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And whereas it is expedient that such precautions should be taken, in respect of persons in holy orders professing the Roman Catholic religion, who may at any time hereafter be elected nominated or appointed to the exercise or discharge of episcopal duties or functions in the Roman Catholic church in Ireland, or to the duties or functions of a dean in the said church, as that no such person shall at any time hereafter assume the exercise or discharge of any such duties or functions within the United Kingdom, or any part thereof, whose loyalty and peaceable conduct shall not have been previously ascertained, as hereinafter provided; be it therefore enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for his majesty, his heirs and successors, by a commission to be issued under the great seal of Ireland, to nominate and appoint such persons in holy orders professing the Roman Catholic religion, and exercising episcopal duties or functions in Ireland, as his majesty, his heirs and successors, or the lord lieutenant or lord deputy, or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, shall from time to time think fit to be commissioners under this act, for the purposes hereinafter mentioned.

And be it further enacted, That any number not less than

of the said commissioners, shall form a board for executing the several powers and duties by this act vested in the said commissioners.

And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for his majesty, his heirs and successors, from time to time, at his and their will and pleasure, to revoke and determine the commission aforesaid, or any commission issued under the provisions of this act, and to cause a new commission to issue instead thereof.

Provided always, and be it further enacted, That such new commission shall issue within after the revocation and determination of the commission so revoked and determined as aforesaid; and provided always, that every such new commission shall consist in like manner of Roman Catholic ecclesiastics exercising episcopal duties or functions in Ireland as aforesaid; and that every commissioner to be appointed under this act shall, before he acts as such, take and subscribe the following oath :

"I, A. B. do promise and swear, "That I will, without favour " or affection, prejudice or malice

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to any person whatsoever, faith"fully and impartially, and to "the best of my judgment and 'discretion, execute and perform "the duties of a commissioner "vested in me by virtue of an "act of the fifth year of the reign of his present_majesty, "intituled, An act' [here in"sert the title of the act], and "will honestly and truly advise "his majesty in all matters which "shall come before me as a com"missioner under the said act; "and that I will not directly or indirectly publish, disclose, or make known, except to his "majesty, or by his majesty's command, any matter or thing "whatsoever which shall come "to my knowledge by reason or "in consequence of my being a "commissioner under the said

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"act.

"So help me God." And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said commissioners so to be appointed as aforesaid, or any of them, from time to time to certify to his majesty, or the lord lieutenant

lord deputy, or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, the appointment of any bishop or dean to be hereafter appointed in the said Roman Catholic church in Ireland; and which certificate shall be in the words following (that is to say):

"We do hereby certify, That A. "B. having been previously "chosen and recommended by "certain ecclesiastics of the "Roman Catholic church of "Ireland, to be a bishop or dean "[as the case may be], of the "said church, has accordingly "been appointed a bishop or "dean [as the case may be], of "the said church: And we do "believe the said A. B. to be a "loyal subject of his majesty." And they shall transmit a duplicate of such certificate to the bishop or dean named therein.

And be it further enacted, That every person who shall, after the commencement of this act, commence exercising the functions of a bishop or dean of the said Roman Catholic church in Ireland, shall, instead of the oaths now by law required to be taken by his majesty's Roman Catholic subjects in Ireland, take, make, and subscribe the oath hereinbefore appointed to be taken by his majesty's said Roman Catholic subjects, instead of the said oath of supremacy; and shall, at the time of taking the same, deliver to the proper officer of the court before which he shall take the same, the said duplicate certificate so to be transmitted to such bishop or dean as aforesaid, and such officer shall indorse thereupon a certificate of the said oath having been so taken, and shall return the same to such bishop or dean; and the said certificate, so indorsed as aforesaid, shall be evidence of such

bishop or dean having taken the said oath: Provided, That no bishop or dean to be hereafter appointed in the said Roman Catholic church, in Ireland, shall act as such, until such duplicate certificate shall be delivered or transmitted to him as aforesaid.

