Catholici

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS,

WITH

Extracts

FROM

STATE LETTERS,

AND FROM OTHER

AUTHENTIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION,

RELATIVE TO THE

RIGHTS CLAIMED BY ROMAN CATHOLICS TO
SEATS IN BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,
FREEDOM OF CORPORATIONS,

&c. &c. &c.

WITH AN

INTRODUCTORY PREFACE,

TENDING TO SHEW

HOW FAR THE CLAIMANTS ENJOYED THOSE PRIVILEGES FROM
THE PASSING OF THE ACT OF SUPREMACY IN THE REIGN
OF QUEEN ELIZABETH, DOWN TO THE ACCESSION

OF KING WILLIAM III.

BY EIRIONNACH.

DUBLIN:

Printed by Richard Grace, Mary-Street :
PUBLISHED BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS.

1828,

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Reader's attention is particularly called to the subjoined DOCUMENTS, of indubitable Authority:

No. 1.-Shews that Members of Parliament were not obiged to take the Oath of Supremacy before the time of King William III. DOCUMENTS, page 1.

2 and 3.-Shew the only Oath that was necessary to be taken by certain descriptions of Persons in Ireland to enable them to enjoy Rights, &c. p. p. 3 and 4.

4, 5, and 6.Shew that Charles T. and Charles II. entered into the most Solemn Treaties with the Irish Roman Catholics to secure, to them the Right of Sitting and Voting in Parliament, p. p. 5, 13, and 30.

&

7. Shews the first attempt ever made to exclude the Roman Catholic Members from the House of Commons, by the Puritan Party in that House, in 1642, page 31.

8.-Shews King Charles II.'s recognition of the validity of the Treaties of 1646 and 1648, made between the Duke of Ormond and the Irish Catholics, page 53.

9. Shews the Peers who voted for the Act of Settlement, p. 56. 10, 11 and 12.--Shew that Catholic Peers constantly sat in the

Irish House of Lords in the Parliaments of Charles II.; the distinction made in the Rules of the House, respecting hours of attendance of Protestant and Catholic Peers, p. p. 57, 60 and 61.

13. Shews the Right, and the exercise of the Right, of Roman Catholics to Sit in the House of Commons in the Reign of Charles II. page 61.

14 and 15.-Shew the Right of Catholics to sit in Parliament, and to their Freedom and Votes in Corporations at the latter end of the Reign of Charles II. p. p, 64 and 66.

16. The Treaty of Limerick, page 68.

17. Shews the Proceedings in the Parliament in 1695, to exclude Catholics from their Seats in Parliament, page 79. 18.-Shews the proceedings in the Parliament in 1697, on passing the Bill for the Confirmation of the Articles of Limerick, with the Protest of fourteen Protestant Peers against the injustice of Parliament in violating those Articles, which they did by that Bill, page 82.