T

HOUSE OF

Wednesday, December 1. HIS day the Earl of Shelburne, as an introduction to a motion he intended to make on the affairs of Ireland, defired that the order of the House of the 11th of laft May, for an addrefs to his majefty, together with the address, and his majefty's answer thereto, and the motion for another addrefs, made by a noble Lord (the Marquis of Rockingham) in June, might be read by the clerk, which papers being accordingly read; his lordThip expreffed his furprife, that notwithstanding the tenor of the addrefs, and of his majesty's answer, both of which demonftrated, that the affairs of Ireland would not admit of a moment's delay, they had been fo fhamefully neglected; that the whole fummer had paffed without any one step being taken to relieve the diftreffes of that oppreffed and unfortunate kingdom. He then adverted to the rejection of the motion made by his friend, the noble Marquis; and gave it as his opinion, that it ought to have been agreed to, in which cafe Parliament inftead of being prorogued, would have come to refolutions that might have fatisfied the Irish, while their demands were moderate. Alarmed for the change of affairs in Ireland, during the recefs of Parliament, which he reprefented as highly detrimental to England, and apprehenfive of the confequences of the delay of relief; he made thefe confiderations the ground for the following refolution of cenfure on the conduct of adminiftration.

"Refolved, That it is highly criminal in his majefty's minifters to have neglected to take effectual measures for the relief of Ireland, in confequence of the addrefs of the Houfe of May 1779, and of his majesty's answer; by which neglect they have brought on divifions and diffenfions in that kingdom, and fresh embarrassments on his majefty's government, at a period when LOND. MAG, Jan, 1780.

LORD S.

real unanimity between the two kingdoms is most wanted."

His lordship's further explanations of this motion were given in a long, elaborate fpeech, the fubftance of which may be comprised within a narrow compafs. His lordship informed the House, that matters had been carried to a dangerous length in Ireland, owing to neglect here. Military affociations making together a formidable force, now demanded more from England than the could with policy grant: thefe military affociations he confidered as illegal, because an army was raifed without the authority of the fovereign, who by law is vested with the fupreme command of all the armies raised in his dominions. Yet, to these affociations he faid, he food indebted for the fafety of his property in Ireland, which had been abandoned by adminiftration. He ftated feveral griev ances under which Ireland laboured, and faid, the people of that country would not be content till those were removed as well as their commercial oppreffions. The conftitution of Ireland is wrong; for it consists of four eftates, the King, Lords, Commons, and Privy Councils, by which eftablishment the Commons are deprived of the right inherent in the Commons of Great Britain, the money bills do not originate with them. The revenue of Ireland is hereditary; this renders the ftate politically poor! incumbrances on it are more eafily contracted, appropriations are more eafy, and the vile practice of indifcriminate perfons on the establishment facilitated. The tythes and glebes enacted by the clergy, and the extensive jurifdiction of the bishops he complained of as another grievance which they would remedy. In fine, his lordship expreffed his apprehenfions that Ireland was now treading in the footsteps of America, a commerce being opened between the North of Ireland and America under the C

fanction

fanation of the Congrefs, and perhaps of France. Under thefe circumftances he thought the cenfure of the House, the genteeleft method of obtaining from the crown a new fyftem of government, and he preferred it to punishment (though a miniftry who had loft America, the Weft Indies, and were on the point of lofing Ireland deferved the fevereft) in order to fhow that he was not influenced by motives of perfonal refentment or animofity. He made a diftinction between fome of the members of administration and others, paid a compliment to the Lord Chancellor's abilities, and seemed to be pointedly fevere on the Earl of Mansfield, Lord North, and the Earl of Hillsborough. He reprobated the idea of a union of parties, and declared he never would unite in publick employment with fuch men.

Lord Hillsborough in reply, objected to the motion as being contrary to every principle of juftice; it was an accufation unfupported by evidence, on a condemnation to be paffed upon fuppofed facts. He then refted the defence of adminiftration on the papers already before the House, which fhowed that the proper official meafures had been taken by his predeceffor Lord Weymouth, in confequence of the addrefs of the 11th of May; enquiries had been fet on foot refpecting the ftate of Ireland in a correfpondence with the Lord Lieutenant of that kingdom, and his answer, dated the 2d of June, a very able and material paper, evidently proved that no time had been loft. Many other papers containing important information for the Houfe, prepared by Lord Weymouth, would be laid upon the table in a few days, in the mean time, he defired their lordfhips to believe that he would refign the feals, if the propofitions he underftood were intended to be made for the relief of Ireland, were not brought into parliament without delay. All that the Irish expected, he knew, before he accepted the feals would be granted. Ireland fhould enjoy the fame immunities in trade as England: there fhould be no diftinction between England and Ireland, and he was fully perfuaded the people of Ireland did not with for any thing more.

