Patriots, New Converts do to prove the Sincerity of their Converfion?

The Seffion opened with vifible Sparrings and Heart-Burnings of oppofite Parties. They tried their Strength upon fome Questions of lefs Importance. And the Chiefs had Reason to apprehend they wanted but to give any Question the Sanction of Popularity to carry it as they wifhed.

Upon the Increase of Luxury in that poor Kingdom, there had been about this Time a confiderable Increase of Imports, which neceffarily raised the Revenues fo far beyond what had been calculated for the Support of the Establishment, that a Redundance of fome Hundreds of Thoufand Pounds, over and above all the Exigencies of the State, arose, was collected, and now lay in the Treasury: Whereas, the Nation, upon fome former Emergencies, was forced to run in Debt. The Application of this Surplus to the Payment of the National Debt could not fail of being an interesting popular Question. Courtiers and New Patriots, or Anticourtiers were, unfortunately for the Schemes of the latter, agreed in this Point. But, the former layed no fmall Stress, and indeed with greater Reason than ever, upon the inferting the previous Consent of the Crown to the Disposal of that Money in the Preamble of the Bill, as it had the Precedent of the laft Seffion fo ftrongly, fo recently in its Favour. Senfible honeft Men would blush to have made Conceffions to the Miniftry, to have given Powers to the Crown in one Seffion, without Oppofition, and to retract them the next, without being able to affign fome rational, fome new Caufe. But, blufhing is out of Fashion-in Ireland. The previous Consent in the former Bill had hurt all fenfible, honeft and loyal Men. Without the Sanction of fuch, an Oppofition could be of no Weight. Therefore regardless of their paffive Obedience, or in their own Language, their Unanimity, in paffing the Bill with the previous Confent in the laft Seffion; they fet themselves with all their Force, without Doors, as well as within, to reject a Bill now brought in for the fame Purposes and couched in the fame Terms; though not a Word was formerly to be offered against the Reasonablenefs, Expediency or Equity of inferting the Confent of the Crown in the Preamble of a Bill, no more than if that were essentially neceflary to the framing or paffing fuch a Bill. But now the new Patriots were infpired, and having, by Accident, Truth and Justice on their Side, offered Arguments, which though they were weak and infufficient enough to fhew all reasonable Men, that the new Converts were prompted to give Oppo

fition onely through private Pique, and that they were onely by Accident in the Right, not knowing how far; notwithstanding, their Reasons were enough to overturn those of Courtiers, who feldom have any better Motives to urge for their Conduct than the Will of the Minifter, and who foolishly or wickedly think themselves generally bound to make and hold all the Incroachments poffible upon the Rights of the People. The Words implying the previous Confent were rejected by an inconfiderable Majority, by the Agency of a Set of Gentlemen, who, fo far from having ever before been known to oppose the Will of the Minifter, never had any Contest heretofore known among them, but who should have the Honor and Emolument of carrying his Commands into Execution. And had the fame foothing Means been continued as heretofore, this Oppofition and Rejection had probably never been heard of.

The Novelty of having a Patriot Question carried there had like to have made the Populace mad all over the Kingdom, but especially in Dublin. And though it was with Difficulty fome warm Spirits were prevented imbruing their Hands in the Blood of fome of these very Men, whom they looked upon, from their Treatment of the City in the last Election and Return of Members, as the worst and most inhuman Affaffins of their Country; the Citizens in Crowds went to compliment them, and, forgetting their juft Refentment, now repofed the utmoft Confidence in them, payed them the utmost Veneration. They prefented them with Gold Medals, as a Reward and Encouragement to what to them bore the Semblance of Virtue, with which they had been long unacquainted.

Had you, Gentlemen, been permitted to read the Papers I attempted to lay before you, the true State of this Controverfy had then been clearly open to your View. It does not fall within my Sphere to examine the Meafures or Motives of the Adminiftration in Ireland or America. Let the proper Judges enquire from what Sources they muft have fprung. But, you will furely indulge my Sollicitude to vindicate myfelf to you and to the World, Permit me then to fhew you of what Weight the Cenfure of the Commons paffed upon me must be deemed from their general Conduct.

The Government could hardly have fufpected, nor did the Chiefs ever imagine, their Oppofition could have been carried to the Length it was. Each thought at firft to frighten the other into Compliance. The Miniftry probably did not think any Men would run the Rifque of lofing their Places :

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And they were right; for, the Placemen never intended to rifque any Lofs; they onely thought, that by fhewing how they might thwart and embarrass the Adminiftration, to enhanfe their refpective Values, that their Places may be rendered more fecure, and their feveral Emoluments reftored. This is evinced by the Event.

The Court, perhaps relying too much on the Promifes of promife-fed Minions, was quite unprepared for a Difappointment, and therefore could not brook it. Its Indignation was let loose against the Chiefs and their Adherents, even to their remoteft Kinfmen, and upon their Non-compliance with the Terms propofed, the Parlement was fuddenly prorogued, and the Ring-leaders of the Oppofition were all ftripped of their Places and Penfions, not sparing thofe, that had purchased Promotion in the Army or civil patentee Employments.

Thefe Measures of the Court gave general Difcontent. And thofe that were gratified with the vacated Employments, were not of Weight enough to fupport its declining Infuence, or to fkreen it from the bittereft Reproaches and Calumny of the Multitude. It was, indeed, impoffible to juftify the Proroguing a Parlement in the Midft of a Seffion, the greateft Part of the public Bufinefs left undone, and when feveral Bills, that had paffed through all the Forms, waited onely for the Royal Affent.

