was ripe for execution, which they admitted it would not be till they fhould be provided with arms fufficient for their purpose The fame apprehenfion operated differently on lome of the moft ardent fpirits of the confederacy, who were ftill more fanguine as to the numbers who would join them, and who were defirous of ftriking the blow before measures could be taken for their fuppreffion, and who thought they might fupply the want of which they complained, by a defperate attack on feveral repofitories of arms, which would at once deprive the military of the means of refiftance, and furnith themselves with weapons for attack; others, not admitted to the fecrets of the executives, acculed them of tardiness in their operations, and were impatient to be called into action. The more cautious counfels however prevailed, which were perhaps promoted by mutual fufpicion, and by the reluctance of fome, when it came near the point, to engage in outrages of fuch atrocity.

Other meetings were held in different parts of the town, and at one of them, the Spenfonians, the following toafts were drank :

May the laft of kings be ftrangled in the bowels of the laft of priests! A fpeedy amalgamation of party with the mafs of the people. Religion without priefts, and go vernments without kings.

A difh of fish for the English, and may they always relish an Irish pike. Vinegar Hill, and may the foes of the people meet with four fauce. The heroes of Wexford. The rights of the people, and may the people never want fpirit to maintain their rights.

Honeft men at the head of affairs, and thofe at the head of affairs without heads at all.

No lord, nor landlord, but the Lord God, our only Lord.

May the ufurpation of the great landholders be fpeedily deftroyed, and every man recover his original share of land.

May the age of fuperftition be annihilated, and the age of reafon be established in its ftead.

"At one of the most recent meetings a fupper was given, at the expenfe of fome unknown patron, to celebrate again the releafe of the champions of their caufe; when they were ftill entertained with the moft feditious fongs and toafts, fufficiently defcriptive of their attachment to our foreign enemy, and abhorrence of the form of our own conftitution; such as

"Bonaparte, and fuccefs to the army of Egypt.

"The guillotine, a cure for the king evil."

The difaffected take steps to win over religious enthufiafts, as well as vifionary reformers, though they defpife religion. The report next proceeds to ftate, that focieties on fimilar principles were formed in the chief towns, and that the great object and hope of all was to foment rebellion by means of the fearcity of provifions. They represented their numbers trained to arms at 60,000, fometimes double that number; one of their plans was to feize the arms of the loyal affociations. They connected themselves with a religious fect (the Jerufalemites) in Yorkhire, whofe creed was the 25th, 26th, and 27th, of the 21st chapter of Ezekiel, In Lancashire theirnumbers were great and bold, and an infurrection was propofed for the feedtime. A fecret convention fat for fix different divifions of the kingdom, and a general meeting was actually

held

beld early in April, near Manchester, which was difperfed. The diffaf fected held out encouragement to the enemy to invade this country, by representing they would be joined by great numbers. The report then describes a new plot lately difcovered in Ireland, for forming the difaffected into regiments, a feditious addrefs to the Irish failors in our fleet, and folicitations of affiftance from France; but the agent who afks this, it is faid," Stipulates, however, with his propofed allies, for the affurance of their property to all the prefent poffeffors, in oppofition to any claim of the catholics, whom he ftates ftill to look forward with hopes of establishing a popith afcendancy; and it appears that he has been given to understand, that both the late directory, and one of the principal minifters of the prefent government of France, had coincided in the jufLice and propriety of that ftipulation."

"The report next details the rebellious and atrocious proceedings in Ireland, at confiderable length, the plans of affaffination, &c. Perfons are flogged, to compel them to fell cheap provifions ; cattle are destroyed; horfes are ftolen, to facilitate the defigns of the rebels; a general tendency to infurrection exifts among the lower clafs, and the rebellion is not quenched.

"That in one county, for a year past, one whole barony has been tributary to and in poffeffion of an arm-ed banditti of about fifty perfons, under two known leaders, who regularly exercise their men, station their -pickets, and march to the found of a horn, to the commiffion of all forts of outrages, and declare their intention of perfifting till a general rifing may enable them to overturn the existing conftitution and government.

The robbery of the mail in Kildare, in the month of April laft, by. a gang of eighteen or nineteen armed men, who commenced their attack by a volley of mufketry, is a ftriking inftance of the manner in which thefe outrages are committed and a recent and well-known tranf action of the most atrocious nature, in the county of Tipperary, proves that the fyftem of fecret profcription and delegated affaffination is fill in force, fupported either by the con currence of extenfive confederacy, or the effects of general intimidation. Your committee refer to the murder of Mr. Price, who, having taken a farm against the wishes of those who take upon them to regulate the rents of land, received a written intimation, which appears, from the evidence of a member of this houfe, to have been to the following effect: