282 N EPITOME OF INTELLIGENCE. vil and religious liberty, which they profess to revere and advocate. In this sentiment we are somewhat con pired at a public dinner, which took place on the 18th inst. at D'Arcy's hotel, Dublin; the company at which, consisting of about one hundred persons, were chiefly catholics. The object of the dinner was to re [OTWITHSTANDING the confident | longing hope, of receiving the boon expectation, expressed by the at the hands of his majesty's minislearned and very profound secretary ters, at some early period, and of the catholics of Ireland, Mr. therefore they are all kindness and Nicholas Purcell O'Gorman, that in all submission to the wishes and dicsix weeks from the 1st of June, the tates of administration, and make long-desired emancipation would be themselves the base tools to hush accomplished-notwithstanding the every symptom of a rising spirit to self-congratulations of the English return to the genuine principles of catholic aristocracy at the half-com- the constitution, which may be mapletion of this coveted event, from nifested by catholics. We verily the circumstance of the peers of that believe these men, to gain the object body being summoned to appear at they seek for, would not scruple to the coronation of his present ma- join the orange party, who hate pojesty-notwithstanding the joy and pery from their hearts as well as exultation which these poor shallow-reform, to the manifest injury of ciminded things have indulged in for the last six months, our predictions have been verified, and they are again doomed to vexation and dis-firmed by a circumstance that transappointment. Just that day six weeks when Mr. O'Gorman uttered bis prophecy, The British Press London morning paper informed its readers, "that neither the petitions of the English nor the Irish catholics would be presented to parlia-munerate Mr. D'Arcy for the accomment during its present sitting.This determination has been come to (it says) by the members of each house, to whom the petitions have been respectively intrusted, in consequence of the agitation into which parliament and the country are thrown by the proceedings on the investigation of the charges against her majesty." And lord Nugent and Mr. Plunkett in the house of commons, as well as lord Donoughmore in the house of peers, have confirmed the announcement of that paper. Thus are the hopes of the boardmen again nipped in the bud, and they are destined to hug the chains they well deserve to wear for some time longer. Still, however, in the midst of their disappointment, they cling to the fond desire, to the modation he had afforded at the va rious catholic meetings which had been held at his house, and for which he refused to make any charge. The earl of Fingall was in the chair. At this feast, the health of the queen was studiously passed over, while that of the solicitor-general, Mr. Bushe, who for the last ten years has been an official instrument to put down the voice of the people; who was the powerful, zealous, and sophistical prosecutor of Dr. Sheridan and Mr. Kirwan, under the convention act; who has been the tool of every administration that had the good fortune of dividing and deluding the people of Ireland; while, we say, the health of this man was drank with applause. Such is the temporizing spirit which now pervades the leading men in Irish catholic politics-a spirit we are well convinced that will never raise them in the estimation of the great bulk of the people, nor hand their fame down to posterity in any very favourable light. CATHOLIC ORPHAN CHILDREN. ON Wednesday the 19th instant, the friends to an infant association for the support and education of poor catholic orphan children of both sexes, held their second anniversary dinner at Cannonbury-house, Islington; the right reverend Dr. Poynter in the chair, supported by several of his clergy and distinguished characters in the cause of charity. About five o'clock the company, consisting of about one hundred persons, sat down to an excellent dinner. As soon as the cloth was removed, and Non nobis Domine had been sung, the usual toasts of "The King," and "The Royal Family" were drunk with the customary tokens of respect. This The right reverend chairman then rose, and in emphatic terms called the attention of the company to the object of the charity which they had met to promote. He said, that they were called upon to furnish means for the support of a limited number of orphan children who, without their aid, must, in all probability, have fallen a prey to vice. charity, which redeemed them from that liability, was one which called for the support of all good christians of every denomination. His lordship then alluded to the pious and charitable offices of St. Vincent a Paulo, whose anniversary was on that day, and of St. Jerome Emilliau, whose festival was on the morrow, who, he said, had spent their lives in performing those acts of charity for which they were commemorated, and which presented an example he now rejoiced to see emu lated so widely in this empire. The right rev. chairman concluded by impressing upon the attention of the company the claims of the poor chil. dren supported by this institution. This address of his lordship was received with the warmest plaudits, which continued some time after he sat down. The children were then introduced, and being formed at the upper end of the room, the rev. Mr. Tanner, president of the institution, reiterated the sentiments of the venerable chairman, and was followed by Mr. Standfield, the secretary. After Mr. S. had concluded, one of the children expressed his gratitude to the company for himself and fellow orphans, in a very appropriate man ner. Mr. Charles Pearson then rose and said, that though not a Roman catholic, yet he could not let this opportunity pass of