or members thereof as such, or for or towards any purpose, object, or design of any such association or assembly, every person so paying or contributing, procuring or soliciting, shall forfeit and pay treble the amount of the sums or of the value of the things so by him contributed and paid, procured or solicited to be paid, against the true intent and meaning of this act, or the sum of ten pounds, at the election of his majesty's attorney-general for Ireland; which said sum so forfeited shall be payable to and recoverable by any person for that purpose to be named by the said attorney-general, upon information to be laid before any two justices acting for the cquuty, city, town, or place wherein such offence shall be committed. §7.

And the whole of the sums of money, or of the value of such other things, so paid and contributed, shall become the property of his majesty, and be deemed to be a debt due to his majesty from the persons receiving or otherwise having the same, to be recovered by information, to be filed in the name of the attorney general, in the same manner as other moneys had and received to the use of his majesty are recoverable by law. §:8.

And, for the better discovery of the amount of the moneys or other valuable things so paid and contributed, every person so receiving or otherwise having the same shall be obliged and compellable to answer, upon oath, any information filed in the name of the said attorney-general for discovery of the same, and shall not, by plea, demurrer, or otherwise, protect himself from giving answer thereto. § 9.

Form of Conviction.-Any conviction by justices of the peace for any offence or any penalty under this act shall be in the form following, or to the like effect, as the case may require:

at

to wit.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the

day of

in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
in the county of

day of

A. O. of

in the county of is. convicted before us, two of his majesty's justices of the peace for the county of for that he the said A. O. did not depart within one quarter of an hour after command had been given by us {if the convicting justices be not, the same, state by whom the command was given] for that purpose to an assembly or meeting of persons prohibited by a procla mation of the lord lieutenant or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, made on the and which proclamation we [to be altered as before, according to the fact] were ordered to enforce; for which offence the said A. O. is hereby adjudged by us, by force of the statute made in the tenth year of the reign of King GEORGE, the Fourth, to be committed to his majesty's gaol at to be there imprisoned for the term of three calendar months. [In case of a second conviction, say, for the term of one whole year, he the said A. O. having been previously convicted of another offence against the said statute.] Given, &c. [Or, for that he the said A. O. did pay and contribute, or did compel, or did procure, or did solicit one E. F. to pay or to contribute, the sum of (or property of the value of

in and for

if the case be so) to the association suppressed by an act made and passed in the tenth year of the reign of King GEORGE the Fourth (or, if the case be so, to an association prohibited or suppressed under and by virtue of an act made in the tenth year of the reign of King GEORGE the Fourth), against the force of the said act; wherefore we do adjudge that he the said A. O. hath forfcited the sum of

being treble the value of the sum so paid and contributed, or so compelled or procured or solicited by him to be paid or contributed, (or, if the case be so, the sum of ten pounds, being the sum elected by his majesty's attorney general,) and that he do pay the same to Given under our hands, &c.]

No conviction under this act shall be removable by certiorari or otherwise; and a copy of every conviction, and of the evidence under which the same proceeded, shall within one week after be returned to the lord lieutenant. § 11.

Every prosecution, action, and suit against any justice of the peace, constable, peace officer, or other person, for any thing done in pursuance of this act, shall be commenced within three calendar months after the fact committed, and not afterwards; and the venue shall be laid in the proper county where the fact was committed, and not elsewhere; and defendant may plead the general issue, and give this act and the special matter in evidence; and if plaintiff fail, the defendant shall have double costs. § 12.

This act may be altered or repealed in the present session, § 13. Commencement of Act.-This act shall commence from and after the expiration of ten days from the passing thereof, and not sooner; and so much thereof as relates to the Catholic Association shall be perpetual, and the residue shall continue in force for one year from the day of passing, and until the end of the then next session of parliament. § 14.

ROMAN CATHOLICS RELIEF.

CAP. 7.-An Act for the relief of his majesty's Roman Catholic subjects. [13th April, 1829.

