June, The bumble Address of the Lords Spiritual eft wishes that his majesty may be gracivereigus must naturally excite our warm and Temporal in Parliament affembled. To his Excellency FRANCIS SEYMOUR, Earl of HERTFORD. May it pleafe your Excellency, W E his majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal in parliament affembled, beg leave to congratui with your excellency on the approaching conclufion of this feffion of parliament, diftinguished by the many ufeful bills returned from Great-Britain, which will be lafting benefits to this kingdom, and will remain as the moft honourable monuments of the wildom and fuccefs of your excellency's adminiftration. We had long, my lord, wifhed to fee your excellency fill that high ftation, to which his majefty's goodness to his people of Ireland has called you. The heft founded hopes were univerfally entertained of the juftice, honour, and humanity, of the chief governor, as thofe qualities were known to have eminently adorned the manners, and diftinguished the character of the private man. But our most fanguine expectations of an adminiftration honourable and agree able to his majefty, and fatisfactory and beneficial to his people, were raifed from your excellency's constant exertion of your power to promote the infeparable interests of Great Britain and Ireland, and your unwearied endeavours by public and private protection, and by the powerful influence of your own example, to encou oufly pleafed, according to his ufual paternal goodness, to continue a governor to prefide over us, who has given fuch a profpect of happiness, and rendered himand loyal fubjects of Ireland. felf fo juftly dear to his majesty's dutiful To which bis Excellency was pleased to give the following answer. My Lords, endeavours for the public fervice, OUR favourable acceptance of my ble to me. and this peculiarly affectionate mark of your approbation and esteem, are extremely agreeable, and highly honourafualion that an adminiftration which has I must be happy in the perreceived the fanction of your good opinion, and in which your lordships have must have been, in fome refpects, useful exprefled fo much content and fatisfaction, to this kingdom. It is the greatest bome, that my perfeverance in my duty to nour to you, and the highest pleasure to his majesty, and in my regards to the the only means of infuring the continutrue interefts of this kingdom, will be ance of your confidence and regards. The humble address of the Knights, Ci- To his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant. E his majesty's most dutiful and an W loyal culture of this kingdom. The feveral wife provifions made this feffion, in favour of our trade and manufactures, for the prefervation of peace and order, for the encouragement of tillage, and above all, that important bill for granting a bounty on the exportation of corn, long withed for, and often attempted, and now, by his majesty's peculiar favour, returned under your excellency's adminiftration, will fatisfy our fellow fubjects, and must convince pofterity that our expectations have been answered, and that our molt flattering hopes have been crowned with fuccefs. your excellency our moft fincere thanks Ireland, in parliament aflembled, return nitration, and for the many good laws, for your prudent, juft and wife admi- . fo highly beneficial to the peace and tranquillity, and to the trade, manufactures and tillage of this kingdom; the return cy's interpofition, during this feffion of of which was obtained by your excellenparliament; particularly for the acts for the etablishment of county infirmaries, and the prefervation of corn, which will prove the means of preferving the health, and providing for the fupport of the peoThefe confiderations, my lord, added ragement of fitheries, and more especiple; and alfo for the act for the encouto the mildness, prudence, and impartially for that useful and important law, for ality of your adminiftration, in the high the encouragement of tillage, fo long office of reprefentative of the beft of fo- wifhed for by the people of this kingdom. We English protettant schools. An act, for explaining and amending an act, entitled an act, for the encouragement of the fisheries of this kingdom. An act, to prevent, for the future, tumultuous rifings of perfons within this kingdom, and for other purpofes therein mentioned.. We think ourselves indifpenfably obliged to testify our fenfe of your excel- Lift of Bills that received the royal Assent lency's ftrict attention to the execution of the 7th of June, 1766.justice, by the vigorous profecutionis folars, and for the encouragement of Nact, for licensing hawkers and pedeffectually carried on, against the difturbers of the public peace, and to lay be. fore your excellency the ftrongeft