rzies, and under all such circumftances, Priefis are obliged to respect and obey Bhops, and confequently that your conduct ia refufing obedience to the mandates of the Provincial Prelates cannot be justified on any ground. Certainly no cafe can occur in which Priests are difpenfed from the obligation of refpecting the Epifcopal character; even in men, in whom the foibles and weakness of human nature are promi. sently visible--but Bishops have no right to claim obedience from Priefts who are not their fobjects, and over whom they have no authority or jurifdiction. They are not the Prapofiti of fuch Prieft-they are not placed over them by the Holy Ghost, to direct and govern them. As then the Clergy of your Diocese are, in no refpect; fubject to the Provincial Prelates, the latter have so right whatever, to exercife jurisdiction over them, or to exact from them obedi. ence to their ordinances. Such is the answer, very Rev. Sirs, 1 have haftily made to your letter, under a preffure of other business, and fubjected, while writing it, to frequent interruptions. I have now only to add, my earnest and ardest wishes for the speedy return of peace and good order to your Dioceft, and to asfure you, that I am, with due regard and efteen, very Reverend Sirs, your obedient humble Servant, RICHARD O'REILLY, Drogheda, 31st Dec. 1809. R. C. Primate of all Ireland, Copy of a Letter to the Right Rev. Prelates of the Province of TUAM. Most Honoured Lords, We, the undersigned Prelates, 'assembled in this city, having duly confidered the printed circular letter and its enclosures, Lately tranfm tted to fome of us, by your Lidship, and alio other printed papers, on the fime fubject, beg leave to express the deep regret we feel, at the occurrences which occafioned thein. We allude, pati cularly to the conduct of Rev. Dean Egan, and the proceedings of your Lordships, re. lative to the appointment of a Vicar Capi tolar, for the Archdiocess of Tuam, which have given tife to unprecedented Schifm Lad divifion in that Ecclefiaftical Province. la the prefent lamentable difficulty of communicating with our afflicted Holy Fa ther, it became neceflary that, fome of our fuperior Prelates fhould explain the facied Canons, concerning the election and ap. pointment of a Vicar Capitular, on account of the misinterpretation or misconception of them, which had unfortunately taken place in the Archdiocels of Tuam, on the demife of the late Archbishop Dillon. This was done, not only by the Most Reverend Doctor O'Reilly, Archbishop of Armagh, but likewife by his Confreres of Dublin and Cafhel, who have declared, as We now hereby declare: I That the non-appearance of Dean Egan, from whatever caufe, at the election of a Vicar Capitular, or his proteftation against, whether previous or fubsequent to it, did not, nor could not deprive the Chapter of Tuam, of the right of election, nor invalidate the election of the Rev. Do&tos O'Kelly. 2. That the election of Doctor O'Kelly having been made in conformity with what is prefcribed by the facred Canous no devolution to the fenior Suffragan or any other Prelate could take place. 3. That the fubfequent nomination of Dean Egan, as Vicar Capitular, by the Right Rev. Doctor Bellew, fenior Suffragan of the Province, was evidently uncanonical and invalid. 4. That the meeting or affemblies of the Provincial Prelates, at Moylough and Galway, on the fubject of Doctor O'Kelly 'a election, were devoid of the effential conditions required by the facred Canons, to conftitute a Provincial Synod. 5. That even were thefe affemblies to be confidered as Synodical, their acts should be approved and confirmed by the Holy See, to give them authority and render them obliga tory and binding. 6. That the denunciation of Cenfores and other proceedings of Right Rev. Doctor Bellew, the Provincial Prelates, and Dean Egan, against Rev. Doctor O'Kelly, are uncanonical, null and void, defectu poteftatis. 7. That Rev. Doctor O'Kelly, to far from being fufpended or irregular, by ex ercifing the office, and complying with the duties of Vicar Capituler, is obliged, in cone fcience, to maintain the rights of the Clap ter and his own, fo clearly prefcribed by the facred Canons. Finally, That the most Rev. Doctor O'Reilly, in explaining the facred Canons, and stating the manifft violation of them, by the Right Rev. Door Bellew, his Right Rev. Comprovincial Prelates, and Dean Egan, did not ufurp ecclefiaftical authority or jurisdiction, in the Archdioocs or Province of Tam. Wherefore, most honoured Lurds, we molt eatneilly beteech, yon in the name of COD, and on the part of the Church, to retract your proceedings again the Rev. Oliver CELEBRATION OF THE QUEEN'S BIRTH DAY. On Thursday 22nd of February, this anniveriary was celebrated in the vice regal court, Dublin Castle, but with a dulnefs, never before known in the history of our English connexion. Every fucceeding day reminds us, with painful recolletion of the deferted condition of this declining city. The croused affemblies of Nobility and Gentry, that could patronize domeftje induftry are ao more, they are