Catholics of the city of Cork, in a body, prefented an addrefs to the Lord Lieutenant, expreffing their loyalty in the warmest terms of afsurance. They profeffed the warmeft indignation at the threatened invafion of the kingdom, by an enemy vainly flattered with the imaginary hope of affistance in Ireland, from the former attachments of their deluded predeceffors. They affured his Grace that fuch fchemes were altogether inconfiftent with their principles and intentions; and that they would, to the utmoft exertion of their abilities, with their lives and fortunes, join in the defence and fupport of his Majesty's royal perfon and government, against all invaders whatsoever. Thefe circumftances are proofs of no ordinary fidelity in the Irish Catholics to the House of Brunswick. They were, however, of no avail in mitigating the rigour of the magistracy in the execution of the penal laws, or in inducing the British government to repeal any part of them; for the reign of George II. clofed without any grateful acknowledgment being made *Smollet's Hiftory of England, 4. 69. made to them for the fteadiness with which they refifted the temptation that was held out to them in 1745 and 1759 to support the claims of a Catholic pretender to the throne of Great Britain. GEORGE GEORGE III. Notwithstanding the first measure of this reign, the royal recommendation to Parliament to make the judges independent of the Crown, bespoke the determination of his Majesty to refpect the feelings and confirm the rights and liberties of his fubjects; ftill the unfortunate Catholics of Ireland were doomed to suffer under new pains and penalties. * In the year 1776, an act of Parliament was paffed, by which one or more justices of the peace, and all sheriffs and chief magiftrates of cities and towns corporate, within their refpective jurifdictions, may from time to time, as well by night as by day, fearch for and feize all arms and ammunition belonging to any Papist not entitled to keep the fame, or in the hands of any perfon in truft, for a Papift; and for that purpofe enter any dwelling-house, out-house, office, * 15th and 16th Geo. III. c. 21. § 15. field field or other place belonging to a Papist, or to any other perfon where fuch magiftrate has reafonable cause to suspect any fuch arms or ammunition fhall be concealed; and on fufpicion, after search, may fummon and examine on oath, the perfon fufpected of fuch concealment. By the 17th clause of this act, Papists refusing to deliver up or declare fuch arms as they, or any with their privity, have, or hindering the delivery, or refufing to discover on oath, or without cause neglecting to appear on fummons to be examined before a magistrate concerning the fame, fhall, on conviction, be punished by fine and imprisonment, or such corporeal punishment of pillory or whipping, as the Court shall in their discretion think proper. * In the year 1782, a claufe was introduced into an act, by which no person shall be admitted into the Society of King's Inns as a ftudent, who shall not, at the time of his admiffion, be a Proteftant. N * 21st and 22d Geo. III. c. 32. § 2. In In the fame year, an act* was paffed, by the 3d clause of which, all statutes made in England or Great Britain, and all fuch clauses and provivifions contained in any ftatute there made, as relate to the taking any oath or oaths, or making or fubfcribing any declaration in Ireland, or to any penalty or difability for omitting the fame, shall be accepted, used, and executed in Ireland. This act referred to: 1ft, the English act of 3d William and Mary, c. 2. fect. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, by which the oath of fupremacy mentioned in 2. Eliz. 1. c. 1. is abrogated, and a new oath of fupremacy is required to be taken by all perfons admitted in Ireland to hold any civil or military office, and by members of both Houfes of Parliament: 2dly, to the English act of 1ft Anne, ftat. 2. c. 17. requiring all perfons to take the oath of abjuration, prescribed by the English acts of 13th Wm. III. c. 6. and ift Anne, ft. 1. c. 22d 3dly, to the English act of 6th Geo. III. c. 53. § 2. declaring that from the 1ft Auguft, 1776, the oath of abjuration, by this act appointed to be taken 21st and 22d Geo. III. c. 48. § 3. |