c

foregoing contain my true and fincere opinion "of the ftate of this country, fo far as in the pre"fent juncture it may be advisable to publish it. They certainly fall fhort of the truth, but truth "itfelf muft fometimes condefcend to temporife: my unalterable opinion is, that the bane of Irish profperity is in the influence of England: I believe that influence will ever be extended while "the connexion between the two countries conti"nues: nevertheless, as I know that opinion is "for the present too hardy, though a very little "time may eftablish it univerfally, I have not "made it a part of the refolutions; I have only

СС

proposed to fet up a reformed parliament as a "barrier againft that mischief, which every honeft man that will open his eyes must fee, in every inftance, overbears the intereft of Ireland. I "have not faid one word that looks like a wish "for feparation, though I give it to you and your "friends as my moft decided opinion, that fuch "an event would be a regeneration to this coun"try."*

The affociation was extended in Dublin and the northern counties with industry and fuccefs. The latter was greatly promoted by the difpleasure occafioned by the French war-a minifterial meafure adopted apparently without reason, and fo highly condemned by many in the nation as to add prodigiously to the number of malecontents in both the British kingdoms.-The rapacious infolence

སྐ

C

* Appendix to the report, &c. No. 2.

lence of the foldiery also, which had been very unwifely overlooked, or not fufficiently reftrained, in the first years of this war, was certainly not well calculated for the promotion of affectionate fentiments toward adminiftration, in the lower claffes of the people in general throughout the kingdom.-In the marches of troops, on change of quarters, the horfes of the farmers and peafants, preffed for the carriage of baggage, were brought to unreafonable diftances, and feverely abufed, unless money was given by their owners to procure better treatment. Sometimes the cars were loft, and various other inconveniences occurred. Where they halted in their march, the foldiers difperfed themfelves over the neighbourhood, feizing horses of which they had no need, merely to force the owners to release them by the payment of money.The accommodation of foldiers billetted was alfo feverely felt by fome who were exposed to it from their fituation; and money was extorted on this ground alfo. After fome time the grievance of preffing was redreffed in great measure, perhaps, partly by more attention to difcipline, but certainly by the allowance of better hire for the tranfportation of baggage, by which the neceffity, and confequently the pretence, of compulfive employment was in a confiderable degree removed.

Difcontents rofe high on account also of the militia bill, which enacted compulsory levies of foldiers for the internal defence of the kingdom. On a return of the names of the males in each district of the military age, lots were drawn, and thofe on

whom

whom the chance fell, were obliged to enlift as foldiers for four years, to find fubftitutes, or to pay fines. Some individuals, unable to pay, fuftained the feizure and fale of their goods; and fome for intemperate expreffions of discontent were committed to gaol. To make the burthen bear more equally, fubfcriptions were generally propofed and adopted to raise money for the enlifting of foldiers; and these fubfcriptions were for the time a heavy tax on peafants and citizens; but it was only temporary-for when this new fpecies of army was once embodied, fmall bounties were found fufficient to entice recruits for the filling of augmentations or vacancies.

Not relying wholly on its force at home, the chiefs of the fociety made application to the French goverment; and in April, 1796, an invafion of Ireland was promised by the latter for the fubverfion of the British power in Ireland, and the political difruption of this ifland from Britain.The offer was accepted, on condition that the invading army should act as auxiliaries under the direction and pay of the fociety, which, on becoming poffeffed of the dominion, fhould be bound to reimburse the whole expences of the armament. *

The vigilance of government penetrated the defign of internal hoftility and external alliance; and as the exifting laws were totally inadequate to stop the progrefs of the confpiracy, new powers were conceded by the legiffature to the executive admi niftration.

C 2

Appendix to the report, &c. Nos. 6 and 31.

niftration. In October, 1796, parliament fufpended the law of Habeas Corpus, and thereby gave authority to imprifon obnoxious perfons without cause affigned, or definite period of trial. In the fpring of the fame year alfo, a temporary law, termed the Infurrection Act, had paffed, levelled immediately against an irregular confederacy of men who, under the name of defenders, infested the counties of Rofcommon, Leitrim, Longford, Meath, and Kildare, defpoiling in the night the peaceable inhabitants of their arms, and latterly also of their money and valuable effects. By this act the lord lieutenant in council was authorized to proclaim, on the requifition of feven of its magiftrates affembled at a feffions of the peace, any county or diftrict thereof, as in a state of disturbance, and thereby to inveft the magiftrates with an extraordinary power of feizing, imprisoning, and fending aboard his majesty's fleet, fuch persons as fhould be found at unlawful affemblies, or otherwife acting so as to threaten the public tranquillity.

The operation of these temporary laws was forcibly felt in the latter part of this, and in the course of the following year. Confiderable numbers of gentlemen, or perfons in refpectable fituations of life, were arrefted on private informations of their engagement in the confpiracy, and lodged in prifon, many for a great length of time without opportunity of trial. Many districts in the northern counties were proclaimed, and numbers of the lower claffes of men fent on board of the king's

navy.

Thefe

Thefe acts of feverity, apparently inconfiftent with the spirit of the conftitution, were not without caufe. A conteft, or trial of strength, seems to have arifen between the exifting government and the affociation, which of the two should overpower the other. Each vigorous measure, adopted on one fide, excited another to counteract it on the oppofite. To furnish themselves with arms, the lower claffes, like the defenders, affembled in parties in the night, and difarmed those whom they regarded as the adherents of government. To fave the produce of the foil to their friends in prifon, and to teftify their attachment to the gentlemen of their party, or those whom they imagined not hoftile to their cause, they met in large bodies in the day to dig out the potatoes and reap the corn of feveral individuals. The greatnefs of the numbers affembled on thefe occafions, much exceeding what the specified purposes required; (for in fome inftances four or five thoufand were faid to be collected in one body;)-their marching with mufic in a fort of military order, and their affembling on fuch other 'pretences as funerals and matches of football-gave caufe to fufpect that the real object of these meetings was to accuftom the men to a readiness in, repairing to appointed places of convention, to give, confidence to their own party, and to intimidate their opponents. To fruftrate the operations of the law, terror and bribery were em-5 ployed with its agents. Various modes of perfecution, and éven fometimes affaffination, were put in practice against magiftrates who exerted themselves

to