To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Commons, and Citizens of the City of Dublin. The Petition of certain of the Commons. Sheweth, HAT in fummer affembly 1756, the THAT in fummer city was advanced from 150l. to 300l. per year, during the city's pleasure. That this increase of falary, was owing to a petition of certain of the commons, who were defirous of rendering the judicial office of Recorder as independent of power as possible. That the revenue of this city can never be more properly applied, than by rewarding fuch citizens as have exerted their beft abilities in the city's fervice. That agreeable to the principles of natural juftice, and indeed of common policy, it is as much the duty of good citi zens to point out the man who is capable of betraying or neglecting the rights of the city, as it is to distinguish and reward thofe who act uniformly and uprightly in fupporting its antient privileges and immunities against all encroachments whatfoever. That the rights of the citizens, and this corporation at large, never met fo violent an attack, nor ever were in more imminent danger, than in the late grand affair of quarterage; where, it is well known, the very exiftence of the corporations was materially struck at. that atten That notwithstanding the importance Your petitioners therefore pray, that of Dublin your disapprobation of his conduct in general. And your petitioners will pray. Copy examined by HENRY GONNE, And the faid petition not having been returned to the theriffs and commons, a motion was made and agreed to, that a meffage be sent to the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen, to request that they will fend down the petition which ap pears upon the abftract, for reducing the Recorder's falary. And it being moved council be fent on the faid meffage, the that twelve members of the common fame was agreed to, and the message fent accordingly. To which the Board fent the following The Lord Mayor, and board of Aldermen, having read a fcurrilous petition, intitled, The petition of certain of the commons, praying, for the reasons therein mentioned, a reduction of the falary of the Recorder, do confider the fame to have been preferred, not with any expectation that it would be affented to, but to have been intended to inflame the minds of the people against the magiftracy, and The house then came to the following Refolved, That the Lord Mayor, and board of Aldermen, by affuming to themfelves a power of fuppreffing. (or withholding from the commons) at their board, all fuch petitions as they pleafe, do do deprive the sheriffs and commons, who constitute a neceffary and effential part of the city affembly, from taking the matters contained in faid fuppreffed or withholden petitions, into their confideration, and do thereby hinder the affembly at large from determining as they ought, by depriving them of the power of deliberation, and obftruct the falutary and happy confequences that might, and often do, refult from conferences, and a free and unfufpicious intercourfe between the great branches of the city affembly, to the great prejudice of many petitioners, and to the continuing and increafing those jealoufies and animofities, which have, to the great regret of the commons, but too long fubfifted between the two houses. A motion being made that the houfe come to the following refolution,-Refolved, That the petition of certain of the commons, for reducing the falary of the prefent Recorder, (a copy of which has been by the town clerk laid before the houfe) contains matters not only fcurrilous, but highly derogatory of that refpect which is due to the magiftrates of this city. And a motion being made, that the previous question fhould be put upon the faid refolution, the fame was balloted for, and carried against the previous question. The refolution, as it now ftands, then put, and passed in the negative. The house then came to the following Refolved, That the meffage fent by the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen, in answer to the request of the fheriffs and commons, that the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen might fend down the petition, which appeared on the abstract for reducing the falary of the Recorder, contains many expreffions of an infulting and contemptuous nature, inconfiftent with that gravity and decency which should characterize the proceedings of the other house, and highly derogatory of that refpect which is due to the fheriffs and commons from them; that it contains affertions unjust and fallacious, in as much as it charges certain of the commons with want of refpect to the magistracy, by only attempting to reduce the falary of a city And the fheriffs and commons, at the fame time, moft fincerely lament, that they are, by this imperious meffage April, 1766. fervant. of the board, drove to the difagreeable neceffity of laying a public vindication of their conduct before their fellow-citizens. A meffage was fent to the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen, requesting them to fend down the certificates for the freedoms of the Lords Tyrone, Westmeath, Charlemount, Grandifon, Carrick; and John Bagwell, Efq; to which meffage the theriffs and commons could not obtain any answer. Whereupon they came to the following refolution: Refolved, That the sheriffs and commons do unanimously concur in regretting that they have it not in their power (by means of the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen with-holding the above pe tition) to give, by act of affembly, the fame teftimony of regard which was conferred upon the five illuftrious and noble Lords, and John Bagwell, Efq; by the guild of merchants, but the fheriffs and commons do, for themselves, in the fulleft manner, perfectly agree in approving of every mark of diftinction which was fhewn to these eminent and diftinguished perfonages. Signed by order of the theriffs and com mons, ALFRED HOWARD, By the Sheriffs and Commons of the City of Eafter Affembly, 11th of April, 1766. WH Hereas a petition of certain of the commons was regularly lodged in the town clerk's office, in the words following: To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, She riffs, Commons and Citizens of the City The Petition of certain of the Commons. HAT the members of the House of That from the inftitution of parliaments, the conftituents were bound to provide an honourable