e English press magnified the advice into a command, and exulted over
the failure of the Repeal movement whose extinction they augured from
the withdrawal of the Catholic priesthood.

Mr. O'Connell, alarmed at the import of a command so fatal, pronounced
the rescript "uncanonical." This led to greater dissensions and bitterer
recriminations. The prelates who condemned the Bequest Act, denounced
those who accepted the task of administering it. One of the body thus
writes:--

"The resolution [referring to one passed at a meeting of the
prelates, which was pronounced by the ministerial press a vote
of unanimous approval of the bishops' acceptance of the office
of Commissioners] did not meet the approval of all the Bishops,
neither could it convey to any one of the Episcopal
Commissioners the most distant notion that in accepting the
office he did not oppose the views and wishes of many of his
Episcopal brethren. When the resolution was moved, there were
six of the protesting Bishops absent, and a moment was not
allowed to pass after it was seconded, when it was denounced in
the strongest manner by two of the Bishops present. They
solemnly declared before the assembled prelates that, in the
event of any prelate accepting the odious office, they would
never willingly hold any communication with him in his capacity
as Commissioner."[4]

But, while disunion reigned at the council board of the Catholic
Hierarchy, the Government plied their task of seducing, dividing and
misrepresenting bishops, priests, people and nation. Out of all the
elements of disunion, distraction and disaster over which they in turn
gloated, the British newspapers, with wonderful accord, predicted and
boasted of the complete overthrow of the Repeal Party. It was amidst
these circumstances of gloom and evil augury the year 1844, a year
within which range the most startling, extraordinary and trying events
of Ireland's recent history, came to a close.

Before I conclude this chapter, I must revert to a fact which, although
unimportant in relation to the view of the question under consideration,
deserves to be remembered in connection with future events. The date I
cannot fix, as it was confined to the private circle of the Association
Committee, and no record of it remains. Immediately after the close of
the State trials, as well as I can remember, Mr. O'Connell proposed the
dissolution of th