LETTER XIII.

BIBLICAL ORATION

OF

MR. NORTH.

(CONTINUED)

SIR,

The exertions of the revolutionary Parliament of Ireland, to break the constancy of the native Irish, and destroy their attachment to the faith of their fathers, are unfortunately but too notorious. It is superfluous to go into a detail of the means devised by that body to mar the Catholic, and stunt his growth, physical and moral. Their acts to check agricultural pursuits; their lease limitation bills; discovery bills; their restraints on industry; prohibition to purchase land, lend money on mortgage, keep more than two apprentices--the ingenuity of forecast that blunted the axe of the hewers of wood, put into coventry the unorthodox coal porter, and

effectually dismounted the still humbler lamplighter. Their expedients to say all in one comprehensive sentence, to promote Protestantism, and prevent the farther growth of Popery expedient, which went as far as malignant ingenuity could go, to desolate our beautiful Island, and lay the foundation of Mr. North's Oasis.

The son of a Catholie by professing to become a convert to the Established Church, not only entered into immediate possession of a considerable part of his father's fortune, but constituted himself by this act of conversion, heir-at-law to the whole, with full power to mortgage, sell, or otherwise alienate the reversion of it from his family for ever.-In an address presented by the Catholics to the late King, in the year 1775, this grievance is thus stated: "By the laws now in force in this kingdom, a son, however undutiful or profligate, shall, merely by the merit of conforming to the established religion, not only deprive the Roman Catholic father of that free and full possession of his estate, that power to mortgage, or otherwise dispose of it, as the exigencies of his affairs may require; but shall himself have full liberty immediately to mortgage or otherwise alienate the reversion

of that estate from his family for ever;-a regulation by which a father, contrary to the order of nature, is put under the power of his son, and through which an early dissoluteness is not only suffered, but encouraged, by giving a pernicious privilege, the frequent use of which has broken the hearts of many deserving parents, and entailed poverty and despair on some of the most ancient and opulent families in this kingdom."

So much for "the lawless, tumultuous, undisciplined array, which from the abysses of misery, sent up a voice of defiance against a dismayed Gentry, and almost appalled Government." Mr. North may have gained his end by this unfair and ex-parte statement; he may have succeeded in attaining the object of his Parliamentary campaign, and placed himself on the favoured list of Ireland's traducers -but alas! for his fame, it is gone for ever! Moll Flanders and ermine be henceforth united! Let us see if the Hon. and Learned gentleman be more happy in his charge of "thick and palpable darkness.” The unfriendly, not to say hostile and anti-Irish feeling, which pervades this speech, is in perfect accordance with the biblical principle, is a feeling put forward in all the publications

and assemblies of these people, and which, at the late meetings of the Bible, and Church Missionary Societies at the Rotunda, was loudly proclaimed by the various speakers; and, if voice and gesture have any meaning, was greeted by the auditory with the warmest and most unequivocal indications of sympathy. Their hearts, their souls, their affections were English, were Scotch, were Indian-were every thing but Irish. It was quite amusing to see how the Biblicals chuckled at the sound of Ireland's degradation-Biblicals who would not for the world comply with the idolatrous injunetion of St. Paul-bend the knee or bow the head at the name of Jesus. Ireland, was with them a land of darkness and misery a land, where no order, but everlasting horror, religious superstition and ignorance dwell. The late importation of bibles in the Irish character would scatter, it was hoped, this "palpable darkness." The experiment, however, failed completely.

It has since been discovered, that a ponderous Irish Bible is not the best conductor of light to the unpolished surface of Irish intellect; and, therefore, the Society determined on trying the process of attenuation, in converging, and transmitting the visual

rays. It was announced at the Rotunda, by the Rev. Daly, that a new edition of portable Irish Bibles-nice little books, as the orator called them-would be given to the public. But I must not wander. Independent of the Legislative enactments against home education, which made such an attempt on the part of the Catholic schoolmaster, a transportable felony, care was taken to prevent the importation of all contraband goods in the shape of foreign education, and severe penalties were enacted against parents and guardians so offending. The act to restrain foreign education decrees, "That if any subject of Ireland should, after that Sessions of Parliament, go, or send any child or person to be educated in any Popish university, college, or school, or in any private family, or if such child should, by any Popish person, be instructed in the Popish religion, or if any subject of Ireland should send money or things towards the maintenance of such child or other person already sent, or to be sent, every such offender, being thereof convicted, should be for ever disabled to sue or prosecute any action, bill, plaint, or information in law or equity-to be guardian, administrator, or executor to any person, or to be capable of any legacy or deed of gift, and besides should