1814]

Remarks on Catholic Emancipation.

mercy, of a few lay persons, to decide
in a tribunal more secret and arbitrary
in its forms than the Star-cliamber or In
quisition, upon their loyalty and peace-
able conduct, without any fixed prin-
ciples, and much less without those of
the law; and without legal redress or ap-
peal from a decision that may deprive
them of their character, and, eventually,
of their country.
It would be an act of
schism against the Catholic religion, for
any member of it, by word or act, to
concur in that clause which declares that
persons in holy orders appointed accord-
ing to the usage of the Roman Catholic
church, to exercise episcopal duties,
shall not be capable of exercising such
duties, in whose favour the major part
of the commissioners shall have refused
to certify their loyalty and peaceable
conduct. Of course no Catholic, and
still more no Catholic bishop, can, con-
sistently with his religion, accept of, or
act under, the commission in question."
"We cannot," say the Irish prelates,
"dissemble our dismay and consterna-
tion at the consequences which such re-
gulations, if enforced, must necessarily
produce.'

9

And what solid or even plausible reasons can be assigned, why regulations, thus novel and alarming, should be enforced? The English Catholics, in petitioning the House of Lords, A.D. 1810, complain, "that every Roman Catholic subject is forced below his fair level in Society; and the general body is a mark ed and isolated class. Yet none of the principles," say they, "by which they are distinguished, affect their moral, civil, or political, integrity." The Catholics of Ireland, in their petition to the House of Commons, of the same date, in striking and emphatic language, lemnly press upon the attention of the House, the imminent public dangers which necessarily result from so inverted an order of things, and so vicious and unnatural a system of legislation; a system which has long been the reproach of this nation, and is unparalleled in modern Christendom."

SO

If then this be the grievance, what less can constitute the radical cure of so vast a mischief, than the restoration of the Catholics to the full and free enjoy ment of their just and equal rights as men, subjects, and citizens? Enable them to resume their proper rank in society, and let the security demanded of

*V.de Memorial of Dr. Milner.

127 them be their attachment and affection. Force has been tried for centuries; let history tell, for hers is the mournful privilege to tell, with what success.

Unfortunately, among the most distinguished and eloquent advocates of the Catholic cause, there are those who deem it necessary to require other and more satisfactory securities. "Among those measures," says Lord Grenville, in his Letter to the Earl of Fingal, i. e. the precautionary measures which had been under the contemplation of government during Mr. Pitt's administration, " I pointed out the proposal of vesting in the crown, an effectual negative on the appointment of your bishops; the suggestion had been previously brought forward in the House of Commons, to meet the just expectations, not of any bigotted or interested champions of intolerance, but men of the purest intentions and most enlightened judgment: men willing to do all justice to the loyalty of your present bishops, yet not unreasonably alarmed at any possibility by which functions of such extensive influence might hereafter be connected with a foreign interest, hostile to the tranquillity of the country. It had formed a part of the original conception of those measures, as consequent upon the union. It was now again brought forward with the concurrence of the two individuals, from whose opinions those generally prevalent among your body might best be inferred; of the agent of the very persons to whose office it related, and of your lordship, to whom, in addition to every other claim to respect and confidence, the exclusive charge of the petition had recently been com

mitted."

But at a meeting of the Roman Catholic prelates assembled in Dublin, February 24, 1810, these venerable heads of the Catholic communion in Ireland say, in relation to the established oath of allegiance, "We know of no stronger pledge that we can possibly give-having disclaimed all right in the Pope, or any foreign prelate, to interfere in the tem poral concerns of the kingdom, an adherence to the practice observed in the appointment of the Irish Roman Catholic bishops, cannot tend to produce an undue or mischievous exercise of any foreign influence whatsoever."

And the general committee of the Catholics of Ireland, March the 2d of the same year, resolved, "That as Irishmen and Catholics, they never can consent to any dominion or control whatsoever $ 2

over

OUR grammatical correspondent, (vol. xxxvi. p. 219) pretends that there is a false concord in Pope's lines

O thou my voice inspire, Who touch'd Isaiah's hallow'd lips with fire. In this he is mistaken; for, throughout the Gothic dialects, the relative pronoun is of the third person, of whatever person the antecedent may be. It is a Latinism, or a Gallicism, to give a versatile personality to who, and to write who am, or who art: the true old English way, the anglicism, is to write 1 who is, thou who did.

