his majesty, that we humbly conceive, that, in this right the very effence of our liberties exists, a right, which we, on the part of the people of Ireland, do claim as their birth right, which we cannot yield but with our lives. And then required the repeal of the 6th George I. and have fince declared that repeal to be a full and unequivocal renunciation on the part of Great Britain, to make laws to bind Ireland either externally or internally. We therefore conceive Great Britain fo bound for ever to us and our posterity, as that we shall confider the flightest attempt on the part of England to make laws externally or internally, to bind Ireland, as the fignal for irrevocable feparation, therefore we do not deem any meeting at Dungannon neceffary at prefent. Refolved, That we will not fuppofe it poffible, that Great Britain fhould ever break through the faith and honor, which the has now pledged to us; but as power is the only true and real fecurity to a nation, we will continue in the exercise of arms, and recommend it to our latest posterity, to imitate our example, remembering that freedom can only be preserved by arms of free men. I have only to add, that as to all infinuations of the motives of my conduct, I despise them--I have uniformly acted with those men, that I thought the best men in this kingdom, with those men whom your opinions had fanctioned-If I fall before popular indignation-I fall with almost every man in this kingdom, whofe public conduct has met your approbation—and I fall with what is more to me than all-with the confciousness of having exerted every nerve and every power of mine, to lead you to glory, honor and profperity, and when you had obtained that glory, honor and profperity, I exerted myself, fuccefsfully, as I thought, to prevent your doing that I decmed would lead you to deftruction. Whatever you may think of me, I know that I am, And ever have been, Your faithful, your devoted, And moft grateful fervant, 5 T 2 FRANCIS DOBBS. No. No. LXVII. a. Addreffes and Refolutions of different Corps of Volunteers. (P. 567.) To the Right Hon. and Hon. the Minority in both Houses of Parliament. MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, WE thank you for your noble and fpirited, though hitherto ineffectual efforts in defence of the great conftitutional and commercial rights of your country. Go on-the almost unanimous voice of the people is with you; and in a free country, the voice of the country, the people, must prevail. We know our duty to our fovereign, and are loyal. We know our duty to ourselves, and are refolved to be free. We feek for our rights, and no more than our rights, and, in so just a purfuit, we should doubt the being of a Providence, if we doubted of fuccefs. Thefe proceedings were generally approved of-the fspirit of the Dungannon meeting was diffufed throughout the kingdom, and its refolutions were feconded by almost every volunteer corps in Ireland. On the 17th of February, the corps of Independent Dublin Volunteers unanimously agreed to the following refolutions and preamble: Natural juftice and equity having established the univerfal rights of mankind upon an equal footing, the inhabitants of Ireland have a claim to a free trade with all nations in amity with Great Britain; yet their ports have been kept fhut, their trade has been monopolized, and their industry has but ferved to aggrandize the proud traders of a neighbouring kingdom. Neceffity, which compels to ingenuity, has lately led up that trade, dignified with the spacious name of free: yet trade, which enriches industrious nations, ferves but to impoverish the natives of this kingdom, because they have purchased at an high price, an illufion; defrauded thus of their birth right, there is nothing but economy as a counterpoife. This unfubftantial freedom of commerce, having originated from the united fpirit of the people against the use of foreign manufactures, the fame fpirit which procured the fallacious grant, may yet, by a persevering unanimity, establish a real, permanent, and substantial trade.---Therefore refolved, that these our thoughts and opinions be laid before our countrymen, reminding them at the fame time, that not only they, but their pofterity are interested in the event; and that to to do away effectually the yoke of monopoly, a non-confumption and nonimportation agreement fhould be entered into without delay. Refolved, That for the more effectually furthering this great national point, the feveral corps (as private citizens) of this city be requested to fend each a delegate to the Royal Exchange, on Monday the 25th inft. at seven o'clock in the evening, and the foregoing refolutions be published. The following Refolutions were passed a few Days afterwards at a full Meeting held by the Lawyers' Corps. Refolved, That we do highly approve of the refolutions and address of the Ulfter volunteers, represented at Dungannon on the 15th day of February inftant. That as citizens and volunteers, we will co-operate with the feveral corps, whofe delegates met at Dungannon, in every constitutional mode of obtaining a redress of the grievances mentioned in their refolutions. The Addrefs published by the Committee of the Ulfter