fucceeded by the agents of military vigilance, clerical avid te, and magifterial pompofity. Dimi. nutive mimics of proud authority. So care. lefs have the people become, that even the populace, fo remarkable for a paffionate curiofity, fhrunk from the filent fhow, where once amufements gratified fmall minds, by the variety and fplendour of the voluptu ous great. The foldiers, as in other days were numerous, to prevent any interruption, from the preffure of the crouds, but, this precaution was unneceffary, they were fo little embarraffed in the exercife of their duty, that feveral of them fell asleep on their muskets. Not even a child outside of the Cafle felt any attraction, but feemed to have forgot both the place and the night, public [pirit had fome influence on this apparent indifference, few even among the meanest, could feel any gratification, on infpecting the kind of quality quartered amongst us by the measure of Union. Major Sirr, Alderman Stamer and their ladies were very confpicuous; Mr. Giffard and Alderman Alexander, and all the gentlemen of the late and exifting police, were very prominent attendan's. The military estab lifhment indeed furnished many of its members, and a confiderable number of dirty hackney coaches, vomited a dark cloud of the numerous loungers unally feen in the hall of the Four Courts. The man of the bar, the difciplinarian, the thief taker, the tithe proctor, and the tax gatherer, are fkillfully mixed in frith Society, but the rich who could inftruct and patronize, have rejected us, they have departed to enliven other scenes, and have committed us to the care of the reprefentatives of their vices, the agents of Death, perfecution and despair. OBITUARY. On the 15th Feb the Rev. Charles Doran P. P of Monaftereven upwards of 35 years. He was a mon of unaffected and amiable manners, poffeffing truly chrifiian principles, highly respected and loved by Parishioners of all religious perfuafions. On the 17th ult. at Ardglafs Cafle, the Right Hon. Lord Lacale, brother to the Lite Duke of Leinster This peer, we regret to lay for the honor of our country, and the character of the family, he was fo clofely allied to, was Grand Master of the Orauge Lodges of the co. Amagh. A man who could reconcile his mind to be the public organ and oflentible head of a murdering and cowardly banditii, must be compofed of the filthiest materials, and from his beaftly man ners, we are juftified in our oblervations. He was a fave to the lowest vices, and purfued a life of beaftly gratifications uninter rupted, as his reafon and reflection, were bathed and funk in a protule and conftant ufe of fpirituous liquors, eternal ebriety and coarfe pleatures, were the enjoyments of this nobleman, and to the laft moments of his life, they were perfifted in, while tafte or ftrength, were partners in his wretched exillence. He died unknown to himseli, for he died drunk, and if his foul mec's any delay in its tranfit, he is yet à firanger to its departure. IRISH MAGAZIN E, OR Monthly Asylum FOR NEGLECTED BIOGRAPHY. FOR APRIL, 1810. CLAUDIUS versus HORISH. THIS Caufe was tried before a special jury of loyal men, in the year 1799, in the whipping court-houfe, Marlborough green. Like Orr's jury, part of the company were intoxicated with cheap wines, whiskey, and zeal; but inverting the ufual courfe of justice, as in fuch cafes, where power pleaded in arms, the punishment preceded the trial. The culprit, after agonizing by the pain of two hundred and fifty lashes, inflicted under the infpection of the plaintiff, by the hand of a large black drummer, perfilted in an avowal of innocence, and an obftinate refiftance to the advice of the operators and infpectors, unceafing in their importunities and threats, to compel him to name fome innocent perfon as an affociate in crimes never committed. Such obfti macy called forth the ingenuity of Claudius, who took the cats from the hand of the African, and after cut ting the waistband of Horifh's breeches, plied him on the pofteriors and loins with fuch dexterity, that the higheft expectations were formed his APRIL, 1810. honefty would fubmit to his conftitution. This fpeculation failed, as the ftrength of the new hands became fo intolerable, from their weight and rapidity, that the poor fweep fell into a fwoon. As nature had, after fuch fevere operations, thus funk under torture, the court proceeded to trial; and, after a long and deep inquiry, they unanimously convicted the SWEEP of afpiring to the rank and distinction of Earl of Charlemont, of contemplating the measure by force of pikes and gunpowder, of taking into his poffeffion the faid Earl's feat of Marino, the manfion houfe in Palacerow, and fuch other eftates and chattles, the properties of the faid Earl, as by law and patent acknowledged and honored. After the punishment and trial thus had been obtained, Claudius and his black partner washed their hands of Horifh's blood; and brushing the fragments of flesh from their uniforms, the executioners and judges retired to dinner, where they regaled themselves after the arduous labours of the day. |