of the city of London, which was body at large, in upholding and supporting the great work of charity. replied to in a very handsome speech The right reverend preacher next en- by Mr. Favell. The collection at tered into the merits of the establish- the table after dinner, including a ments whose cause he was specially liberal subscription from the ladies pleading, extolled the incalculable in the gallery, was nearly £800. benefits derived from a religious edu- The dinner aud wines were excelcation, and praised the virtues and lent, and the evening was spent with laudable conduct of the amiable pre- much hilarity. ceptress of the female school (Miss Trelawney), whom he described, as Charity herself, surrounded by her orphans, and called upon his hearers to be liberal in supporting that excellent lady's meritorious and pious exertions. The appeal of the good prelate, who delivered his exhortatious from the centre of the altar, had its desired effect, as the collection amounted to 94/ A copy of the indictment against Neil Douglas, a travelling preacher, or lecturer, in Scotland, who is about to be tried for sedition, has been published in The Glasgow Chronicle. The defendant is therein charged, among other things. with "wickedly, slanderously, falsely and seditiously, in the course of the prayers, sermons, or declamations uttered by him, asserting and drawing a parallel between his majesty and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; remarking and insinuating that like the said king of Babylon, his majesty was driven from the society of men for infidelity and corruption: and he then, and there, did further wickedly, slanderously, falsely, and seditiously assert, that his royal highness the prince regent was à poor infatuated wretch, or a poor infatuated devotee of Bacchus, or use expressions of similar import: and he, then and there, did wicked The anniversary dinner of the London associated catholic charities took place on Monday the 19th, at the Freemason's tavern; his grace the duke of Norfolk, in the chair. The noble duke was accompanied by lords Clifford, Fingal, Shrewsbury, Petre, and Surrey; the right Rev. Dr. Poynter, Rev. Dr. Collins, Rev. James Archer, C. Butler, esq and several other gentlemen connected with the first families of distinction in the catholic community of the empire. The meeting, though not very numerously attended, comprised seve-ly, slanderously, falsely, and sediral of the most distinguished personages who take an interest in the promotion of this charity. At six the company sat down to a sumptuous dinner. After the cloth was removed, the procession of the children supported by the institution entered, preceded by appropriate banners, descriptive of the nature of this charity. Mr. Blake addressed the meeting in behalf of the institution, and drew an affecting picture of the value of education. Lord Clifford, on returning thanks after his health had been drank, particularly adverted to the contribution of 200 guineas from the corporation ditiously assert and draw aparal- W. E. Andrews, Printer, Garlick Hill, Bow-lane, London. RESOLUTIONS OF THE BRITISH BOARD, AND REMARKS THEREON. I's is with no small degree of pleasure that I congratulate the reader on the probable return of the leading members of the British board of catholics to a sense of their real dignity and station. This satisfactory prospect is one of the happy consequences arising out of the late discussion of our claims-a discussion memorable in many points of view, but none more so than the almost universal rejection of veto arrangements, by both friends and enemies, so that the question now rests on its proper basis, and must be decided on all future occasions by the justice and merits of the case. Convinced of this circumstance, and sensible that the measures of conciliation hitherto proffered are neither sufficient to satisfy the intolerant spirit of ascendency which governs the bigot, nor quell the alarms which agitate the hireling, the party in Ireland, known by the title of Seceders, have honestly and openly expressed their conviction, that nothing short of a firm and unanimous effort to remove the prejudices of our opponents can ensure success to the cause of emancipation, and it would appear by the following resolutions which have been inserted in the public prints, that the same sentiments begin to animate those who have hitherto assumed to be the organ of the catholics in this island. ORTHOD. JOUR. Vol. V. "BOARD of BRITISH CATHOLICS.Monday, June 9, 1817.-His grace the duke of Norfolk, earl marshal of Eng land, in the chair. "The following resolutions were unanimously passed; "Resolved 1.