Mr. Ponsonby thought it would be extremely wrong to shew any unwillingness to receive the bill. A people of such exemplary loyalty had his best wishes.

Mr. Brownlow said, that whatever could tend to unite the people of the country, and strengthen their attachment to it, deserved the most serious attention of the legislature. The most free and unrestrained toleration in all religious matters ought to be granted to every man; a good subject should never be questioned as to his articles of faith, but should enjoy the full benefit and protection of the law. There was no other country on the face of the earth, where seven tenths of the whole people were excluded from the benefits of the law, and the privileges of their fellow subjects, merely because they differed in religious opinions; yet, under this oppression, the Roman Catholics had retained their loyalty and love to their country, and it was but justice to grant them relief. Leave was given to bring in the heads of the bill without any opposition.

On the 5th of February, Mr. Gardiner being indisposed, Mr. Dillon presented heads of a bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics, which brought on a debate, in which several other leading members of the house declared their sentiments and dispositions upon the subject. Sir Hercules Langrishe and the provost were strongly for the measure. Mr. John Burke finding that he could not effectually oppose the bill, moved, that it should be an instruction to the committee, to introduce into the bill a full recital of all the acts or clauses of acts intended to be repealed; in which he was supported by Mr. Mason and Mr. Parnell, and opposed by Mr. Fitzgibbon and the rest of the house. Sir Boyle Roche said, that whenever the subject was mentioned, he was always struck with the greatness of the object, no less than the delivering millions of his fellow subjects, who for a hundred years had groaned in bondage, and restoring them to the enjoyment of liberty in their native country. He said, that no man in the nation denied, that upon every principle of justice, honour, truth, and public good, the Roman Catholics of Ireland ought to be set free, and asked whether they could ever be a great and happy people till it were accomplished. He hoped no man would think himself interested in still fomenting division and dispute ; and though allowance must be made for prejudice, yet he hoped no man in the nation was malignant enough to gratify his spleen by the ruin of his country. The poor unhappy Roman Catholics, for a hundred years had laboured under the most cruel hardships that prejudice could impose; yet such was their love of their country, that even oppression could not shake their fidelity; they scarcely uttered their distress, or if a sigh escaped, it was directed to the compassion of their generous countrymen,

whose love of liberty, they hoped, would at last impart that blessing to them.

Mr. Hussey Burgh protested, that when the house was about to repeal all the laws that oppressed Roman Catholics, he should never chuse to look back upon that cruel code which would stand as an impeachment to the Protestant name, whose greatest glory was universal toleration and benevolence.

On the 15th of February, the order of the day for going into the Catholic bill having been called, a conversation took place upon the propriety of its being then committed, when the house, which was uncommonly crowded with strangers, was appalled by Mr. Fitzgibbon's apprizing them,* that till that morning he had never considered the bill as dangerous; but on reading it over carefully, the first clause had struck him as a repeal of the Act of Settlement, the Act of Forfeiture, and the Act of Reassumption; that if so, it must destroy the new titles under the Popery laws, and entangle the whole kingdom in a maze of confusion. He therefore entreated the friends of the bill to agree with him in putting it off, till those doubts, which had arisen from the first clause were done away; or till that clause could be modified, so as to grant relief to the Catholics without injuring the persons holding under the new titles. He declared himself a firm friend to toleration, and he wished to allow the Catholics a power of obtaining perpetuities, but thought that three or four days delay could not injure their prospect of relief; though by allowing time to make the bill more perfect, it might save the nation from much distress.

Mr. Metge expressed the same opinion; upon which Mr. Grattan observed, that though the bill were incomplete, it was no cause for not going into a committee; it was that very cause that rendered a committee necessary. He then went into a detail of the sundry delays and interruptions the bill had met with in its progress to maturity, and finished with declaring, that if it were not ripe then, it never would be so. Mr. Grattan disclaimed every intention of disturbing property, and was willing to al. ter the clause complained of, in any way that the learned gentlemen of the bar might think would make it safe.

The attorney general, adverting to the importance of the subject before the house, said, that the opinion expressed by Mr. Fitzgibbon, of the dangerous tendency of the sweeping clause, had struck the house with a panic, and if the bill were then to come forward, it would inevitably fail of success. Many liberal and generous sentiments had been expressed on the subject of giving toleration to Roman Catholics. He heartily subscribed to the wisdom and humanity, from whence those sentiments arose. 1 Parl. Deb. p. 241.

He was particularly happy in hearing those sentiments from gentlemen who represented the northern counties; on that subject, their opinions should have the greatest weight, and as there were no men who valued liberty higher, there were none would be more forward to bestow it on their countrymen. He had himself been a witness of their wisdom and the spirit of toleration that reigned amongst them. He had seen in Monaghan, at the same moment, three prodigious large congregations flowing out from a meeting-house, a church, and a mass-house; and as the individuals that composed them had joined in the street, they have blended and united into one body, with every mark of affection and good will: that was true religious toleration; and the most striking examples of it were to be found in the north. He would not then proceed further than merely to commit the bill, to shew the people that the house was sincere, and fully resolved to give them the utmost that could safely be granted.

The house then went into a committee on the bill, when it was read, and the further consideration of it adjourned to a near day.

