bigh's horrid accents seemed to have the ascendancy. The lords of the court, forgetful of their politeness (their last pretence to the character of gentlemen) assumed the office of sergeant-at-arms, and in person drove out all strangers; not only those who did not belong to either house, but the members of the House of Commons did not escape the burlesque interposition of the servants of the crown. The majority of the other house, at the instance of Mr. Onslow, resented or seemed to resent the exclusive rigour of the House of Lords, by imitating it. * I must here break off: Truly yours, HENRY GRATTAN. *The House of Commons retaliated by excluding all strangers. The clamour was such, that Sir Fletcher Norton (the Speaker) exclaimed, "Gentlemen, be orderly, you are almost as bad as the House of Lords.', Colonel Barre said, “that a bear-garden did not equal the horrid indecency of the peers." Lord Mansfield, who was Speaker in the Lords, did not act. Lord Chatham and others entered a protest against this conduct. The people saw through the entire proceeding. CHAPTER IX. Historical retrospect.-System of corruption in Ireland.-Treatment of the Commons. Increase of the army.-Close of the Townshend ministry.-Political songs.-Mr. Grattan's writings at this period.-His character of Lord Chatham.-Sir Hercules Langrishe. His character. His Barataria.-Lines on him by Mr. Grattan.-Poem of Langrishe on Miss Catley and Miss Weiwitzer.-Opinions on the late Viceroy. -His conduct at Quebec.-Mr. Flood.-His social character--His style of speaking.-His scholarship and literary talents. His personal appearance. The Octennial Bill.-The Militia Bill.-Design of the ministry to destroy the Irish aristocracy.— Flood's acceptance of office.-The Harcourt administration.-Its prodigality.-Ireland and America. We now return to the affairs of Ireland, and follow the government of the Viceroy to its close. Lord Townshend not only resorted to the pension list, but adopted another expedient; the commissioners of revenue were a class of men excluded by the laws of England, as well as the spirit of the constitution, from sitting in Parliament; yet these were to be augmented and introduced into Thus the protest, the Parliament of Ireland. the prorogation, the altered money-bill, the increase of the commissioners of revenue, and their introduction into the House of Commons, show the perverse genius of the government of England; how it forgot itself in its conduct towards Ireland, and how it relaxed into an open contempt for the form as well as the spirit of the constitution. The country was impoverished by expenses she could not bear, and by pensions she ought not to pay; yet the Government laid heavier burdens upon her, and proposed to increase the commissioners of the revenue from seven to twelve. On a motion of Mr. Flood, however, in November 1771, a resolution that seven commissioners were sufficient, was carried against the court by a najority of 46; and afterwards, on the motion of Mr. Brownlow, it was carried by 123 to 101, that the entire house, with the Speaker at their head, should go to the Castle, and lay the resolution before the Lord Lieutenant. That was accordingly done, but in utter contempt for their opinion, Government appointed the new commissioners,-seven for the customs and five for the excise,—and set the resolutions of the House of Commons at defiance; the Lord Lieutenant stating in reply that the King's letter had come over to appoint seven commissioners of customs and five commissioners of excise. Accord ingly, in December following, the commissioners were appointed. The army, which consisted of 12,000 men, was increased to 15,000, and with the stipulation that not less than 12,000 should be kept in Ireland for her internal defence; and the use that was made of this increase was to send 4,000 of them away to conquer America, and they evaded the stipulation by holding out a bribe to the country, which they reduced to beggary, offering to save the pay of the troops thus removed from the kingdom. At length the Townshend ministry ended its career by introducing, in December, another altered money bill, in which the British cabinet had taken off the duties on certain goods imported from Great Britain; which alteration so highly inflamed the people, that the House of Commons even kindled, and on a motion of Mr. Flood, the bill was rejected without a division. The publications of the day teemed with attacks on Lord Townshend. Mr. Flood, Mr. Grattan, and Mr. Langrishe inveighed against his administration in various most severe productions, and the following humorous one was composed by Mr. Langrishe on the occasion: A BALLAD ON THE REJECTION OF THE ALTERED MONEY BILL 1. REPUBLISHED WITH EXPLANA TORY NOTES, BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. I. I'll tell you a story, 'tis not of three crows,2 Nor the dog that the letter refus'd to disclose,2 But a strife 'mongst the Commons that lately arose, II. They granted their sovereign a gallant supply, 1 In absolute governments, where the people have only a permitted property, the will of the monarch is the source and the limit of taxation. In free governments, like those of Great Britain and Ireland, the reverse obtains; and, therefore, we see that in these, the will of the people, expressed by their representatives, is the origin and the measure of all supplies; and that the crown hath only a power to accept or refuse, not to propound or alter. Montesquieu. Two new stories invented by Sir George Macartney;-the one, to prove that there would be no protest or prorogation; the other, to show there was no scheme of dividing the revenue-board. People thought he knew these matters better than any one, he being a man of great parts and having continual access to his own office; but next day, it appeared, that he had deceived them, through forgetfulness, he having a treacherous memory. Stirling. 3 Attorney-General of England, and practitioner at the bar of Nandoe's coffee-house. He and his connexions are notorious friends of liberty in every part of the British dominions. Boston Gazette. |