British Catholic Association Rooms,

London, Oct. 16, 1826.

A GENERAL MEETING of the BRITISH CATHOLICS will be held at the CROWN AND ANCHOR TAVERN, on WEDNESDAY, the 8th of November next, at One for Two o'Clock precisely, for the purpose of agreeing to a Petition to Parliament for the removal of Catholic grievances.

EDWARD BLOUNT,

Secretary to the British Catholic Association.

N. B.-Notices of all Meetings of the Committee will be posted in the Asso ciation Rooms, which are open to every Member of the Association.

ANNUAL POCKET BOOK

FOR CATHOLIC LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

W. E. ANDREWS respectfully informs the Catholic Public, that in consequence of A. Cuddon's insolvency, and his not being able to arrange with his Assignees, as to the publication of his POCKET BOOK, he (W. E. A.), who first originated the idea, to avoid any disappointment, intends to print and publish a neat edition of the CATHOLIC LADY'S AND GENTLEMAN'S POCKET BOOK us early in December next as he can.-To render the work as correct and desirable as possible, he earnestly requests that communications may be sent to him, (post paid) without delay, at No. 3, Chapterhouse Court, St. Paul's, London, or to the Agents for the Truthteller

Of whom may be had,

AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL REVIEW OF FOX'S BOOK OF MARTYRS, in two vols. boards, price 7s. each volume, or in 3d. numbers, embellished with wood cuts.

DR. MILNER'S END OF CONTROVERSY, with three beautiful wood cuts and a copperplate ditto, in boards 5s. 6d.

A SERMON on FAITH, HOPE, and CHARITY, by the Right Rev. Dr. BAINES, price 4d,

EXTRACTS from the EVIDENCE of Drs. DOYLE, MURRAY, KELLY, &c. &c. before the Parliamentary Committees, on the contested Doctrines of the Catholic Church, price 1s. 2d. stitched,

LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE; or, a DIALOGUE on that importantQuestion, between a Catholic Priest and his separated Brethren, 4d.

DIED.

On the 24th of September last, in his 18th year, the Hon. Edmund Preston. On the 9th instant, aged 74, J. C. Pde Neyva, Esq. of London.

At Lisbon, on the 19th of September, 1825, aged 23, Mr. Richard Harris, late of Tottenham, in Middlesex, after receiving the last rites of the Catholic Church, and was buried in the Church of Os Santos. Mr. Harris was an Engineer of promising abilities, and a Protestant by religion. Ill health induced him to go to the favourable climate of Portugal, where he became acquainted with the doctrines of Catholicism, and was received into the Church by the Rev. Mr. Winstanley, Vice-President of the English College at Lisbon. His premature death is a great loss to society, being gifted with every qualification that ennobles the human mind.

On Friday, the 13th instant, at an obscure lodging in Clanbrassil-street, near Harold's Cross, Dublin, the benevolent and kind-hearted EDWARD HAY, Esq. late Secretary to the Catholics of Ireland. He died in absolute want; he was destitute even of the means of paying for medicine during his illness; and for the attendance of medical friends he was indebted, not to the customary fee, but to the regard of some gentlemen of that profession, who knew and esteemed his undeviating and consistent honesty. Mr. Hay was entitled to a considerable property, but the possession of it was unfortunately contested between him and

his brother, Captain Philip Hay. This brought it into Chancery, the expenses of which Court, and the treachery of those in whom he confided, brought on the delays and consequent embarrassments which he suffered for many years previous to his death. The disease of which he died was a mortification of the arm, caused by a thorn entering his thumb not many days ago.