affurances of our affection and gratitude for the faithful discharge of your excellency's high truft, with equal regard to the conftitutional rights of the crown and the liberties of the people; and of our well grounded confidence in your excellency's known attachment to the true intereft of this kingdom: and we can have no doubt, that your excellency will, upon your return into the royal prefence, repiefent in the most favourable manner, to the beft of princes, the duty, zeal, and loyalty of his faithful and affectionate fubjects of this kingdom, their entire reliance on his majesty's goodness, their conftant and invariable refolution, to maintain the rights, and to fupport the honour and dignity of the crown, with the fame zeal and attention with which our great and amiable fovereign, has ever preferved the liberties of all his fubjects. To which bis Excellency made the following anfwer, viz. Gentlemen, Received with the greatest fatisfaction thofe repeated and affectionate declarations of the approbation and esteem of the houfe of commons: I am highly pleafed that my administration has been agreeable to you, and I am extremely happy to hear that you think it has been ufeful to the publick: No one of my predeceffors ever wished more ardently to promote the profperity of Ireland, and if I could poffibly want any inducement, to continue my best endeavours for that purpose, my gratitude for your regards, and for the confidence you have placed in me, would be an additional incitement. I shall continue to reprefent to his majefty in the ftrongeft manner, your duty and loyalty, your fidelity and affection to his perfon, family and government, and that your zeal for his fervice can only be equalled by what must be altogether as agreeable to the beft of princes, your zealous attachment to the interest of your country, An act, for explaining and amending the laws relative to the flaxen and hempen manufactures. An act, for the more effectually carrying into execution the laws heretofore made to prevent the pernicious practice of burning land. An act, for allowing further time to perfons in offices or employments to qua lify themselves, pursuant to an act, intitled an act, to prevent the further growth of popery. An act, for directing the application of the fum of 8000l. granted to the Dublin fociety for the encouragement of fuch trades and manufactures as fhould be directed by parliament. An act, for continuing and amending an act, intitled an act, for better regulating the parish watches, and amending high ways in this kingdom, and for prerenting the misapplication of publick money; and alfo for eftablishing a regular watch in the city of Dublin; and to prevent mifchief which may happen by graving in the river Liffey; and alfo for regulating the watch in the town of Drogbeda. An act, for encouraging the planting of timber trees. An act, for the better regulating of trials in cafes of high treafon, under the ftatute of the 25th of Edward the third. An act, for the relief of infolvent debtors. An act, for altering and amending feveral ftatutes heretofore made for the bet ter regulation of the city of Cork, and for regulating trials by juries in the court of record of the faid city, and for eftablishing market juries in the faid city, and for making wide and convenient ways, ftreets, and paffages in the said city and fuburbs mitted by the bakers and meal makers of thereof, and for preventing frauds comthe faid city. Aaa z and punishment of thofe offences, which Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons, YOUR, ardent zeal, and unwearied you thanks in his name for the ufual fup pains, for the fervice of your country, have neceffarily drawn this feffion into an unusual length; it is now time you should rest from your labours, to relieve you with repofe and relaxation, and that you should return to your refpective counties, to receive the thanks of your fellow fubjects, for your great and fuccessful attention to the public good. Your long and affiduous deliberations have been fully recompenced by the many ufeful and important laws which have now received the royal affent, and which will remain as lafting monuments of the great goodness of his majesty, and of the wifdom and vigilance of this parliament. The provision made to preferve the health, and to relieve the infirmities of his maje ity's fubjects in this kingdom by the eftablishment of county infirmaries; the wife and humane defign of encouraging tillage, by the act for the prefervation of corn, for which falutary ppofes confiderable fums are to be annually paid out of the treasury; the king's confenting during this feffion, in feveral inftances, to a diminution of his hereditary revenue, for the improvement of your trade, manufactures, and tillage, but efpecially the useful