attention where ferocity is fo prominent, one might smile to fee this code of Queen Anne, entitled, as it then was in all public documents, A Wife System for the Quieting and Settling of Ireland.

During all Queen Anne's reign, the inferior civil officers, by order of government, were inceffantly haraffing the Catholics, with oaths, imprifonments, and forfeitures, without any vifible cause but hatred of their religious profeffion. In the year 1708, on the bare rumour of an intended invafion of Scotland by the Pretender, 41 Roman Catholic noblemen and gentlemen were imprisoned in the caftle of Dublin; and, when they were afterwards fet at liberty, the government was fo fenfible of the wrong done to them, that it remitted their fees, amounting to 8ool. A custom that had exifted, from time immemorial, for infirm men, women, and children, to make a pilgrimage every fummer to a place called St. John's well, in the county of Meath, in hopes of obtaining relief from their several diforders, by performing at it certain acts of penance and devotion, was deemed an object worthy of the ferious confideration of the House of Commons; who accordingly paffed a

vote, that these fickly devotees "were affembled "in that place to the great hazard and danger of "the public peace, and safety of the kingdom." They also paffed a vote, on the 17th March, 1705, "That all magiftrates and other persons "whatsoever, who neglected or omitted to put "them (the penal laws) in due execution, were "betrayers of the liberties of the kingdom;”* and, in June 1705, they refolved, "That the 66 faying and hearing of mass, by persons who had "not taken the oath of abjuration, tended to ad"vance the intereft of the Pretender; and that "fuch judges and magistrates as wilfully neglected "to make diligent inquiry into, and to discover "fuch wicked practices, ought to be looked upon "as enemies to her Majefty's government."† And, upon another occafion, they refolved, "That "the profecuting and informing against Papists "was an honourable service to the govern"ment."‡

Com. Jour. 3. 289.

† Ib. 319.

Ib. 319.

GEORGE

GEORGE I.

The following acts of Parliament were paffed in this reign, for the purpose of strengthening the fyftem which had been adopted by William and Anne, for preventing the growth of Popery.

An act to make the militia of this kingdom more useful."

By the 11th and 12th claufes of this act, the horfes of Papists may be feized for the militia.

pay

By the 4th and 18th claufes, Papists are to double towards raising the militia.

By the 16th claufe, Popish house-keepers in a city, are to find fit Protestant substitutes.

An act to restrain Papifts from being high or petty constables, and for the better regulating the parish watches.t

tad G. I. c. 10.-This act expired in three years, and

An act for the more effectual preventing fraudulent conveyances, in order to multiply votes for electing members to ferve in Parliament, &c.*

By the 7th claufe of this act no Papist can vote at an election unless he takes the oaths of allegiance and abjuration.

An act for the better regulating the town of Galway, and for ftrengthening the Proteftant intereft therein.t

An act for the better regulating the corporation of the city of Kilkenny, and strengthening the Proteftant intereft therein.‡

An act by which Papifts refident in towns, who shall not provide a Proteftant watchman to watch in their room, fhall be fubject to certain penalties. ||

By the 7th claufe of this act, no Papift can vote

at a veftry.

These

2d Geo. I. c. 19. 4th Geo. I. c. 16.

+ 4th Geo. I. c. 15.

6th Geo. I. c. 10.

These acts of Parliament originated in the fame fpirit of perfecution, which difgraced the reigns of William and Anne, and were, like the penal laws against the Catholics of those reigns, palpable violations of the treaty of Limerick.Though a glimmering of toleration had found its way into the councils of England, and given rise to an act for exempting Proteftant diffenters of this country (Ireland) from certain penalties to which they were fubject," the Catholics were excluded, by a particular clause, from any benefit of it. And though it was in this reign that the first act paffed "for difcharging all perfons in offices and employments from all penalties which they had incurred by not qualifying themselves, pursuant to an act to prevent the further growth of Popery," the favour conferred by it was wholly to the Proteftant diffenters, as no Catholic had been placed in any public office fince the paffing of that penal law.

The loyalty of the Catholics was in this reign put to a complete trial by the Scotch rebellion of 1715. If, after having fought three campaigns

* 6th Geo. I.

in