fition extended, was the minifter of the day obliged to extend the circle of corruption; fo that in fact, the oppofition by increasing the grievances and taxes of the ftate, purchas ed additional topicks of parliamentary invective, and fortified themselves with the people by enhancing their burdens. The fyftem however went on until every moral, and every moderate man in the kingdom was fcandalized, and until every philofophick mind confidered the government as completely dif folved. Peerages were publickly brought to * the hammer at the treasury chambers, and with the money arifing from the fale, parliamentary feats were bought for fome of the friends. of government, and others who already had 1 feats * This gave rife to a very ludicrous circumftance. The minifter gave out, that he would receive proposals for a lot tery, and a peeragein, figned and fealed. the highest bidder for chafer, and Lord a number of written propofals came Mr. Walker, of Dame-ftreet, being the lottery, was fet down as the pur> for the peerage. But in making out the orders, the names were mifplaced and Mr. Walker, was apprized, that his patent was making out, and Lord -, got an order on the commiffioners of the lottery for 40,000 tickets; this brought them both to the treafury, where they met, and the fcene was bien comique. feats were paid for their votes. But was this the fault of the minifter? Alas! before he is condemned let it be confidered what fort of community he had to govern, a discontented people, compofed of fuch jarring materials, that whatever was a benefit to one, would be a grievance to another party, and a venal aristocracy, who though their existence depended upon fupporting the government, never contributed their fupport, without being paid for the job. If places were not in being, to fatisfy their rapacity, or their neceffity, places must be created, and then when the falaries of thofe places amounted to £100,000-the minifter in difinay, asks one of them how it is to be paid? "oh! the easiest "thing in the world; raise it leather"to be fure, it will principally fall upon the "poor,-but what of that?" this unpopular load increased the oppofition against the minifter, and next year, a formidable motion is made upon the subject of this impoft. The minifter goes to his friends, " you fee what a scrape 66 you have brought me into, you must come "down to night and fupport me, and fend "down all your members," foftly "fay they," upon Mr. "Mr. Secretary last year's places were remu "nerated by laft year's votes, we must have "other places and other falaries for this job." "Why fays the petrified minifter, << that will ર Up put the country to another 100,000l. ex- A About this time the French principles began to be diffeminated here with great diligence, and a society was formed upon the French model, the avowed object of which was to feparate this country from Great Britain: checked as the executive government then was by the attacks of oppofition, and clogged as it was by the weight of the ariftocracy, it was disabled from taking any effectual measures against this fociety; the confequence of which was that their principles took a root in the country, extending from its centre to its circumference. At the head of this fociety, were a young man of high rank, fome barrifters, and fome proteftant and prefbyterian fhopkeepers and manufacturers. After paying this 100,000l. for his defence, the minister was obliged to difengage himself from the oppofition by the previous question. The fact was, that he had not bought a fpeech for the money. nufacturers. All this while the opposition by their harangues in parliament, and by expofing every thing that was to be exposed were hourly increafing the publick difaffection, and fmoothing the way for the apoftles of republickanifm. Upon the great body of the Catholicks the united Irishmen had attempted their arts in vain, but that body feeling themselves as loyally attached to the conftitution of king, lords and commons, as any body of men in the realm, preferred their humble claims to parliament to be admitted within that conftitution, in defence of which they were ready to facrifice their exiftence.-Those claims were powerfully fupported by the oppofition, and the aristocracy feeling that upon every principle of natural juftice their claims were irresistible, that their wealth and their number having increased in a great degree, and that principally formingthe riches and revenues of the ftate, their claims were irresistible upon every ground of political wifdom, apprehended that the English cabinet might treat those claims with proportionate attention. They therefore, to terrify the minifter, went through all the counties of the kingdom agitating the grand juries for hof tile refolutions, and the unfortunate country gentlemen were made to pledge their lives and fortunes, and to the beft of my recollection their wives and children, that they would fhed the last drop of their blood before any conceffion fhould be made to their Catholick friends and fellow fubjects-I believe that none of the Country newspapers containingthose refolutions were taken in at St. James's, otherwise it is impoffible to account why Lord Westmoreland opened the next feffion of parliament with a fpeech from the throne, recommending that those claims fhould be taken into confideration; and I believe the ariftocracy in parliament must have forgot the refolutions to which they pledged their faithful country gentlemen; for they did take those claims into confideration, much praise however is due to them for shaking off a prejudice in fo fhort a time, and for seeing the question at a few hour's notice through the medium of liberality. The parliament was to have met on Tuesday-On Monday they had all their speeches prepared to follow up the doctrine of refiftance-On Monday night a mail arrived containing fome very strong arguments for conceffion, and fo well fatisfied were 1 they |