Majefty to avail himself of all the refources which every part of the empire was capable of affording, and how defirable it therefore was to put Ireland in fuch a fituation as to render her natural strength, her wealth, and population, available for the common fafety of the empire. The unanimity which appeared in this country was a fource of joy to every loyal mind, but the joy of an Irishman was confiderably allayed by the reflection that fo many of his countrymen were, by the oppreffion they endured, by the wretched poverty they fuffered, damped in their ardour for the public fecurity, if not altogether alienated in their affections for the British Government. To remedy this misfortune, he called upon Minitters to attend to the ftare of Ireland, and to reform radically the fyftem by which it had been fo long governed, and that would ferve to establish the tranquillity of Ireland, to place that country beyond the reach of foreign aggreffion and domeftic treafon. He called upon the liberality of Parliament to confider this fubject, and upon the equity of Min fters to recollect the folemn pledges made to the Irith people at the time of that union which deprived Ireland of its Parliament. He demanded of them the execution of thofe promifes, if they wifhed that the profeffions of the British Cabinet thould have any confidence or credit in Ireland. For himself he would confefs, that when that meafure was carried he did not reckon much on the fplendid profpects which he understood were held out by the emiffaries of the British Cabinet to delude the fupporters of that measure, and he from that and ftill stronger reafons oppofed it, but as it had actually taken place it was his with that this important incorporation fhould be the parent of fettlement, and not the nurfe of revolution. He begged it to be underflood that it was not his intention to charge any fet of men with a defigned breach of promife, but he fincerely regretted that his countrymen were deceived, that Minitters were fo inattentive to their wants and wishes, and that a degree of fupineness and delay prevailed with regard to that country which he did not witnefs even in the moft infignificant English object. This was a conduct which any Irishman mutt obferve with pain, as tending to produce the most dreadful calamity to Ireland, and threatening to involve the downfal of the empire. Here the hon. Member entered into a comparison between the fyftems in which the vernment of the two countries was managed, and contended that they were effentially different-the people of England enjoying the privileges of the Conftitution and the advantages

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and profits of induftry, to both of which the people of Ireland were almost entire strangers; for the revolution of 1688, which gave liberty to the former, cramped the industry of the latter, and laid the foundation of the difcords which had fince defolated that unhappy country. The one system, in fact, was as different from the other as perfection was from imperfection. In England the Houfe might be contented with the beaten track, with moving in the ordinary way, but in Ireland they must begin anew in order to do any effectual good. He admitted that, under the beneficent reign of his prefent Majesty, that the greater part of the penalties which difgraced the ftatute book, as applying to the difference of religious fentiments, had been expunged, but fomething still remained to be done. So long as any part of this vicious fyftem was fuffered to exift, he was fully perfuaded that it would be idle to calculate on the peace of Ireland, or to look for harmony or happiness among the people; fo long as this anomaly in the hiftory in Government prevailed, that the minority of the people fhould be authorised to lord it over the majority, and that this fuperiority of power should be vested in perfons of the lowest clafs over thofe of a much higher, merely on this ground, that this majority had too much honesty to act against their conviction, that they would not bafely profefs fentiments of religion which they did not feel. Until the affairs of Ireland thould be put in fome train of fettlement, he would oppofe the idea of an hon. General, that the Members could depart to their refpective homes, fatisfied of having done every thing that was neceffary for the fafety of the empire. If any doubt was entertained of the melancholy fituation of Ireland, or that the picture was exaggerated, let a deputation be appointed by the House to go over to that country, to inveftigate the state of the poor, and to report their opinion to Parliament after the recefs. If fuch a courfe were adopted, he was confident, from what he obferved of the liberality of the Houfe, that relief would be granted to his poor countrymen. The office of deputy on fuch occafion would be one of the highest honours, and one which no doubt any man of humanity would be happy to undertake. Certain he was, that even in the most disturbed times, thould the arrival of fuch ambaffadors be announced in Ireland, the most profligate or defperate in the country would not offend them. This was one of the means to which Ministers ought to refort, to put Parliament in pofleffron of the most authentic information refpecting a country

in which, by justice folely, it was in the power of Ministers to recover the minds of the di'affected, and to substitute the most zealous loyalty or hoftility and defperation. The refidence of the landowners in reland, ought by fome means to be enforced, at least fome branch of each family. There were also other means, into the detail of which he for the prefent declined to go- because it was unneceffary to trespass on the attention of the Houfe in a defcription of that which was already very well known, particularly to his Majesty's Minifters, who might depend upon it, that unless a very liberal plan was adopted for the government of Ireland, that country would be mangled by the most fatal divifion, to which the empire itfelf might ultimately become a prey. If the just expectations of the people of Ireland fhould be fatiffied, and they thould be cordi..lly attached to the British Government, there was very little doubt that we fhould be qualified to defpife the menaces of that infatiable defpot, by whofe machinations alone the horrible atrocity lately committed in Dublin was to be attributed; that to which no Irishman could advert without horror and indignation; bat it proceeded from him who cared not about the means he chofe to accomplish his ends-from him who promised but to deceive-who fought for conqueft only from a defire to promote his military fame and to propagate flavery. That any part of his countrymen could be fo deluded as to trust to the profeffions of fuch a tyrant, or count upon any good to their country through his interference, was to him a fource of the most fincere regret, but of this delufion he trufted that the benevolent interpofition of this House would cure them; that interpofition which humanity and policy fhould urge them to make, in order to protect from bloodfhed a body of men who had the ftrongeft claims to their kindness-who were their fellow fubjects for now above 600 years-who had fought their battles-who had contributed to eftablish their strength and confequence, and who were ftillcapable of affifting in the defence of that ftrength and confe quence, if they were only treated with equity, if the natural refources of the country were properly nurtured. These ad vantages, which it poffeffed from nature, were generally known, and the character of its inhabitants was esteemed wherever it was known; for, of whatever enormities fome of its infatuated people might have been guilty in times of civil commotion-enormities which were equalled if not exceeded under fimilar circumstances in other countries, and

