themselves more generally to the sacred functions of their holy office.
The English press magnified the advice into a command, and exulted over
the failure of the Repeal movement whose extinction they augured from
the withdrawal of the Catholic priesthood.

Mr. O'Connell, alarmed at the import of a command so fatal, pronounced
the rescript "uncanonical." This led to greater dissensions and bitterer
recriminations. The prelates who condemned the Bequest Act, denounced
those who accepted the task of administering it. One of the body thus
writes:--

"The resolution [referring to one passed at a meeting of the
prelates, which was pronounced by the ministerial press a vote
of unanimous approval of the bishops' acceptance of the office
of Commissioners] did not meet the approval of all the Bishops,
neither could it convey to any one of the Episcopal
Commissioners the most distant notion that in accepting the
office he did not oppose the views and wishes of many of his
Episcopal brethren. When the resolution was moved, there were
six of the protesting Bishops absent, and a moment was not
allowed to pass after it was seconded, when it was denounced in
the strongest manner by two of the Bishops present. They
solemnly declared before the assembled prelates that, in the
event of any prelate accepting the odious office, they would
never willingly hold any communication with him in his capacity
as Commissioner."[4]

But, while disunion reigned at the council board of the Catholic
Hierarchy, the Government plied their task of seducing, dividing and
misrepresenting bishops, priests, people and nation. Out of all the