Lowth, and the clerical writers in general, have always endeavoured to subject our language to the laws of Latin grammar, which they had studied, and not to the laws of Gothic grammar, of which they were ignorant; and hence many of the inconsistent anomalies, which modern pedants admire as beauties. Future grammarians would do well to study the comparative anatomy of the Gothic tongues, and to recall our language toward the native idioms of our forefathers. 3

1814.] Suggested Improvements in the Trade of Plymouth.

as much determined intrepidity as is to be found recorded in the naval annals of any country.

It should be observed that from the last returns to the Admiralty-office, at Portsmouth, it appears the Alphea then mustered as follows: viz. one lieutenant, a master, ten petty officers, twelve able seamen, six ordinary ditto, three landsmen, a corporal and six private marines, and one boy of the third class. Her regular complement was only thirty-six, including officers and men; and it is believed that the supernumeraries had been afterwards discharged.

v. Moniteur, Sept. 21.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE NAVY.

Report of the Cruise of the Renard Priva-
teer Cutter, of fourteen Guns and fifty
Men,to the Maritime Prefect of Cherbourgh.
'On the 9th, at 3 o'clock, we descried a
sail to leeward, on the starboard tack.
I gave chase, and at five o'clock dis-
covered her to be a man of war schoon-
er. She came up with me at one
o'clock. I made preparation for battle,
and stationed every man at his post.
The enemy's schooner began the action
by firing her chace-guns. The enemy
luffed up to the wind, and I gave him
my larboard broadside."

Captain Le Roux then proceeds to describe the particulars of a desperate close action, of above two hours continuance; and concludes thus

The

"At 3 o'clock,our two remaining officers cheered the courage of the small number of men that remained, and continued the engagement; when two guns, which were fired at once from our deck, appeared to throw the enemy into disorder: and, just as the commanding officer was in the act of crying out They have struck, cease firing; the schooner blew up with. in pistol-shot to leeward. We were our selves at the same instant covered with Aames, and pieces of wreck on fire, which fell all over our decks. commanding officer caused water to be thrown over the whole, and gave orders for manning the boats in order to save those of the enemy's crew who might have escaped the explosion: but our launch was shattered to pieces, and the jolly-boat in tow was sunk. Three or four were discovered swimming on the wrecks; but all that could be done was to desire them to come alongside of us, the calm preventing us from manoeuvring; but none of them were able to come near us. They cried out they could see nothing-it was then half-past three."

129

Deposition of one of the Officers of the
Renard, taken prisoner in another French
Privateer, and brought into Plymouth
about Christmas, 1813.

66

Septem. 1813. On the 9th, at three in the afternoon, the Renard descried a schooner, to which she gave chace. At four, having discovered her to be a man of war, the privateer made off. At midnight the schooner commenced firing her chace guns: at one the engagement began, till half-past three, when the schooner blew up, from the grenades which were thrown on board. Some minutes after the explosion, three men were perceived on the wrecks, who were not saved for want of boats. They were called to, to come alongside, but they answered they were unable, having their sight scorched. A short time afterwards they sunk."

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

I is, in time of war, not only au important naval station, from its possessing a harbour and arsenal inferior to none in the British isles, but it is also the greatest emporium for prize ships and goods; of which, during the present war, many millions sterling in value have been sold here. Hence a forced prosperity-a rapidly augmented population-and an active spirit of speculation, in a short time effect a complete change in the condition of the inhabitants, and the aspect of their affairs.

T is pretty well known that Plymouth

To compensate, in some degree, for the demoralising influence of lax and predatory habits, necessarily produced by such a state of things, it may fairly be asserted, that no town in the kingdom, in proportion to its wealth and population, exhibits such an example of profuse liberality, in the establishment and support of charitable and other useful institutions; nor of so many persons in the middling ranks of life, who devote their time and industry to the regulation of those public concerns.

