340

DEBATES IN IRISH PARLIAMENT. [CHAP. X. Such were the persons employed by Government, and on whose testimony they relied. Well might Lord Moira exclaim against them with indignation; for, in their hands, what life was safe!-what character secure!!! Curran, who knew them well, for at various trials he had cross-examined them, gives the following vivid description in his celebrated speech on Orr's death. He calls them—

"Vampires who crawl out of their graves in search of human blood--a number of horrid miscreants who avowed upon their oaths that they had come from the very seat of Government-from the Castle, where they had been worked upon by the fear of death, and the hopes of compensation, to give evidence against their fellows; thus the mild and wholesome councils of this government are holden over these catacombs of living death, where the wretch that is buried a man, lies till his heart has time to fester and dissolve, and is then dug up a witness!"

On the 16th January, 1798, Parliament had met; but the opposition had seceded, and Ponsonby, Grattan, Curran, Hardy, and Fletcher were away. It had lost its authority-it had tolerated torture, sanctioned military execution, and indemnified magisterial delinquency. Lord Camden, in his speech, stated that, in the north, subordination and tranquillity had in a great degree been restored; but in the midland and southern parts of the country outrages prevailed, religious animosities were again excited, and plans of assassination concerted. The address

was proposed and seconded by Lords Roden and Bective in the Lords, and by Lord Corry and Maurice Fitzgerald (Knight of Kerry) in the Commons. Doctor Arthur Browne, member for Dublin University, complained of the excesses of the military and yeomanry, and asked by what authority, act of Parliament, or proclamation, the house of every person was burned who was not home at a

CHAP. X. MOTIONS FOR CONCILIATION LOST. 341

particular hour at night?-and why another rule was adopted, namely, that of taking up men supposed to be guilty of treasonable offences, but against whom there was no evidence, and shooting them in cold blood?* He alleged that he could produce numerous instances of such outrages by the military, but forbore to do so, as he did not wish to influence the public mind. He declined to agree

to the address.

Mr. Pelham (Secretary) said, "If some of the irregularities complained of had been committed, they were without the sanction or approbation of Government. He said the military had been moderate, and so had been the administration."

On bringing up the report, Mr. Smith (afterwards Baron of the Exchequer) moved an amendment, praying his Majesty to adopt conciliatory measures. It was seconded by Lord Caulfield, son of the Earl of Charlemont; but according to the rules of the House, it was too late to be received.

On the 5th of March, Sir L. Parsons moved for a committee to inquire into the state of the country, and suggest such measures as were likely to conciliate the popular mind and restore tranquillity. Lord Caulfield spoke well in support of the motion, as did Mr. (afterwards Lord) Plunket; it was also supported by Brown, Hoare, Martin, Tighe, Newenham, and Knox. Lord Castlereagh and a host of placemen opposed the motion, which was lost by a great majority-156 to 19.

The speech of Mr. Plunket caused great sensation. His remonstrance with Government on their proceedings was able and constitutional; but it was in vain addressed to men who had before refused to listen to any lenient or concilia

* Mr. Vandeleur, in a debate soon after this, made a similar statement and complaint, but in vain.

342

MR. PLUNKET'S SPEECH. [CHAP. X.

tory measures. Lord Charlemont, though weak, and ill both in mind and body, and scarcely able to attend to public business, expressed himself in terms of great admiration at Mr. Plunket's successful and spirited display.* In a letter to Dr. Haliday, he speaks of his son (Lord Caulfield) who had made his first appearance in Parliament, and says of him and Mr. Dobbs :-" My two friends have done excellently;-Plunket exceeded all, and is already one of our best and most useful debaters." The following gives a very imperfect sketch of part of Mr. Plunket's speech, but shows how much he disapproved of the course pursued by the Government :

"The rebellion of the mind, by which you are assaulted, is dreadful, and not to be combated by force. You have tried that remedy for three years, and the experiment has failed. You have stopped the mouth of the public by a Convention Bill-have committed the property and liberty of the people to the magistrate by Insurrection Acts-you have suspended the Habeas Corpus Act-you have had and you have used a strong military force-as great a force as you could call for-and there has been nothing that could tend to strengthen your hands or enable you to beat down this formidable conspiracy that you have not been invested with. What effect has your system produced? Discontent and sedition has grown threefold under your management.

"Gentlemen had talked of French principles. These principles had grown indeed, but it was because they had not been resisted by proper means. I wonder not that, assisted by these principles, the rotten fabric of the French *Hardy's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 302.

