] 827. J Letter on Affairs in general. 185 



Catholics in the House of Commons, while the Royal Duke's death, is 

 still fresh in men's thoughts and remembrances, without provoking re- 

 ference, and drawing forth comment, as to events and declara- 

 tions, which, for the interest of Catholicism, should be allowed to sink 

 as fast as possible into oblivion. The opinions or expressions of persons, 

 whose business or amusement it is, to utter gratuitous harangues, would 

 be in themselves too valueless and unimportant ever to be repeated ; but, 

 while the Catholic body persists to acknowledge those individuals as its 

 leaders, or fails to reject and disavow, publicly and formally, the sen- 

 timents which they assume to utter on its behalf, their follies and 

 opinions unhappily acquire a consequence, for the hopes, and claims, 

 of millions of ill-judging individuals become endangered by them. 

 Against such conduct as that which has lately been pursued by some 

 of the Catholic representatives, it is impossible for the best cause ever to 

 thrive ; and those parties who are the warmest advocates of Catholic 

 emancipation, as a measure of policy, cannot disguise from themselves, 

 that it would be a measure, at the present moment, highly offensive to 

 the people of England. A curious instance of the state of popular 

 feeling on this subject, took place but a few nights since while the Duke 

 of York lay dead during the performance of the tragedy of King John, 

 at Covent-Gardea Theatre. Those passages in the play which displayed 

 a defiance to Catholic pretension, were cheered loudly by great numbers 

 of persons in the house ; while those points which urged, or favoured, iia 

 claims, were received with hisses and laughter. These demonstrations 

 proceeded chiefly, if not entirely, from persons in the lower, or middle 

 classes of society ; in which classes, there can be no doubt, that tho 

 greatest quantity of dislike to the Catholic cause is to be found ; but, 

 those classes, it will have to be recollected, compose the great bulk of 

 the community, and that very bulk, which the party that most vigorously 

 supports Catholic emancipation in the House of Commons, has ever in- 

 sisted should be considered and listened to. There can be no prudent 

 man, who wishes well to the Catholic cause, but must feel the paramount 

 necessity of allowing it to sleep for the present. If it is brought forward, 

 whatever may be its fate, by a few votes one way or the other, in the 

 House of Commons, the majority against it out of that house will be 

 signal and overpowering. 



Apropos of Catholics, and Ireland a query suggests itself to me. 

 The watchmen in London, are all Irishmen. How does it happen that 

 those men are employed to keep the peace in a foreign country, who 

 never can keep it in their own ? This .fact forms a curious contradiction 

 to the theory of Spurzheim, who said, after his visit to Ireland, that un- 

 less the /wads of the people could be altered, it was in vain to pass any 

 laws to improve, or tranquillize the country. I always thought, myself, 

 that Spurzheim was wrong here ; and that by a judicious attention to the 

 necks of the population (as their heads could not be altered), a great deal 

 might be effected. 



The Bollon Chronicle contains a complaint against the practice of 

 compelling persons to attend divine service, on Sundays, in that town ; 

 a process which is carried into effect, it seems, by the chief constable and 

 his assistants going forth while service is performing, and et sweeping' 1 the 

 streets of Bolton sending the idle (in custody) to church, and the 

 drunken to the cage. They use this compulsory ceremony, however, very 



M. M. New Series. VOL. III. No. 14. X 