Thefe afforded the difplaced Chiefs fpecious Arguments for inflaming the Minds of the Populace against the Adminiftration. They cried out against the Lofs of feveral Bills, as well as that, that provided for the Payment of the national Debt; particularly, one for the better fecuring that Branch of Trade, on which the fole Support of the Kingdom now depends, the Linen Manufacture; another for the extending and maintaining the Charter-Schools, thofe Seminaries of Religion and Industry in the Kingdom. These carried weighty and unanswerable Reflections on the Miniftry and its Partifans, who could offer in their own Defence no better Arguments, than their Fears of the Fury of an enraged Tory Faction, who could not therefore be too foon difperfed, or by any other means fo effectually, as by a fudden Prorogation. The Chiefs complained, with fome Reafon of the Hardships thrown upon them; while they faw themfelves univerfally Mif-reprefented, and, as they had room to fufpect, to the Ears of Majefty, without the Means of vindicating their own Affection and Loyalty, or of laying the true State of the Kingdom and this Controverfy before

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the Crown. Indeed, whatever may be fayed with respect to their Affection; it feems no lofs to them to be kept from entering upon the Controverfy; a Tafk, to which the whole Tenor of their Conduct proves them unequal.

Whatever Credit the Administration might have gained upon this Occafion in England; it loft very much in Ireland; and in Proportion as the Court fell there into Difcredit, the Anti-Courtiers, who chose to be known by none other Apellation, than that of the Patriots, gained the Favor and Confidence of the Public; even fome of them, who had long been Infamous for every bafe Proftitution, and had become fo odious to the Populace, as to have lived fome Time in perpetual Dread of the Mob; by their Behavior upon this Occafion, artfully regained the Countenance of the deluded Multitude in general, of the Citizens in particular.

Now, the Mafque was thrown off on both Sides. The Patriots formed Clubs and Affociations all over the City and Kingdom. They were fet up and looked upon as Martyrs for the Intereft of their Country. This gained them the moft unbounded Confidence. While it fo difturbed the Tranquility of the Realm, that Parties and Factions were ftirred up in all Ranks, from Men of Quality and Fortune, to trading Citizens. The Fury poffeffed the Minds even of Hackney-coachmen and Chair-men, who refufed driving or carrying, thofe that were pointed out to them as Courtiers; for, every Man, that was not in all Points with the Patriots, was marked out as an Enemy to his Country. Thefe Feuds caufed a general Inattention to Trade, from the Highest to the Loweft. Moft of the circulating Cafh of the Kingdom got into the Treafury. And as foon as Demands from Abroad came, for Payments for their foreign Luxuries, the Bankers were not all found able to answer their Bills; whence Numbers of Bankruptcies enfued, and the whole Kingdom was thrown into inexpreffible Confufion and Diftrefs.

In the Midft of this general Shock, the Lord Lieutenant did all that was poffible to fupport the public Credit. He gave Orders, that the feveral furviving Bankers Notes fhould be taken as Payments in the Treafury. For this he got the Thanks of the Citizens. But, his Antagonists, who endeavored by every Means to throw the whole Blame of the general Diftrefs upon him, would have made this extraordinary Extenfion of Power, though done to fave the Nation, a capital Crime.

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Sometime after the Prorogation, the greatest Part of the furplus Money in the Treafury was ordered to be layed out by the King's fole Authority. It is true, it was applied to the Payment of the national Debt. But, though this was done agreeable to the Senfe of the Parlement, as it was not done by their joint Authority, it ferved to raise a new Accusation against the chief Governor; who foon after returned to England; leaving the Speaker out of the Government.

Now, ftrict Vengeance was denounced aloud against the whole Court. The Chief was threatned with nothing lefs than an Impeachment, for Numbers of imputed Crimes unfit to be recited, as they can be fuppofed to have no Foundation, till they are legally proved. They endeavored to faften one fhameful Crime upon his Excellency; that of raifing at errible Mob; and this upon no better Authority, than fome Hundreds of Fellows, with an hackney Justice at their Head, armed with Cutlaffes and Sabres, attacking another Mob, and carbonading a few of them. Some of the former Mob, it is true, being taken, it was hard to find a civil Magiftrate in the fallen City, who would prefume to take Examinations against them, when the Arms found upon them, bore the King's Mark, and appeared to have been taken out of the Arfenal. This however was greatly magnified by the Patriots; but in the End, deemed no Proof; for a righteous Court could not be wanting in Ireland, at the Nod of Power, to acquit the Rioters; or if found Guilty, they might without any Noife, be afterwards pardoned. All is venal,-in Ireland! But, the Pity of it! The Terror of it, My Friends!

Another great Officer, we were affured by the Patriots, fhould be expelled the Houfe, for attempting to corrupt Members of Parlement; a Crime never yet complained of in Britain; and for exacting exorbitant Fees of Office, which he very civilly, moft courteously refunded, as foon as it was detected. Before a Middlefex Jury, this would carry fome Proof. But fometimes, Juries, as well as Parlements are Deaf, Blind, and Lame, -in Ireland.

A third, whom the Patriots thought fit to blacken with every Crime, that could render an Object detestable in the Eyes of God or Man, when his Enemies were forced to confefs him as good a Bifhop, and as good a Landlord as the Archiepifcopal See had known in our Days, without being able with any Color of Truth

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