Mr. Woulfe (late Chief Baron), rose and made a very honourable retractation of his owa opinions in favour of the veto; and commented sharply upon the conduct of the seccders. On the fifth resolution, viz. :—

"That the concurrence of all classes of Catholics in the measure of domestic nomination, ought to prevail unanimously amongst ourselves, and to obviate the alarms, however unfounded, of the enemies of our cirancipation:"

Mr. O'Connell requested, before it was put, that Mr. Grattan's late letter should be read ; which being done, he addressed the meeting, recommending that an answer should bo returned, distinct, emphatic, and unmistakeable; repudiating all species of veto. He then proceeded to explain away a mistake of Mr. Woulfe's. Domestic nomination was not a now suggestion, but a return to the ancient practice of the Catholic Church. He concluded with an carnest appeal to the Catholics to imitate their enemics in unanimity, and ultimate success would be theirs.

Letters were accordingly addressed, not only to Mr. Grattan, but to the other chief parlamentary advocates of the Catholic cause, conveying the spirit of these resolutions. Mr. Grattan returned a simple acknowledgment of receipt. Lord Donoughmore, on the contrary, expressed his warm concurrence with the sentiments of the majority of the Irish nation; and his entire abhorrence of any arrangement that would give the British minister more power of corruption than he already had. Equally satisfactory was the letter of Sir Henry Parnell.

A motion was subsequently made in the House of Commons, to take into consideration tho Catholic claims, and in the discussion upon it, the views of the Catholics with regard to the veto and its substitute-"domestic nomination," were explained. But Catholic and ish affairs were, now that the war was long done, and England busy settling her accounts fter it, matters of very secondary importance, and so the motion was hastily negatived. A most respectful address, of the same tendency, was also forwarded to the bishops, and by them generally well received, and responded to with renewed pledges against the veto The next meeting of the Catholic Board was occupied with a matter, which had already drawn forth the strong condemnation of the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and his coadjutor

CATHOLIC BOARD-RHEMISH BIBLE.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1817.

MR. O'CONNELL said that on the last day of meeting, he gave notice that he would move for a committee to draw up a dis avowal of the very dangerous and uncharitable doctrines contained in certain notes to the Rhemish Testament. He now rose to submit that motion to the consideration of the Board. The late edition of the Rhemish Testament in this country gave rise to much observation. That work was denounced t Doctor Troy. An action is now depending between him and a respectable bookseller in this city, and it would be the duty of

the Board not to interfere, in the remotest degree, with the subject of that action, but on the other hand, the Board could not let the present opportunity pass by of recording their sentiments of disapprobation, and even of abhorrence, of the bigoted and intolerant doctrines promulgated in that work. Their feelings of what was wise, consistent, and liberal, would suggest such a proceeding, even though the indecent calumnies of their enemies had not rendered it indispensable.

A work called the British Critic had, no doubt, been read by some gentleman who heard him. The circulation of the last number has been very extensive, and succeeded, almost beyong calculation, the circulation of. any former number, in consequence of an article which appeared in it on the late edition of the Rhemish Testament. He (Mr. O'Connell) said he read that article. It is extremely unfair and uncandid; it gives, with audacious falsehood, passages as if from the notes to the Rhemish Testament, which cannot be found in that work; and, with mean cunning, it seeks to avoid detection by quoting without giving either text or page. Throughout, it is written in the true spirit of the inquisition: it is violent, vindictive, and uncharitable. He was sorry to understand that it was written by ministers of the Established Church; but he trusted that wher the charge of intemperance should be again brought forward against the Catholics, their accusers would cast their eyes on this coarse and illiberal attack. Here they may find a specimen of real intemperance.

But the very acceptable work of imputing principles to the Irish people which they never held, and which they abhor, was not confined to the British Critic. The Courier, a newspaper whose circulation is immense, lent its hand; and the provincial newspapers throughout England-those papers which are ever silent when anything might be said favourable to Ireland, but are ever active to disseminate whatever may tend to her disgrace or dishonour--they have not hesitated to impute to the Catholics of this country the doctrines contained in those offensive notes, and it was their duty to disclaim them. Nothing was more remote from the true sentiments of the Irish people.

These notes were of English growth; they were written in agitated times, when the title of Elizabeth was questioned on the grounds of legitimacy. Party spirit was then extremely violent. Politics mixed with religion, and of course disgraced it. Queen Mary, of Scotland, had active partizans, who thought it would forward their purposes to translate the Bible, and add

to it those obnoxious notes. But very shor cly after the establishment of the college at Douay, this Rhemish edition was condemned by all the doctors of that institution, who, at the same time, called for, and received the aid of the Scotch and Irish colleges. The book was thus suppressed, and an edition of the Bible, with notes, was published at Douay, which has been ever since adopted by the Catholic church; so that they not only condemned and suppressed the Rhemish edition, but they published an edition, with notes, to which no objection has been, or could be urged.

From that period there have been but two editions of the Rhemish Testament; the first had very little circulation; the late one was published by a very ignorant printer in Cork, a man of the name of M'Namara, a person who was not capable of distinguishing between the Rhemish and other edition of the Bible. He took up the matter merely as a speculation in trade. He meant to publish a Catholic Bible, and having put his hand upon the Rhemish edition, he commenced to print it in numbers. He subsequently became a bankrupt, and his property in this transaction vested in Mr. Cumming, a respectable bookseller in this city, who is either a Protestant or a Presbyterian, but he carried on the work like M Namara, merely to make money of it as a commercial speculation.