fupport for their reprefentatives in parliament, which may be by law levied upon every county, city and borough in this kingdom, at this day, under the head of wages, and which were always demanded and levied, till the Hh members members thought fit to change their minds, in that memorable reign of Charles II. when they gave up their connection with, as they did their dependence upon, their conftituents, That by the laws of parliament, the wages of a knight of a fhire are thirteen fhillings and four-pence per day, the wages of a citizen ten fhillings per day, and the wages of a burgefs fix fhillings and eight-pence per day; and one of the penalties for the non-attendance of the members, is the forfeiture of their wages. That it is the indifputable duty of every body of conftituents to diftinguish fuch of their reprefentatives as have lived up to the principles of the inftitution, and fulfilled their compact with their electors, by care and vigilance, pains and fidelity, in the fervice of their country, with marks of public regard, proportioned to their merit. That it plainly appears to this city, and the whole kingdom, that Charles Lucas, doctor of phyfick, one of the reprefentatives of this city in parliament, has, fince he has been appointed to that truft, devoted his whole time to the discharge of the duties of his ftation, with remarkable vigilance, zeal and fortitude, and the ftricteft attention to the honour and true intereft of the crown and the fubject, regardiefs of all private views, and to the apparent detriment of his fortune and health. Lucas, one of their reprefentatives in parliament, to be conceived in the fame terms with the one prefented laft affembly, p. 113. have unanimoufly agreed to reject it for the reasons then given, and on this further confideration, that fuch a grant would be improper, and therefore an unwarrantable application of fo much of the city revenue, with which the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen conceive the corporation to ftand invested, merely as trustees for the carrying on the falutary purposes of their inftitution. The house then came to the following Refolution: Refolved, That the sheriffs and commons, as part of the city corporation, and as truftees for carrying on the falutary purposes of their inftitution, think that the city can never dispose of any part of its revenue in a more proper or honourable manner, than by granting to Doctor Charles Lucas, our reprefentative in parliament, an annual ftipend of 3651. for his exerting, in the most unbiassed manner, his great and confpicuous abilities in behalf of this city and kingdom. Signed by order of the sheriffs and commons, ALFRED HOWARD, clk. of the commons. To the PUBLISHER. May it therefore please your Lordship YOU are requested to give the followLordshiping addrefs a place in your collection, not only as it conveys the fense of a very refpectable part, but of the kingdom in general. and honours, to fet an example to the other cities and free boroughs, as well as counties of this kingdom, in diftinguishing the merit and faithful fervices of your reprefentative, by granting the faid Charles Lucas, doctor of phyfic, an annual ftipend, during the city's pleasure, of three hundred and fixty-five pounds. And your petitioners will pray. And the faid petition, not having come down to the sheriffs and commons, a meffage was fent to the Lord Mayor and board of Aldermen, to requeft they would fend down the petition of certain of the commons, praying an annual ftipend to Doctor Lucas. To which the Lord Mayor and Board of Aldermen fent the following Anfwer. I request you will fuffer me to proceed further, on purpose to introduce an anecdote, that for its confequence, and the ftriking truth it conveys, in a manner fo pure and artlefs, merits a place. It must be remembered that ever fince the last general election, the bill for limiting of parliaments, has been in contemplation, and in a debate during the government of lord Halifax, it was advanced by a dignified lawyer, that fhould the bill take place, it would obftruct the operative powers of the laws now in being, to prevent the growth of popery; this was heard by a gentleman of very confiderable eftate and a convert, who, with furprise and conviction pronounced him a, and said, that should the law take place, he himfelf would not fuffer a popish tenant to be under under him, for he would immediately give freehold leafes, and make himself both refpectable and confiderable in his county. We would not wish to fee the peace ful difpoffeffed, nor is there occafion for it in this thinly inhabited country, it is only to fuffer the image of God, whom he bas appointed for his glory, who have been moft fhamefully neglected, to take place of the brute creation. It has fince been made evident by an eminent lawyer, that the operative power of the wifhed for law, is the only expedient that can establish a good yeomanry in this kingdom. They have ever been found by government, to be the staff by which they are beft fupported, and the true friends in time of trial. To the Honourable Thomas George Southwell and Hugh Maley, Efars; Reprefentatives in Parliament for the County of Limerick. W the of the county of Limerick, alfembled at the general affizes held for the faid county, on the 29th day of March, ult. being fenfible of the expediency of a law to limit the duration of parliaments in this kingdom, and animated by the example of other counties, (to which we fhould gladly have given the example, had our affizes been earlier affembled) take this public opportunity of requesting that you will employ your utmost endea vours, to carry into a law the bill for that purpose, which is now the object of general expectation. The many inftructions of this nature which now appear in the public papers, are a convincing argument, that it is the sense of the people that fuch a law would be useful, and is neceffary; and we conceive that the fenfe of the people should always be the fenfe of their reprefentatives. Your diligent attendance on this occafion, will be the best proof you can give us of your regard to the truft repofed in you; and fuffer us to remind you, that thofe who do not attend to give their voices for this law, will be confidered as having voted against it. fulted as authentic, and as the validity of the whole muft depend on the credibility of the parts, I fhall beg leave to point out one particular of this caft, which, if not corrected, may prejudice the whole narrative. What I particularly point at, is the relation of the teftimony given by John Lonergan, where it is faid, that while riding behind the priest, he faw the corpfe with its head out of the caddow, and although the head was almost split in two, and all bloody, he knew it to be that of the deceased John Bridge.