Retrofpedl of Domeftic Literature.— Political Economy, &c« 639 
very fagacious ‘* Reflections” of Mr. 
Jackson on the Commerce of the Medi- 
teri anean, 
. The Society for Bettering the Condi- 
tion of the Poor have publifhed a fourth 
volume of their ‘* Reports.’’” The bene- 
volent exertions of the Society are unre- 
mitted. 
IRISH AFFAIRS. 
The claims of the Catholics to emanci- 
pation from their prefent difabilities have 
lately excited general attention. In fome 
highly intere(ting debates in both Houfes 
of Parliament the fubjeét -has been dif- 
cuffed with great animation, and at the 
fame time with that temper which its im- 
portance demanded. The claims have 
been fupported in the Houfe of Commons 
by one of the moft powerful and eloquent 
{peeches which the moft powerful and 
eloquent {peaker in the Senate ever deli- 
vered in that Houfe, Mr. Fox’s opening 
fpeech on that occafion, whether we con- 
fider the {cope and comprehenfivenefs of 
its views, the variety, force, and concen- 
tration of its arguments, the general li- 
berality of the doétrines maintained, and 
the plain, the dignified, and impreffive 
language in which it was delivered, ex- 
title it to be confidered as one of the 
brighteft efforts of human genius, exercifed 
- on an o¢cafion of the deepeft intereft. We 
are not aware that Mr. Fox’s fpeech 
has been publifhed, but in noticing the 
pamphl-ts which have appeared on the 
Catholic Queftion, it was impoffible not 
to allude to a Parliamentary debate, in 
which every argument on both fides of the 
quettion was entorced with all the powers 
of eloquence. \ 
An Anonymous Writer has publithed 
his ** Thoughts on the Proteftant Afcendancy 
iz Ireland.” The prefent author is a 
ftrenuous advecaie for Catholic Emanci- 
pation, and his replies to feveral reafons 
which have been urged againft it are ju- 
dicious and forcible. He attributes the 
grievances of the Irifh people to their 
‘* {eparation into two cafts,’” one of which 
is every thing with the Government, and 
the other nothing. Heaccuies the Englith 
Miniltry of having twice broken its 
faith with the. Catholics; he calls on it to 
perform its ftipulations; and he bids it 
either exterminate the Catholics or remove 
for ever all difabilities and diftin@tions. 
The Protefiant Afcendancy is matter of 
bitrer complaint ; and it is obferved, that 
had Ireland been put on the footing of 
Scotland, armies would not have been 
neceflary to repel invafion, and guard 
againit treafon. To this pamphlet a very 
4 
intemperate reply has been given in “4 
Letter from a Gentleman in Ireland to an 
Englifo Member of the United Parlia- 
ment.”” 
“© Thoughts on the Kingdom of Ireland;" 
written in the Year 1735; during the De. 
bates in the Britith Parliament, on certain 
Propofitions, commonly called the Irith 
Propofitions. 
The principal feature of this pamphlet 
is the hint which humbly offers to the 
Sovereign, to permit the Prince of Wales 
to receive the firft coronation of an Irifh 
Crown in Dublin, and thus become a 
Collega Imperii. The refidence of a 
Prince’s Court, it is thought, would recal 
the abfentee, enliven manufaQures and 
commerce, and promote the attachment of 
the people at large to the Government. 
As the two iflands are amalgamaied into 
one empire, this plan, however feafible 
at the time thefe thoughts were written, 
could not poffibly be adopted now. 
A Friend to the Contitution inChurch 
and State has made fome very irrelevant 
** Obfervations’”’ on the Catholic Petition. 
He fays that ic is not the nature of the 
Catholics to be quiet! That the belief of 
tranfubftantiation, purgatory, and the 
worfhip of faints, angels, and images, is 
inimical to the State! And he believes 
that if the Petition had been granted, Ox- 
ford and Cambridge would have {warmed 
with Catholic ftudents. Probably they 
would—and a higher compliment cannot 
be paid to the Catholics than to acknow- 
ledge that they feel deeply the difzrace 
and the grievance of being excluded trom 
4 participation of the benefits to be de- 
rived from the national feminaries of edu- 
cation, , 
‘§ The Roman Catholic Petition unfanc- 
tioned ; therefore an unfafe and unconftitu= 
tional Ground of Emancipation,’ is the 
title of a pamphlet which breathes hofti- 
lity to the claims. The writer contends, 
that the Catholics are and muft be fubjeé 
to the Church of Rome, and therefore 
objects of fufpicion; that they muft be 
directed, ruled, and fanétioned, by that 
Church, that to the prefent Petition they 
have no fuch fanétion, and therefore that 
a Proteftant Parliament is bound to refit 
it. The Rev. Mr. Le Mesurier in 
his ©* Serious Examination of the Catholic 
Claims,’ contends, that had they been 
acceded to, a dire& change in the Con- 
fitution, as fettled at the Revolution, 
would have been the neceffiry confe- 
quence. The writer fads that vehement 
exprefions are more at his command than 
arguments, Sir James Fouuis, a Pro- 
/ teftant 