And yet, continued Mr. O'Connell, our enemies have taken it up with avidity. They have asserted that the sentiments contained in those notes are cherished by the Catholics in this country. He would not be surprised to hear of speeches in the next parliament on this subject. It was a hundred to one but that some of our briefless barristers have already commenced composing their dull calumnies, and that we shall have speeches from them for the edification of the legislature and the protection of the Church.

There was not a moment to be lost. The Catholics, with one voice, should disclaim these very odious, these execrable doctrines. He was convinced that there was not a single Catholic of any description in Ireland that did not feel with him, the uttermost abhorrence of such principles. Illiberality has been imputed to the Irish people; but they are most grossly, most cruelly wronged. It had been his fortune often to address the Catholic people of Ireland, and he knew them well. He had ever found them prompt to applaud every sentiment of liberality, and the doctrine of perfect freedom of conscience-the right of every human being to hava hie hatever that creed might be,

unpolluted by the impious interference of bigoted and oppressive laws. These sacred rights were never advocated-these enarged and generous sentiments were never uttered at a Catholic meeting, whether aggregate or otherwise, without receiving, at the instant, the loud and unanimous applause of the assembly. It might, to be sure, be said, and doubtless would be, that those meetings were composed of mere rabble. Be it so. For one, he would concede that for the sake of argument. Buù vhat followed? Why, just this: that the Catholic rabble, with t the advantages of education, or the influence of polished society, were so well acquainted with the genuine principles of Christian charity, that they, the rabble, adopted and applauded the sentiments of liberality and of religious freedom, which unfortunately, met but little encouragement from the polished and educated of other sects.

He owed it to his religion, as a Catholic and a Christian-to his country, as an Irishman-to his feelings, as a human being, to utterly denounce the abominable doctrines contained in the notes of this edition of the Rhemish Testament.

He was a Catholic upon principle; a steadfast and sincere Catholic, from the conviction that it was the best form of religion; but he would not remain a Catholic one hour longer, if he thought it essential to the profession of the Catholic faith, to believe that it was lawful to murder Protestants, or that faith might be innocently broken with heretics ;--yet such were the doctrines to be deduced from the notes to this Rhemish Testament.

Co

His motion, in conclusion, was for a sub-committee, to whom the matter should, in the first instance, be referred. The strongest form of disavowal should be drawn up, and might be very properly submitted for the sanction of an aggregate meeting. pies should then be immediately circulated everywhere, and in particular be sent to every member of both Houses of Parliament, to the dignitaries of the Protestant Church, and the Synod of Ulster, &c., &c.

Mr. Eneas MacDonnell opposed the motion! but his opposition was speedily scouted, and the motion carried; the sub-committee to be, Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Scully, Mr. O'Kelly, Mr. Mahon, and "Pius Æneas" himself.

The last acts of the Catholics, in the year 1817, were to send forward their "Remenstrance" to the Court of Rome, and to receive the report of their agent at that court, the Rev. Richard Hayes.

The year 1818 passed over without much of interest occurring on which we need delay the reader. The apathy over the popular mind was at its height, and where any effort was attempted, dissension and division were sure to interfere to stop all progress. It would be difficult accurately to convey an idea of what Mr. O'Connell justly styled, upon

one of the few public occasions then occurring, "the depression of those miserable tiinea" In June, 1818, an answer was at last received from the Court of Rome, and read at a meeting of the Catholic Board, on Saturday, the 6th of that month.

It commenced with stating, that the reason an earlier answer had not been made, was twofold; first, that the sentiments of the Court of Rome had been made known to the bishops of Ireland, who were considered the more proper channel for the communication; and, second, that however sincere the assurances of respect, &c., on the part of the lay Catholics, there were some phrases used by them, with regard to the extent of the papal authority, which did not give satisfaction.

It went on to state that the intended concession to the British government was proposed in what appeared the interest of the Catholic religion in these countries, as emancipation, if thereby purchased, would give relief to the suffering Catholic body, remove temptations to apostacy, and also impediments to conversion from the dissenting sects.

But that the arrangement was entirely meant to be conditional, and only conditional upon the previous passing of the Emancipation Act

It concluded with a justification of the proceedings against the Rev. Richard Hayes. That reverend gentleman, before the document was read, protested that, while yet ignorant of its contents, he did, in any point in which it might blame him, express his entire submission and contrition, and would supplicate pardon from his Holiness.

A committee, consisting of Messrs. O'Connell, Lanigan, Mac Donnell, Scully, Howley and Woulfe, were appointed to consider what steps should be taken in this matter.

A public dinner, given upon a very handsome scale, to Thomas Moore (and of which Mr. O'Connell was the chief promoter), on the 8th of June, afforded an opportunity for the following renewed expression of truly liberal and truly Irish feelings.

The chairman (Earl of Charlemont), after the leading toasts had been given, proposed→→ "The managing Committee, and many thanks to them for their exertions." There was a general cry for Mr. O'Connell.

He came forward with some reluctance, and declared that he had no affectation at all upon the subject, but could not recognise any claim he had to any peculiar notice on such an occasion as the present.

When gentlemen met to express the national sentiment towards the most delightful of the bards of Old Erin, it was quite refreshing, he said, to see the cordial alacrity with which men of every party combined in that testimony to his talents and his worth. The Irish legend celebrated the fame of the Saint of Ireland, at whose command every venomous reptile quitted the land, but it would remain for history to celebrate the more glorious and useful triumph of the Poet of Ireland, at whose presence all that was rancorous and malignant in the angry passions of absurd partizanship, ceased, and violent and virulent disputation became converted into a scene of peace, harmony, and affection.

It was a pleasing, a delicious change, and might be perpetual, If Irishmen of all parties would recollect that there were generous, kindly, brave, and good men of every party; and that, however, in the zeal of contention, those good qualities might be denied, yet they did, in fact, live and reside, as in a chosen