-Now, as this tranfaction was in the night, between the hours of eleven and twelve, it must be concluded that there was not fufficient light to give a perfon even on foot which must have been more difficult to a an opportunity to make this diftinction, perfon on horfeback; therefore to prevent this apparent mistake from destroying the credibility of the relation, which, in eve a I have fent you a more circumstantial account, taken from notes penned in the court (not dependent on memory) with fome other papers, neceffary to fhew the tendency of these unfortunate people's defigns, and the caufe they had engaged in; which, in charity, we must fuppofe they could not have been brought to confent to, or in their confciences to have approved, but from the influence their church pretends to exercise over both, (unhappy, infatuated people.) Let this ever be a caution to g―t, not to be inattentive to informations when laid before them, which perhaps at first view may appear of little confequence, which, if neglected, will naturally dif courage the well intentioned both to king and country, from proceedingin what otherwife they might be of fervice. 'Tis true, fuch informers as generally appear in that character are not to be encouraged; but the intelligence of gentlemen, who have no other motive but what has been already mentioned, ought to be attended to. In 1764 an affidavit was made of the arrival of four, French officers on the coalt of Wexford; pray what enquiry was made after them? Had they been detected, parhaps deluded people could not have been brought to fwear allegiance to the French king, though prefied to it by their prett, A neglect of this fort gave the Scots an opportunity of near overturning the state, and destroying for us what the Revo Hh 2 LUTION 244 LUTION did," and reduce us again to a people fcourged, rather than governed by blind zeal and lawless power." Such neglects become acts of the highest cruel ty, especially in a country where the fpeculative errors of many of its inhabitants would only deferve pity, if their pernicious influence upon civil fociety did not both require and authorize restraint." It is not poffible, with any fhadow of reafon, to account for fome men's conduct, who, when once they have entered into high ftations, court popularity, tho' from fources the most unnatural. You muft remember, that not many years fince, fome had infinuated themselves into favour, and were admitted into confidence, which gave them a boldness to affume a gratitude which had no other appearance than in the news papers, with which the Dublin journal was frequently filled, how far they have fince behaved agreeable to thefe proteftations the acts of these days but too fatally fhew; from henceforward let the great know from whom they are to expect fupport to their measures, &c. A Lover of Liberty, his Country, and bis King. A Narrative collected from authentic Materials of the Proceedings at Clonmell, in the County of Tipperary, on the Trial of Mr. Edmond Sheehy, Mr. James Buxton, and Mr. John Farrel, who bad Bills of Indictment found against them at the laft Affizes for the Murder of John Bridge on the Night of the 28th of October, 1764, for avboje Trial the Government was pleafed to ifue their Special Commiffion, which began the 11th of April, and continued to the 15th, as every Prijoner was feparately tried, though for the jame Fact. T E court, in order to fhew the higheft impartiality, had juries impanelled, confifting of fixty each, for every prifoner that was then to be tried, and to the credit of the gentlemen of the county (who were all men of property) they appeared on the first call; of whom each of the prifoners challenged twenty peremptorily, but could not go further, not being able to fhew caufe of objection to any of the remainder. Mr. Edmond Sheeby being put to the bar, and his indictment read, to which he pleaded not guilty; the lawyers for the crown proceeded to produce their evidence; and first called upon John Tooby, who being fworn, declared, that the prifoner at the bar was prefent, and within two or three yards of John Bridge, when he received the fatal blow from Edmond Meehan. Mary Brady was next produced, who fwore that the came up immediately after the murder of Bridge, and that the pri foner was prefent, together with the Rev, Mr. Sheehy and Edmond Meehan, and that the latter held in his hand a bill-hook all bloody, and that the prieft, in her hearing, commended the action, and faid, all traitors fhould be ferved in the fame manner. The third evidence that was called upon, was Mr. James Herbert, farmer, he in the course of his examination, declared, that on Sunday the 28th of October, 1764, he was called upon by Roger Sheeby, who was then on horfeback, and behind whom he rode to a meeting of about twenty or thirty perfons affembled, on the lands of Shambally, near Clogheen, where they were fworn by their priest, father Sheehy, to murder John Bridge, John Bagwell, Efq; William Bagnell, Efq; the Revd. Doctor Hewetfon, and every other person who should oppose them; that they would be faithful to the French king, conquer Ireland, and make it their own. After being thus fworn, they came to the houfe of one English, on the lands of Shambally, belonging to Mr. Cal laghan, where Bridge was; they inftantly called him out of the house, and took him to a field at fome diftance, where was another party of about one hundred and thirty; here they accused him of giving information, and lodging examinations against the White Boys, infifted that he fhould by oath contradict whatever he had given information of, which he refufed to do; hereupon one Burn made a ftroke at him with a turf flane, which he kept off with his arm; then Edmond Mechan took a bill-hook from under his coat, with which he ftruck Bridge on the back part of his head, which fo cleft his fkull that he inftantly expired; that the prieft was then prefent, and fo near as to be within the distance of two yards, with a book in his hand. After this (being first |