capitulation it could be so done with them; withhold the supplies, as had been before determined, and the clergy may become neuter, at least they will not take the active, open, and decided part they do at present. They would not acknowledge those of the tribes who do not contribute to support them as their parishioners; but at present they seem to be the active interested party themselves, and though the dispute originated between the tribes and the people, the present contesting party are the clergy of Galway on the one part, and the people on the other. I address myself to the tribes with the following:-If at the time the Catholic Committee and other Catholic bodies in the kingdom petitioned Parliament for a repeal of the penal laws, or a relaxation of some part of them in their favor, they had been the legislative body of the nation, in what manner they would behave? They may say that they would act upon the most tolerant principles; any other answer from them would be inconsistent, for they have been petitioners themselves. But their narrow, confined, and limited ideas relative to the question at present in debate about privileges, argues the contrary. People that refuse a participation of the elective franchise for a warden and vicars for the government of the church of Galway, would most undoubtedly refuse a right of franchises to their fellow subjects for returning members to serve in the grand inquest of the nation. If they could have the government of the kingdom in general in their possession, it would be no easy matter to wrest any privilege from them when they make such a difficulty of surrendering to their fellow townsmen a privilege trifling in itself, only for the curious distinctions it makes between them. But the people have the means of redress in their own power, and if they do not redress themselves, every

future election for a warden or vicars will bring to their recollection their own littleness and insignificance. They have discovered where the grievance lies, they have found out the seat of the distemper, and may with the more safety apply the remedy. There is no use in protraction, whatever is to be done let it be speedily determined on; the controverted affair must be settled one time or other, and the sooner the better. If it is properly determined now it will be serving posterity, it will be only recovering for them a right neglected by our forefathers. They were, through necessity, obliged tamely to suffer it to be exercised by a few of the tribes in the late persecuting and intolerant times, who privately withdraw into holes and corners to elect their clergy, whilst they, not wishing to arrest the notice of persecutors or fanaticism, bore it in silence. Those days are now, thank God and a mild legislature, passed away, and at the same time that we behave like peaceable and thankful subjects for the favors we have received from government, let us not passively submit to have a civil right usurped from us by the few of our fellow citizens who are called tribes. Rari apparent nantes in gurgite vasto.-Virgil. If ye neglect it now ye leave the work to be done by posterity, (for one time or other other the distinction must be done away,) and they will blame their predecessors who neglected to complete a business they have began with such good auspices, and for handing down to them the trouble of rescuing themselves from the scandal and disgrace caused by such idle, vulgar, and insignificant distinctions.

Any person that can give a greater elucidation to this subject, owes it to whatever party he is attached, if there be such a person, (and I am confident there is, and many of them on both sides,) he ought to publish his

opinions, either for or against the right of patronage inhabitants in general, without respect to persons' names or families, have to the presentation of their clergy; for I am sure that if any of the right is exclusively in them, according to the bulls and charters of the town, it would be a great means of reconciling differences, though it could never satisfy the non-tribes that they ought to be excluded from an equal participation of rights and privileges in the town wherein they appear to be suffering or aggrieved, as if in limbo patrum, rather than enjoying the equal liberties of their fellow subjects in terra patrum.

There is a list of voters names for a warden annexed to the above, by which it appears that there were one hundred and twenty-nine for the Rev. John Joyce, and forty-four for the Reverend Patrick Kirwan; it consists mostly of those gentlemen living several miles from Galway, some in Loughrea, Castlebar, and other parts of Mayo, &c. &c.

POPE'S BULL.

INNOCENT, Bishop,

Servant of the Servants of God, &c.

WE exercising the office of a watchful centinel, as it is granted to us from above, over the Lord's flock, committed by the Divine Power to our vigilance, do willingly mind those things by which Divine Worship is augmented, and the salvation of souls is hoped to proceed from, and we cheerfully add the strength of our power

to such measures as we have found out these providentially to have sprung from, to the end that they may last the firmer uncorrupted, by being the more strengthened, and for as much as a petition hath been lately preferred unto us on behalf of our beloved children, all the Parishioners of the Parish church of St. Nicholas of the town of Galway and the diocese of Annadown, setting forth, that our venerable Brother Donatius, Archbishop of Tuam, who is known to be Prelate of the See of Annadown, perpetually united to the See of Tuam, has seriously considered some time ago, that the parishioners of the said church of St. Nicholas were modest and civil people, and that they lived in the said town surrounded with walls, not following the custom of the mountainous and wild people of those parts; and that by reason of the impetration or provisions of the aforesaid mountainous and wild people to the vicarage of the said church of St. Nicholas, commonly governed before by vicars, they were so much disturbed, that they could not assist at divine service, nor receive the holy sacrament, according to the English decency, rite, or custom, which the aforesaid inhabitants and their ancestors always used, they being much disquieted therein, and sometimes robbed of their goods, and killed by those unlearned men, and likely to sustain many other damages and inconveniences, both in person and substance from them, and fearing to suffer more for the future if not speedily succoured. This matter being providentially considered, the said Donatius, at the humble request of the aforesaid parishioners, has constituted and created, by his proper authority, the aforesaid church of St. Nicholas into a collegiate, and therein a college of one warden and eight vicars, and for their support he hath applied the fruits, rents, and incomes of the said vicarage, and the half quarter which the in

cumbents of the said church of St. Nicholas had been for a long time accustomed to have from our beloved children the abbot and convent of Knockmoy, of the Cistercian order, and diocese of Tuam, he has also appropriated to the capitular table of the said church of St. Nicholas, other good lands, rights, tithes, and services there expressed, which have been bestowed and offered to himself. And having providentially considered that the said premises were scarcely sufficient to support decently four of the said priests, it is his will that whatever any of the said parishioners might chance to bestow for the future, should belong in full right to the said church of St. Nicholas; and he has likewise so united, annexed, and incorporated for ever to the said church of St. Nicholas, the vicarage of the parish church of Ballinclare, (Clare Galway,) of the said diocese of Annadown, by consent of his vicar thereof, for the sustenance of the warden and eight priests aforesaid, in the said church of St. Nicholas. And by the same proper authority, the archbishop (as it is said to be more amply contained in certain authentic letters under his own seal) has ordered that the said church of St. Nicholas, erected into a collegiate aforesaid, should be governed and ruled for the future, not by one vicar, but by the said eight priests or vicars, who ought to be virtuous, learned, and well bred men, and by one warden or custos, who all must rightly observe the English rite and custom in divine service; and he has likewise ordered that the said priest should be presented by the chief magistrate or mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, or equals, of the common council of the aforesaid town to the aforesaid warden or custos, who is removeable every year at the presentation of the aforesaid superiors, or of the mayor and burgesses, and should be instituted by the said vicars. And the said warden being thus in