S4-2 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S12. 



deems it proper to declare, that, 

 should the repeal of the French 

 Decrees, thus anticipated and pro- 

 vided for, afterwards prove to have 

 been illusorj' on the part of the 

 enemy ; and should the restrictions 

 theienf be still practically enforced, 

 or revived by the enemy. Great 

 Britain will be oblij>ed, however 

 reliutantly, after reasonable notice 

 to Neutral Powers, to have recourse 

 to such measures of retaliation as 

 may then appear to be just and ne- 

 cessary." 



Wentminsler, Jpril2l, 1812. 



The CatlioIicPelition.—To hisRoi/- 

 al Highness the PrhiceRegent. 



The humble Petition of his Ma- 

 jesty's Roman Catholic subjects 

 of Ireland, sheweth. 

 That we humbly approach your 

 Royal Highness, as the guardian of 

 the honour and interests of this 

 great empire, and presumerespect- 

 fully to submit to your royal consi- 

 deration, our peculiarcondition un- 

 der the penal laws now in iorce 

 against us. 



The generous and elevated cha- 

 racter which the people of Ireland 

 have long been taught to attach to 

 the name of your Royal Highness, 

 has impressed us with the pleasing 

 confidence, that the glorious work 

 of effectually relieving the Roman 

 Catholics of these renlmsfrom their 

 numerous sufferings, has been re- 

 served for your gracious and happy 

 interposition in our favour. 



We have publicly and solemnly 

 taken every oath of fidelity and al- 

 legiance, which the jealous caution 

 of the legislature has, from time to 

 time, imposed as tests of our politi- 

 cal and moral principles ; and al- 



though we are still set apart (how 

 wounding to every sentiment of ho- 

 nour !) as if unworthy of credit in 

 tliese our sworn declarations, we 

 can appeal confidently to the sacri- 

 fices which we and our forefathers 

 have long made, and which we 

 still make (rather than violate con- 

 science by taking oaths of a spirit- 

 ual import contrary to our belief) 

 as decisive proofs of our profound 

 reverence for the sacred obligation 

 of an oath. 



By those awful tests we have 

 bound ourselves, in the presence of 

 the All-seeing Deity, whom all 

 classes of Christians adore, " To be 

 faithful, and bear true allegiance to 

 our most gracious sovereign Lord 

 King George the Third, and him 

 to defend to the utmost of our 

 power against all conspiracies and 

 attempts whatsoeveragainst his per- 

 son, crown, or dignity : to use our 

 utmost endeavours to disclose and 

 make known to his Majesty, and 

 his heirs, all treasons and traitorous 

 conspiracies which may be formed 

 against him or them ; and faith- 

 fully to maintain, support, and de- 

 fend, to the utmost of our power, 

 the succession to the crown in his 

 Majesty's family, against all persona 

 whomsoever — That by those oaths, 

 we have renounced and abjured 

 obedience and allegiance unto any 

 other person claiming or pretending 

 a right to the crown of this realm 

 — That we have rejected, as un- 

 christian and impious to believe 

 the detestable doctrine, that it is 

 lawful, in any ways, to injure any 

 person or persons whomsoever, un- 

 der pretence of their being heretics 

 — And also that unchristian and 

 impious principle,that no faith is to 

 be kept with heretics— that it is no 

 article of our faith ; and we re- 

 nounce, 



