an humble address* should be presented to his majesty, strongly expressive of the impropriety and mischief of such grants, which produced a still more impassioned debate than the former; the address was negatived by 124 against 58. The prevailing argument on the court side was used by Mr. Gore, the solicitor general. "The voice," said he, " of the majority, is the voice of the nation, and in that once given we ought to acquiesce. "Give me leave, Sir, to add, that the majority, by which the "late question has been determined, consists of gentlemen of "rank and abilities; gentlemen, who have great property to se(6 cure, and great characters to maintain; and I think there never 66 sate in any national assembly of any age, or any country, persons, who had more the constitutional rights of the people at 66 heart, or knew better how they were to be maintained." The prominent zeal of Mr. Gore in supporting the court party was soon rewarded; he was raised over the head of Mr. Tisdall, the attorney general, to the head of the King's Bench, and was soon after created Lord Annally. With unrelenting perseverance the patriots followed up this popular ground of opposition. On the 13th of December Mr. Pery again came forward, and although he had been very unfortunate in the proposals, that he had made with a view to the public advantage, yet, said he, it was his duty to persevere; let the current therefore run ever so strongly against him, he was determined to strive against it to the last; and though he might not be able to stop, or turn its

*

7 Com. Journ. p. 239. 24 Nov. 1763. A motion was made, and the question being put, that an humble address be presented to his majesty, to assure his majesty of the inviolable attachment to his royal person and family; that we have the firmest reliance on his majesty's wisdom, justice, and tender regard for his subjects of this kingdom; but that we should fail in our duty to his majesty, and desert the trust reposed in us by those we represent, should we longer defer laying before his majesty the real state of this kingdom, which we have some reason to fear may not yet have been fully presented to his majesty's view. That we presume to do so from a firm persuasion, that his majesty will not believe, that we are prompted to it by the spirit of faction, but impelled by the necessities of the kingdom; and that we have nothing in view but his majesty's honour and prosperity of our country. That during the late successful war we exerted our utmost efforts for the support of his majesty's government, and to raise such supplies as his majesty thought necessary for his service, though it was with the greatest difficulty we could even provide for payment of the interest of the sums we were obliged to borrow for that purpose. But at the same time we could not without the utmost concern observe, though we lamented it in silence, the great continual encrease of pensions, and that a considerable part of the sums, which were destined for public uses, were diverted to private purposes. That this is one great cause of the heavy debt, which oppresses the kingdom, and which we can scarce ever hope to discharge, deprived as we are of those resources from trade, with which the other parts of his majesty's domains are blessed. That any considerable addition to this burthen must depopulate this kingdom, already much exhausted of its inhabitants. That we presume with all humility to lay these our circumstances before his majesty, not doubting, that they will excite in his royal breast these sentiments, which are so natural to his princely disposition.

course, his resistance to it would at least prevent his being carried away before it.* He accordingly moved, though with