+ Lord Charlemont's opinion of this remarkable and talented person was fully justified. He proved to be one of the ablest men that ever appeared either in the Senate or at the Bar, whether in the Irish House opposing the Union, and defending the Rights and the Constitution of his country, or in the Imperial Parliament advocating the claims of the Catholics, or in his profession, ascending the Bench, or assuming the seals, he did what few men ever accomplished: he raised himself to the highest honours and offices in the State, and gained the greatest fame, by his abilities alone, and without a sacrifice of character or of principle.

CHAP. X.]

PENAL ACTS PASSED.

343

monarchy had tumbled into atoms; nor do I wonder that they carried terror and destruction through the despotism of Europe; but I had hoped that when the hollow spectre of French democracy approached the mild and chaste dignity of the British Constitution, it would have fled before it it would have done so had you not destroyed the British Constitution before it reached us. You opposed it then with force, and its progress grew upon you. Restore the Constitution, and it will defend you against this monster. Reform your Parliament-cease to bestow upon the worthless the wealth you extract from your people-let the principles of that revolution which you profess to admire, regulate your conduct;-the horrid shade will melt into

air."

*

Government still pursued the same course, and on the 3rd of March they brought in a bill to indemnify magistrates and persons who had transgressed the law in their efforts to preserve the peace. They passed an Insurrection bill, -a bill to suspend the Habeas Corpus,-and a bill to regulate the freedom of the press, imposing thereon additional penalties. This was ably, but in vain, opposed by Mr. PlunketDoctor Duigenan attempted to stop the grant to the Roman Catholic College of Maynooth, and was successfully opposed by Mr. Bushe, and defeated by 62 to 12. Such were the Parliamen

tary proceedings.

He

An instance of the malevolence of Government is recorded in the case of Sir L. Parsons. had incurred their displeasure in consequence of his motion for conciliation,† and therefore was

* Mr. Plunket proposed that compensation should be given to the honest injured men whose property was destroyed in consequence of such transgressions. Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Dobbs contended for this principle, but government would not listen to them. Mr. Dodd's distillery and brewing works at Mutifarnham were burned and destroyed by the military in a most wanton manner, to the amount of many thousand pounds, and no compensation whatever was granted. Numbers of persons were similarly circumstanced.

+ His conduct on this occasion, and his humanity during these trying times, did not pass unheeded or unrewarded; and when Mr. Parsons, at a

344

SIR L. PARSONS (COL.) RESIGNS. [CHAP. X.

to be immolated to their resentment. As the King had dismissed the Duke of Norfolk from the command of the Yorkshire militia for drinking the toast of "The Sovereignty of the People," Sir L. Parsons was to be cashiered for some reason equally just, or for what he terms, in his letter, "a mistaken lenity." Accordingly, objection was made to the mode of discipline in his regiment, and he was induced to resign.*

SIR LAURENCE PARSONS TO LORD CAMDEN.

Dublin, March, 1798.

MY LORD-I have the honour to inform your Excellency, that Major-General Lord Charles Fitzroy communicated to me yesterday a message which he had received through Lieut.-General Craig, from the Commander-inChief, representing that the discipline of my regiment was considerably relaxed since I took the command of it in this garrison, "through my mistaken lenity;" and that I should either change my conduct,-which, with my sense of the duties of such a station, I could not do, or that I should give the power to the other field-officer, a concession to which no Colonel could submit. Conscious that this accusation is perfectly unmerited by me and the men under my command, I shall not stoop to take any further notice of it than to say, that as my object, when I was originally prevailed on to accept of the regiment, was to serve my country, and since those in superior authority have been persuaded that my commanding it has had the contrary effect, I shall not continue any longer in that situation; I must, therefore, request that your Excellency will accept of my resignation.

I am, &c.

L. PARSONS.

LORD CAMDEN TO SIR LAURENCE PARSONS.

Dublin Castle, 28th March, 1798. SIR;-I had yesterday the honour to receive your letter, period long subsequent, set up to represent the King's county in the Imperial Parliament, although Lord Rosse and his brother were adverse to the Catholic claims, yet the individuals who supported him and procured him a number of votes, were Roman Catholics. So sensibly did the Irish feel acts of kindness and humanity, rarely shown to them during these sad disturbances.

*Mr. Conolly resigned also the command of the Londonderry militia.