expressing his cordial concurrence in the object of this society. He said that in other institutions sums of money were expended in exterior ornament, but here the means were directly applied to the end, and the benefit was at once conferred upon the objects of their bounty. This address of Mr. Pearson, of which we have given but an outline, was frequently interrupted by the plaudits of the company, which were continued sometime after the gentleman had sat down. A collection was then made for the charity, which we are happy to say amounted to upwards of 701. On the health of "The Protestant Friends of the Institution". being given, Mr. Pearson again rose, and returned thanks to the meeting for the very cordial and warm reception which the toast had experienced. In the course of his speech he took occasion to call the attention of the company to the many and powerful claims which a certain illustrious orphan, as he styled her, had upon their sympathies as men, as christians, and as the protectors of orphan distress. He regretted, and was sur prised, he said, that the ordinary token of convivial respect had not been paid to her, who both at home and abroad had been most conspicuous in the support she had given to catholic charities, and who, in her present unexampled and unmerited afflictions, was become the national orphan of the whole British empire. Her royal parents were no more; her brother, fighting under British banners in the cause of England and of Europe, had, on the bloody plains of Waterloo, breathed forth that life which, had he survived, would now have stood has a barrier between his persecuted sister and her cowardly enemies. Her venerable protector, our late revered monarch George the third, had passed to a better life, and her royal daughter, the fond hope of the country, snatched away by the cruel hand of death, beholds from on high the bitter distresses of her beloved mother, from whose cheek she can no longer wipe the falling tear. Besides these general reasons, which recommend this illustrious orphan to the respect and condolence of men devoted to works of christian charity, there was another and more peculiar reason, why her name should not be passed by on an occasion and in a company like the present. He (Mr. Pearson) had been informed by the most respectable authority, who had commissioned him to state the fact, that on the Sunday before the last, a certain clergyman had so far forgotten the sanctity of his office, as to make the pulpit of religion, a vehicle of slander against the illustrious individual in question. Ile therefore hoped that he should not be considered as trespassing on the respect due to the right rev. chairman, by requesting him to do that, the propriety of which his lordship himself must feel, namely, to give from the chair the health of the orphan Caroline queen of England. This proposal was received by the most enthusiastic applauses, which continued for some minutes, when Dr. Poynter rose, and after paying a high compliment to the eloquence of the gentleman who had just addressed them, his lordship stated, that he fully coincided in every sentiment that had been expressed favourable to her majesty. He assured that worthy gentleman and the whole company that he wished her majesty every justice and happiness, that he entertained as high a respect for that royal individual as any person in the community, and that if any act of his could serve her, there was nothing that he would not most willingly perform, to place her in the full enjoyment of all her desires. He hoped, however, that the company would consider the peculiar delicacy of his official situation, and would give him cre dit when he assured them, that he could not give from the chair what might be considered a political topic, upon an occasion like this, when they had met solely to promote a specific object of charity. He trusted to the candour of the worthy gentleman, from the delicacy of his situation of vicar apostolic, to refrain from pressing the toast upon him. The consequences, be said, might be seriously injurious not only to him, as their Bishop, but to the catholic community of the district over which he prosided. The company not seeming inclined to impose on his lordship's peculiar scruples a task which he represented as incompatible with them, the matter dropped for the present; and, after some other toasts had been given, his lordship retired amidst the applause of the meeting, accom panied by a few of the clergy. The Rev. Mr. Morris was then called to the chair, for which honour he returned thanks, and observed, that he felt happy in having it in his power to comply with the wish which had been so unanimously and so warmly expressed by the company, with regard to a toast which had been lately discussed; that he and all present certainly must respect the official objections of the right rev. prelate; but as these objections were now removed, he (Mr. Morris) begged to propose, with three times three, "Her Majesty, Caroline, Queen of England." This proposition was received with the most enthusiastic plaudits, and the health of her majesty was drunk with rapturous acclamations, mingled with the jingling of glasses, clapping of hands, and other demonstrations of the feelings of the company towards the illustrious personage. The reverend chairman afterwards gave the health of "Mr. Charles Pearson, and the Common Council of London," which was received with the warmest tribute of respect and unbounded applause. After the plaudits had subsided, Mr. Pearson again rose, to express the honour which he felt in having his name coupled with the body corporate of the first commercial city in the universe, and the manner in which the toast had been received. He had ever, he said, been a friend to civil and religious liberty, for he hated the word toleration, because