Who  is  there  that  does  not  feel  the  vital,  the  pressing  danger  to
liberty  that  results  from  ministerial  influence  1  \Veoweitto
ourselves,  and  to  the  Protestants  equally,  to  resist  this  conta-
gious interference  ;  and  every  duty  that  can  urge  a  man  to  a
y ublic  disclosure  of  facts,  interesting  to  every  class  in  the  state,
calls  on  me  to  declare  that  there  exists  a  conspiracy  against  the
religion  of  the  Irish  Catholics,  and  in  its  efforts,  against  the  liber-
ties of  all  the  Irish  people  ?

I  state  it  as  a  fact,  which  I  have  from  such  authority  as  leave*
no  doubt  in  my  mind,  that  a  negotiation  is  going  on  between
Lord  William  Bentinck,  Lord  Castlereagh,  and  Cardinal  Gon-
snlvi,  one  result  of  which  is  intended  by  the  two  former  to  be,
the  concession  to  the  minister  of  the  British  crown  of  an  effec-
tual supremacy  over  the  Catholic  Church  in  Ireland ;  and  there
is  every  reason  to  dread  that  the  cardinal  waits  only  to  get  what
he  considers  an  adequate  compensation,  before  he  accedes  to  tht
BMtsure.
DANIEL  o'CONls-ELL,  ESQ.,  M.?.
The  restoration  of  part  of  the  Pope's  territories,  still  withheld,
is  said  to  be  the  price  offered  by  Lord  Castlereagh ;  but  it  is  not
so  clear  that  he  has  it  in  his  power  to  *iake  the  payment.  Be
sides,  I  do  not  think  so  unworthily  of  the  Pope,  as  to  believe
easily  that  he  who  resisted  the  favour  of  Napoleon  will  yield  to
the  seductions  of  Lord  Castlereagh.