Mr. Pery's introduction to his motion is so illustrative of the history of his country at this critical period, that the reader will thank me for subjoining it. 2 Cald. p. 578. "I have greater reason to hope for success in my present "proposal, than in any that I have yet made, for it is a proposal to do what "his majesty has, in the most gracious and emphatical manner, recommended "to be done in his speech from the throne, the practice of œconomy, and the "reduction of our debt." The words of the speech are these, "The situation "of public affairs will permit a very considerable diminution of the public "expence, and I am only to thank you for your past efforts, without again "having recourse to the experienced liberality of parliament, I have nothing to "ask but a continuance of the supplies, for the support of the ordinary estab"lishment, which, it is hoped, will not exceed the produce of the ordinary "revenue, and I recommend to you a proper attention to the reduction of the "public debt." I am sorry there should be any occasion to enforce an address, with which it is so manifestly both our interest and duty to comply, yet certain it is, that we have so far neglected it, that a conduct directly opposite to that here recommended has already brought us to the verge of ruin, and, if continued, will plunge us to the bottom. That I may not appear to create evils, which I do not find, I shall represent the present situation of this country by a series of facts, too notorious not to be believed, and too formidable not to be feared; by which it will appear, that we have tamely and silently acquiesced in the violation of these assurances, and totally neglected this advice. We have been so far from being relieved from the burthen of taxes, which, when they were indispensably necessary, we were little able to bear, that an unexpected requisition of supplies has been made with a long train of pensions, which exceed the expence of all other branches of the civil establishment, by above forty-two thousand pounds. The number of military officers is encreased, not only far beyond what it has ever been in time of peace, but even beyond what it has ever been during the most dangerous war. We have two more regiments of dragoons, and four regiments of foot, more than ever; besides four old regiments of horse; the expence of general officers is encreased no less than thirteen thousand pounds a year, though there were not a sufficient number of them in this kingdom, to attend the last reduction of forces; the expence of the ordnance is, in two years, swelled from ten thousand six hundred pounds, to above forty-five thousand pounds, though the whole artillery of the kingdom is not equal to the ordnance of a frigate of thirty guns, and every other branch of the civil and military establishment is encreased nearly in the same proportion, so that the expence of the nation for these two years appears, by the most exact calculation, to exceed its whole revenue more than three hundred and fourteen thousand pounds, which deficiency being added to the national debt, we must at the next meeting of parliament owe more than one million. It appears also by calculation, that the present establishments in time of peace exceed the establishments during the last war more than ninetyseven thousand pounds. Let us now, sir, pause a moment, and consider what we have been doing; and how we have availed ourselves of a situation of affairs, which admits a considerable diminution of the public expence; how we have fulfilled his majesty's gracious admonition to attend to the reduction of our public debt? We have granted all the supplies, that have been demanded for the support of these establishments, however unsuitable to the circumstances of the kingdom, however unsupportable to the people, however contrary to the declarations from the throne, however incompatible with an attention graciously recommended from it. Let our zeal and affection for his majesty be our apology, and an unlimited confidence in his goodness be our praise; but let us at least apprize him of the sacrifice we have made; let us with all humility represent the danger we have incurred; let us solicit his protection, and though we have given up our all, and even more than our all, he will not keep it to our destruction. We have read of a prince, who, when

his usual want of success, that an humble address should be presented to his majesty on the state of the nation, and respecting the encreased expence of the civil and military establishments; and as that address contains an authentic statement of the real situation of Ireland at that time, it follows in the very words of the motion: "I move that an humblea ddress be presented "to his majesty, to acknowledge with the utmost gratitude his majesty's most gracious acceptance of our past services. To assure his majesty of our firm resolution to pursue such measures, as shall tend most to promote the real interest and ho4 nour of the crown. vn. To express the general satisfaction and "joy, with which his majesty's most gracious declaration com"municated by his excellency the lord lieutenant to both houses "of parliament at the opening of the session was received, viz. "That by the conclusion of a general peace we were at length "relieved from those burthens, which were unavoidable during a war. That the situation of public affairs would permit a very considerable diminution of public expence, that nothing was to be asked, but the continuance of supplies for the support of the ordinary establishments, and that his majesty "thanked us for our past efforts, without again having recourse "to the experienced liberality of parliament."....That from these assurances, we drew the most flattering expectations of reduc"ing the national debt, and relieving the impoverished people "from the burthen of those taxes they were so little able to "bear: but that these pleasing hopes were soon blasted by the unexpected requisition of supplies, to support a civil establishment, loaded with a long train of pensions, the amount of "which, exclusive of the French and military, exceeded the (6 expence of all the other branches of the civil establishment, in "the sum of 42,627l. 19s. 2d. many of which were publicly "bought and sold in the market. That the number of officers

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upon the military establishment is encreased, not only far "beyond what it ever was in time of peace, but even beyond "what it was in the time of the most dangerous war, and would, "under any reign but that of his majesty, raise just apprehen"sions for the constitution, not only of this kingdom, but that "of Great Britain. That instead of six regiments of dragoons he was fainting with thirst, and water was brought him at the risk of life, refused to drink it, "God forbid (said he) that I should drink the blood of these men;" can we then imagine that our gracious sovereign will drink the blood of this nation, that he will use his power, which he has derived from the ardour of our affection to our ruin? Our duty both to him, and ourselves, requires that we should at least apprize him of what we have done, that we may not be left to perish, merely because our danger was not known, nor suffer by a sacrifice, of which the value to us is infinite, but to him, who receives it nothing, for ultimately his glory and prosperity is ours.

*7 Com. Journ. p. 255.

