Resolutions of the Aggregate Catholic Meeting, Held in Dublin, Tuesday, December 15th, 1812

Resolutions of the Aggregate Catholic Meeting, held in Dublin, Tuesday, December 15th, 1812.

The Earl of Fingall in the Chair.

Resolved, That an address be prepared, and presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, praying his interposition on behalf of the faithful and long-suffering people of Ireland, professing the Roman Catholic religion.

Resolved, That the preparation, presentation, and management of such address be committed to the General Board of the Catholics of Ireland.

Resolved, That the individuals entrusted with the management of our address and the Catholics of Ireland, be requested to prepare and present an address to the Hon. Christopher Hely Hutchinson, expressive of the unbounded gratitude of the Catholics of Ireland, for his unremitting patriotism, splendid talents, and incorruptible integrity, and of our deep regret, that the Irish people are at present deprived of his eminent services in Parliament; a deprivation which we rank amongst the most severe of calamities to Ireland.

Resolved, That the most cordial gratitude of the Catholics is due, and is hereby given to our friends and advocates, the liberal and enlightened Protestants of Ireland, composing so decided a majority of our brethren of the Protestant religion, amongst whom we are proud to recognize all that is distinguished by rank, by talent, by fortune, and by independence of mind.

Resolved, That the Earl of Donoughmore be requested to present the petition of the Catholics of Ireland to the House of Lords.

Resolved that the Right Hon. Henry Grattan be requested to present our petition to the House of Commons.

Resolved, That we have seen with indignation, certain resolutions, lately published by some members of Grand Juries, and some individuals in different countries, containing insinuations and charges against the Catholics of Ireland, accusing them of disaffection; of entertaining disguised and secret views, and of an intention to obtain a Catholic ascendancy.

Resolved, That the Catholics of Ireland indignantly disclaim all secret and disguised views, as equally inconsistent with the open candour and manliness of the Irish character, as they are with the uniform publicity of all our proceedings.

Resolved, That we owe it as a duty to ourselves, our country, and the world, to proclaim those insinuations and charges to be as unfounded as they are calumnious, as untrue as they are foul, and as false as they are malignant.

Resolved, That the Catholics of Ireland neither seek nor desire any religious ascendancy whatsoever: all they demand is an equal eligibility to civil and military employments with persons of other persuasions.

Resolved, That the fidelity of the Catholics is evinced by the treasure they contribute, and the blood they shed in the defence of the throne and the constitution, and which treasure and blood they have persevered in contributing and shedding, in the midst of privations, penalties, and even of calumnies.

Resolved, That Robert Hearty, Esq., late High Sheriff of the city of Dublin, deserved the thanks of the people of Ireland, for the pure and unimpeachable integrity, and constitutional impartiality, with which in bad times he fulfilled the first and most important duties of his office.

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting are hereby given to the Protestants, who have honoured us with their presence this day; and particularly to the two distinguished individuals who have so ably pleaded the cause of civil and religious freedom, Counsellors Walsh and Finlay.

The Earl of Fingall having left the chair, and Randal Mac Donnell, Esq. being called thereto,

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting are justly due, and hereby returned to the Earl of Fingall, as our chair-man this day, and for his conduct on other occasions in pursuit of our emancipation.