editious assemblies, and commanding the magistrates,
if necessary, to disperse them by military force. Still the society of
United Irishmen resolved to persevere. It issued a counter proclamation,
exhorting the volunteer companies which had been formed in Dublin to
take up arms for the maintenance of public tranquillity against domestic
and foreign foes, and recommending the Protestants to unite cordially
with the Papists for the purpose of obtaining universal emancipation
and a representative legislature. This agitation led government, in the
session of 1792, to grant some new indulgences to the Papists, but these
by no means satisfied them. They still persevered in seeking a redress
of grievances, and in order to lay before government the sentiments of
the collective body of Catholics, a secret committee for managing the
political concerns of the Irish Catholics, which had long subsisted in
Dublin, fixed on the plan of a convention of delegates from the several
towns and counties, to be elected by persons deputed, two from each
parish. At the same time this committee thought proper to disavow
all dangerous tenets respecting the excommunication of princes, the
persecution of heretics, the violation of oaths, the infallibility of
the pope, &c, and to renounce all claims to forfeited estates, and all
designs of subverting the present establishment. The convention met
in December, 1792, and after various displays of eloquence, voted a
petition to the king, stating the grievances, patience, and long-tried
loyalty of his Catholic subjects, and dwelling particularly on the
deprivation of the elective franchise. This petition was presented by
deputation, and received graciously by his majesty, who, when the Irish
parliament met on the 10th of January, 1793, pressed on its attention
such measures as might be most likely to strengthen and cement a general
union of sentiment among all classes and descriptions of his Catholic
subjects, in support of the established constitution. In consequence of
this recommendation Mr. Secretary Hobart brought the bill of relief into
the house of commons; the chief enacting clause of which enabled the
Catholics to exercise and enjoy all civil and military offices, and
places of trust or profit under the crown, under certain restrictions.
This privilege was not to extend so far as to enable any Roman Catholic
to sit or vote in either house of parliament, or to fill the office
of lord-lieutenant or