example. A motive that ought to influence the houfe in favour of the prince was the generofity with which parliament had increased the revenues of the crown, fince the king's acceffion, and that too in times of great difficulty and expence. Why should not the prince partake of the fame indulgence? He would, nevertheless, object to the fmalloets of the fum fet apart for the annual payment of the prince's creditors: it threw them at an unroafonable distance from the term of final fettlement. A larger portion of his income ought to be appropriated to fojust a purpose; and he was of opinion, that not less than fixtyfive thousand pounds a year, toge ther with the revenues of the duchy of Corrwall. fhould be facrificed to the liquidation of his debts. The credit arifing to him, from fo liberal an appropriation, would more than compenfate the inconveniences that might accrue from the stinted income to which he would of confequence be narrowed. Were these inconveniences to be put in competition with the applaufe he would gain from the whole kingdom? In order, however, to obviate the difficulties that might be apprehended from too circumferibed an income, Mr. Fox advised the felling of the duchy of Cornwall; the produce of which would enable the prince to discharge all incumbrances in three or four years. He ufed feveral other reafonings on the fubject; after which the houfe diMr. Gray's motion of amendment. Ninety-oine approved, and two hundred and fixty rejected it. The repairing of Carlton-houfe was carried by two hundred and forty-eight against ninety nine, and The marriage expences by two bunGred and forty-one againft a handred. vided on Various other difcuffions took place on this fubject in both houses, fimiler in matter and manner to what has been above-mentioned. It was infifted on by fome, that the duchy of Cornwall ought to be difpofed of for the purpole in question, and by others, that it ought to remain unfaleable, and the revenue only made u'e of. A number of observations were alfo brought forward relating to the nature of that duchy and its tenure, the moneys arising from it during the prince's minority, and whether they were claimable on behalf of the prince. A multitude of arguments were produced on this occafion, and a tedious courle of litigation emplored the attention of the house during feveral fittings. In the house of lords, the duke of Clarence took fevere notice of the conduct of minifters towards the prince, his brother. They had, he faid, carefully deprived him, as far as lay in their power, of the popularity to which he was juftls entitled, for the readinefs of his acquiefcence in all the meafures proposed in relation to him, and had endeavoured to impress the public with the idea that they only had confulted its ine terefts. They had also in the bill, to prevent future princes of Wales from contracting debts, pointed at him with unjustifiable perfonality. It was certainly no equitable treatment of the prince, to fingle him out as an exception to the unbounded liberality with which they fupplied the foreign princes, who applied to them for pecuniary affiftance. The duke of Bedford expreffed himself in much the fame manner. A variety of circumftances, he faid, would occur to candid minds in extenuation of the errors of the prince, which were of a juvenile defcription, and did by no means call for afperity of cenfure. The earl of Lauderdale spoke in the fame tiyle, observing, that debts of a much larger amount had been discharged in the antecedent reigns, without figmatizing the princes who had incurred them. The aid required, confifted of fome hundred thousands; and did it become fo great and opuleut a people, to act with severity towards a young prince, from whofe virtues, abilities, and accomplishments, they might justly expect to derive fo much contentment? This butiness, after it had been agitated during two months, closed, at laff, on the 27th of June, by an adt, fettling on the prince an annual revenue of one hundred and twentyfive thousand pounds, together with the rents of the duchy of Cornwall, valued at thirteen thousand. Out of this income feventy-three thoufand were appropriated to the dif charge of his debts, under the direc tion of commiffioners appointed for that purpose by parliament; and provision was made, at the fame time, to prevent the accumulation of debts, by the regulations that have been specified, and that were not adopted, however, without vio lent debates, This settiement, though carried by a great majority in both houses, was confidered, by feveral of the most respectable members, as injudicious and defective; and they de, clared it their opinion, that confi derable amendments would shortly be necessary, to render it effectual and fatisfactory. CHAP. CHAP. XIII. Affairs of Ireland.-Population. -Ecclefiaftical Divifions of the People.Difcontents at Tythes. Refiflance made to their Collection.-Petition of the principal Roman Catholics, for the Redress of fundry Grievances, to the King.An Answer returned, containing a Number of Conceffions. Secret Connections between many of the Irish and the French Revolutionisis, a Subject of Alarm in England. -The Earl Fitzwilliam appointed to the Government of Ireland. -Meeting of the Irish Parliament.-Ample Supplies granted. The Catholic party prepare to press and enforce their Demands.-Lord Fitzwilliam endeavours to conciliate their Favour.-Motion by Mr. Grattan, for Leave to bring in a Bill for the Relief of the Roman Catholics. Carried. -Joy and Exultation of the Catholics. - Damped, by Intelligence that the British Ministry are averfe to the Measure.-Lord Fitzwilliam difmilled. Succeeded by Lord Camden. - An Address voted to Lord Fitzwilliam, by Parliament, highly approving his Conduct. Various Addrejes to his Lordship from different Parties of the disaffected.-Extreme terjatility of the Irish Parliament.-The Motions carried but a few Days before, almost unanimously negatived now by great Majorities. The unleadine's and tergiversation of the Irish Parliament-men. Sow the Seeds of Miftrust and Jealousy in their Conflituents. Altercations in the British House of Peers, respecting the Instructions given to Lord Fitzwilliam, previously to his affuming the Government of Ireland.-Motion by the Duke of Norfolk, for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Conduct of Ministry in this Matter, and the Grounds for their Dismissal of the Earl Fitzwilliam from the Office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Rejected. -Dekates in the House of Commons on a fimilar Motion.