"old and to extend its commerce; the lower orders of the people are reco

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vering from their former indolence and ignorance, and the spirit of enterprize and industry, the great spring of national happiness, begins to dif"fuse itself through the nation. From these difpofitions in the people, and "the generous encouragement given to every useful undertaking by thofe "of higher condition, it seems not too much confidence to hope, that the "time is not far diftant, when this kingdom will emerge from that state of "inaction and languor, into which it was funk, and that it will affume that "rank in the empire, which belongs to it, and become one of its principal pillars. The commons, fenfible of the benefits they enjoy under "cellency's just and wife administration, have, with unusual dispatch, granted "all the supplies which were required, and have alfo made provifion for the discharge of an arrear of 300,000l. incurred fince the last feffion; and though they have not imposed on the fubject any new or additional tax, except for the purposes of regulation, they are not without hopes, that the revenue will hereafter prove adequate to the public fervice, and that the "augmentation made by fuch regulation, and the reformation already commenced in the collection and management of it, will prevent any future deficiency."

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The House of Commons met for the last time before their adjournment on Christmas-Day, when Mr. Gardiner obferving, that many members had expreffed their anxiety to know the purport of his intended bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics, and as the house had given no orders for printing it, he would have it printed and distributed at his own expence, that gentlemen might have an opportunity of maturely confidering it during the recefs. On which occafion Mr. Grattan faid, he did not rife to oppofe the going into a committee, or to promote it, he only intended to obferve, that it was granted on all fides that fome indulgence should be granted to the Roman Catholics; the only difficulty was, how that indulgence fhould be granted; for his part, he wished the houfe to do it handfomely, for the merits and fufferings of the Roman Catholics claimed it from them. They were not to be judged by their creed, as understood by their adverfaries, their actions proved them dutiful and loyal. They were for a long time not fuppofed attached to the conftitution, and with good reafon, because they were known not to enjoy its benefits; yet that Roman Catholics might be attached to a conftitution they could enjoy, was obvious; Catholics had formerly wrefted

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Magna Charta from King John; and recently on two trying occafions, when the country was threatened with invafion, and when laft feffion fhe was ftruggling for a free trade and conftitution, their behaviour then was in the highest degree praife-worthy; they did not catch the opportunity to make terms, but liberally and unconditionally joined with their Proteftant fellowfubjects in every effort to ferve their country; by thefe, and by a continual courfe of good behaviour, they had merited the favor of parliament. But this favor ought to be granted with fome regard to the prejudices of Protestants; for even Proteftants (he spoke with refpect and reverence of the faith which he profeffed) had their prejudices. With fome regard to the preju dices of Prefbyterians, whofe political principles he preferred before all others, parliament should endeavour to make the indulgence agreeable to every party, and beneficial not only to the Catholics, but to the nation; it should be the business of parliament to unite every denomination of Irishmen in brotherly affection and regard to the conftitution. It had been well obferved, by a gentleman of first-rate understanding, a member of the British parliament, that Ireland could never profper till its inhabitants were a people; and though the affertion might feem ftrange, that three millions of inhabitants in that island should not be called a people, yet the truth was fo, and fo would continue till the wisdom of parliament should unite them by all the bonds of focial affection. Then, and not till then, the country might hope to profper.

Immediately after the adjournment of the Houfe of Commons, viz. on 31ft of January, 1782, Mr. Gardiner gave notice of his intention to bring in heads of a bill for the relief of his majefty's fubjects in Ireland profeffing the Roman Catholic religion: and as no part of the modern hiftory of Ireland is more interefting or curious, than the progrefs, variations, fhiftings, and conclufions of the public mind upon the rights and franchises of the Roman Catholics of that kingdom, I fhall endeavour to trace it as fairly, as the public documents and records of the nation will admit of.* The Hon. John Burke faid, he would ever oppofe the introduction of a bill, that with a fingle dafh of a pen, abolished all the reftraints, which the wifdom of their ancestors had laid upon that people; that he wished to grant them fome in

dulgence, but that the claufe, which gave them power to obtain perpetuities in land, was, in his opinion, much too extenfive.

Mr. St. George alfo conceived it neceffary, that the Proteftants, who were fo much inferior to the Papifts in numbers, fhould have fome check over them, which would be entirely taken off, if the claufe granting perpetuities to Papifts were to pafs.

Mr. Conolly gave his firmest and most zealous fupport to the bill, as being founded in justice, good policy, and true religion. God forbid ! that after having proved the loyalty of the Irish Catholics for an hundred years, they should fear to emancipate them from the oppreffion of laws, which the humanity of their countrymen difdained to enforce. No law fhould stand on the Statute Book, but fuch as every friend of his country would affift to enforce.

Sir H. Langrishe did not fuppofe, that the house would for a moment hefitate to receive a bill, whose object was to liberate one million and a half of loyal Irish fubjects, fuffering under laws, that prefented the highest picture of exceffive malice. He afked, did the conduct of the Irish Catholics deferve fuch treatment? If not, faid he, in the name of God, let the bill come forward let us confider what is due to our own dignity, what is due to the merits of our suffering countrymen; they are a people, that deferve our favor, and therefore let us not fhew an unwillingness to naturalize fuch a multitude, who are aliens in their own country.

