the falvation of the state; and, however he might have been calumniated as an eager and ambitious candidate for power, he pledged himself never to make one of any administration with which parliamentary reform was not a leading object; and that, if this measure failed, he would not continue in office. Yet he allowed there might be men of talents and integrity, perfectly well qualified for the first offices of the state, who would not confider parliamentary reform as a neceffary ingredient in their system; and, fo long as they acted for the public advantage, they should have his fupport.---In allufion to the threatened invafion, his grace declared it must be obvious to every man, that, if the French fucceeded, we should be the most degraded of nations. No rational person could, for a moment, believe that they who oppose administration would abet the defigns of an invading enemy, that they who have conftantly contended for the liberties of their countrymen would join an enemy whofe avowed object is to destroy them. What then can we think of minifters when we fee them encouraging these base calumnies? It is certain no man can take any share in oppofition to the measures of administration without being thus ftigmatized." My lords," faid the noble speaker, « determined as I am, never, by any act of mine, to contribute to the continuance of the prefent war, ftill, if we are attacked by the enemy, I will be among the foremoft to maintain the liberties of my country against all oppreffors, tyrants, and invaders.---Never will I fight for the prefent minifters; for I know of no more decided enemies to their country and their king than they are. I may for the moment fufpend my oppofition to them, but it will be only for a moment. When I return, I return as decided a foe to them as ever. I abhor their conduct, I deteft their principles, and against the fyftem upon which they have acted I vow eternal enmity. If ever an unmanly timidity should make me enter into an alliance with them, if ever base fear fhould induce me to join with them in oppreffing my coun

try,

try, may the just indignation of the people purfue me! may the deteftation of the world be my lot! and may the great Creator pour down his heaviest curfes upon my apoftate head!"--The motion of address, after a long and vehement debate, was negatived by a majority of 100 voices.

It was impoffible that the alarming state of Ireland should not excite very uneasy apprehenfions; although, fince the recognition of the national independence of that kingdom and its legislature, it was difficult to bring any question relative to Irish affairs in a manner perfectly regular before the British parliament.-Early in the feffion, and previous to the Chriftmas recefs, however, the earl of Moira, a nobleman of great property, influence, and popularity, in that kingdom, and member of both legislatures, deeming points of form to be wholly fubordinate to those grand objects for which government itself was ordained and constituted, thought it indifpenfably neceffary to renew the motion made by him in the preceding feffion for an addrefs to the king refpecting the fituation of Ireland. This nobleman obferved, that " he had unavailingly called the attention of the house last year to the state of that country, and had in vain predicted the confequences which the fyftem of government established there must inevitably produce, The neceffity of interpofition was now become more urgent. All confidence, all fecurity, were taken away. No one could say who would be the next victim of the oppreffion and cruelty which he faw others endure. The greatest and moft wanton barbarities had been committed; but he wifhed, from prydential motives, to draw a veil over these aggravated enormities. He entreated the houfe to take into ferious confideration the tendency of the prefent measures, which, instead of removing difcontents, had increased the number of the difcontented. The moment of conciliation was not yet paffed; but if the system were not changed, he feared that Ireland would be loft to this country for ever."

The

The motion was oppofed by lord Grenville, and the lordchancellor, who afferted that it was of a nature particularly unfit for the difcuffion of that houfe, as their lordships had no authentic information of the grievances of Ireland, in the first place; and no power to redrefs them, if existing, in the fecond. They could not pafs an opinion upon them regularly; nor attempt to act, without fubverting law and counteracting authority. Times of imminent danger required vigorous exertions; but no one could say that the adminiftration of juftice had ever been interrupted; nor ought any infinuations to be thrown out against the parliament of Ireland, as if that affembly were deficient in their care for the welfare and the interefts of their country.— The question of adjournment was then put and carried.