It may truly be said of Edward Hay, that he spent his life in the service of the Catholics of Ireland. His services were most abundantly acknowledged by votes of thanks, but never requited. On the contrary, he has been sued for debts incurred for the public account, and for the public service. Mr. Hay was one of the delegates who, in 1792, were admitted to an audience by the late King, to present a petition from the Catholics of Ireland. He had nearly prepared for the press, a history of Irish Catholic affairs for the last thirty years, which would have thrown much light on the conduct and motives of many public men, who have figured on the political arena during that period. It is to be hoped that the valuable materials he has left will fall into proper hands. Mr. Hay was honoured with the friendship and correspondence of many eminent and enlightened public men in both countries. The respectability of his private character, his undoubted honesty, and a frankness of manner which never was offensive, unless to those whose dishonesty he had detected, obtained for him the esteem of all those Parliamentary friends of the Catholics, with whom his situation of Secretary brought him in contact. He was early elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy. His History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798, is valuable as an authentic narrative of facts, which occurred under his own eye. Its strict truth is unquestionable. He was a resident of Wexford during the occurrence of those events which he describes. By his cool and judicious interference he saved many lives during that period of excitation and horrors. One service that ought not to be forgotten was, his successful exposure of the falsehoods of the work of Sir Richard Musgrave.

During the latter years of his life, Mr. Hay was deserted by many of his early friends. The bitter sufferings, privations, and anxieties, which pressed upon him even unto the grave, will not tend much to raise the character of those who, as public men, had co-operated with him in the management of Catholic affairs for a quarter of a century.-Dublin Morning Post.

CORN EXCHANGE, MONDAY, Oct. 16, 1826.

Some quantity of last week's supply of wheat remained over for this day's market, but it was mostly low in quality; and having but little fresh up, the prices of last Monday were fully supported for good samples, while inferior continued almost entirely neglected. Fine malting barley still comes very sparingly to hand, and for it the advance of is. per quarter was realized this morning. Malt steady at last quotation. With the exception of foreign oats (and the importation of them is less extensive than was expected) the supply of this article continues uncommonly scanty; and though to day's sales barely covered our last quotation, they proceeded more freely than either on Wednes day or Friday. Beans full as dear; but peas, both white and gray, must be noted 1s. to 2s. per quarter cheaper. Flour, dull sale at last week's decline.

SMITHFIELD, OCTOBER 16,

This day's market was, on the whole, rather numerously supplied, but deficient of prime stock, especially prime sheep and beasts. Mutton and lamb, with a few of the primest Scots, sold, with some degree of briskness, at an advance of about 2d. stone. per Veal and pork were a shade lower than on Friday. In prices of prime large, and middling and inferior beef, no alteration. Coarse and inferior beasts from 2s. 6d. to 2s. 10d.; coarse and inferior sheep 3s. 2d. to 3s. 6d. ; second quality beasts Ss. 4d. to 33. 8d.; second quality sheep 3s. 8d. to 3d. 10s.; prime coarse-wooled sheep 4s. to 4d. 4d.; prime large oxen 4s. to 4d.; prime Southdowns wethers 4s. 4d. to 4s. 6d.; prime Scots, &c. 4s. 8d. to 5s.; large lambs 4s. to 4s. 2d.; prime small lambs 4s. 4d. to 4s. 4d. large coarse calves 4s. to 4s. 4d.; prime small calves 4s. 8d. to 5.; large hogs 4s. to 4s. 4d.; and neat small porkers 4s. 8d. to 5s. per stone of 8lbs. to sink the offals.-Suckling cales 14s. to 40s. ; and quarter-old pigs 12s. to 18s. each. Supply as per clerk's statement-beasts 3131-sheep and lambs 22,670-cales 200 -pigs 150.

GROSS AND SANGUINARY INFRINGEMENT ON THE LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECT AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, IN IRELAND.

It was our intention to have made some criticisms on an article which appeared in the Morning Herald of the 19th inst. taken from a provincial paper called The Norfolk and Bury Post, and headed "THETFORD BIBLE SOCIETY;" but the outrageous proceedings of the Biblicals at Ballinasloe, and the infamous conduct of the English Press on this occasion, call for prior observation. We shall not however lose sight of the Thetford Biblicals and the Post, though we now make way for more important matter. In our last we gave a brief narrative of the scandalous and disgraceful scene which took place at Ballinasloe on the 12th instant, in consequence of the defeat of the fanatical supporters of the London Hibernian Society, who were put down, on the part of the Catholics, by the strength of fact and argument, though they are basely and unjustly repre sented by Bigots and Hirelings to be ignorant and priest-ridden. Happy would it be for Englishmen if they were less newspaperridden, and more susceptible of sectarian craft. In this number we have devoted a considerable space, and extended the width of the page, to the report of the proceedings of a meeting held subsequently by the Catholics of Ballinasloe, to take into consideration what measures should be adopted to bring the daring offenders against the laws to punishment. At this meeting Mr. ENEAS MACDONNELL entered into an emphatic and elaborate narrative of the transactions at the Bible Meeting, which, we are sure, will be read by every sensible and liberalminded Protestant with the deepest interest.

