NOTES OF THE MONTH. 229 



tioners, which were not apparent on the face of their complaint. (Hear from 

 Mr. Coffin.) He should be glad to learn from the learned member for 

 Wiseacre, of what impropriety he was guilty in this assertion." 



Mr. Coffin explained, that all he meant by his hear was, that, judging from 

 the documents now on the table, and from others in private hands, he could 

 only draw the inference that the petitioners would have acted better and more 

 wisely in deferring their complaints till the next session." 



A tolerable ellipsis this, and one which even Mr. Bothering him- 

 self, albeit a veteran in parliamentary exclamation was incompetent 

 to supply ! 



Common sense and patriotism demand that this portentous word 

 should be subject to some rules and limitotions. The destinies of the 

 country are not to be trifled with. Constituents are entitled to know 

 what their representatives mean as often as they do themselves. We 

 should have a scale of all the modulations of which this monster of a 

 cry is capable. The reporters then might say that an honourable 

 member cheered in the key of D minor., or C natural, and on refer- 

 ence to the political gamut we might discover whether the sound 

 was uttered in anger, pity, assent, denial, doubt, or derision. Having 

 attained this knowledge, we might then talk about universal suffrage; 

 but, under present circumstances, we are all equally unqualified to 

 elect mouth-pieces, not having a correct knowledge of the sounds 

 which they emit. 



PROTESTANT ASCENDANCY. If any thing can mark the intolerant 

 antischristian spirit that pervades the Protestant Church in Ireland, 

 it is the following extract from the Waterford Chronicle : 



" Our readers, the public, are aware of the anti-christian-like war which 

 the parsons have been for years carrying on against the Roman Catholic 

 College of St. John in this city. They are also aware that this is a college 

 for the education of young men intended chiefly for the Roman Catholic 

 priesthood. The public must also recollect the indecent figure which these 

 parsons cut last year in a court of justice whilst endeavouring to justify their 

 having seized for tithes a quantity of bacon, the property of the reverend 

 superiors of this college we have now to lay before our readers a still more 

 disgraceful scene which took place within the last week. On last Thursday 

 six ruffians (constables engaged by the Church) lay in wait and about mid- 

 night scaled the walls of the college pleasure-grounds. They concealed 

 themselves in an out-office till day-break, and the moment the kitchen-door 

 was opened the ruffians rushed in and forcibly carried away some servants' 

 clothes and old women's cloaks for tithes alleged to be due to Archdeacon 

 Kennedy." 



With such instances as these, ought it to be a matter of surprise 

 that the Irish should look upon the " Church as by law established" 

 with disgust and hatred ? If these " men of Gcd" were a little less 

 anxious after the loaves and fishes, uid had their duty more at heart, 

 the Protestant Church would not be as it is in Ireland. Instead of 

 attending to the interests of their flock, the sole care oft hese spiritual 

 shepherds is the fleece, and this is a specimen of the " exemplary 

 body" in favour of which so pathetic an appeal has been made. 

 " Men without a home !" Egad ! we cannot see how they can ever 

 want a home at this rate. Wolves do not prey upon each other, and 

 parsons surely might have a little courtesy for the cloth. 