Before the end of this feffion, nevertheless, the general ftate of affairs in Ireland became fuch as to force itself again upon the notice of parliament. On the 26th of March the earl of Moira once more drew the attention of the houfe, by ftating, "that he had the affidavits of a hundred perfons in his poffeffion, to prove that torture had been employed in forcing confeffions from individuals, against themselves and against their neighbours; that horrible devaftations had been made on the houses and property of perfons accused of difaffection. The deponents were ready to come forward at the bar of the houfe with their teftimonies; but he wifhed to avoid whatever might tend to exasperate; he should therefore content himself with placing his affidavits in the hands of the noble lord on the woolfack."-The marquis of Downfhire entered into an elaborate vindication of the conduct of the executive government in Ireland; to which, when lord Moira rofe to reply, he was called to order by lord Carnarvon, who urged the impropriety and danger of fo irregular a converfation; ani, offering to explain, the duke of Athol moved an adjournment of the house.

On

On the 15th of June the duke of Leinster, a nobleman of the highest rank and refpectability in Ireland, and a peer also of Great Britain, after a fpeech, in the course of which his feelings appeared deeply agitated, moved an addrefs to his majesty, humbly requefting "that his majesty would deign to direct the proper officer to lay before this houfe a full and ample statement of the facts and circumftances which had led to the difaftrous affairs of Ireland, and of, the measures which had hitherto been pursued for the purpose of averting fuch momentous evils. That, however alarming the difcontents now prevailing in the fifter-kingdom were, we would not defpair; but that the refult of fuch difcuffion would enable us to aflift his majefty, according to our conftitutional duty, with fome well-adapted remedy, fuch as might reftore, in that dif tracted part of the British empire, confidence in the laws by due adminiftration of them, obedience to his majesty's government by a temperate use of its powers, and union amongst all descriptions of perfons in that kingdom."

A long and animated debate erfued, in which the motion was fupported by the dukes of Norfolk, Bedford, Devonfhire, and Leeds, the earls of Suffolk, Moira, Fitzwilliam, and Besborough, and lord Holland; and oppofed by the lords Townshend, Carlifle, Grenville, Spencer, and the lord-chancellor. On the divifion there appeared, contents 18, not-contents 51.-A ftrong proteft was figned by the diffenticnt peers.

Upon the fame day lord George Cavendish, after a short and emphatic fpecch, introduced into the houfe of commons the following ferics of refolutions, as proper and neceffary to be adopted by that houfe for the falvation of Ireland:

1. That whenever this houfe is called upon for fupplies of men or money, to be provided by levies and taxes on our conftituents, it is our right and duty to watch over and control the purposes to which they are to be applied.

"That

2. That this house is ready to make every exertion in its power to enable his majesty to subdue all rebellion against his lawful authority-trusting he will temper feverity with mercy, and never lose fight of that equitable policy which, by the redress of real grievances, may fecure to him the loyalty and affection of his people.

" 3. That although we shall be ready at all times, by all just means, to maintain the unity of the British empire, and our connexion with Ireland as a part of it, yet we never can believe it is the wish of his majesty to support the principle of governing that country as a conquered and hostile country-a principle no lefs contrary to justice than to the interests of the two kingdoms.

"4. That it is the duty of the minifters to advise his majefty, that he would be graciously pleased to repeat the recommendation which he made through the lord-lieute nant of Ireland to that kingdom in 1793, feriously to confider the fituation of the Irish Catholics, and to confider it with liberality, for the purpose of cementing general union amongst his majesty's subjects in support of the eftablished constitution.

«5. That fuch perfons as have expreffed their difappro bation of meafures of conceffion, and under whofe adminiftration Ireland has been reduced to a situation fo imminently dangerous to the interefts and happiness of the empire, cannot be effectual channels of his majesty's royal and beneficent intentions towards their fellow fubgrace

jects."

These excellent resolutions were feconded by lord John Ruffel; and it was pleafing to those attached to the ancient fyftem of Whiggifm in this country, to fee the illustrious names of Ruffel and Cavendish combined in opposition to thofe fatal meafures which had reduced the British empire to the very verge of deftruction. After a long debate, from which, as from that in the upper houfe, ftrangers were punctiliously excluded, the ministry, like the foolish oftrich,