But to proceed more directly to the object of this communication.-Some spirited individuals, anticipating the return of peace, as the period of the ces sation of their activity, unless new channels were opened for its continuance, lately directed their attention to the best means to be adopted for converting the facilities afforded by the recent improvements in different parts of the

port

port of Plymouth, to the permanent extension of its trade and commerce. Public meetings of the inhabitants have been, in consequence, convened by the mayor, and a committee of merchants have been sitting in order to collect information on the subject. The report of this committee, whose labours were guided throughout by the active and auspicious assistance of Lord BORINGDON, were soon made public. The report notices how highly Plymouth is favoured with respect to its situation: possessing fine barbours, capable of containing ships of the greatest magnitude-surrounded, for the most part, by a fertile country--enjoying a mild climateabounding mines and quarries skirted by the sea, and intersected by navigable rivers, both yielding inexhaustible stores of fish.

Ir then proceeds to notice the national undertaking of the breakwater, forming in Plymouth Sound, by which a spacious harbour will be created for fleets of men of war, large convoys of merchant ships, transports, and other vessels. It adverts to the warehouses, wharfs, a floating dock, and other improvements made in Sutton Pool; the spacious warehouses erected, and docks constructed, for repairing merchant ships of the largest dimensions, in Catwater; a new communication opened by the floating bridge, between the town and southern parts of the county; a superb avenue completed from the metropolis, by an embankment across an estuary of the sea, avoiding hills and shortening distances.

In the town, a most convenient market place, a magnificent theatre, ball-room and hotel, baths of every description, a public library, a marine insurance compa ny, banking houses of the highest respec tability, and an exchange building, all claim the attention of capitalists, and invite prosperity and happiness to the in

habitants.

After enumerating the several articles of import and export, the report states the number of vessels belonging to Plymouth, in the present contracted state of its trade, viz.

In the Foreign Trade.

Vessels.

59

Tons.

8027

Men.

In the Coasting Trade.
8319

141

Fishing Smacks, &c.
/ 4554

105

531

472

293

It is justly observed, that while every article of necessity or consumption is brought from different coast ports to Ply. mouth, very little is taken in return, and

that consequently the difference must be paid for in cash, to the manifest loss of the merchants, and enhanced prices to the inhabitants; all of which might be obviated, by direct imports from the British colonies, and other places.

The warehouses at Plymouth (including bonded and prize) are stated to amount to 176 in number, affording actons of Commodation for 6 or 7000 goods.

That the existence of an arsenal in any port, is unfavourable to mercantile pursuits, is a sentiment generally adopted, but which the committee consider to be founded in error; and that the arsenal at Plymouth, on the contrary, affords an opportunity of establishing a commerce to a great extent. The vast imports for the dock-yard, victualling office, King's brewery, ordnance, military depôts, barracks, hospitals, and prisons, hold out to the merchants and traders the opportunity to contract for, import, and supply the commodities to government, which these departments respectively demand.

If it be said, on the other hand, that extensive mercantile establishments are unfavourable to the naval establishments of war, by the facilities given to seamen to desert, it may be answered, that such facilities are perpetually counteracted by the greater influx of seamen resorting to a port, by the increased number of its merchant ships. And unless war be coextensive with the duration of empires, can it with propriety be contended, that a state of peace is to consign to decay, a large and flourishing town and inhabi tants, placed in the immediate vicinity of harbours, which appear to be designed by nature to invite man to the pursuits of commercial industry, merely from the apprehension of possible dangers to war establishments?

The advantages are also pointed out, which Plymouth possesses as a depôt for colonial and foreign produce; which might, with prodigious advantage, be reexported to France, Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean; to all which places, as well as the colonies themselves, it is considerably nearer than either Loudon, Liverpool, or Bristol.

It is also suggested, that an extensive trade may be carried on from Plymouth, to the following places:-The East Indies-the West Indies-the BalticCanada-Nova Scotia-NewfoundlandSouth America-the MediterraneanMogador-North of Ireland-United States of America, and various parts of the continent of Europe.

In