And whereas it is fit to regulate the intercourse and correspondence between his majesty's subjects of Ireland and the see of Rome; be it therefore further enacted, that from and after

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often as any subject or subjects of his majesty in Ireland, shall receive any bull, dispensation, or other instrument, from the see of Rome, or from any foreign body or individual whatsoever, or from any parts, acting under the authority person or body whatsoever in foreign of the said see, or under that of person or persons so receiving the any other spiritual superior, the same shall within

after receiving the same, deliver the same, or cause it to be delivered in the original, to the president of the said board of commissioners, who shall lay the same before the said board of commissioners, who shall forthwith inspect the same; and if the said board of commissioners shall not find any thing in the said instrument so submitted appear to them to be in any way to their inspection, which shall injurious to the safety or tranquillity of the United Kingdom, or to the Protestant establishment in church or state, they shall forthwith report the receipt thereof to the lord lieutenant, lord deputy, or in Ireland, and thereupon the said other chief governor or governors instrument shall be returned to the person by whom the same shall have been so submitted for inspection as aforesaid, with an indorse◄

ment signed by the president, signifying that the same had been duly inspected, and reported upon to the lord lieutenant, lord deputy, or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, according to the provisions of this act.

Provided always, and be it further enacted, That when any person shall receive from the see of Rome, or from any authority under the same, an instrument which relates wholly and exclusively to the spiritual concerns of an individual or individuals, he shall so certify, within after he has received the same, and shall verify such certificate by the following oath :

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"I A. B. do swear, That the in"strument (describing the instrument) which I hereby acknowledge to have received "from the see of Rome (or from "such other bodies or persons, "as the case may be) under the authority of the see, relates "wholly to the personal spiritual "concerns of the party or parties "in respect of whom it has been "issued, and to no other matter "or thing whatsoever.

"So help me GOD." Which oath it shall and may be lawful for such person to take and subscribe before the said board of commissioners (who are hereby empowered to administer the same) or in any of the courts herein before mentioned, or before of his majesty's justices; if the person taking and subscribing the same shall be resident more than miles from Dublin, or shall from ill health or infirmity be unable to travel, and in every such case it shall and may be lawful for the said board of commissioners, in the exercise of their judgment and discretion to direct the said instrument

to be transmitted, sealed up, for the sole inspection and verification of the president of the said board; who shall inspect the same, and if he shall after such inspection certify that the said instrument, is in his conscientious opinion and judgment, of the nature described in the certificate and oath of the person by whom the same shall have been so transmitted as aforesaid, the receipt thereof shall be reported to the lord lieutenant, or lord deputy, or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, and thereupon the said instrument shall be returned, sealed up, to the person by whom the same shall have been so transmitted, after being indorsed by the said president.

And be it further enacted, That any person or persons in Ireland, receiving any such bull, dispensation, or other instrument as aforesaid, who shall so deliver the same, or cause it to be delivered in the original, or who shall so certify the receipt, and so describe and verify by oath the nature of the said instrument by him or them received as aforesaid, and whose certificate and oath shall be so confirmed and allowed as aforesaid, shall be free and exempt from all pains and penalties whatsoever, to which he or they would be liable by any laws now existing in Ireland, against the receiving and publishing bulls, dispensations, or other instruments from the see of Rome, or from any authority or pretended authority under the said see.

And be it further enacted, That any person or persons so receiving any such bull, dispensation, or other instrument as aforesaid, and not so delivering or causing to be delivered as aforesaid, either the said original instrument, or such certificate of the receipt thereof, accompanied

by such oath as hereinbefore prescribed; or who shall publish or put in execution, or be wilfully and knowingly concerned in publishing or putting in execution, any such bull, dispensation, or other instrument as aforesaid, in Ireland, before the same shall have been properly inspected and indorsed as aforesaid, shall be deemed

and taken to be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall suffer such punishment as may by law be imposed upon persons guilty of a misdemeanor, instead of any punishment which such person would be liable to for such offence, by any law or statute now in force in Ireland.

REPORT of the SELECT COMMITTEE of the HOUSE of LORDS on the STATE of IRELAND.