The Marquis of Rockingham fupported the motion, and called upon the

Houfe to take the only step which could fave the nation, by paffing a cenfure on thofe men, who, by refusing to keep parliament fitting a few days longer, and not calling the Irish Parliament together at the fame critical time, had made the people of Ireland take up arms to redress their own grievances; the end of which might be another civil war. He lamented the feuds and animofities which the conduct of adminiftration had already occafioned in this country, and congratulated the nation that a late event had not proved fatal to a moft ufeful and able member of the other Houfe of Parliament. Then taking a view of the state of the revenue in Ireland, he introduced Mr. Fox as a proof of the lavish expenditure of the publick money; that gentleman having come into the poffeffion of a confiderable poft in Ireland, which the marquis faid brought in 2400l. Irish currency, the minifter at the head of the Treafury department had contrived to get Mr. Fox to difpofe of, and Mr. Jenkinson now enjoys, by which negociation the charge on the Irish revenue is confiderably increased. The marquis difclaimed all idea of union (which had been hinted at by Lord Mansfield in a former debate) with any of the prefent minifters; and believed them all to be under the influence of a fecret agent.

Earl Gower (late prefident of the council) in juftification of his own conduct, after declaring he was against the motion, because he thought it unjust to proceed to punishment without proofs of criminality, explained the reasons of his refignation. He said that great divifions prevailed in the cabinet; he had pledged himself to the House at the end of the last feffion, that speedy meafures would be taken for the relief of Ireland, and he found that what he expected to be done was not, either for England or Ireland: there were, he faid, great refources in the kingdom, but he did not think them properly managed in the Treasury, which was the head department, and he could not in honour and confcience any longer acquiefce under fuch mismanagement.

He thought every man of property in the kingdom called forth to defend that and the nation in its alarming circumstances; and that no emoluments or honours of office fhould have

any

any weight at fuch a time as this, to prevent men from acting according to their confciences. It was from principle he wished to fee America brought back to obedience to this country; if that could be accomplished, he always propofed the fhould be treated with kindness: other measures, not conducive to these ends, had been lately purfued; and in not confenting to them, he had not changed his principles.

The Duke of Richmond thought the noble lord, in thus fpeaking his fentiments, had removed all objections to the juftice of the motion, for he had given proof of the criminal neglect of the miniftry.

His grace then openly declared that the influence which ruined this country was that of the Earl of Bute, who from the beginning of this reign had made all men in office acknowledge a dependence on him, but had not shown it openly upon their first coming in; but the changes of administration had fhown that those who would not condefcend to act under him were difmiffed.

He obferved, that no man could anfwer for the tranquillity of Ireland three weeks, and defired a real union of independent men would ftand forth and fave their country; the firft meafure to which was paffing a cenfure on those who had brought it to the brink

of ruin.

Earl Gower in explanation faid, that fince he had been in office he knew of no fuch influence as that mentioned by the noble duke; neither did he be lieve it exifted; the First Lord of the Treafury appeared to him to be the real minifter, with great extent of power; if he privately was under any fuch influence, he was ignorant of it, and could anfwer for himself and others of the fame administration, they acted as principals.

Lord Abingdon was amazed that minifters fhould have called the lords in oppofition factious. If majorities of If majorities of placemen and penfioners would not liften to the grievances of America, England, and Ireland, to whom were the people to look for redress but to independent noblemen and gentlemen. With men of integrity no emoluments of office or penfions could have weight. He had heard a perfon in the confi

dence of an amiable nobleman juft deceafed (Lord Lyttelton) declare, that it was not the paltry confideration of a place fhould keep him from declaring his sentiments freely of the criminal neglect of minifters; and had he lived to this day, it was his intention to have gone much deeper into the conduct of administration, than he did at the opening of the feflion.

The Dukes of Manchester and Grafton fpoke warmly upon the prefent alarming pofture of affairs; the firft particularly reminded the House, on what account Edward II. was depofed, and Charles I. loft his crown and life; and talked much of the people being ready to defend their own caufe, by demand. ing a change of men and measures.

Lord Camden fpoke to the juftice of the motion, and pleafantly faid, as nothing had been done by the miniftry for Ireland, nothing could be proved. It refted upon them to fhow they had done any thing; if they had not, the cenfure was juft. All the measures propofed, he confidered as the effect of fear, and coming too late; he did not think a free trade would remedy all the evils of Ireland. A reformation must take place here and there, a new fyftem of government must be established, and the refources of the nation be managed with economy. The noble lord at the head of the Treasury could always project ways and means of getting more money, but there was no mention in his finance books how to fave any.

The Lord Chancellor made a long and able fpeech against the motion, as pre