formed gratuitously, such is their fear of the disgrace which would fall upon them, that I know no instance of their availing themselves of the privilege.

I have heard it argued, that the Catholics cannot be said to be obliged to support two bodies of clergy; their paying their own clergy is perfectly voluntary. We omit then altogether the force of moral obligation. No man likes to pay away his money; nor is the Catholic at all more disposed to pay his clergy than we are. On the contrary, he feels it to be an extreme hardship; but he dare not refuse. Both duties are rigorously enforced: if Government can hold out the threat of imprisonment, the Church puts before him what is even more formidable-the prospect of disgrace and ruin. This is not, perhaps, a legal distress, but it is no less efficient; and if it came to a question between the temporal and the spiritual authorities, I would place most dependance on the latter.

The extensive influence which the Catholic clergy possess, is shown every day in the most striking instances. Whoever has travelled on the Continent, cannot have failed to remark, that whatever is the condition of the people, the clergy are well provided for-the best fed,

secret at the miracles of the saint, and the efficacy of masses: in public, he conforms with orthodox gravity, and cheerfully submits to pay the trifling fees, which his rank in life prevents him from feeling. But there are some placed in very different circumstances, on whom the exactions of the clergy fall severely. In almost all Catholic countries the lower orders* complain of the fees required by their priests: nor is this grievance felt less in Ireland than elsewhere. In many cases, the peasantry have murmured at their rapacity, and have been with difficulty prevailed upon to give up the pittance which they had earned to satisfy some exorbitant demand: still the priest persists, and a great part of his emolument is derived from this source. It would seem that he is not afraid of driving any one out of the Church by his exactions: he may carry this too far; and we certainly hope, that this may in time irritate the minds of his followers. In the mean time, the cases of resistance on the part of the peasantry are few: and though the Protestant church stands within a few paces, where the ceremonies would be per

*In France the "Courier" has dwelt very much upon this subject, and collected, from time to time, instances of the rapacity and gross oppression of the Priesthood.

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more formidatie the proeet of ruin. This is not pertube, a en lites, but it is no less efficient: mi fi ane 2) 1 miestion between the temporai and the mintual authorities, I would place most dependance on the latter.

The extensive influence rich the Castelle clergy possess, is shown every day in the most striking instances. Wacere has traveled on the Continent, cannot have filed to rechar that whatever is the condition of the people. the clergy are well provided for the best ol

the best clothed, and occupying the best house. However filthy and ruinous the village, the church is in good repair; and among the hovels and beggary of the Italian towns, we meet with splendid domes and decorated altars. Look at home; if we want a church built, no one will come forward; we have enough to do in our own affairs: a Parliamentary grant is necessary. Turn to Ireland; we find chapels in abundance among a population of paupers; and from the subscriptions of the wretched refugees who flock to Glasgow and Edinburgh, we see handsome Gothic buildings start up at an expense of many thousands. Is it found that men give more readily when they are in want? Make the experiment, and try to build a church from the subscription of our English paupers; follow up your attempt by a royal mandate and exhortations from the pulpit: you would not get enough to lay the foundation. Is the Irish peasant, then, the only creature in the world who disregards his own interest?

Take another instance :-suppose, in the ferment of a contested election, that some one were to meet our English yeomen as they were going up to poll for their landlord, and desire them to give their votes for his opponent. Is it likely that they would obey, and how would they re

1

ceive the advice; would they submit to it more readily, if it was given by the clergyman of the parish, who had nothing to enforce it with but a lecture upon morals? They would hoot him from the hustings. How then did it happen, that no insult was offered to the Catholic priest, when he came forward under similar circumstances at the late elections in Ireland, and succeeded in inducing many to vote against their patron: and that at the contest at Preston, one of unexampled violence, in all the excitement of popular feeling, the priest had, notwithstanding, sufficient influence to deter his flock from giving their votes on the score of religious scruples. Has religious feeling, then, such influence with other men? Tell the immaculate electors of our boroughs, that it is monstrous to sell their votes, and violate their oaths? Would they listen to such considerations! or is it not found that views of personal interest far outweigh the claims of the plainest and most solemn obligation? Is the Catholic, then different from the rest of mankind? is his mind differently constituted? are his principles of action different? Certainly not: men are the same every where; but though a sense of duty will do little, superstitious fears, backed by public opinion, possess. irresistible force.