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180

BREACH OF FAITH.

[CHAP. VI. another-namely, delay. Various excuses were made for not swearing in Lord Fitzwilliam :—the King at one moment was said to be ill; at another moment was at Weymouth, and could not come to London. The appointment not taking place, and Mr. Grattan being informed that some objectionable measures were in progress, he went to the Duke of Portland, and informed him of what he had heard. The Duke expressed his surprise, and stated that he knew nothing of such appointments. While they were in conference an official box was brought in, and on opening it the list of the appointments (the jobs*) that Mr. Grattan complained of were there found. The Duke said to Mr. Grattan, "They are scandalous, but you may depend on it not one of those papers will ever see His Majesty." However, in a little time after, every one of the appointments appeared in the Gazette. Such was the honesty of Mr. Pitt's ministry!—such the faith observed towards Ireland!!

This circumstance must naturally have opened Mr. Grattan's eyes, and he began to fear that things were not likely to terminate so well as was expected; and this it was that induced him to act afterwards with more promptitude and decision. In fact, the Duke of Portland was a weak man; he certainly had done some good things in Ireland, though with what exact view many men doubted; but he was really afraid of Mr. Pitt, and had not courage to put a direct question to him; thus the party were deceived, and Mr. Pitt's artful and insincere policy completely succeeded.

* One of these appointments was that of Mr. Cooke, whose conduct in 1798 and 1800, showed Mr. Grattan's foresight in making the objection.

See the letters of Lord Shelburne to the Duke of Portland in reference to the question of a Union, Appendix to Vol. I.

CHAP. VI.]

THE KING'S LEVEE.

181

At length His Majesty came to London on the 10th of December, to swear in Lord Fitzwilliam. Mr. Grattan attended his levee, and was well received. The King was very civil, and spoke to him so much, as to attract particular attention; and the day after, Lord Loughborough waited upon him and complimented him on the reception he met with. Mr. Burke, who had gone to Court to thank His Majesty for his pension, called also on Mr. Grattan, and congratulated him on the prospect of success. He was in mourning, looked very ill, and was very melancholy-talked a good deal about the loss of his son-said "that the pension would be of very little use to him—that it came too late to contribute to his comfort, as he had lost the person for whom alone he would have desired it-he was sorry he had accepted it, but he was so pressed by the King that he could not refuse it." Both these individuals conceived that the question as to the Catholics was concluded, and, in fact, carried,

CHAPTER VII.

Lord Fitzwilliam arrives in Ireland, January, 1795-Joy of the people -Addresses from Protestants and Catholics-His reply-Speech to the Irish Parliament-Mr. Grattan moves the address to the KingEdmund Burke's remark-Mr. Grattan proposes a grant of 200,0002. to raise 40,000 seamen-Sir Lawrence Parsons as to the principles and intentions of the Whig party-Reduction in the national expensesMr. Grattan obtains leave to bring in the Catholic bill-Lord Fitzwilliam is recalled-Sir Lawrence Parsons moves a short money billAlarming state of the country in consequence of Lord Fitzwilliam's recall-Vote of approbation of his conduct by the House of Commons -Private history of the intrigues of the Beresford party with Mr. PittProceedings as to Messrs. Beresford, Cooke, Wolfe, and Toler-Letters of Lord Fitzwilliam and the Duke of Portland, respecting Mr. Beresford-Treacherous conduct of Mr. Pitt-Fatal consequences-Mr. Grattan's opinion thereon-Letters of Mr. Forbes, Lord Loughborough, and Mr. Burke-Proceedings in the British ParliamentProtest of Lords Ponsonby and Fitzwilliam-Letters of Lord Fitzwilliam and Lord Milton.