That the committee have proceeded, in obedience to the orders of the House, to examine such persons as appeared best qualified to afford information upon the various points respecting the state of Ireland, which fell within the scope of the inquiry they were directed to pursue. As the inquiry has been proceeding, they have thought it desirable to lay before the House the whole of the evidence, which will be accompanied with an index, affording convenient means of reference. In the present advanced state of the sessions, they do not feel themselves enabled to do more than to select, from the mass of information which has been brought before them, some of the subjects to which it appears to them to be advisable that the attention of government and of parliament should be more especially directed. With respect to the civil disabilities of the Roman Catholics, they have examined a considerable number of persons, of various professions and of different stations in life, in order to afford the House all the information which it was in their power to collect; but they abstain from making any observations upon that evidence, because they are

persuaded that upon a subject of such paramount importance, and connected with such great constitutional questions, it was the intention of the House that their duty should be confined to the collection of information. It is material likewise to observe, that little evidence has been taken upon the subject of education. This duty had already been delegated to commissioners, whose report, which appears to the committee to contain most valuable information upon the branch of this subject relating to the education of the poor, has lately been presented to the House; and they understand that the future inquiries of the commissioners will be directed to other branches, and will bring the whole under the view of the government and of parliament.

The committee have received a great body of evidence on the actual state of the relations between landlord and tenant, and are of opinion that the whole of that most important subject is deserving of the attentive consideration of parliament. Amongst the great evils existing in the present state of these relations, are represented to be the minute subdivision of land; the number of persons

who intervene between the head landlord and the immediate occupier; the extreme difficulty of preventing the subletting of land, and the power possessed by every intermediate landlord, as well as the principal landlord, to distrain upon the occupying tenant. It is for the wisdom of parliament to consider, whether any and what improvement in the law relating to these subjects, may be expedient or practicable. Many valuable suggestions on these as well as other points respecting the relations between landlord and tenant will be found in the evidence. The committee observe, with satisfaction, that the increasing intelligence of landlords is now endeavouring to apply a gradual remedy to the subdivision of land; and they cannot but entertain a confident expectation, that for the mutual benefit of both landlord and tenant, this remedy will be as extensively applied as the nature of existing contracts, and the comfort and well-being of the people, will permit.

The extent of the burden brought upon the country by the present system of grand jury presentments has long been a subject of complaint. Various suggestions have been made for the improvement of this system, and some of the abuses to which it was liable have been partially corrected by the legislature. It is stated, however, that more is still necessary to be done; that the mode of deciding what works are to be undertaken, of regulating the expenditure, and of passing the accounts, is still in many respects imperfect. It appears at all events desirable, that if it should be found expedient to continue to intrust these functions to grand juries, the publicity of that

portion of their proceedings which
relates to the levying, and expen-
diture of the public money should
be effectually provided for.
has also been suggested, that the
charges of grand jury assessments
for objects of a permanent nature
ought to fall, in future leases, upon
landlords and tenants in their due
proportion. It has been strongly
urged, that the criminal and civil
business of the quarter sessions
should be kept entirely separate,
and that all the criminal business
should be first disposed of, so as to
release the magistrates who are
called together for that portion of
the business belonging to the quar-
ter sessions, instead of retaining
them and the juries and the wit-
nesses, to their own great inconve-
nience and the increased expense
of prosecutions. It has been sug-
gested as an improvement, that
the assistant barristers should not
practise as counsel in the counties
where they sit upon the bench.

The constitution of the civil bill
courts deserves serious considera-
tion; and at all events it appears
to be advisable to require that their
process should be executed by their
own sworn officers, or by persons
more trust-worthy and responsible
than many of those who are at
present employed. Strong repre-
sentations have been made to the
committee against the mode in
which the process of custodiam
writs in the superior courts is exe-
cuted, and also respecting mesne
process. Several important sug-
gestions have been made respecting
the office of sub-sheriff, viz.-That
each sub-sheriff should have a regu-
lar office within his own county,
where he should attend at certain
hours;
hours; that this appointment
should be subject to the approba-
tion of the last going judge of as-

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