Mr. Ponfonby thought it lingness to receive the bill. beft wishes.

would be extremely wrong to fhew any unwilA people of fuch exemplary loyalty had his

Mr. Brownlow faid, that whatever could tend to unite the people of the country, and ftrengthen their attachment to it, deferved the moft ferious attention of the legislature. The moft free and unreftrained toleration in all religious matters ought to be granted to every man; a good fubject should never be queftioned as to his articles of faith, but fhould enjoy the full benefit and protection of the law. There was no other country on the face of the earth, where feven tenths of the whole people were excluded from the benefits of the law, and the privileges of their fellow fubjects, merely because they differed in religious opinions; yet, under this oppreffion, the Roman Catholics had retained their loyalty and love to their country, and it was but

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juftice to grant them relief. Leave was given to bring in the heads of the bill without any oppofition.

On the 5th of February, Mr.Gardiner being indisposed, Mr. Dillon presented heads of a bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics, which brought on a debate, in which feveral other leading members of the houfe declared their fentiments and difpofitions upon the fubject. Sir Hercules Langrishe and the Provost were strongly for the measure. Mr. John Burke finding that he could not effectually oppofe the bill, moved, that it should be an instruction to the committee, to introduce into the bill a full recital of all the acts or claufes of acts intended to be repealed; in which he was fupported by Mr. Mafon and Mr. Parnell, and opposed by Mr. Fitzgibbon and the rest of the houfe. Sir Boyle Roche faid, that whenever the subject was mentioned, he was always ftruck with the greatnefs of the object, no lefs than the delivering millions of his fellow fubjects, who for a hundred years had groaned in bondage, and restoring them to the enjoyment of liberty in their native country. He said, that no man in the nation denied, that upon every principle of justice, honor, truth, and public good, the Roman Catholics of Ireland ought to be fet free, and afked whether they could ever be a great and happy people till it were accomplished. He hoped no man would think himself interested in ftill fomenting divifion and difpute; and though allowance must be made for prejudice, yet he hoped no man in the nation was malignant enough to gratify his fpleen by the ruin of his country. The poor unhappy Roman Catholics, for a hundred years had laboured under the most cruel hardships, that prejudice could impofe; yet fuch was their love of their country, that even oppreffion could not shake their fidelity; they fcarcely uttered their diftress, or if a figh escaped, it was directed to the compaffion of their generous countrymen, whofe love of liberty, they hoped, would at last impart that bleffing to them.

Mr. Huffey Burgh protefted, that when the houfe was about to repeal all the laws that oppreffed Roman Catholics, he should never chufe to look back upon that cruel code, which would ftand as an impeachment to the Proteftant name, whofe greatest glory was univerfal toleration and benevolence.

On the 15th of February, the order of the day for going into the Catholic bill having been called, a converfation took place upon the propriety of its being then committed, when the houfe, which was uncommonly crowded with ftrangers,

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strangers, was appalled by Mr. Fitzgibbon's apprizing them,* that till that morning he had never confidered the bill as dangerous; but on reading it over carefully, the firft claufe had ftruck him as a repeal of the Act of Settlement, the Act of Forfeiture, and the Act of Reaffumption; that if so, it must destroy the new titles under the Popery laws, and entangle the whole kingdom in a maze of confufion. He therefore intreated the friends of the bill to agree with him in putting it off, till thofe doubts, which had arifen from the first clause were done away; or till that claufe could be modified, fo as to grant relief to the Catholics without injuring the perfons holding under the new titles. He declared himfelf a firm friend to toleration, and he wished to allow the Catholics a power of obtaining perpetuities, but thought that three or four days delay could not injure their profpect of relief; though by allowing time to make the bill more perfect, it might fave the nation from much diftrefs.

Mr. Metge expreffed the fame opinion; upon which Mr. Grattan observed, that though the bill were incomplete, it was no caufe for not going into a committee; it was that very caufe, that rendered a committee neceffary. He then went into a detail of the fundry delays and interruptions the bill had met with in its progrefs to maturity, and finished with declaring, that if it were not ripe then, it never would be fo. Mr. Grattan difclaimed every intention of disturbing property, and was willing to alter the claufe complained of in any way, that the learned gentlemen of the bar might think would make it fafe.

The Attorney General, adverting to the importance of the fubject before the house, said, that the opinion expreffed by Mr. Fitzgibbon, of the dangerous tendency of the fweeping claufe, had ftruck the house with a panic, and if the bill were then to come forward, it would inevitably fail of fuccefs. Many liberal and generous fentiments had been expreffed on the subject of giving toleration to Roman Catholics. He heartily fubscribed to the wisdom and humanity, from whence thofe fentiments arofe. He was particularly happy in hearing thofe fentiments from gentlemen, who represented the northern counties; on that fubject, their opinions should have the greatest weight, and as there were no men, who valued liberty higher, there were none would