Repeal of certain Oaths and Declarations.--Whereas by various acts certain restraints and disabilities are imposed on Roman Catholics, to which other subjects are not liable, and it is expedient that the same be from henceforth discontinued: and whereas certain oaths and declarations, commonly called The Declaration against Transubstantiation, and The Declaration against Transubstantiation, and the Invocation of Saints, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, as practised in the Church of Rome, are required to be made and subscribed as qualifications for sitting and voting in parliament, and for the enjoyment of certain offices, franchises, and civil rights; it is enacted, That from and after the commencement of this act all such parts of the said acts as require the said declarations, or either of them, to be made or subscribed by any of his majesty's subjects, as a qualification for sitting and voting in parliament, or for the exercise or enjoyment of any office, franchise, or civil right, be and the same are (save as hereinafter provided and excepted) hereby repealed. § 1.

Roman Catholics may sit in Parliament.-From and after the commencement of this act it shall be lawful for any person professing the Roman Catholic religion, being a peer, or who shall after the commencement of this act be returned as a member of the House of Commons, to sit and vote in either house of parliament

respectively, being in all other respects duly qualified to sit and vote therein, upon taking and subscribing the following oath, instead of the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration: --

OATH.

'1, A.B., do sincerely promise and swear, That I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King GEORGE the Fourth, and will defend him to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatever, which shall be made against his person, crown, or dignity; and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which may be formed against him or them. And I do faithfully promise to maintain, support, and defend, to the utmost of my power, the succession of the crown, which succession, by an act intituled An act for the further limitation of the crown, and better securing the rights and liberties of the subject, is and stands limited to the Princess SOPHIA Electress of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being Protestants; hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or alle, giance unto any other person claiming or pretending a right to the crown of this realm. And I do further declare, That it is not an article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and abjure the opinion, that princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, or any other authority of the see of Rome, may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or by any person whatsoever, And I do declare, That I do not believe that the Pope of Rome, or any other foreign prince, prelate, person, state, or potentate, hath or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm. I do swear, That I will defend to the utmost of my power the settlement of property within this realm, aş established by the laws. And I do hereby disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present Church Establishment as settled by law within this realm. And I do solemnly swear, That I never will exercise any privilege to which I am or may become entitled, to disturb or weaken the Protestant religion or Protestant government in the United Kingdom. And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, That I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever. So help me GoD.'

Wherever in the oath the name of his present majesty is expressed or referred to, the name of the sovereign for the time being by virtue of the act for the further limitation of the crown and better securing the rights and liberties of the subject, shall be substituted from time to time, with proper words of reference § 3.

Oath to be taken before sitting.-But no peer professing the Roman Catholic religion, and no Roman Catholic who shall be returned a member of the House of Commons after the commencement of this act, shall be capable of sitting or voting in either house of parliament, unless he shall first take and subscribe the oath herein before appointed, before the same persons, at the same times and places, and in the same manner as the oaths and the declaration now required by law are respectively directed to be taken, made, and subscribed; and any such person professing the Roman Catholic religion, who shall sit or vote in either house of parliament, without having first taken and subscribed, in manner aforesaid, the oath in this act appointed, shall be subject to the same penalties, forfeitures, and disabilities, and the offence of so sitting or voting shall be attended with the same consequences, as are by law provided in the case of persons sitting or voting without

Making, making, and subscribing the oaths and the declaration now required by law. § 4.

Roman Catholics may vote at Elections, &c.—It shall be lawful for Roman Catholics to vote at elections of members to serve in parliament for England and for Ireland, and also to vote at the elections of representative peers of Scotland and of Ireland, and to be elected such representative peers, being in all other respects duly qualified, upon taking and subscribing the oath hereinbefore appointed, instead of the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration, and instead of the declaration now by law required, and instead also of such other oaths as are now by law required to be taken by Roman Catholics, and upon taking also such other oaths as may now be lawfully tendered to any persons offering to vote at suck elections. §5.

