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the fecretary of ftate for that department, a first lord of trade and plantations.

The defection of a young nobleman, who then poffeffed, and had for fome years held, a finecure office of confiderable emolu ment and diftinction, and who had conftantly been one of the warmest and most able advocates of administration in that houfe, was not more a matter of obfer vation or furprize, than the exceeding feverity of cenfure, and bitterness of language, which marked his expofure and condemnation of their conduct and meafures. Such a defertion, at fuch a period, and fo untoward a direction of abilities, of no ordinary form, might well have been confidered as ominous to adminiftration, if the fudden death of this nobleman, which happened almost immediately after, had not put an end to all expectation and apprehenfion in that refpect.

The question being at length put, at half after one o'clock in the morning, the amendment was rejected, upon a divifion, by a majority of juft two to one; the numbers being 82 to 41. The addrefs was then carried without a divifion.

The debate of this day in the Houfe of Commons, was diftinguished by a circumftance, at that time, rather unufual in parlia

ment. The reprefentation of fomething in the news-papers, which had fallen from Mr. Charles Fox in his fpeech, and which was paffed over at the time without any particular notice, af fording fome diffatisfaction to Mr. Adam, another member, he thought it neceffary to require of the former gentleman, a public difavowal and contradiction of it, through the fame vehicles of intelligence in which it had appeared. This requifition or demand, being deemed highly improper by Mr. Fox, he abfolutely refused a conceffion, which he thought it would be inconfiftent with his character to make. The confequence was, a meffage from Mr. Adam, and a duel with piftols in Hyde Park, in which Mr. Fox wounded. The novelty of the affair would, in any cafe, have excited much curiofity; and this was not only blended greatly increased, but with fcarcely a lefs degree of anxiety, through the intereft which the public took in the life of that gentleman. At the fame time, that the affair being generally attributed rather to the animofity or views of party, than to the oftenfible motives, fo it contributed, not a little, to fpread and inflame that fpirit without doors, from which it was fuppofed to have originated within *.

was

For the particulars of this duel, fee the Chronicle part of our last-volume, page 235.

CHAP.

CHA P. IV.

Vote of cenfare against minifiers, relative to their conduct with respect to Ireland, moved by the Earl of Shelburne. Debates On the question. Part taken by the late lord prefident of the council. Motion rejected upen a divifion. Similar motion in the House of Commons by the Earl of Upper Offory. Defence of adminiftration. Animadverfion. Motion rejected upon a divifion. Motion by the Duke of Richmond, for an economical reform of the civil lift eftablishment. Motion, after confideralle debates, rejected upon a divifion. Minifter opens bis propofitions, in the House of Commons, for affording relief to Ireland. Agreed to without oppofition. Two bills accordingly brought in, and poffed before the recefs. Third bill to lie open till after the holidays. Earl of Shelburne's motion relative to the extraordinaries of the army; and introductory to a farther reform in the public expenditure. Motion rejected on a divifion. Notice given of a fecond intended motion, and the lords fummoned for the 8th of February. Letters of thanks from the city of London to the duke of Richmond and to the Earl of Shelburne, for their attempts to introduce a reform in the public expenditure; and fimilar letters fent to his royal highness the Duke of Cumberland, and to all the other lords who supported the two late motions. Mr. Burke gives notice of his plan of public reform and economy, which be propofes bringing forward after the recess.

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S the affairs of Ireland held a principal place in point of importance, fo they took the lead in the bufinefs of the prefent feffion. The fubject was

Dec. 1ft. first brought forward in the House of Lords, where the Earl of Shelburne prefaced an intended and avowed vote of cenfure on minifters, by fhewing from the journals, that their ad drefs, which had been moved for by a noble marquis, and unanimoufly paffed on the 11th of May laft, had strongly recommended to his majefty's moft ferious conideration, the diftreffed and impoverished state of that loyal and well-deferving people; at the fame time requiring, that fuch documents, relative to the trade and manufactures of Great Britain and Ireland might be laid be.

fore them, as would enable the national wisdom to purfue effectual measures for the common intereft of both kingdoms; and likewife, that the answer, returned from the throne on the following day, was entirely confonant to the ideas and requifition held out in the addrefs.

