allowed to the different classes of the Roman Catholic Clergy; and he alludes to the paper endorsed, "Sketch of an Establishment," &c. Here I beg leave to differ a little, as well from the letter as from the marginal observations in that sketch, which, I perceive, are by the late Primate. In classing the Roman Catholic Clergy for this purpose, I should specify only Bishops and Parish Priests, and in this I am supported by the opinion of one of their own Bishops."

Their Dignitaries, such as Deans, Vicars-General, and Prebends, are always selected from the Parochial Clergy, who continue in their parishes, notwithstanding their promotion, as appears by Dr. Troy's answers to the queries. I should wish to see this method persevered in, and the establishment for the parish of which every such dignitary continues possessed will be considered as sufficient for his maintenance. One great advantage that would result from this is that, having but two classes, that of Prelates and Parish Priests, to provide for, you may increase the salaries of the latter at probably a less expense to the Government than is supposed in this sketch, by throwing into their part of the fund the gross amount of the £100 to £150 proposed for each of those Dignitaries. They have, I think, twenty-six dioceses; the salaries for the Dean and Vicar for every diocese, at £150 each, would be £7,800, without taking in the Prebends, which class would require at least £1,500 more.

The allowance proposed by the sketch for the Archbishops and Bishops is ample. I can see no necessity for making any distinction between either the Archiepiscopal or the Episcopal Sees, but would wish to see the £500 given to each of the Archishops, and the three to each of the Bishops. The prospect of promotion to the Archbishopric will be a sufficient stimulus to the Suffragans to recommend themselves to the Government; and I do not think that less than £300 is a competent provision for their Bishops, while I think that more. would be superfluous.

The allowance proposed in the sketch for the Parish Priests is, to my apprehension, by no means sufficient. It can answer no one object which the measure has in view. It will neither content the Priest, nor make him independent of his parishioners, nor can the Government, in consideration of such a sum, preclude the Priests from exacting money, as they now do for their maintenance, which I take to be an essential regulation. I have taken much pains to obtain information on this subject, and I will beg leave to lay before your Lordship what I think would at once satisfy the Roman Catholic Clergy, and secure the object of Government.

Nothing can be more obvious than the policy of having a gradual scale of preferment, as proposed in the 8th Section of the sketch; I would, therefore, venture to recommend that the stipend should be annexed to the parish, and that it should not exceed £180, nor be less than £40 or £50 for each. In order to apportion these stipends to the different parishes, the Roman Catholic Bishop in every diocese must be previously consulted as to their present proportionate value, and to fix and class the gradation. I have already given my opinion on the expediency of leaving the presentation to the parishes, as it now is, in the Roman Catholic Bishops; they will be more within the inspection and under the control of the Government; it is so far from being dangerous, that it must be advantageous for Government to give them all possible weight and influence with their Clergy; and, having thus the power of promoting them to better benefices, their Clergy will of course labour the more strenuously to recommend themselves to them by their strict discipline, their moral conduct, and their loyalty. They should also have the power, as now, of depriving them, but under the special reservation that they should certify to the Government the causes of deprivation, and receive its consent before they can proceed to it. Government should also reserve to itself the power of withdrawing the stipend from any parish, against the possessor of which any suspicion of disloyalty and

disaffection or danger to the Establishment or the State should lie, unless his Bishop proceed immediately to the deprivation. I have already stated the qualifications which appear to me to be necessary to every such presentation, and the steps to be taken on institution.

From every information I have been able to collect, the most unexceptionable mode of nominating to the vacant Sees will be that, on the vacancy of every See, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the province and their Metropolitan shall give in to the Government the names of three Parochial Clergymen, whom they think fit for the succession, and for whose characters and loyalty they make themselves responsible; that out of those three the Government shall select one who shall be placed at the head of the list, to be recommended by the Metropolitan and the Bishops to the Pope, as the person most acceptable to the Government; and that, if the Pope refuses the formulary of collation, as Sir John Coxe Hippisley terms it, or canonical institution, as Dr. Troy calls it, to that person, the Government may withhold the stipend annexed to that particular diocese. This, I should think, would be an effectual security to the Government to have its choice approved, at the same time that it does not give a Protestant Prince any actual positive nomination to a Roman Catholic bishopric, which is what they affect to scruple, although, in reality, they are only struggling for the Pope's power. Should this not be deemed sufficient for the proper interference and control of the Government, the Pope might be further bound to give canonical institution to one of the three, under the penalty of a premunire against any other person whom he might institute, exercising any of the functions of a Roman Catholic Bishop within this kingdom.