very recently in this, when the paffions had not fo much caufe to be inflamed, yet the reputation of Irifhmen for humanity, fortitude, high honour, and the most extenfive talents, cannot be queftioned, nor excelled in any nation under the Heavens, not even in thofe which boast the greatest wealth and power, and which are the most felfishly conceited. It could not be pretended by Minifters that they did not poffefs the power of granting a complete redrefs of grievances to Ireland; for that monftrous authority was adequate to any thing which was capable in fuch a way to deprive Ireland of its Legislature, which could do that which Lord Auckland once faid would be as difficult as to make the Thaines flow up Highgate-hill. It might be faid that Minifters had in contemplation to bring forward a better fyftem for Ireland, but that it was not yet prepared. The cafe, however, did not admit of delay; and here he took occafion to condemn the procrastination which had fo long diftinguifhed Minifters on this fubject. From the time that the late Minister had accomplished the union, nothing' in fat had been done to render that measure complete, or to follow up it fpirits. To him, as an English Minifter, it certainly was a great object to attain, whatever Irishmen might think of it; but that Minister must have been a wretched politician if he thought an act of Parliament quite enough for the purpofe, while the people were discontented. If he really did not mean to propofe fome conciliatory meafures, he must have been either at blockhead or a knave: but it was understood that he did. The prefent Minifter, however, fuperceded him, and has fince thewn no difpofition to do any fuch thing. His appearance in office was held to be a bad omen for the people of Ireland, and his neglect to attend to them has been productive of incalculable mifchief. The hon. Member proceeded to defcribe the happy confequences which would refult from the appointment of the Prince of Wales to the Lord Lieutenantcy of Ireland. If his Majefty would give this farther proof of his parental attachment to his Irish fubjects, and that his Royal Highnefs would condefcend to accept of it, he had no doubt that his character, which was in ftill higher eftimation than his high rank, would excite a degree of unparalleled enthufiafm throughout all Ireland. The people would justly fay, "We have heard of Princes vifiting our inland, but they have vifited us as conquerors and pillagers; but your Royal Highnefs comes to us with the olive of peace." The disposition of this illuftrious perfonage, and his know

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attachment to the Irish people, would naturally enough pro839 duce fuch a fentiment-but, there was little hope that they would have the honour and happiness of his Royal Highness's prefence. The fame evil friend who prevented his Royal Highnefs from being called into employment when the empire is pronounced in danger, would, no doubt, interfere his baneful influence, to preclude Ireland from enjoying this felicity. It appeared to him that any adviser, who could have recommended the rejection of his Royal Highness's late offer of fervice, must be a foe to the Monarchy of England-for what could tend to strengthen that Monarchy more than the popularity of the Heir Apparent-a popularity at prefent univerfal and ardent, but very likely to be reduced, when it is obferved that in this crifis of public danger, he does not appear among his armed countrymen, for it might never be generally known to the mafs of the people, that his Royal Highnefs had offered to stand forward, and that his offer had t been declined. If any commotion hould take place in Ireland during the recefs, which was not improbable, the hon. Member recommended Government to meet it with vigour, but exhorted them, at the fame time, to fend pofitive orders that no cruelty fhould be pratifed, that vigour fhould be blended with humanity; that fuch meafures as the loyalifts reforted to during the rebellion of 1798, and which too many of them are difpofed to employ at prefent, fhall not be allowed, for he affured Minifters that they would only tend to create thousands of rebels; would drive many to defperation who are at prefent tranquil. His advice, therefore, upon this point, he hoped would be followed by Minifters, from that humanity which formed the most prominent trait in the character of the right hon. Gentleman. He expected that he would not tolerate any wanton feverity, the apprehenfion of which was now fuch in Ireland, that he knew of many families who were anxious to quit the country, in order to releafe themfelves from feeing or fuffering fuch dreadful scenes as were too frequent during the former rebellion; but to hoped they would never again occur, that the outrages of the rebel and the loyalift would be repreffed, and that we fhould hear no more of houfe-burning-of pillages or of tortures! ( cry of hear! hear!) He understood that there were fome Gentlemen in the Houfe who doubted that fuch tortures had ever taken place, and that there were fome who had the confidence to deny it altogether; but he would refer fuch perfons to the authority of Lord Cornwallis, who humanely

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