-That disappointed as we have been, in the expectation that the two houses of parliament would have at least agreed to take into consimillions of his majesty's subjects, yet, deration the laws affecting several when we review the arguments used in the late debates-when we consider the large minorities in both houses-when we reflect on the justice, the policy and the wisdon of uniting the whole population of a great empire, in bonds of lasting friendship and interest with its day cannot be distant, when such a government; we still hope that the system of legislation will be adopted, as may produce happiness and contentment to the catholic subjects of these realms. "2. That at the triumphant close of a extent, we look back with pride to the war, unexampled in its duration and exertions of thousands of our brethren in faith, natives of the united kingdom, who have fully proved their loyalty under the most disheartening and painful disabilities, by giving their In every conflict, they have stood in strength and blood to their country. the front of battle, not inferior in courage and discipline to any of their companion in arms, and so great in number, that we confidentially appeal to all the commanders of his forces by sea and land, whether, if the catholics had on the eve of battle been withdrawn, their ranks would not have been fearfully thinned? We cannot then believe that our own country, in the hour of 2 E triumph and secure peace, will consign | our king, and affectionate attachment to oblivion and punishment, merely to our country, will, in every circumon account of their religious tenets, stance, remain, as it has so long been, men, whose services she hesitated not true and unshaken. to accept, nay, scrupled not to solicit, in the hour of doubtful and dangerous war. "7. That the thanks of the board of British catholics are most eminently due, and are hereby unanimously and 3. That to inflict deliberate puuish-gratefully given to right honourable the ment on innocent men, as it is contrary earl Grey, right honourable the earl of to the highest moral law, so it can in Donoughmore, right honourable Wilno case be consistent with the princi- liam Elliott, and right hou. Henry ples of a just and free government. Grattan, for their constant and able exertions in advocating our cause; and that the same be presented to them by a deputation from this board. 8. That the thanks of the board of British catholics are also eminently due, and are hereby unanimously and gratefully given, to those other distinguished members of both houses of parlia ment who have supported our claims. NORFOLK, E. M. "EDWARD JERNINGHAM, Sec." To the general propositions con 4. That the laws now existing against the catholics of Great Britain, and which are pointed solely against their religious tenets, are an infliction of continual punishment, not merely as operating to prevent them by any exertions of their talents, or industry, from partaking of the emoluments, or advantages of a government, to whose support they contribute their full share, but as constantly, though silently abusing them in the esteem of their fellow citizens; and, in practice, depriving them even of those privileges, and detained in these resolutions I think grading them from that place in society to which the letter of the law admits them. "5. That at this moment, when in almost every state of civilized Europe, the difference of religious opinion is not considered a ground of civil disabili ties, when, in most of those realms where the religion of the state is catholic, dissenters from the established church are admitted to full enjoyment of their civil and social rights, and when no instance of any inconvenience has occurred from such equal participation, but when, on the contrary, it has been uniformly found that prosperity and concord have been its imme, diate, as well as natural consequence, we cannot think that this country, standing as a shining example to the world, of courage, constancy and liberality, will long continue to refuse that, which the nations who look up to her wisdom as well as her generosity, have not feared to grant, "6. That for these reasons, we catholics of Great Britain here assembled, do declare, that we will not relax in our endeavours to obtain the redress of our grievances by all legal and constitutional means, confident that our cause is good, and that our country will not for ever be deaf to our representations, but certain that our undivided allegiance to .66 no possible objection can be started; but it were much to be wished that those who adopted them had exhibited a less equivocal desire of uniting their endeavours in the work of emancipation with those of the catholics of Ireland, without which all our efforts will be futile and of no avail. I do therefore regret, as the members of the British board found it necessary to appeal, in their second resolution, to the unshaken loyalty and heroic exertions of the thousands of Irish catholics who have fought and bled in the late war, of unexampled duration, as a proof of the great usefulness of the catholic body in support of the comtheir fourth resolution, see the jus mon cause, that they did not also, in tice of stating, that the infliction of punishment solely on the ground of religion was equally as unjust towards the catholics of Ireland as against those of Great Britain. Are we not now the members of one kingdom? Why then should we not unite as one body? Why should the catholics of Great Britain separate their interests from those of Ire the catholic public, and the strongest land, when the grievances bear equally as hard upon the one as upon the other? Why not take up the cause of catholic Ireland in this focus of protestantism, when the blood of her sons have sprinkled the soil of every country on the globe, where the banners of England have been unfurled, affording an incontestible