And the oath hereinbefore appointed shall be administered to Roman Catholics, for the purpose of enabling them to vote in any of the cases aforesaid, in the same manner, at the same time, and by the same persons as the oaths for which it is substituted may be now by law administered; and in all cases in which a certificate of the taking, making, or subscribing of any of the oaths or of the declaration now required by law is directed to be given, a like certificate of the taking or subscribing of the oath hereby appointed shall be given by the same officer or other person, and in the same manner. § 6.

And in all cases where the persons now authorized to administer the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration, to persons voting at elections, are themselves required to take an oath previous to their administering such oaths, they shall, in addition to the oath now by them taken, take an oath for the duly administering the oath hereby appointed and set forth, and for the duly granting certificates of the same. $7.

Roman Catholics in Scotland. And so much of any acts as require the formula or declaration coutained in the 8 & 9 W.11. c. 3. of Scotland, to be taken and subscribed, shall be and gre hereby repealed, except as to such offices, places, and rights as are hereinafter excepted; and from and after the commencement of this act it shall be lawful for Roman Catholics to elect and be elected members to serve in parliament for Scotland, and to be enrolled as freeholders in any shire or stewartry of Scotland, and to be chosen commissioners or delegates for choosing burgesses to serve in parliament for any districts of burghs in Scotland, being in all other respects duly qualified, such persons taking and subscribing the oath hereinbefore appointed, instead of the oaths of allegiance and abjuration now required by law. § 8.

Roman Catholic Priests not to sit in the House of Commons. No person in holy orders in the church of Rome shall be capable of being elected a member of the House of Commons; and if any such person shall be elected, the election shall be void; and if any person shall, after his election, take or receive holy orders in the church of Rome, his seat shall immediately become void and

if any such person shall, in any of the cases aforesaid, presume to sit or vote as a member of the House of Commons, he shall be subject to the same penalties, forfeitures, and disabilities as are enacted by the 41 Geo. III. intituled An act to remove doubts respecting the eligibility of persons in holy orders to sit in the House of Commons. Proof of the celebration of any religious service by such person according to the rites of the church of Rome, shall be deemed primâ facie evidence of such person being in holy orders within the intent and meaning of this act. §9.

Roman Catholics may hold civil and military offices.-It shall be lawful for any of his majesty's Roman Catholic subjects to hold, exercise, and enjoy all civil and military offices and places of trust or profit under his majesty, his heirs or successors, and to exercise any other franchise or civil right (except as hereinafter excepted), upon taking and subscribing the oath herein before appointed, instead of the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration, and instead of such other oaths as may be now by law required to be taken by Roman Catholics. § 10.

But nothing herein contained shall be construed to exempt any Roman Catholic from the necessity of taking any oaths, or making any declaration, not herein before mentioned, which may be by law required to be taken or subscribed by any person on his admission into any such office or place of trust or profit. § 11.

Offices withheld from Roman Catholics.-Nothing herein shall extend to enable any Roman Catholic to hold or exercise the office of Guardians and Justices of the United Kingdom, or of Regent of the United Kingdom, under whatever title such office may be constituted; nor to enable any person, otherwise thau as he is now by law enabled, to hold or enjoy the office of Lord High Chancellor, Lord Keeper or Lord Commissioner of the Great Seal of Great Britain or Ireland; or the office of Lord Lieutenant or Lord Deputy, or other chief governor of Ireland; or his majesty's High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. § 12.

And nothing herein shall affect or alter any of the provisions of the 7 Geo. IV. c. 72. for consolidating the laws relating to church rates and parish cesses, &c. in Ireland. § 13.

Roman Catholics may be members of Lay Corporations.—It shall be lawful for any of his majesty's subjects professing the Roman Catholic religion to be a member of any lay body corporate, and to hold any civil office or place of trust or profit therein, and to do any corporate act, or vote in any corporate election or other proceeding, upon taking and subscribing the oath hereby appointed, instead of the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration; and upon taking also such other oaths as may now by law be required to be taken by any persons becoming members of such lay body corporate, or being admitted to hold any office or place of trust or profit within the same. § 14.

Restriction as to voting in Ecclesiastical Appointments.—But nothing herein shall authorize any Roman Catholic member of any