right hon. Friend made no objection to the motion how came all this vehemence against him? One hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan) afferted, that he heard no argument from him, and yet the greatest part of his own fpeech was in anfwer to thofe things, which, if they were not arguments, at least bore the fhape and femblance of them. Had that hon. Gentleman attended all the debates in this Houfe, he would have heard Members from that Part of the country announce a spirit of loyalty pervading all the people of Ireland. That fpirit is certainly inconfiftent with the occurrences now fpoken of, though not fo much fo with what a noble Member (Lord de Blaquire) facetiously mentions, of the tricks and gambols of burning houfes, wounding cattle, &c. I will not fcruple to maintain that the fyftem of Minifters has been to blind the eyes of the people, fo as to prevent them from feeing the real ftate of affairs. At one time, 'for the fake of fome particular meafure, they reprefent the country to be at peace, and in a few months or weeks afterwards communicate fuch altered circumftances as nothing but a miracle could feem capable of producing. The noble Lord (Hawkesbury) boldly afked, in what did the Minifters withhold information? I anfwer, that they have done it now in the prefent cafe; that they did fo on the effects they proposed expecting to be produced by the peace of Amiens, and that there never was a vote called for in greater darkness than that which paffed in anfwer to his Majefty's Meffage of the 5th of March. Yet with all thefe impregnable alliances against him, the noble Lord wields the great weapon of his oratory, and fpeaking at the utmoft height of his voice, makes the founds re-echo by repeated blows upon the table: the very challenges he has given fhew himself to be blind. (A cry of hear! hear!) The Minifter himself, who appears to feel bold upon this challenge, will, I fear, make his boldnefs prove rathness. I conclude, Sir, with giving it as my opinion, that no vote of confidence we can pafs will have the fame effect as an act of our judgment, agreed to without forerunning our deliberation.

Lord Caftlereagh faid, I own it appears to me, Sir, that the hon. Gentleman, who has been fo kind as to afford us the explanation of the fpeech of another, has only fucceeded in rendering the propofition still more unintelligible than it was before. They want, it feems, to have the functions of the Houfe fufpended till the Minifters give a pledge for fubfe-, quent enquiry, in fuch a manner as to make confeffion of

4 X 2

their

their own delinquency. Minifters will not do fo; they will not be their own accufers; but they pledge themfelves to meet any charge of criminality that may be brought against them, though a charge fo doubly abfurd, would only appreciate the folly and impolicy of thofe who may bring it forward. I really thought it impoffible that fuch a comment as that I heard fhould come from any Member of this House, but, leaft of all, from the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Windham) The motion now before you admits of no other deJiberation, but in the meafures to be provided in confequence of it. It is not at variance with the ufual practice of the House, even in the Administration to which that right hon. Gentleman belonged. On all extraordinary occafions, it has been customary for the Houfe to acknowledge his Majefty's communication, and to affure him, that it would lofe no time in taking it into confideration; nor is there more demanded of it by the prefent motion. He further tells us, that the capital was within an ace of being taken. I declare I do not know, nor can I comprehend where he found this fact; but I affure him that I have received no information of that kind. A moft foul and horrible tranfaction has occur. red; but the danger to the metropolis, with Government, was far from being of that magnitude that has been reprefented. The Government was apprifed fome days before of mifchief being meditated: it was propofed to repel it, but it could not prevent, for it did not anticipate or contemplate the Jate catastrophe which has unfortunately taken place. The right hon. Gentleman charged Minifters with having offered reprefentations to be made in that Houfe of the temper and loyal Spirit of the people of Ireland; but this defcription was given by themfelves, though it was exhibited by others who were laden, as people often are, by their feelings and the ardor of patriotifm. This often happens when a vent of fpirit breaks out in a particular place, and ardent patriotism is apt to reprefent that as belonging to the whole, which is in fact no more than a picture of a part. The Ministers, or any other fet of men of moderate comprehenfion, could hot coolly decide in their clofets, that fo foon after a raging rebellion, all agitations had been done away. Such a conclufion could not be made even in this country when no rebellion had exited. But though forced from open rebellion, we lately mistrusted a plan meditated as treasonable in its views and as bloody in its objects as any which took place in Ireland. Such a wicked knot perhaps exifted in England now, though

the

the great majority of the people were roufed to a fenfe of the moft ardent loyalty. Upon the ftate of Ireland we ought not to deceive ourselves; though there was at this moment an appearance of rebellion, yet the ftrong mafs of the people which faved the country once, has even, by the fuppreffion of the former troubles, received an acceffion of accumulated ftrength, which would render her more powerful than ever. I am, therefore, quite aftonished, that the right hon. Gentleman, whofe loyal feelings, attachment to his country and its Government, and ardent fpirit of patriotilin, nobody ever doubted, thould attempt to found a propofition of delay upon that which admits of no debate whatever. The public fatery imperiously demands that we thould not now wait for criminating the Minifiers; let him do that if he thinks proper afterwards, and he may reft affured that Minifters will not avoid it.

Dr. Laurence complained, that what he noticed was not fo much any explanation relating to the criminality of Minifters, as refpecting the fafety of Ireland.

