A whole age, my Lord, nay, several ages, might pass away, before a nobleman might fill your Lordship's elevated station, so well acquainted with the constitution of the Dissenting Church, the principles of her members, and the situation and circumstances of her ministers. And, from your Lordship's very great influence with the present Government, our interests cannot fail of being effectually promoted.

I should stop here-but I hope and trust, my Lord, that a few additional observations, coming from one, who, your Lordship's candour will readily admit, must be deeply interested in whatever affects the prosperity and honour of the Dissenting Church-more especially on a subject upon which her very existence depends-will not offend your Lordship.

I am happy to hear, my Lord, that no infringement on the religious rights of the people is intended by Government in their favours to us; but it is said that higher or lower shares are to be made a condition of the proposed grant. Now, my Lord, if this be true, it will, beyond all doubt, produce very hurtful consequences, both with respect to us, and the end which, I humbly conceive, Government proposes to serve by it.

It will effectually destroy that equality among Dissenting Ministers, which constitutes one of the leading features of the Dissenting Church, of which your Lordship well knows Dissenters are so tenacious, and consequently put an end to that friendly intercourse and brotherly affection, which have hitherto reflected both honour upon themselves, and done signal service to the religion they profess and preach to others. It will also, I apprehend, in a great measure, defeat the wise end proposed by Government.

The highest, and, I should think, the wisest political end Government could have in view, must be to conciliate both Ministers and people, and to attach them to that Government not only by their munificence, but by their liberality of sentiment in conferring their favour. If this, then, be the view of Government, permit me, my Lord, humbly to assure your

Lordship that, whatever reports to the contrary may have reached your Lordship's ear, nothing could accomplish this end so effectually as granting the intended addition upon the very same terms as our bounty has hitherto been granted.

At a late, and one of the fullest Synodical meetings I ever attended, where our congregations were nearly all represented by their Elders, this was the unanimous wish of both Ministers and people. Besides, my Lord, as the gentlemen placed in our great towns are not most distinguished for talents and learning among us, so neither have they as much labour in the discharge of their duties as those placed in wide extended country congregations, and yet they have double their salaries. Now, my Lord, it must hurt the feelings and the honest pride, as well as the interests of men of at least equal talents, who have double the duties to discharge, and more than the half less stipend, to see the former, notwithstanding, receiving perhaps a double portion of the Royal Bounty. For these and many other reasons, my Lord, that might be adduced, should Government ever have entertained some slight thoughts of such a distribution, as it can be a matter of no great consequence to them, I sincerely hope and trust your Lordship will study and employ your influence to do it away.

Be assured, my Lord, that what I have now said proceeds from the purest wish of my heart to attach the whole body of Dissenters most affectionately to that civil Government under which they live and enjoy many signal blessings and privileges; and I hope, from your Lordship's friendship and eminent station, they will still enjoy many more; and to see or hear of your Lordship's freeing them from the disabilities of holding civil offices under Government, to which they have long patiently submitted, and to which, I will venture to say, many of them are as well entitled as any other denomination of his Majesty's subjects; for it would tend to brighten and cheer the closing evening of my life.

And while, my Lord, you rejoice in the days of your youth,

are blessed with health, and have it so much in your power to do good, that it may be the study and care of your life to employ your time and talents in such a manner as may afford you true, solid, and substantial pleasure when all earthly grandeur shall fade away, is the sincere wish and prayer of Your Lordship's most respectful, &c.

JOHN SHERRARD.

Mr. Marsden to Lord Castlereagh.

October 23.

My Lord-It will be necessary to issue some Proclamation respecting the export, &c., of grain, as all the former ones expired on the 29th of September. The merchants are, I understand, shipping rice. I have written to Geale not to sell rice at 258., for the purpose of being exported, until he hears further from Government. One merchant has been here, to propose buying a large quantity at 258., to send to London.

The loan to the merchants will expire in the next month, it not having been renewed in the last Session. This occasions some alarm, and Beresford and others have been with me several times about it. I put them off until your Lordship's return. I believe it will be necessary, by a letter from you, to sanction its continuance for six months longer.

I send you a letter received to-day from one of our look-outs. Seven Trustees for the Circular Road are to be appointed. Yours, very faithfully,

A. MARSDEN.

October 22, 1800.

My silence has not proceeded from the slightest negligence : on the contrary, the most sedulous attention has been paid to business. The result is this assurance, that it is determined, as I before informed you, that conduct the most peaceable will be adhered to; that no meeting or conversation that can give rise to suspicion shall be held; that the sole dependence is on

materials as appear to you calculated to throw light on this subject.

I hope to be at Mount Stewart early in the next month. If business should lead you into that part of the world, while I am there, it will afford me pleasure to see you.

Believe me, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Private.

Mr. King to Lord Castlereagh.

November 3, 1800.

My dear Lord-His Majesty's declaration under the Great Seal of Great Britain, that the members of the two Houses of Parliament here are to continue members of the United Parliament, on the part of Great Britain, will pass on Wednesday, and will be inserted in our Gazette of the Saturday following, on which day, I hope I shall be able to send your Lordship, to be submitted to the Lord-Lieutenant, a draft of the instrument to be passed under the Great Seal of Ireland, announcing the time of meeting to ballot for the Irish members, &c. pursuant to the Act.

Although you cannot assist us in our extremity, it is a great deal to learn that we have only ourselves to feed. It will be a troublesome and irksome business, but I think we shall work through it, notwithstanding.

Believe me, &c.,

J. KING.

There was an idea that there should be fifty days, from the date of your balloting, if not from the 1st of January, previous to the meeting of the United Parliament; but the better opinion seems to be otherwise, and that, as fifty days was mentioned in the Scotch Act of Union, and omitted to be mentioned in our Union Act, it, in a more particular manner, leaves it open to the prerogative to fix any earlier day, which I suppose is likely to be about the 22d of January next.

Private.

Mr. Elliot to Lord Castlereagh.

Dublin Castle, November 18, 1800.

My dear Lord Castlereagh-The Lord-Lieutenant has desired me to detain the messenger, for the purpose of informing you that he has received a letter from Mr. Dundas, in which he mentions that the intention of sending an army to Portugal is relinquished, and that the 5,000 troops under Sir James Pulteney are ordered to return to England. Mr. Dundas, however, states that it may be necessary to retain a considerable force in England during the winter, to secure the tranquillity of the country, and that, as foreign troops cannot be applied to that purpose, it would be a great accommodation to the English Government if Lord Cornwallis would accept 5,000 Dutch troops; in consequence of which representation, Lord Cornwallis has acquiesced in the request. As his Lordship is overwhelmed with visitors in his audience room, I have not yet seen Dundas's despatch.

Cooke has been requested by Lord Cornwallis to write to you on the case of Brigade-Major Uniacke, who has been attached by the Court of King's Bench for contempt of its process. Lest Cooke should not have leisure to give you the detail of this subject before the departure of the messenger, Lord Cornwallis wishes me to transmit to you Marsden's memorandum of the particulars of it. I am persuaded you will concur with Lord Cornwallis in thinking it would have been great indiscretion in him to have involved himself in a hostile proceeding against the Court of King's Bench on such grounds. The Chancellor has been very furious in his language, but, I am told, is cooling. His application for the Lord-Lieutenant's interference is one of the many instances of the complete subservience of his judgment to his temper. Cooke's opinion is entirely in unison with Lord Cornwallis's decision.