He then referred to the addrefs which he had himself moved for, and which had been rejected by a great majority on the fecond of the following June, which reftated the neceffity of giving fpeedy and effectual relief to Ireland, and offered the full cooperation of that houfe for the purpofe; at the fame time recommending, that if the royal prerogative, as vefted in the throne by the conftitution, was not adequate to the adminiftering of the relief

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wanted,

wanted, that his majesty would be pleased to continue the parliament of this kingdom fitting, and give orders forthwith, for calling the parliament of Ireland, in order that their juft complaints might be fully confidered, and remedied without delay.

He oblerved, with refpect to the first-mentioned addrefs, that it contained, in its original ftate, as framed by the noble marquis, an implied and juft cenfure on minifters, for their fo long and fo fhamefully neglecting the immediate concerns of our fifter ifland, and in fo doing, endangering the union, and facrificing the profperity of both kingdoms. That the noble earl, then at the head of his majesty's counfels, propofed an amendment, by which the cenfure was omitted, and the addrefs reduced to its prefent form. That, although the amendment did not meet the ideas of many lords on that fide of the house, any more than his own, yet they agreed to accept of it, left their rigid adherence to the original terms of the addrefs, fhould produce the abfolute rejection of the whole. They beheld a people already driven to the verge of defpair, and they could not look forward, without the greatest apprehenfion, to the fatal confequences which were to be expected, from the rejection, by a majority in that houfe, of any propofal, which at fo critical a period, carried even the appearance of being in their favour.

That the noble framer of the addrefs, with feveral other lords on that fide, in confenting to the modification, which extracted the fting against minifters, did it expressly on the condition, that its great object, the obtaining of ef

fectual and immediate relief for Ireland, was to be fixed and inviolable. He then obferved, that a fimilar addrefs had on the fame day been paffed by the House of Commons; fo that these two addreffes, with the answers from the throne to both, held out the full concurrence of every part of the legislature in granting the propofed relief.

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Thus, he faid, a new æra was commenced in the affairs of Ireland. This furnished a ground of hope, and even of certainty to that kingdom. But what must her indignation and refentment be, when the difcovered that her hopes were totally unfounded; and that no reliance could be placed on any fanction, however folemn or facred, held out by the British legislature? Three weeks had elapfed, without a fingle ftep being taken, or a fingle measure adopted which could tend to the propofed bufinefs. That, in order, if poffible, to prevent the fatal and inevitable effects of fuch a conduct, he had himself, on the 2d of June, moved for that fecond addrefs which had been just read. The minifters fet their faces directly against the remedy, which their own faults had rendered neceffary. The lateness of that feason, the waste of which conftituted no fmall part of their crime, was the oftenfible argument which unhappily prevailed in that houfe to the rejection of his motion; and thus the fate of Ireland was, by a British ministry and parliament, committed to fortune, chance, or accident.

The fituation and circumstances of that country were at the time fingular. She had long maintained, for internal defence and fe

curity,

curity, a great military force, at an expence which exceeded her ability. Of this, contrary to royal faith and compact, fhe had been ftripped, for the fupport of the American war; a conteft in which he had no other national concern, than a well founded caufe of apprehenfion, that the principle from which it had generated, would, in the next inftance, be applied to the fubverfion of her own conftitution. Struggling, as she had been before, under long continued oppreffion, this additional misfortune was decifive. For to crown the climax, in this ftate of weakness, fhe was known to be the marked object of hoftile invafion from our powerful and inveterate enemies.

Still, however, the thought that the wifdom and juftice of a British parliament would afford full redrefs to her domestic evils; and that deprived as the was of her internal ftrength, in the fupport of our quarrel, the power of this country would be her fure protection against the defigns of the enemy. But the time was now arrived, which was to fhew her hopes to be equally delufive in both refpects. After appearances, which feemed only intended as a mockery of her diftrefs, every profpect of relief was finally closed by the rifing of the British parliament. On the other hand, as to the point of defence, the minifters told them plainly they must take care of themfelves; they would spare them fome arms; but as to protection, they acknowledged openly, and pleaded, inability.