Mr. Alexander argued for the neceflity, in the prefent inftance, of avoiding any thing like debate, which might imply a difference of opinion upon the neceffity of adopting prompt and vigorous meafures on the prefent occafion. He recommended the example of the Irish Parliament, who, when the late rebellion broke out in that country, immediately upon the communication being made to the Houfe from his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, without a single word of debate, inftantly and unanimously voted a loyal address to his Majefty, expreffing their determination to fupport their King and conftitution; and the whole Houfe in a body, preceded by their Speaker, went bareheaded up to the castle, and prefented the addrefs to his Excellency. The effect in the city of Dublin was forcible and inftantaneous, and infpired every loyal man with the determination to unite and put down rebellion.

Mr. Chapman faid, he never heard any thing more perverse than the remarks made upon the fpeech of Mr. Windham, who had only declared that there might be no difficulty as to what was proposed to be said now, if it was not probable that a great deal more ought to be faid; and yet the noble Lord (Hawkesbury) worked himftelf into as great a fury as if he had been liftening to the most horrid fentiments. If the addrefs could put down the rebellion, they had already

debated

debated too long; but, if the unanimous fenfe of the House was all that was required, there was no occafion for dispatch, for dispatch was only neceffary when action depended, and which was not the cafe in the prefent inftance.

Mr. Archdale faid, that in his opinion the beft answer that could be given to the obfervations of Mr. Windham was, that this was not a cafe which admitted of any hesitation. For his own part he must difdain having ever faid in the ardour of patriotifm, or from any other impulfe, that Ireland was perfectly fecure; but having obferved that the temper of the times was much better than before, that property was fecure, and commerce protected and flourished, especially fince the Union, it was reafonable for him to conclude that the country was not difcontented. If that conclufion was contradicted by the event, and that rebellion and murder had fucceeded, he had only to say that he was forry for it, and lamented to find that he was fo woefully deceived. With regard to Mr. Windham he muft obferve, that if he did not recollect the tenor of his fpeech, the most grateful office that could be done him would be not to put him in mind of it. He paid Mr. Sheridan the highest compliments on the confiftent patriotifm of his conduct, who, laying afide all views of prejudice and attachment to party, had on all occafions, from the mutiny at the Nore down to the prefent moment inclufively, thewn himself to be actuated by nothing fo much as duty and attachment to his King, and a pure and difinterested love of his country and its conftitution. For himself he must tay that he had no intereft in defending the prefent Minifters. An object of more importance than any culpability of theirs prefented itself in the prefent state of Ireland, which, he thought. might be in part produced, by finding day after day, and in newspaper after new paper, nothing but remarks on the incompetency and inability of their own. Government, while Bonaparte was reprefented as the greateft man in the world, and humbling a I the powers of Europe by the force of his all-powerful and irrefiftible genius. If people were difpofed to add thefe unfavourable and unjust con rafts to a fpirit of revolt, they would make Ireland wo fe, and of courfe, would be very far fom making England any better.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought up a copy of the Proclamation of the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland, which was read as follows:

BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT AND COUNCIL OF IRELAND, A PROCLAMATION.

HARDWICKE,

Whereas divers perfons, engaged in a treasonable and daring infurrection against his Majefty's Government, did, on the evening of yesterday, the 23d of July inft. fuddenly affemble in the Liberties of Dublin, with fire arms and pikes, and did there commit feveral outrages, and particularly in Thomas-street, in the parish of St. Catharine, within the faid liberties, did affault the carriage of the right hon. Arthur Lord Viscount Kilwarden, Chief Juftice of his Majefty's Court of King's Bench, and one of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, and did drag the faid Arthur Lord Vifcourt Kilwarden, together with his nephew, the Rev. Richard Wolfe, clerk, from his faid carriage, and did there bafely and inhumanly murder the faid Arthur Lord Viscount Kilwarden and Richard Wolfe, by ftabbing them respectively with pikes in various parts of their bodies, of which wounds they both foon after died.

Now we, the Lord Lieutenant and Council, in order to bring fuch enormous offenders to condign punishment, do, by this our Proclamation, publifh and declare, that if any perfon or perfons fhall, within fix calendar months from the date hereof, difcover any of the perfon or perfons who committed the faid inhuman murders on the faid Arthur Viscount Kilwarden and the faid Rev Richard Wolfe, or either of them, or who aided or affifted therein, or who advised, encouraged, inftigated, moved, ftimulated, or incited the perfons concerned therein to commit the fame, fuch perfon or perfons fo difcovering fhall receive as a reward the fum of One Thousand Pounds fterling for each and every of the first three perfons who fhall be apprehended and convicted

thereof.

And we do likewife publish and declare, that if any of the perfons concerned in the murders aforefaid, fave and except the perfons who actually stabbed the faid Lord Viscount Kilwarden and the Rev. Richard Wolfe, or either of them, as aforefaid, fhall difcover any other of the perfons concerned in the faid murders, or either of them, fo that fuch perfon or perfons fo discovering fhall be convicted thereof, fuch perfon or perfons fo difcovering, fhall, over and above the said reward, receive his Majefty's most gracious pardon for faid offences.

And