, who now expressed
himself in favour of it, the bill passed.

During this session Lord Beaumont, a Roman Catholic peer, brought in
a bill for the abolition of a number of penal acts, for the most
part obsolete, though still retained in the Irish statute-book. The
lord-chancellor urged Lord Beaumont to abstain from pressing his bill,
as government were about to revise the whole of the penal laws; but
finding his lordship resolved to press the matter, he took the bill into
his own hands. The measure having been amended by the lord-chancellor,
was brought before the house of lords on the 30th of July. In explaining
the various enactments which it was intended to repeal, Lord Lynd-hurst
said that the first was a statute of Elizabeth's reign, directing a
particular form of prayer to be used, under a penalty of three months'
imprisonment for a first offence, six months for a second, and for life
for a third. The second act intended to be repealed punished the denial
of the sovereign's supremacy in ecclesiastical and religious matters:
first, with forfeiture of goods and chattels; second, with the
penalties of a premunire; and for a third offence, with the penalties
of high-treason. Another act made reconcilement to the see of Rome
high-treason; and imposed a fine of two hundred marks on every priest
performing, and one hundred marks on every person hearing the ceremony.
By another, a Jesuit remaining in England a certain number of days was
made liable to be prosecuted for high-treason; and persons residing
abroad for the purpose of being educated, who should not return within
six months after proclamation to that effect, were also rendered liable
to the penalties of high-treason. Other statutes imposed penalties on
any Roman Catholic who should be found more than three miles distant
from his abode; on parents who sent their children abroad to be
educated; and for not going to church. Another act declared any one
newly converted to the Roman Catholic faith, and his children, if
educated in that faith, incapable of holding any place of trust or
profit. A statute of William and Mary enacted that no Roman Catholic
should come within ten miles of the metropolis, and forbade them to have
any weapons of defence in their houses. By the same bill it was also
provided that if they possessed a horse worth more than five pounds, it
was liable to be forfeited and seized. The bill would also repeal the
act of the 31st George III., which a