Mr. O'Connellrose pursuant to notice, to move for leave to bring in a Bill relating to Roman Catholic Charities, and the tenure of land for Catholic worship in Ireland. He wished to have it most distinctly understood, that in offering this Bill to the notice of the House, he had not the slightest intention to impede or embarrass Her Majesty's Ministers in whatever measures they might have in contemplation to introduce respecting Ireland, and which were alluded to in the Queen's Speech. On the contrary, he thought the Bill he meant to propose would facilitate measures coming from the Government. He should also add, that he did not conceive any person whomsoever would be pledged to support this Bill in a future stage by the fact of his being permitted to lay it on the Table. His object was one of peculiar importance. He wished to obviate the great expense necessarily incurred upon going into a Court of Equity to establish the right to any bequest left by Roman Catholics for Roman Catholic purposes. The expense was ruinous to the parties concerned, and of- 840 ten absorbed the amount of the charity itself. He wished it to be clearly understood that he did not ask for the slightest extension of legal authority to apply to Roman Catholic purposes in Ireland any sums of money, bequests of money, and grants of land. The Statute of Charitable Uses was never enacted in Ireland, never in force there, and the Courts of Equity had at all times executed the trusts, and carried into effect charitable aids for Roman Catholic purposes; so much so, that several years ago a final decree of the Court of Chancery in Ireland applied a sum of 25,000l. to the purpose of saying masses for the repose of a soul. There was, therefore, at the present moment, a complete and unlimited capacity by deed and will, of bequeathing not only personal but landed property for Roman Catholic purposes. One great inconvenience, however, arose from the want of a settled residence and glebe for the Roman Catholic Clergy, who were frequently placed in a most distressing position in that respect. They were often very much in the power of their parishioners for the want of a permanent place of residence independent of their contributions. His object by this Bill was simply to give to Roman Catholic Archbishops, Bishops, and parish priests in Ireland a power of succession as in the case of a corporation, but not making them a corporation for other purposes than that of taking and conveying grants. That was the whole object of his Bill, to give a succession, a permanent title to deeds required for Roman Catholic purposes. He was not applying for public money, he was not applying for any contribution of any sort from the State or from the public funds. All they wished was, to obtain in a safe, secure, and inexpensive mode, those endowments which were essential to the respectability of the Catholic Clergy, and to secure them against any undue influence that might be exercised upon them. Having made this short statement, he did not feel warranted in trespassing longer upon the House, but would conclude by moving for leave to bring in a Bill to enable Roman Catholic Archbishops, Bishops, and Priests in Ireland to take grants and conveyances of land to them, and to their successors, without the intervention of trustees.
§ Leave given.
§ Bill brought in and read a first time.
§ House adjourned at nine o'clock,