proof that the allegiance of a catholic is not the less steady when given to a protestant than to a catholic king? Why should we leave them to contest the attacks of a bigotted press in this country, without proffering our aid and talents, when they have rendered us such means to repel the calumnies of our mutual enemies, by the profuse sacrifice which they have made of their physical strength and numbers in defence of our common country? Is it candid? is it just? is it honourable? The answer must be given in the negative; and I do therefore flatter myself, that in all future resolutions adoped by the board, the interests of the catholics of the united empire will be considered, and not those of Great Britain only. Another subject of regret is the personal vote of thanks given to Mr. Grattan, who, by his unwarrantable offer of the veto, contributed more to the injury of our cause in the late debate, than all his wonted eloquence in our favour in former ones. Better would it have been to have marked a due sense of his misconduct by the omission of his name, as in the case of the other avowed advocates of the veto, lord Castlereagh, sir J. C. Hippisley, and Mr. Canning, and substituted that of Mr. Yorke, whose honest sentiments deserve the warmest gratitude a catholic heart can give, and afford a convincing testimony of the progress of our cause, notwithstanding the numbers which appeared against it in the late decisions.stitutionality of their actions.-No; Setting however these two points they must pursue a different system ide, there is much to congratulate than that they have hitherto acted "PROTESTANT ASCENDENCY." This standing toast of the lately established "Pitt Clubs," has occasioned a sort of schism among the votaries of the "heaven-born" minister, as will be seen by the cor between Mr. Canning and the committee appointed to manage the anniversary festival held in the metropolis on the 28th of last month, inserted in the epitome of this number. The publication of this correspondence is of infinite importance at the present moment, since it gives us a view of the sentiments which animate one part of our opponents, and that no inconsiderable one too, as it can boast of having a majority in the councils of the regent, and may probably gain a farther extension of upon, and I do most sincerely hope for their own honour and character that such will be the case. To act legally and constitutionally, they must encourage a free discussion of their actions, and animate others to combat and detect the gross calum-respondence which has taken place nies and falsehoods daily invented and spread against the religious and civil principles of catholics; at the same time discountenancing the conduct of those individuals who attempt to set up an unjust authority to crush the zeal of controversial writers, and suppress the circulation of their writings The must further, on all public occasions, adopt a language and conduct perfectly unambiguous and open, by stating their sentiments so as to admit of no double interpretation, but easy to be understood by all, and submit-"ascendency" influence in the cating them to the approval or disapproval of the body at large, after the manner of our brethren in Ireland, before they are announced to the British public as the act of the whole. In a word, as public opinion is the basis of a free constitution, so must the board rest the success of our cause on this foundation, which is the surest means of leading it to a final triumphant victory. Happy then shall I be to see the adoption of such measures in all subsequent attempts to free us from the civil chains by which we are bound Measures such as these cannot fail to produce the most beneficial effects, and en. sure an union of all parties in our body in both the sister isles. We shall then see the Howards and the Plunketts, the Talbots and the Southwells, the Arundels and the Browns, the Jerninghams and the Bellews, all joined in one common cause, and placed in a situation not only honourable to themselves, but calculated to promote the interests of their country, while the pen of the historian will record their deeds to future ages, as an example for posterity. binet, if there is any foundation for the rumours circulated in the daily papers. In my number for June, 1814,(Vol. II.No. 13.) I made some observations on the incorrectness and absurdity of this toast, and I am glad to find my opinion as to the im propriety of its being given, not only backed by one of the greatest admirers of Mr. Pitt, but also strengthened by the editor of the Courier, who, in his paper of the succeeding day, laments the absence of the two undernamed ministers of his majesty from the above feast, in consequence, in the following terms:- "Neither lord Castlereagh nor Mr. Canning were at the dinner yesterday, to commemorate Mr. Pitt's birth-day. We regret their absence, and the cause of it. It is said that the toasts were sent by the committee of management to those distinguished personages, to one of which they objected -the toast of Protestant Ascendency,' as inconsistent with their known support of the catholic claims. Mr. Gifford and the committee sturdily and strenuously maintained it ought to be given, and the absence of the two ministers was |