hat country have proved. This measure is, in the first
place, too disingenuous not to be condemned by honest men; for the
Government acting on this policy would degrade itself by offering bribes
to men of a sacred calling to act contrary to their sense of duty. If
they be sincere, as priests and truly spiritual-minded, they will find
it impossible to accept of a stipend, known to be granted with such
expectation. If they be worldlings and false of heart, they will
practise double-dealing, and seem to support the Government while they
are actually undermining it; for they know that if they be suspected of
sacrificing the interests of the Church they will lose all authority
over their flocks. Power and consideration are more valued than money.
The priests will not be induced to risk their sway over the people for
any sums that our Government would venture to afford them out of the
exhausted revenues of the empire. Surely they would prefer to such a
scanty hire the hope of carving for themselves from the property of the
Protestant Church of their country, or even the gratification of
stripping usurpation--for such they deem it--of its gains, though there
may be no hope to win what others are deprived of. Many English
favourers of this scheme are reconciled to what they call a modification
of the Irish Protestant Establishment in an application of a portion of
the revenues to the support of the Romish Church. This they deem
reasonable; shortly it will be openly aimed at, and they will rejoice
should they accomplish their purpose. But your Lordship will agree with
me that, if that happen, it would be one of the most calamitous events
that ignorance has in our time given birth to. After all, could the
secular clergy be paid out of this spoliation, or in any other way? The
Regulars would rise in consequence of their degradation; and where would
be the influence that could keep them from mischief? They would swarm
over the country to prey upon the people still more than they now do. In
all the reasonings of the friends to this bribing scheme, the
distinctive character of the Papal Church is overlooked.

But they who expect that tranquillity will be a permanent consequence of
the Relief Bill dwell much upon the mighty difference in opinion and
feeling between the upper and lower ranks of the Romish communion. They
affirm that many keep within the pale of the Church as a point of
honour; that others have notions greatly relaxed, a