teftimony which the Duke of Dorfet rendered in the next year, when he was about to quit the government of Ireland, to the peaceable and steady con

"ried on for and against repealing the teft, in which those who wrote for it fhewed the greatest temper. And thus the persons who came to town to oppose it, by degrees heated one another, "and vifibly gained ground, and the members of the Houfe of Commons were by adjourned calls "of the house kept in town.

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"There were daily reports spread, that the bill would be brought in such or such a day; and fome " in the oppofition gave out, they would move for it, that the point might be decided one way or "another: till at length after much impatience fhewn on the occafion, on this day fe'nnight a very " unusual, and I think unparliamentary, motion was made, that after the next Friday, the house "would neither receive bills nor heads of bills for repealing any parts of the acts to prevent the growth of Popery, in one of which the facramental oath is enacted. There was fome oppofition "made to the fhortness of the time, and the next Monday moved for, but the warmth of the house, "which was a very full one, against any further delay, and indeed against any repeal of the teft, "appeared fo great and fo general, that it was thought most prudent not to divide about that resolu❝tion. And upon considering what then appeared to be the sense of much the greater part of the "house, and what was found to be the difpofition of the members by talking with them, it was "concluded at a meeting at the caftle on Wednesday morning, and another on Thursday morning, "where some of the agents for the Diffenters were present, to be most for the credit of the go"vernment and peace of the kingdom, not to push for a thing which plainly appeared impracti"cable: and it was thought a very dangerous ftep to unite a majority of the house in oppofition "to the intentions of the government, fince it was not fo certain when fuch an union might be "diffolved. And at a meeting of several members of the House of Commons, who were difpofed "to repeal the teft, it was agreed, that in the prefent ftate of affairs, it would be wrong to pufh "for a thing that would certainly mifcarry. Whilft this affair has been depending, there have "been great heats in the House of Commons, and a more than usual obstruction of public bufinefs, "and the House of Lords has had their share in their coming to fome refolutions though not on "this fubject, which would scarce have been carried or moved at another time. And I am fully "of opinion, that though the repeal had paffed in the commons, it would have miscarried among "the lords: but I hope now this uneafinefs and handle of difcontent is over, things will gradually "cool and return to their former courfe. I find fome of the Diffenters now fay, the thing ought

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to have been tried fooner in the feffion, but as I mentioned before, it was the opinion of his "majefty's fervants, that the fupplies ought to be fecured before any danger was run of raifing "heats in the house: and befides in the method of our parliament, no bill can be carried by furprize, because though the heads of a bill may be carried on a fudden, yet there is time for a party to be gathered against it, by that time a bill can pass the council here and be returned from "England, when it is again to pafs through both houses for their approbation before what has happened here will probably the lefs furprize your grace, because the archbishop of Dublin in Lon"don acquainted the ministry, that such a repeal could not pass here, which has been my opinion "from the beginning of this feffion. This I am fure of, that all present in the service of the crown "were of opinion, that the push ought not to be made, where there was no probability of fuccefs."

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duct of the Irish nation, ought to be recorded.* "I think myself happy, "faid his grace, that on return to his majesty's royal presence, I can juftly "reprefent his people of Ireland, as moft dutiful, loyal, and affectionate fubjects."

The Duke of Dorfet was fucceeded in the lieutenancy by the Duke of Devonshire, whofe adminiftration was the longest and moft quiet of any, fince the acceffion of the Hanover family. His Grace was wholly devoted to the councils and influence of the primate, who died in that adminiftration.† No lord lieutenant, fince the firft Duke of Ormond, had displayed fuch pomp, ftate, and luxury as the Duke of Devonshire: no one had ever applied fo much of his perfonal patrimony to the gratification or advantage of the Irish nation: and upon the whole, his administration, without being brilliant or glorious, had the negative merit of not having been turbulent.

"

* 4 Journ. Com. p. 152.