-And which met with a fimilar Fate. --Speech from the Throne, And Prorogation of Parliament. THE HE most important subject brought into parliament, during the present session, was the fituation of Ireland. This large, fertile, and populous, island, justly intitled the fifter of Great Britain, was, at this period, in a fermentation, that had subsisted, in a greater or less degree, ever fince the dangers threatening the British empire during the Ame١٣٠ These had induced, on pelled, the miniftry of ri Britain to permit the whole Irifh nation to take up arms, in order to preserve the country from the invafion of the Spaniards and the French, whose intention it certainly was, at that critical period, to have made the attempt, if they had not been deterred by the numerous force that was prepared to refift them. Emboldened by their numbers, and by the consciousness of their importance on this trying occafion, the people of of Ireland, throwing aside all religious animofities, united in a determination to place themselves on a footing of intire independence on Great Britain, without breaking, however, the connection that held the two kingdoms together by the acknowledgment of one fovereign. This refolve was partly carried into execution; and during some years, the controul of the British Adminiftration over Ireland, remained uncertain and precarious. But the differences, between the Roman Catholics and the Protest ants, gradually diminished the cordiality with which they had united for their mutual security, in the hour of common danger; and the support of England being indifpenfible, for the preservation of the Protestauts, these of course renewed their adherence to this country, which foon recovered its former afcendency, and felt at the fame time the neceffity of affording the strongest countenance to that party; which, partly from religious, partly from political motives, it looked upon as bound for its own fafety to make one common cause with Britain. The population of Ireland is calculated at near four millions; three of these confift of Roman Catholics, the other million of Proteftants, one half of whom adheres to the Church of England, the other to that of Scotland, from which country the majority of the people of that perfuafion are originally defcended. But, though the antipathy of the Prefbyterians to the Church of Rome far exceeds that of the Epifcopalians, the exclufive privileges enjoyed by those in all matters relating to government, have by degrees contributed to reconcile the Roman Catholics with the diffenters from the Church of England, and to connect them together in the pursuit of their political interefts. The fuperiority of numbers, on the fide of the Catholics and Diffenters, amounting, according to their representation, to seven-eighths of the whole nation, naturally excited their discontent at their subjection to so inferior a proportion of their countrymen. The Ronan Catho lics, in particular, whose religious zeal was inflamed by the exaction of tythes and other ecclefiaftical dues, enforced upon them usually with great strictness, frequently resisted the collectors, and treated them with unmerciful violence. The moderate party in the Irish parliament, fearful of the conse. quences that might ensue from this hoftile disposition in so vast a majority of the inhabitants, thought it prudent to frame fuch regulations in the collection of tythes and church dues, as might remove the complaints of those who decined them. felves aggrieved: but their endeavours to obtain from the legislature the establishment of fuch arrange ments, as might prove less onerous were entirely frustrated: the ruling party dreaded that, by complying with these demands, others would follow, attended with more danger cither in the grant or the refufal. This repulfe of an attempt which was thought equally consistant with the justice and good policy, deeply exasperated all those who were af fected by it. Affemblies of the principal Roman Catholics were held, wherein it was refolved to ap. ply to the king himself, for a redress of those hardships, and of other legal oppreffions; and to petition him, at the fame time, for a participation in all the rights of their fellow fubjects. Nor This was an application of the most ferious nature. A total compliance or rejection were fraught with equal peril. The British ministry were defirous to oblige one party without offending the other. But the Roman Catholics, numerous and determined, were become fo formidable, that it did not appear fafe to refuse the petition, which they were convinced was founded on manifest equity. The Irish legiflature, on the other hand, composed entirely of Proteftants, were zealous in oppofing demands that would place their antagonists on a parity with themselves. was the miniftry inclined to weaken in any effential manner the Proteftant inferest in Ireland, on which alone it had long been used to place any reliance In order, therefore, to retain the attachment of the one, and not to lose the good will of the other, an answer was returned to the petition, containing a number of material conceffions: the validity of marriages with Protestants, the right of taking apprentices, of keeping schools, and of pleading at the bar, with other privileges hitherto withheld from them, were fully established. When the reftrictions so many years laid on the Roman Catholics in Ireland, and of which they had fo bitterly complained, are duly confidered, these were certainly valuable conceffions: but the firmly cherished hope, of a total deliver ance from all disqualifications, was fo predominant among them, that these grants met with a cold reception. The murmurs and difcontents that now prevailed both among the Catholics and the Diffenters, ex cited the most serious alarnıs in England. The secret connexions, fubfifting between many of the Irish and French revolutionifts, justly dreaded, and it was not doubted, that these would exert their utmost efforts to ftir up infurrections in that kingdom. were It was in this critical juncture, that earl Fitzwilliam was appointed to the government of Ireland. His inclination to healing measures rendered this appointment peculiarly acceptable to the people of that kingdom, and he was received with universal fatisfaction. The rith parliament met on the 22d of January, 1795, and unanimoufly voted him the most favourable addrefles; and, on the 9th of February, agreed to the amplest supplies that had ever been granted in that kingdom. In the mean time, the Catholic party was preparing to renew its folicitations, and to enforce them with all the weight that time and circumftances would produce in their favour. Lord Fitzwilliam foon perceived that he would find it impracticable to defer the decifion on their demands, without incurring the highest danger: in order to place himself in a favourable light with this formidable party, he employed, in the transactions with its leading members, a perfon in whom the Catholics univerfally confided, as a friend to conciliatory meafures: this was the celebrated Mr. Gratian, whom they had felected as the moft proper and active member of the legillature, for the affecting of their purposes. He moved, accordinglys on the 12th of February, for leave to bring in a bill for the relief of per fons profeffing the Roman Catholic religion, The |