"and twenty-six of foot, (the most ever before seen in this kingdom) there are eight regiments of dragoons, and thirty of "foot, besides the four old regiments of horse. That the expence of general officers is raised from 30,000l. in two years to "45,000%. though there was not sufficient number of them in the kingdom to attend the last reduction of the forces. That the expence of the ordnance is swelled from 10,600/. in two years “ to 45,070. independent of its extraordinary charges, which are very considerable, though the whole artillery of this king"dom is not equal to the ordnance of one of his majesty's ships "of thirty guns. That every branch of the military and civil "establishment is advanced nearly in the same proportion. "That from principles of duty and affection to his majesty, we "granted the supplies which were demanded from us in his "majesty's name, for the support of these several establish"ments, however insupportable to the people. But though "the warmth of our zeal and affection for his majesty induced "us thus liberally to grant those supplies, our duty to him and "those we represent will not permit us to conceal from his 66 majesty or the public the real state and condition of this king"dom, which we shall lay before his majesty with all humility, "and cast ourselves at his majesty's feet, to implore his royal protection against his ministers. That the expence of the 66 present military establishment amounts in two years to the 66 sum of 980,955l. 19s. The civil establishment to 242,956/. "10s. 9d.; to which must be added at the most moderate computation 300,000l. for extraordinary and contingent expengovernment. That these sums added together amount 26 to the sum of 1,523,912. 9s. 9d. That to answer this expence, the whole revenue of this kingdom, the additional as well as hereditary duties, exclusive of the loan duties, "which are but barely sufficient to pay the interest of 650,000/.. "the present national debt, amount to the sum of 1,209,864/ 66 at a medium for fourteen years; so that the expence of the "nation for these two last years, must exceed its whole revenue "in a sum of 314,248/. 9s. 9d. which deficiency being added to "the national debt, must leave this kingdom at the next meeting of parliament near 1,000,000l. in debt. That the highest "establishment we ever had in time of peace in this kingdom, "were those in the two years ending in March 1755, and yet "the present establishment exceeds them in the sum of 283,028/ "98. 9d. That during the late expensive war, the establish"ments amounted at a medium, only to the sum of 1,125,790%. "for two years, so that the present establishments in a time of peace, exceed the establishments in the last war in the sum of "97,5221. 9s. 9d. That we have already.contracted a new debt

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ces of

"debt of 100,000l. though we expected to have discharged part "of the old. That the imports, exports, and home consump"tion of this kingdom are already taxed to the utmost they can "bear. That any addition to these taxes, instead of encreasing, "must lessen the revenue. That nothing now remains to be "taxed but our lands, which are already loaded with quit-rents, "grown rents, composition rents, and hearth money. That if "the present establishments are to continue, the debt of the "nation must constantly increase, and in the end prove the utter "ruin of the kingdom. That such is the true, but melancholy "state of this country, which nothing but his majesty's most (( gracious declarations, signified to us by his excellency the "lord lieutenant, could have given us confidence to have laid "before him, and which we do, that his majesty may judge "how far his most benevolent intentions have been pursued. "That we presume not to point out any particular method of "redress, fully persuaded as we are, that when his majesty shall "have been thus fully informed of our real circumstances, his "wisdom, his justice, his humanity, will not permit the utter "ruin of a dutiful, a loyal, an affectionate people."

In tracing, combining, and reflecting upon the events, which fall to the lot of the historian to retail in their order and succession, it is often impracticable to deduce particular effects from their real causes. The great mass of the people in Ireland, the Roman Catholics, who by their exemplary forbearance and unsullied loyalty since the revolution, had not only borne up against the severest persecution, but defeated the keenest provocation, were thereby secured in the affections and confidence of all impartial and unprejudiced Protestants and the eminently paternal indulgences of our gracious sovereign to that body forbid us to harbour a doubt, whether his Irish Catholic subjects did not ever possess an extraordinary share of his royal tenderness and affection. But there then was, and it is feared, still is in Ireland, a certain description of persons, (it would be little flattering to the established church to admit them in any manner into their pale, by calling them Protestants) whose innate acrimony and vindictive cruelty, hold the place of humanity, sympathy, and Christian charity: who professed themselves at all times enemies by principle, and persecutors by disposition of their Catholic countrymen: these were ready instruments in the hands of the ambitious prelate, to whose intrigues Lord Clare attributed all the party heats and animosities, that so long disturbed and degraded their parliamentary proceedings. As long as Primate Stone lived,* he pursued the Machiavelian policy of keeping the Irish a divided people, and by that wicked sys

* He died the 19th of December, 1764.