So the primate expreffes himself to this nobleman on the 28th of April, 1737 :—" The great "character your grace has from every body, fatisfies me we shall be happy under your adminiftration, if it be not our own fault. I have made it my endeavour to ferve his majefty faithfully here, and fhall always labour to promote his intereft and honor, and the prosperity of his subjects; and am glad that I and the other lords juftices have been rightly reprefented to your grace on that head and I dare answer for them, as well as myself, that we shall do our utmost to make your administration here eafy. Befide thofe publick letters you are pleased to encourage us to "write, there will be occafions when it may be for the fervice of his majesty, and the good of this "kingdom, that I fhould give your grace an account of my particular fenfe of affairs, which I hope you will allow me the liberty to write to your grace. I can promise that I will never "knowingly mislead you, and your grace will always be judge of what I propofe." Upon which the editor of the primate's letters informs us, that "his grace's adminiftration was the happiest, "the longest, and perhaps the most useful that was ever known in Ireland fince the House of "Hanover came to the crown, which was greatly owing to the confidence he placed (advised fo "to do by his good friend Sir Robert Walpole) in my lord primate. My lord primate died in this administration, but had gone through three feflions of parliament without lofing, as it is best "remembered, a fingle government queftion. But at the fame time this is obferved, be it also recollected, that his Grace of Devonshire did greatly ftrengthen his own hands, and by that means those of the government, by a double alliance in marriage with the powerful family of "Ponfonby; who then had great weight, and now are of ftill greater confequence in that king"dom. This alliance, no doubt, contributed to make things go easy again, as it did afterwards during the thort adminiftration of that amiable, most worthy, and truly noble perfonage the last "Duke of Devonshire."

+ At his own private expences he built the Quay in Dublin, which bears the name of Devonshire Quay, in grateful remembrance of this benefactor to the Irish nation.

As

As it is unquestionable, that the adminiftration of the Duke of Devonshire was entirely carried on by the direction of the primate, it materially affects the hiftory of thofe times, to afcertain the spirit and principles of that government, by which Ireland then was ruled. In writing to the Duke of Newcaftle about the reduction of the gold coin, the primate obferves, that he had in a particular manner been ill used on this occafion, and that monftrous ftories had been spread about to enrage the people.* At this remote difiance from the action of Primate Boulter's principles upon the people of Ireland, represented by their parliament, the impartial obferver will neceffarily conclude, that every Irishman who confidered or felt the independence of his country, would refift the fundamental pofition laid down by that political prelate, that the council in Ireland, whofe fpecial miffion was to keep up the English intereft there, by the conftitution had a power to check the proceedings both of the lords and commons. As perfecution and harfhnefs were agreeable neither to King George the Second, nor to his then favorite minister Sir Robert Walpole, the Catholics of Ireland had enjoyed fome few years of relative indulgence, which was ill relished by the primate, as in his ideas it had produced fo much infolence in that body, and there was fo general a

* 2 Vol. p. 242, "It is poffible (faid his grace, in 1737), fome difcontented people may en"deavour to bring the affair into parliament, and make fome reflecting votes on the council here, "which by our conftitution has a power to check the proceedings of both lords and commons, I "think they will not be able to carry any vote on that point; but if they do, I am fure the only "check here on their heat at any time will be taken away, except his majesty is pleased to support "the council. In the whole affair I am fatisfied, the aim of feveral is to deprefs the English "interest here, which the more fome labour to deprefs, the more neceflary will it be to support "it here by his majesty's authority. As for myfelf I make no difficulty of retiring, if it may be of any use, and indeed have of late been fo ill used in this affair, that nothing but his majesty's "fervice fhould hinder me from retiring. The heats of this town begin to cool, and would have "been over by this time, if they had not been artfully kept up for a handle to another place." (Letter to the Duke of Newcafile, September 29th, 1737.) The editor of Primate Boulter's letters affures us, that such a malignant spirit had been raised on this occafion by Dean Swift and the bankers, that it was thought proper to lodge at the primate's houfe an extraordinary guard of fol diers. On no occafion, however, were the Catholics to be fuppofed innocent of any misconduct that happened in Ireland. It was certainly a fingular combination of the most heterogeneous interefts, to which the primate attributed this oppofition to the will of the English cabinet in Ireland. In this fame letter the archbishop hints, that the heats were artfully kept up by Dean Swift and by the management of the bankers and remitters, and the whole Popish party there, and that the affair occafioned a great deal of heat.

difpofition

difpofition amongst Proteftants and Papifts to infult magiftrates for doing their duty, that they thought it proper for preferving the peace of the country, to profecute any perfon indifferently that demanded fatisfaction of any magiftrate for putting the laws in execution.* No argument can fo conclufively refute the charges inceffantly urged from this fide of the water against the Irish for being by difpofition turbulent and favage, by principle inimical to England, and by religion difloyal to a Proteftant fovereign, than the fimple fact, that Ireland raised not an arm against the government, when an extenfive and unfuccefsful war on the Continent, the countenance of a young Pretender to the British throne, and the abfence of a compulsory armed force from Ireland, difplayed the most feducing incitements to diforder, difaffection, and rebellion, if their roots exifted in the land. It was then, with notorious truth, that the Duke of Devonshire fo frequently in his fpeeches to parliament during this time congratulated them upon the grateful and happy neceffity he was under, of reporting favorably to his majefty upon the affection, zeal, and loyalty of his Irish subjects.