From the facts stated by Mr. M'Donnell it is clear that A SYSTEM OF PERSECUTION has long been on foot in Ire

land to proselytise the Irish Catholic children from the faith of their parents; and while this nefarious and hellish spirit has been exerting itself among the honest and virtuous peasantry of Ireland the agents and promoters of the system have been occupied in instilling into the ears of the unsuspecting and well-disposed people of England, the most unfounded and diabolical misrepresentations of the natural and social dispositions of their Jrish brethren, whose only crime in the eyes of these hypocritical Bible-mongers is their strong adherence to the religion of their forefathers, planted by St. Patrick upwards of fourteen centuries past. How many thousands of pounds-how many millions of pennies-have these puritanical canters swindled from the scripture-gulled operatives and servant-maids of this country, under pretence of enlightening the benighted Papists of Ireland; but, as it now strikingly appears, for no other purpose than to sever the various ties of nature and society, by setting the Parent's religion against the interests of their Children, and making the Children the seducers of their Parents from the faith of God. Now were the people of England made sensible of the iniquitous proceedings of the swindlers here, and PERSECUTORS in Ireland, we are convinced that they would not only withhold the means from the base Inquisitors and kidnappers to carry on their work of Persecution and deception, but they would honestly execrate such conduct, and join their fellowcountrymen, the Catholics, to put an end to such barbarous and unchristian practices. Equally convinced are our "best public instructers" of this genuine disposition of the people of England, and therefore it is their constant study to keep them in the dark as to what is going on in Ireland, while they are incessantly engaged in detailing every little petty abuse that may be made of authority in the Catholic countries on the Continent. They, one and all, hate the Catholic religion as cordially as the Biblical saints do; and they would, no doubt, be as ready to preach what the Biblicals have been practising, were it not for the growing liberality of the age, in consequence of the intercourse which now subsists between this and Catholic countries, and the publicity given to Catholic worship here, since the partial repeal of the penal laws in 1791.

The tales of the Nursery will no longer do, since ocular demonstration, as manhood arrives, gives the lie to the inventions of the lap.-The Catholic priest may now be heard from the pulpit, and the lessons of morality there inculcated, the explanations of the Catholic doctrine there given, not only remove the prejudices of early youth, but are frequently followed by the conversion of the sincere searcher after truth to the ancient faith of the country.-This silent but increasing progress of truth could not fail to become alarming to the children of error, and the genius of the father of lies was invoked to stop the successful course of this attribute of the Deity. An open state of Persecution could not now be adopted, and it was thought best to have recourse to specious objects, which should have the appearance of lamblike Charity, but in operation were wolfishly destructive.-The Bible Society was the first institution of the kind, from which followed the Hibernian, Irish Baptist, and a numerous list of other societies, all pretending to have for their object, the enlightening and improving the condition of the Irish Catholic. Not, sensible reader, by taking off the tithe from his rod of potato ground, and enabling him to put a coat on his back, but by giving him a bible to find out a new road to Heaven, though the old one, it is well known, has sufficed his ancestors these fourteen hundred years.

This new sort of humbug-for the people of England, though, in their estimation, the wisest in their generation, have been the victims of cajolery, and the dupes of one scriptural mountebank or the other, since the days of the pretended Reformation, this modern humbug served the double purpose of diverting the people of England from their own growing miseries, and finding support for self-dubbed Parsons, some fanatical half-pay Officers, and the hired scribes of the newspapers, who have, between them, received the best share of the pickings from the begulled souls, who have been melted at the tales of danger, related annually at the shew-offs, to which the imputed ignorant peasantry of Ireland stand exposed of being lost in. the quagmires of Popery.-The increasing miseries and distress, now so palpably visible in England, have at length opened the eyes of the people, and they begin to see how much