwarded a Memorial to to some plausible reasons were put Rome, praying his Holiness to confirm forth in defence of those Gentlemen; the Rescript of Quarantotti. There there was not on former occasions any is also very good reason to suppose, man or body of men found hardy that they are aided in their endeavours enough to avow his or their desire for by the influence of the British Cabi- the completion of measures which the net. Surely then, it cannot be consi- public voice had reprobated: no Irish dered an intemperate or unwarranted Catholic, even in those discreditable proceeding on our part, that we should times to which I allude, was found to endeavour to counteract those efforts declare his readiness to prostrate his of our enemies, and to protect, as far Religion and his Rights at the feet of as we can, the Civil and Religious an illiberal Courtier. There was not Rights of ourselves and our fellow- then any avowed advocate for the fursubjects. It is obvious, that the ad- ther degradation of himself and his vocates for arrangements and securi- fellow-sufferers; those who were not

to