1, and a quarter of a year’s rent by October 1; arrears to be cancelled.  Some of these, owing to non-compliance with the Judge’s ruling, may have to be evicted, and their eviction will be what is termed the unrooting of peasants’ houses and the ejectment of overburdened tenants for not paying impossible rents.

   “I confess I am at a loss to understand how Mr. Parnell’s Arrears
    Act would have improved matters or have averted what one of your
    contemporaries calls a “painful scandal.”—­I am, Sirs, yours, &c.,

   “D.  TODD-THORNTON, J.P., Land Agent.

   “Glenbehy, Killarney.”

NOTE G.

HOME RULE AND PROTESTANTISM.

(Vol. ii. p. 68.)

I fear that all the “Nationalist” clergy in Ireland are not as careful as Father Keller to avoid giving occasion for this impression that Irish autonomy would be followed by a persecution of the Protestants.  But a little more than three years ago, for example, the following circular was issued by the Bishop of Ossory, and affixed to the door of the churches in his diocese.  Who can wonder that it should have been regarded by Protestants in that diocese as a direct stirring up of bitter religious animosities against them?  Or that, emanating directly as it did from a bishop of the Church, it should be represented as emanating indirectly from the Head of the Church himself at Rome?

    “Kilkenny, April 16th, 1885.

    “REV.  DEAR SIR,—­May I ask you to read the following circular for
    the people at each of the Masses on Sunday, 19th April?

“The course to be adopted for the future by the Priest of the Parish to whom notice of a Mixed Marriage is given by the Minister, or the Registrar, is as follows:—­he makes the following entry on the book of Parochial announcements, and reads it three consecutive Sundays from the Altar:—­

“’The Priests of the Parish have received the following notice of a marriage to be celebrated between a Catholic and a Protestant. [Here read Registrar’s notice in full.] We have now to inform you that the law of the Catholic Church regarding such marriages is:  that the Catholic party contracting marriage before a Registrar or other unauthorised person is, by the very fact of so doing, Excommunicated; and the witnesses to such marriage are also Excommunicated.’

    “I should be very much obliged if, as occasion may require, you
    would explain the effects of this Excommunication from the Altar.

“You will please take notice that the Registrar or Minister is bound legally to send the notice of marriage referred to above, and also, that in reading it out in the form, and with the accompanying remarks above, you incur no legal penalty.

“I feel sure that with your accustomed zeal you will do everything in your power to prevent abuses in regard to the Sacrament of Matrimony, which is great in Christ and the Church, and to induce the faithful to prepare for receiving it by Prayer, by works of Charity, and by approaching the Sacrament of Penance to purify their souls.—­Yours faithfully in Christ,

    [Image:  Cross] A. BROWNRIGG.”