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

He obferved, with refpect to the first-mentioned addrefs, that it contained, in its original ftate, as framed by the noble marquis, an implied and just cenfure on minifters, for their fo long and fo hamefully 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 erri, then at the head of his majesty's counfels, propofed an amendment, by which the cenfure was omitted, and the addreis reduced to its present form. That, although the amendment did not meet the ideas of many lords en that fide of the houfe, 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 greateft 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 ministers, did it ex preisly on the condition, that its great object, the obtaining of ef

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

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 legiflature? Three weeks had elapfed, without a fingle step being taken, or a fingle measure adopted, which could tend to the propofed bulinefs. That, in order, if pollible, to prevent the fatal and inevitable effects of fuch a conduct, he had himself, on the zd of June, moved for that fecond addrefs which had been just read. The minifters set their faces directly against the remedy, which their own faults had rendered neceffary. The latenefs of that feafon, 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 miniftry and parliament, committed to fortune, chance, or accident.

The fituation and circumftances 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 fripped, 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 The had been before, under long continued oppreffion, this additional misfortune was decifive. For to crown the climax, in this fate of weaknefs, 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 domeftic evils; and that, deprived as fhe was of her internal strength, 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 distress, every profpect of relief was finally clofed by the rifing of the British parliament. On the other hand, as to the point of defence, the minifters told them plainly they muft take care of themselves; they would spare them fome arms; but as to protection, they acknowledged openly, and pleaded, inability. Thus expofed, defencelefs, and abandoned, Ireland was reduced to the fimple alternative, of either

perishing, or of finding the means of prefervation within herfelf, Through the public spirit, and gallantry of her fons, he 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 inflance, 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 interest in the caufe for which they armed; it was compofed of the nobility, gentry, merchants, refpectable citizens, and fubftantial farmers; men who had each a ftake 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 fpirit, all ideas. of invation were effectually erafed from the defigns of the enemy. But the Irish became fenfible at the fame time, of the refpect due ́ to that internal force, which, un til it was called forth through the weakness of government, they were unconscious of poffeffing. The means were in their hands; and they feized the occafion with that fpirit and wifdom, 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 forefeen. The government had been abdicated, and the people refumed the powers vested in it; a meafure in which they were juftified, by every principle of the conftitution, and every motive of felf-prefervation. But being now in full poffeffion, 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 bañs, as would effectually prevent a repetition of thofe oppref. fions which they had fo long experienced.

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 addrefs to the throne from both Houfes of the Irish parliament deciares, that nothing less 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 Houfes. All orders and degrees of men, church of England Proteftants, and Roman Catholics; Diffenters, and fectaries of all denominations; Whigs and Torics; placemen, penfioners, and country gentlemen; Englishmen by birth, all join in ene veice, and concur in one opinion, for a free trade. But however guarded and temperate the language held by the Irish parliament upon that fubjet 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

the contrary, 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 question, 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 vetfel with woollen goods for a foreign market, in order, that upon the ftoppage, or refufal of clearance by the custom houfe, the question might be brought to an iffue in the common courts of law.

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 he would have thankfully received them, both as a proof of prefent affection, and as an earnest of further favour, when a more aufpicious feafon should prefent a happier opportunity; and all who know the character of that country would acknowledge, that with fuch a proof of our kindness and good difpofition, he would have dif dained to prefs us, during the time of our troubles and difficulties, for any thing more, than what her own neceffities rendered indifpenfibly and immediately neceffary.

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

lost;