Thus expofed, defenceless, and abandoned, Ireland was reduced to the fimple alternative, of either

perifhing, or finding the means of prefervation within herself. Through the public fpirit, and gallantry of her fons, fhe was happily faved. With a peculiar magnanimity, the most divided people in the univerfe inftantly forgot all their differences, and united as one man to ward off the impending deftruction of their country. The miracle in this in ftance, could only be equalled by that which minifters had already produced, in the union of the thirteen American colonies. Above forty thousand men were already arrayed, officered, and formed into regular bodies. This, already formidable, and daily increafing force, was not compofed of mercenaries who had no intereft in the cause for which they armed; it was compofed of the nobility, gentry, merchants, refpectable citizens, and fubftantial farmers; men who had each a stake to lofe; and who were willing and able to devote their time, and a part of their property, to the defence of the whole.

By this union and exertion of native ftrength and spirit, all ideas of invafion were effectually erased from the defigns of the enemy. But the Irish became fenfible at the fame time, of the respect due to that internal force, which, until it was called forth through the weakness of government, they were unconscious of poffeffing. The means were in their hands; and they seized the occafion with that spirit and wisdom, which fhewed they were worthy of whatever advantages it was capable of affording.

In thefe circumftances, Ireland only acted the part, which every

thinking

thinking man must have foreseen. the contrary, The government had been abdicated, and the people refumed the powers vefted in it; a measure in which they were juftified, by every principle of the conftitution, and every motive of felf-prefervation. But being now in full poffeflion, they wifely and firmly determined, that in again delegating this inherent power, they would have it fo regulated, and placed upon fo found and liberal a bafis, as would effectually prevent a repetition of thofe oppreffions which they had fo long experienced.

their eyes

were

now opened in fuch a manner, that they viewed it as a natural, inherent, inalienable right; and as it is natural to men to fly from any extreme to its oppofite, they do not by any means ftop there; they not only call in queftion, but they abfolutely deny, the right of the British parliament to bind that country in any cafe whatever; and upon that principle, have actually freighted a veffel with woollen goods for a foreign market, in order, that upon the toppage, or refufal of clearance by the custom-houfe, the queftion might be brought to an iffue in the common courts of law.

Their parliament, ufually at the devotion of the court, found itself, for once, obliged to conform to the univerfal fentiments of the people. The late address to the throne from both Houfes of the Irish parliament declares, that nothing lefs than a free trade could fave that country from certain ruin. This was the united voice of that kingdom, and conveyed through its proper conftitutional organs; there was but one diffenting voice in both Houses. All orders and degrees of men, church of England Proteftants, and Roman Catholics; Diffenters, and fectaries of all denominations; Whigs and Tories; placemen, penfioners, and country gentlemen; Englishmen by birth, all join in one voice, and concur in one opinion, for a free trade. But however guarded and temperate the language held by the Irish parliament upon that fubject may be in their addrefs, the public at large, in that country, were by no means difpofed to confider the freedom of trade as a matter of favour or affection; on

It was obvious, that at the time the noble marquis moved the first addrefs, very moderate conceffions would have afforded a full gratification to Ireland; that fhe would have thankfully received them, both as a proof of prefent affection, and as an earnest of further favour, when a more aufpicious feafon fhould prefent a happier opportunity; and all who know the character of that country would acknowledge, that with such a proof of our kindnefs and good difpofition, fhe would have difdained to prefs us, during the time of our troubles and difficulties, for any thing more, than what her own neceffities rendered indifpenfably and immediately neceffary.

On the other hand it was equally evident that through the obftinacy of minifters, no less than their incapacity, and the contempt with which they rejected the advice of parliament, the happy season of conciliation and gratitude was now irrecoverably

loft;

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