The Colleges Bill had passed, without a single important amendment, and a Roman Catholic priest accepted the nomination of Government, as president of one of the institutions.

Some of the prelates, too, were said to be favourable to the colleges, even as they were then constituted, and the divisions supposed to exist among them were imparting their acridity to the deepening distractions of the time, when an event occurred--the advent of the Whigs to office--which broke up the great confederacy on which the hopes of the nation were staked.
FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 5: The Repeal "Rent." The weekly contributions to the funds of Conciliation Hall .-- Ed.] [Footnote 6: Moved by the Right Reverend Dr.Brown of Elphin; seconded by the Right Reverend Dr.McNally of Clogher.

Resolved: That the Most Reverend Dr.Crolly be requested to reply to the letter received from the Holy Father, stating that the instructions therein contained have been received by the assembled prelates of Ireland with that degree of profound respect, obedience and veneration that should ever be paid to any document emanating from the Apostolic See, and that they all pledge themselves to carry the spirit thereof into effect." Dr.Crolly had previously explained what he considered true obedience to the rescript.

He writes in reference to a former one in 1839: "In obedience to the injunction of the Holy See, I endeavoured to reclaim those misguided clergymen;" adding that the present was "in order that I should _more efficaciously_ admonish such priests or prelates as I might find taking a prominent or imprudent part in political proceedings."] [Footnote 7: John Reynolds.].