Volunteers. To the Electors of Members of Parliament, in the Province of Ulfter. GENTLEMEN, DELEGATED by the volunteers affembled at Dungannon, we call on you to fupport the conftitutional and commercial rights of Ireland; to exert the important privileges of freemen at the enfuing elcction, and to proclaim to the world, that you at least deserve to be free. Regard not the threats of landlords or their agents, when they require you to fail in your duty to God, to your country, to yourselves, to your posterity. The first privilege of a man is the right of judging for himfelf, and now is the time for you to exert that right. It is a time pregnant with circumstances, which revolving ages may not again fo favorably combine. The spirit of liberty is gone abroad, it is embraced by the people at large, and every day brings with it an acceffion of ftrength. The timid have laid afide their fears, the virtuous fons of Ireland ftand fecure in their numbers. Undue influence is now as defpifed as it has ever been contemptible: and he he who would dare to punish an elector for exerting the rights of a freeman, would meet what he would merit, public deteflation and abhorrence. Let no individual neglect his duty. The nation is the aggregate of individuals, and the strength of the whole is compofed of exertion of each part; the man, therefore, who omits what is in his power, because he has not more in his power, and will not exert his utmoft efforts for the emancipation of his country, because they can, at beft, be the efforts of but one man, stands accountable to his God and to his country, to himself and to his posterity, for confirming and entailing flavery on the land which gave him birth. An upright House of Commons is all that is wanting, and it is in the power of the electors to obtain it. Vote only for men whose past conduct in parliament you and the nation approve, and for fuch others as will folemnly pledge themselves to fupport the measures, which you and the nation approve. Do your duty to your country, and let no confideration tempt you to facrifice the public to a private tie, the greater duty to a less. We entreat you, in the name of the great and refpectable body we reprefent; we implore you, by every focial and honorable tie; we conjure you as citizens, as freemen, as Irishmen, to raise this long infulted kingdom, and restore to her her loft rights. One great and united effort will place us among the first nations of the earth, and those who fhall have the glory of contributing to that event, will be for ever recorded as the faviours of their country. It would be impoffible and unneceffary, to ftate here the numerous refolutions agreed to by the feveral volunteer corps and other affemblies, where thefe fubjects were taken into confideration: they were fubftantially the fame, and differed but in words. We fhall therefore only add the proceedings of a few other bodies, that were not under the military character, to shew that the fame difpofition and sentiments pervaded all ranks of people. At a Meeting of the Freemen and Freeholders of the City of Dublin, convened by the High Sheriffs, at the Tholfel, on Tuesday the 19th of March, 1782, the following Addrefs was unanimously agreed to. To Sir Samuel Bradstreet, Bart. and Travers Hartley, Efq. Representatives in Parliament for the City of Dublin. GENTLEMEN, AS men juftly entitled to, and firmly refolved to obtain a free conftitution, we require you, our trustees, to exert yourselves in the moft most strenuous manner, to procure an unequivocal declaration, "That the "king, lords, and commons of Ireland are the only power competent to "make laws to bind this country." And we folemnly pledge ourselves to you and to our country, that we will fupport the reprefentatives of the people at the risk of our lives and fortunes, in every conftitutional measure, which may be pursued for the attainment of this great national object. Be affured, gentlemen, that your zeal upon this occafion will infure you a continuance of our esteem and regard. The Sheriffs, having waited on the Representatives, received the following Anfwer. To the Sheriffs, Freemen, and Freeholders of the City of Dublin. IT has ever been my wish to receive with pleasure, and to obey the inftructions of my conftituents. You may depend on my using every means in my power to procure an explicit and unequivocal declaration, "That the king, lords, and commons "of Ireland are the only power competent to make laws to bind this "country;" and I rely on your folemn engagement to fupport your reprefentatives in every conftitutional measure, which may be neceffary for the attainment of this great national object. Permit me to affure you, that my zeal for the accomplishment of your wishes can be equalled only by my defire to convince you how facred I esteem the truft you have repofed in me, and how much I value a continuance of the good opinion of my fellow citizens. I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, Your obliged and faithful fervant, SAMUEL BRADSTREET. To the Sheriffs, Freemen, and Freeholders of the city of Dublin. I SHOULD be very unworthy of that honorable and important truft, with which you have fo recently invefted me, did I not receive |