Loud and vehement as were the cries and exertions against Popery and Papifts in Ireland, yet it is impoffible for any temperate man not to fee, that they arose out of no other principle than that of self-interest. Lord Clancarty had, it appears, under the Duke of Devonshire's administration, obtained the consent of the British cabinet, that a bill should be brought into

* Letter to the Duke of Devonshire, 2 vol. p. 227. It certainly is a conclufive avowal, that prosecutions were not before that time carried on indifferently in Ireland, when the first minifter of national juftice makes a defperate and forced threat of adminiftering it indifferently for the peace of the country. His grace had before this artfully prepared the public mind for this new and extraordinary administration of indifferent juftice, by the lord lieutenant's speech at the close of the parliament of that year. (4 Journ. Com. p. 280.) "I have nothing particular to recommend "to you upon your return to your several countries, being well fatisfied that you will in your respective stations put the laws ftrictly and impartially in execution, encourage an hearty union "amongit Proteftants, and difcountenance and punish prophaneness and immorality. I need not "mention to you, that your maintaining the dignity of the crown, and a due fubmiffion to the magiftrate, will be the fureft means to preferve the public peace and tranquillity." The laws which were thus recommended to be put in execution, were well understood at that time to be the Popery laws, and thus by artfully fubftituting the general words prophaneness and immorality for the appropriate word Popery, which thofe laws were framed to punish and perfecute, this intriguing prelate acquired a plausible reason for extending his favorite fyftem of rigor to those Proteftants, who discountenanced the Popery laws and oppofed the English interest, as objects of more rancor and deteftation to his grace than even the Papists themselves.

the

the Irish parliament for the reverfal of his attainder, which paffed for his adhering to the caufe of King James in 1688. His eftates, which had been confequently forfeited, were, according to Primate Boulter's account, then of the annual value of 60,000l. and the report of fuch a measure, together with the reflections made upon the confequences of fuch a precedent, threw the Proteftant landholders into the greatest alarm and fermentation.* In proportion as they were attached to the poffeffion of the Catholics lands, they were vehement in decrying the principles and tenets of the Catholic religion. It had the effect to fharpen the edge of the law, by more rigorous execution, and of encreafing the acrimony of the Irish government against the body of Catholics, notwithstanding their unfhaken loyalty and exemplary conduct. The nature of this alarm appears from the refolutions of the

2 Boulter, p. 152.

MY LORD,

To the Bishop of London.

Dublin, gth of February, 1735,

THE bearer is the Rev. Mr. Cox, one of a very good family here, and of a fair character. He goes over to England to oppose the reverfing of the Lord Clancarty's attainder, if any fuch thing fhould be attempted this feffion. He is in poffeffion of 4001. per annum, part of the Clancarty eftate, which his father bought under the faith of two English acts of parliament, the Irish Trustee Act, and a particular act obtained by the Hollow Sword Blade Company, who had bought great eftates here of the trustees, to make good the titles of thofe, who purchased under them. He will be beft able to give your lordship an account of these feveral acts. But as not only he, but great numbers of Proteftant purchafers, who have improved the Clancarty estate to near 60,000l. per annum, think they may be affected by fuch a reverfal, I need not tell your lordship what a ferment the discourse of it has occafioned in those parts where the eftate lies. But I must further add, that as probably two-thirds of the eftates of Proteftants here were Popish forfeitures originally, the uneasiness is univerfal, fince they think if the attainder of any family be reverfed now, another family may at another time obtain the fame favour; and another at another season; for that no poffeffor of fuch forfeited eftate can tell how long he or his may continue in the quiet enjoyment of what they have bought under the faith of English acts of parliament, and on the improvement of which they have laid out their fubftance. The House of Commons here have represented their sense of this matter to his majefty, as the House of Lords did two or three feffions ago, to which they then received a moft gracious anfwer, which was the reafon they did not address now. As a step of this nature would give great uneafinefs to his majesty's Proteftant fubjects here, I defire your lordfhip would, where you judge it proper, reprefent the importance of the cafe. I have wrote a letter on this subject to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, and fent it by the fame hand.

I am,

My Lord, &c. &c.

commons