The mode proposed in "the sketch" of "a nomination of three persons by the Chapters," I have heard strongly objected to by their Bishops, and upon very good grounds. It would open a door to all manner of factions and intrigues in those

Chapters, and renew amongst them all the abuses for which this privilege, which was once general, has been withdrawn, I believe, in all Churches.

On the vacancy of an archbishopric, the names of three Bishops should be given in to the Government by the three remaining Archbishops for supplying the vacancy, under the same regulations as in the case of the Bishops. I would rather see the whole measure thrown up at once than not secure to the Crown, in some way or other, an effectual influence and control in this appointment of Archbishops and Bishops. By them, and them only, can the Government manage the body of the Roman Catholic Clergy, and secure them to its interests; and, if the Government steadily insists on the point, it may be certain that the Roman Catholic Bishops will acquiesce. With respect to the deprivation of Archbishops and Bishops, I should recommend the same regulations as in the deprivation of Priests and Curates. The causes and the process should be certified to the Crown by the Court of Rome, that it may appear that it is merely for a spiritual offence, or an offence against discipline, and in no way connected with any question of State, or affecting the peace and tranquillity of the country. No Regular should, on any pretext, be recommended for a bishopric.

As their Deans and Prebends are merely nominal, according to Dr. Troy's report, and should have no stipends as such, I do not think that the Government should interfere in their appointment, any further than in the way that may be adopted for the appointment to parishes and curacies. The recommendation to Rome should be left, as now, to the several Bishops; but here I would wish to suggest, that no recommendation, or what may be termed official correspondence whatever, should be carried on between the Roman Catholic Clergy of Ireland and the Court of Rome, or any of the Apostolical Legates in other countries, but through the Secretary's Office. Nor would I suffer any more than one General Agent for the Roman

Catholic Bishops (approved by the Government), to reside at Rome. It appears, from Sir John Coxe Hippisley's letters, and I know it from other information, that each Bishop has now his own particular Agent there, most of them Regulars, and it would surprise your Lordship to know the sums of money that, poor as are the Romish Clergy of Ireland, are remitted yearly by them, on one pretext or other, to Rome.

The Vicar-Generalship being such as Dr. Troy describes it, the appointment should be left in the Bishop; but, with regard to the Vicar-Capitular, whom the Chapter of every diocese choose on a vacancy to administer the diocese until the See be filled, the approbation of the Government should be made necessary before he can enter on his office.

I have as yet said nothing of the Curates, nor do I find that any mode has been proposed for their support. Thirty pounds a-year will, in my opinion, be a sufficient provision for them, and I think it ought to be paid by Government in the same manner as the stipend of the parish ministers. In a measure of such importance, expence ought not to be the chief consideration, and the Roman Catholic Bishops should be restrained from appointing or licensing Curates, except where absolutely necessary, either from the age or the illness of the parish priest, or the extent or population of the parish. But, if the provision of £30 a-year to each Curate may be thought too great an addition to the establishment, I would suggest the expediency of allowing the Curates to be supported by Christmas and Easter offerings, made publicly at the altar in the parish in which they serve, and by certain fees, in the nature of surplice fees, to be fixed by the Bishops and registered on marriages, and christenings, and masses, which they get said for the dead; but I would guard, in the most effectual manner, against any Priest, whether Curate or parish Priest, taking money at the confessional, or for confessions and absolutions; and the parish Priest should be precluded from receiving any fee, oblation, or gratuity, from his parishioners.