On the 18th of the month, Mr. Gardiner, who had been absent on the 16th, stated in the house, that the objection taken by his friend, (Mr. Fitzgibbon) which had prevented the business from going on, had been examined by the most eminent gentlemen at the bar, both in and out of the house, who were unanimously of opinion, that it did not contain any of that mischief announced by Mr. Fitzgibbon, which had spread so much alarm. Mr. Walsh, a barrister, and Messrs. Dillon, Grattan and Mason, expressed their satisfaction, that the objection to the progress of the bill had been happily done away. Even Mr. Fitzgibbon abandoned his own opinion.

The awful and critical situation of the great body of the Irish people with arms in their hands, and freedom in their hearts, calls our attention to what was going forward out of parliament. We have traced the volunteers rising gradually into the use of arms, organized into discipline, and almost united in one common object, which had now resolved itself into the simple determination of attaining an unequivocal legislative independence. In this situation, the officers of the southern battalion of Lord Charlemont's Armagh regiment, took the lead, and gave movement to the important measures of the volunteer army: they met, and came to the following resolutions :

FIRST ULSTER REGIMENT, COMMANDED BY THE EARL OF

CHARLEMONT.

"At a full meeting, holden at Armagh, on Friday, the 28th day of December, 1781, of the officers and delegates, of the

southern battalion of the said regiment, consisting of eleven "companies, pursuant to adjournment.

"Francis Evans, Esq. in the chair. The following resolutions "were unanimously agreed to, and ordered to be printed in all "the newspapers published within the province of Ulster, and in "the Volunteer Journal of the city of Dublin.

"Resolved, That with the utmost concern, we behold the lit"tle attention paid to the constitutional rights of this kingdom, by the majority of those, whose duty it is to establish and pre"serve the same.

"Resolved, That to avert the impending danger from the na"tion, and to restore the constitution to its original purity, the "most vigorous and effectual methods, must be pursued, to root "out corruption and court influence from the legislative body..

"Resolved, That to open a path towards the attaining of this "desirable point, it is absolutely requisite that a meeting be held "in the most central town of the province of Ulster, which we "conceive to be Dungannon, to which said meeting every volun❝teer association of the said province is most earnestly requested "to send delegates, then and there to deliberate on the present "alarming situation of public affairs, and to determine on, and publish to their country, what may be the result of said meeting. "Resolved, That as many real and lasting advantages may "arise to this kingdom, from said intended meeting being held "before the present session of parliament is much farther ad"L vanced, Friday the 15th day of February next, at ten o'clock "in the forenoon, is hereby appointed for said meeting, at Dun66 gannon as aforesaid.

"Resolved, That as at said meeting it is highly probable the "idea of forming brigades will be agitated and considered, the "several corps of volunteers who send delegates to said meeting "are requested to vest in them a power to associate with some "one of such brigades as may be then formed.

"FRANCIS EVANS, Chairman."

The meeting, in consequence of this requisition, was one of the most important transactions in the modern annals of Ireland. As soon as this bold call appeared, the Castle took the alarm. Captain Evans was the ostensible man, but to take him up might bring things to immediate extremities; to take no notice of it might also be dangerous; a middle course was determined on, and every possible means were used to suppress the meeting; the words of the requisition were animadverted on; and many, even of the best friends of their country, wished no meeting had been called.

As the awful 15th day of February, 1782, approached, doubt and anxiety appeared in every countenance; men of every description were deeply concerned in the event; and perhaps there never was a period more critical to a nation.

The administration was considered by them all to have hitherto treated the demands of the people with scorn: and they charged the parliament with having leagued with administration against them the people with arms in their hands, was bent upon one object, but had no chain of correspondence.

:

Unanimity among the volunteers could alone give efficacy to their resolves; and thus circumstanced, a meeting was formed, at which Lord Charlemont, Mr. Flood, Mr. Grattan, Mr. Stewart (member for Tyrone,) and Mr. Dobbs, a barrister, attended, at which the following resolutions were settled and arranged, both as to the order and the persons by whom they should be respectively moved.

ULSTER VOLUNTEERS.

"At a meeting of the representatives of one hundred and forty"three corps of volunteers of the province of Ulster, held at Dungannon, on Friday the 15th day of February, 1782, Colonel "William Irvine in the chair.

"Whereas it has been asserted; that volunteers, as such, can"not with propriety debate or publish their opinions on political "subjects, or on the conduct of parliament, or public men:

"1. Resolved unanimously, that a citizen, by learning the use "of arms, does not abandon any of his civil rights.

"2. Resolved unanimously, that a claim of any body of men "other than the king, lords, and commons, of Ireland, to make "laws to bind this kingdom, is unconstitutional, illegal, and a "grievance.

"3. Resolved, (with one dissenting voice only) that the powers exercised by the privy council of both kingdoms, or under "colour, or pretence of the law of Poynings', are unconstitutional, "and a grievance.

"4. Resolved unanimously, that the ports of this country are "by right open to all foreign countries not at war with the king; "and that any burthen thereupon, or obstruction thereto, save "only by the parliament of Ireland, are unconstitutional, illegal, "and a grievance.

"5. Resolved, (with one dissenting voice only) that a mutiny "bill not limited in point of duration from session to session, is "unconstitutional, and a grievance.

"6. Resolved unanimously, that the independence of judges "is equally essential to the impartial administration of justice in