On the 4th of January, 1795, Lord Fitzwilliam arrived in Ireland: he was received with joy by all classes of people, and addresses of congratulation were presented to him from the principal towns and counties throughout Ireland. The Protestant dissenters welcomed him as the friend of civil and religious liberty-the inheritor of the virtues of his illustrious relation, the late Marquis of Rockingham; the Roman Catholics hailed him as the harbinger of peace, to whom was reserved the glory of completing the benevolent wishes of the father of his people for the union of all his subjects, and they prayed for the abolition of all religious distinctions. In his answers to these addresses, Lord Fitzwilliam stated the principle of his government, and what party was to uphold them, so as to remove all doubts as to his inten

CHAP. VII. LORD FITZWILLIAM'S REPLY.

183

tions and instructions, and to satisfy the minds of the people.

"From the submissive and peaceable conduct of the Catholics of Ireland, under the pressure of restrictions, which considerations of temporary policy, and circumstances peculiar to some unhappy periods of civil dissension, had imposed, there is every reason, at this day, to rely on them for firm fidelity and cordial allegiance. The language you now hold confirms this reasonable expectation; while the gratitude you express to our beloved Sovereign for his paternal care, to which you so loyally and justly ascribe the first openings of your emancipation, and the sentiments you entertain of the magnanimity of a liberal and enlightened Parliament, that rose superior to the prejudices of ages, and displayed a cordial disposition to cease to discriminate between his Majesty's subjects, when every motive for that discrimination had ceased, must be highly satisfactory to every description of your fellow subjects. Such declarations, while they bear so visible a stamp of sincerity and truth, as your address discovers, must afford a pleasing earnest of the happy consequences that necessarily follow from mutual confidence and reciprocal trust among the inhabitants of the same empire, and manifest the wisdom of the measure that had led the way to that unity of sentiment and interest on which, as on their only solid basis, the strength and prosperity of nations rest.

"In the faithful discharge of my duty to his Majesty, it shall be my study to call to my councils those who are distinguished and known for their wisdom, their integrity, and their talents, and who possess the confidence of his Majesty's people. Assisted by their advice, and availing myself of their support, I trust that I shall be enabled to promote the first wishes of his Majesty's heart, by securing the full and cordial union of all his subjects, as the surest means of securing their happiness."

These expressions were clear and intelligible, and could not have been mistaken by Mr. Pitt; he was apprized of them long before the Irish Parliament assembled; he knew their import and tendency, and he never objected to them in the slightest degree, or wrote to Lord Fitzwilliam on the subject. In fact, they were in strict accord

184

LORD FITZWILLIAM'S SPEECH.

[CHAP. VII. ance with the arrangement made by the respective parties in London (Mr. Pitt and the Duke of Portland, Lord Fitzwilliam and Mr. Grattan); but a more distinct intimation of their nature was given in about three weeks afterwards, when on the 22d of January the Irish Parliament assembled. The Viceroy on this occasion delivered a remarkable speech from the throne: he departed from the annual and hacknied commendation of those exclusive establishments (The Protestant Charter schools), and recommended to Parliament the consideration of the state of education in the kingdom. He declared

"That some parts admitted of improvement, others required new arrangements; that the advantages hitherto had been but partial, and as circumstances had made other considerations highly necessary, he hoped that Parliament would order every thing in the manner best adapted to the occasions of the several orders of men who composed his Majesty's subjects in Ireland."

Hopes were entertained that the education of the great mass of the people would be favourably attended to by Parliament; and as nothing had been done since the plan proposed by Mr. Orde, in the time of the Duke of Rutland (1787), that a system would at length be adopted which would embrace all classes of Irish. This important measure, however, which had been mentioned by Mr. Burke in a preceding letter, fell very short of the wants of the people: it was not carried into effect as desired, and only led to the establishment of the Catholic College of Maynooth, for the purpose of preserving the clergy from the contagion of French principles. In alluding to the war with France, the speech reproached the false and spurious liberty of that country, as an ignominious servitude, extinguishing all good arts, and presenting nothing but impiety, crime, disorder, and

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