and important law for the encouragement of tillage, cannot fail to make the deepest and most lafting impreffions on your minds, of his majefty's tender regards and paternal affection for his people of Ireland. The public tranquillity has, I flatter myself, been effectually fecured, not only by the exemplary punishments inflicted on feveral of the perfons engaged in thofe wicked and dangerous outrages, which had fo long infefted fome parts of this kingdom; but by the act for the detection plies granted by you, with your accuf tomed unanimity; and to exprefs his majesty's fatisfaction, that you have eased your fellow fubjects, by reducing the intereft of part of the national debt. I am alfo to return you his majesty's thanks for your chearful concurrence in the proper meafures, for the difpofition and accommodation of the king's troops, fo as to render them of moft ufe for the fafety and defence of this kingdom, a work of the most important utility: your zeal and unanimity upon that occafion, and the truft repofed in me, demand my moft grateful acknowledgments. I cannot fufficiently commend your pains, care, and attention, in providing for the building and repairing of churches, in which you may reft affured of my best and most hearty affiftance. I am particularly to thank you for the unfolicited mark of your confidence and efteem, by the truft placed in me of raifing money, if the exigencies of government fhould require it; a power which fhall not be executed, unless the exercife of it fhall be justified by the most evident> neceflity. Happy muft that country be, where a mutual intercourfe of truft and confidence, and a reciprocal exchange of affection and gratitude, have fo long and fo uniformly fubfifted between the king and his people. My Lords and Gentlemen, The affectionate addreffes of both houfes of parliament repeatedly prefented to me, convey the most honourable teftimony of your approbation of my conduct, and give me fome hopes, that I have not been altogether an unprofitable fervant to my royal mafter, and to his people, people, in this arduous ftation in which it has been the king's pleafure to place me. I shall endeavour to deferve the continuance of your favourable opinion, by thewing, upon every occafion, the highest regards to the true intereft of this kingdom,, and the strictest attention to the jaft prerogative of the king, and to the liberties of the people; and let me earneftly recommend it to you, in your fèveral ftations, to inculcate by precept, authority, and example, a love and vene- ration for the laws, and a dutiful fubiniffion to the constitutional rights of the crown, the firmert fecurity of civil liberty, and the strongest barrier against diforder and anarchy; to enforce the execution of juftice, and a due obedience to the magiftrate; to explain to the people the excellence of our happy conftitution; to promote, and confirm in them, a juft fenfe of the many bleifings they enjoy, and the most grateful fentiments of the juftice, moderation, and benignity of the king's government; and particularly to point out the great benefits which this kingdom has obtained this feffion of parliament, by his majefty's goodness in affenting to fo many ufeful laws. I have great fatisfaction to find, that the act to prohibit the exportation of corn, for a limited time, has produced the defired effects, by preventing the dreadful calamity of a famine; I have used every endeavour in my power to promote the defign of this law by encouraging the importation of corn, and by leffening the price to the poor in thofe places where, by applications made to me for that purpofe, it appeared to be most neceffary: apprehenfions of the fame calamity had occafioned a law of the fame nature in Great-Britain, but with an exception for this kingdom; an inftance of the molt affectionate attention from his majefty, and from our fellow fubjects of that kingdom, of which I am perfuaded we shall entertain the most grateful remembrance. I cannot take my leave of you without affuring you, that I look upon myfelf as obliged in juftice, in intereft, and in gratitude, to reprefent your conduct to his majefty in the most favourable manner; to continues conttant endeavours in every fituation, for the advancement of your trade; the affiftance of your manufactures; and the encouragement of your my tillage; to maintain the honour and dignity of the crown; and to promote the profperity and happiness of the people of Ireland. After which, the right hon. the Lord Chancellor, prorogued the parliament to Thursday the 10th day of July next. The bumble addrefs of the Knights, Citizens and Burgefjes, in parliament affembled, refpecting the Septennial Bill. To the King's moft excellent majefty. Moft gracious Sovereign, E Loyal fubjects, the commons of your