it implied an ascendency of one class of society over another; and he would take that opportunity to state, that he had given notice of a motion in the common council, and which he should certainly bring forward, that petitions should be presented to hismajesty, and to both houses of parliament, praying for the unrestricted emancipation of the catholics of this kingdom, and of all laws ORTHODOX JOUR. VOL. VIII. which may affect civil disabilities for conscience sake. This information was received with universal pleasure, and the worthy gentleman sat down amidst the loudest plaudits. After some other sentiments had been given the company retired, highly gratified with the hilarity of the day, and the benefits which the charity is likely to receive from the exertions of the benevolent and liberal promoters of it. In consequence of what fell from Mr. Pearson, and understanding that his allusion was directed to a celebrated catholic preacher in the metropolis, we considered it our duty to inquire into the subject; and we are happy in having it in our power to say, that, from the information we have received, this gentleman has been misinformed; as, we understand, the clergyman alluded to, so far from directing his animadversions against her majesty from the pulpit, is in the habit of praying for her, by name, when he offers up the sacrifice of the mass; which is also the case in some other towns in this country, where her majesty is publicly prayed for in the catholic chapels. As it is clear, from the foregoing details, that there exists a difference in the catholic body on the case of the illustrious personage, who now engrosses so much of the attention of the people, we think it our duty to make a few observations on this very important question, not with a view of discussing its merits, which we think would be premature in us and foreign from our establishment, but from a wish to prevent those catholics who take a lead in our affairs from involving the catholic name in acts of injustice and party-spirit. To come to a right understanding of the subject, it will be necessary to relate 2 P moval of those laws which prevent them from enjoying the civil privileges of the state, that certain obstacles to the prayer of their petitions were supposed to exist in the late king's breast, of a conscientious nature, which being now removed by his death, the leading nobility and aristocracy entertain the highest expectations that they shall obtain the object of their longing desires to sit in parliament, through the favour of his present majesty, who is said to entertain no such scruples, and the patronage of some of his principal ministers. Under these circumstances it is not much to be wondered at if these men should be ready to attach themselves to the ministers of the crown, and thus become a par ty against the queen; than which, we are of opinion, a greater act of injustice, or one more opposed to the principles of the catholic religiou, could not take place. To prevent, therefore, so fatal a stigma from being fixed on our body, we do hope that no such feeling will be manifested by the aristocracy, but that they will look to the law and not to the will of individuals, as a guide for their conduct. That her present majesty is as lawfully the queen of these a few circumstances connected with the question, from which posterity will be able to decide with more accuracy as well as the present generation. In the former reign it was the usual custom with the catholics equally with the members of the established church to pray for the king and queen by name, on all Sundays and holidays after mass aud benediction. On the succession of his present majesty, the name of his consort was ordered by his privy council to be omitted in the liturgy of the church of England, of which he is the head, in consequence, it is said, of some charges which had been laid against her majesty, of improper conduct during her residence abroad, when princess of Wales.-On hearing that her name was omitted in the liturgy, her majesty resolved on repairing to this country to vindicate her character and demand her rights as queen of England. To induce her majesty to relinquish this determination, a negociation was sent out by ministers with proposals to her, in which she is acknowledged to be queen by law but is requested to drop her title and reside on the continent, with an annual income of fifty thousand pounds, to be paid by the people of England. These conditions are refused with in-realms as any of her predecessors is dignation by her majesty, she comes over to assert her rights, every degree of respect due to her high station is refused by ministers, and a bill of pains and penalties is introduced into the house of peers to degrade her from the station of queen of these realms, and divorce her from her royal husband on a general charge of adultery and licentious conduct.-Such is the simple state of the case, without any adventitious colourings, as it regards the momentous question between the queen's majesty and the the cabinet ministers of the crown. It must here be added, that the catholics of this kingdom have for some years past been petitioning for a re not disputed even by her accusers; nay they have admitted that she caunot renounce her dignity or rights without the sanction of the law, though she may suspend or forego the exercise of them if she thinks fit. This she is determined not to do, but demands a participation in that throne which by the laws of the country is secured to her. Now, then, if catholics refuse to pray for her present majesty as they prayed for the late queen, if they refuse to give her health at public dinners in the same manner as they gave the health of the late queen; do they not become her accusers and persecutors, ́ instead of the unbiassed and impar |