majefty's most dutiful and Ireland, in parliament affembled, beg leave to approach your throne, and with all humility to teftify our ardent and inviolable attachment to your facred perfon and government; and to implore that your majesty will fuffer us to prefent to you the univerfal prayers of your loyal people of Ireland, in affiftance of the reprefentations and endeavours of the chief governor of this kingdom, towards inducing your majesty, in your royal beneficence, to return to your molt faithful Subjects, the bill tranfimitted to GreatBritain, for limiting the duration of parliament, this feffion. To which his Majefty gave the following anfwer. GEORGE R. "His majefty has received the addrefs of the house of commons on the fubject of a bill, fome time fince tranfinitted, for limiting the duration of parliaments. "The fentiments of his faithful commons were already known to his majesty, by their paffing the heads of that bill; nor can any folicitation add weight to that antient and conftitutional way of fignifying their defires on the like occafions. "His majefty will always have the highest fatisfaction in complying with the withes of his faithful commons; but no confideration can prevail with his majesty to fwerve from that indifpenfible duty, which the conftitution prefcribes to him, of concurring in fuch provitions only, as on mature deliberation, and advice of his council appear to him, at the time, calculated to promote the true interest and happiness of his people. G. R. 370 Tryal of Edward Meighan. In the Courfe of our Publication we have Thefe NOTES confift of Answers made to feveral Questions put to the Witnesses during the Time of delivering their Tef timony, whether on Crofs Examination, or otherwife. The Aufwers are only taken down, as time would not permit more to be done: They naturally lead to the Question asked; and the former are what the Judgment was to be influenced by. More could not be expected from a Gentleman thus fituated, when a peculiar exactness was necessary. JOHN TOOHY, fworn for the Crown. June, lip Magrath, Thomas Harman, John Butler, and many others drawn up in a rank, as if to be reckon'd.John Bridge and company went towards the people, and join'd them.—Nicholas Sheeby tendered an oath to John Bridge to deny examinations; who refufed to take it: on this refufal Pierce Byrn truck at him left-hand; then the prifoner drew a billwith a flane, which he defended with his hook from under a belt, and ftruck Bridge clove the fkull,-Bridge fell down dead on the head, which to his recollection, inftantly. hour, got a blanket, and carried the The fame perfons in about half an corpfe, to a field belonging to Connor's fon, or Rofs, at Ballybufkin, and buried him in a ploughed field, about two miles from the place of committing the murder. Sheeby, to all prefent, not to disclose what An oath was then tendered by Nicholas had paffed that night, and to be true to did. The prifoner took the oath,-all the king of France, and Joan Mekill approved of what happened, that as and Children, which most, or all of them Guinan's teftimony could not take effect. John Bridge was out of the way, Michael fince,-heard the prifoner fay that the The field is called the Barn-field,— knows not what was done with the body corpfe was taken up and removed,— knows of a letter brought to James Buxton by John Dogberty, which was wrote by Nicholas Sheeby, At the time of burying the corpfe in the field, a little boy was found hiding in KNOWS the prifoner, -knew John the ditch, and put up behind Nicholas Bridge he is dead, was killed by Edward Meighan-by a stroke of a billhook on the head at Shanbally, and died inftantly, went Shanbally, with Pierce Byrn, James Buxto English's house at ton, James Farrell, Silvefter How, Darby Tierney; knew not for what purpose, -faw John Walsh, Dennis Coleman, Peter Magrath and John Bridge, playing cards at English's houfe,-went a fmall way out of the house, on James Farrell's call, into a field,--faw many people in the field; to wit, Edward Meighan the prifoner, Nicholas Sheeby, Edward Prendergaft, Thomas Beere, John Burke, Edward Burke, Thomas Magrath, Hugh Hayes, Roger Sheehy, Dennis Coleman, William Flyn, Edmond Sheehy, Edward Coffee, James Coghlan, John Walfb, Phil Sheehy. The boy's name John Londer- Cross Examined. goal for about four months-was fent Came from Killcrow,-has been in to goal the 20th of September-first gave examinations against the prifoner, about a month after committal,-was com28th of October, 1764, was Tuesday, but mitted for horfe-ftealing,-believes the wards to be given by government,cannot recollect,-knew not of any remembers Clogheen fair in October, 1764, but not the day,-Bridge was killed about ten or eleven at night,-knows not whether before or after the fair of Clogheen, |