And certainly as they have bought the people for a fum of money, it is natural they should fell them and fo they do! and make the most they can of the bargain. The mandate of a borough-monger can return any man-however contemptis ble-however obnoxious, into this House and I ask any man fhould this be tolerated?

But there is a race in this country between public prodigali ty and connivance. Prodigality is every where to be seen, and connivance affords it the means of existence, and hence the race between public prodigality and public connivance and the fact of their both keeping pace together,-I do not blame a certain right honourable gentleman, (Mr. Orde) I fee him look grave at what I fay. I am fure he feels it with regret. That right honourable gentleman knows, that the people have no power of controul over their representatives & and what is the consequence? Why, it is in the power of a few borough mongers to impede the neceffary motions of government to obftruct the neceffary business of the nation! And hence, expectants and demandants must be gratified with places, and penfions, or we should have in fact no government! and hence are the people victims! I know what I fay may be offensive to many gentlemen-individually and perfonally, I have as much respect for them perhaps as any man can have—but private respect must give way to pub lic neceffity.

But unless something is done, what will be the end of all this? Why government will be neceffitated, at length, to imitate the policy of Henry the 7th, who broke the neck of an abominable ariftocracy, and caused the property they had accumulated to circulate amongst the people. But in this cafe it would only be reftoring to the people their own property, the right of election.

Nor are the evils I fpeak of feen in theory only, but in practice. You have now, near one hundred thousand pounds on your penfion-lift; and this fhould furprize and alarm every man who is not dead to the real fubjects of furprize

and alarm.

The peafantry had formed hopes of relief, and will you dafh the cup of comfort, or snatch the bread of hope from the mouth of affliction? people when oppreffed-though oppreffed by law, will make reprifal-and these are the real causes of difturbance.

I have been a refident of this country, fpoken of as in o pen infurrection, and fince gentlemen are in the habit of fpeaking of themselves, I fhall do myfelf the fame honour. I could not perceive any of the outrages spoken of, and I am certain that they were nothing more than the offspring of the most abject mifery. They were all forlorn wretches, who, were they inclined to become danglers, and to pin themselves to the petticoat of Administration, so poòr, so naked are they, that Administration would not find on them a rag whereby to pin them to their petticoat.

I have a family, and if I thought the accounts of disturbances faithful and unexaggerated, can it be fairly supposed I would wish to with-hold protection from them? But in fuch a light do I hold infurrection, whatever provocatives might have been to it, that as a counsel I refused to be concerned for two men charged with the crime-and this I think should entitle me to a little credit.

Still, I can fee no neceffity for creating a dictatorship in the perfon of our Chief Governor. Do we not poffefs the means of punishing any crime that may be committed against fociety? Will any man hold out fuch an incentive to rebellion, as to fay we do not? The infurrection is not fo great.

The

The man who fays it is, despairs of the common-wealth, and I infift that there is nothing in the prefent times that will justify a departure from the ordinary proceedings; and eftablished forms of government.

The fupineness of the magiftrates, and the low state of the commiffions of the peace throughout the kingdom, but particularly in the county of Cork, are the things that should be rectified. At the laft affizes there, I prevailed on two unworthy mageftrates, Butler and Wogan, to refign their com miffions, which they had abufed, by freeing them from a prosecution.

A fyftem of vile jobbing, is one of the misfortunes of this country-it extends even to commiffions of the peace-how elfe can the report of the four and twenty commiffions of the peace fent down to the county of Clare in one poft (I don't mention it as a fact,) be accounted for ?-Even the appointment of sheriffs is notoriously, in the hands of government; and through jobbing, fheriffs themselves cannot be trufted -two fheriffs ran away laft year with executions in their pockets-and the late high fheriff of the county of Dublin. has abfconded.

Disorders fhould be remedied-but in that remedy, do not pronounce a sentence of excommunication against the people, Suppofe all the people of Ireland fhall come to your house, and tell you, they were aggrieved and wanted redress, let me ask you, what would you fay?Many independent men, are waiting with patience for your decifion-waiting quietly, with their hands before them-men, whofe influence may make infurrection dreadful-indeed, we have a most elegant custom-house, and for what? To afford palaces for the fervants of the crown. One palace has been built in it, and I understand it was a matter of contention, that there were not two. All this is jobbing-and now I am given to understand,

that

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that palaces must be built for all the officers of police, under the defcription of refident-houfes.

I have read the hiftory of other nations, and I have read the hiftory of yours; I have feen how happily you emerged from infignificance, and obtained your conftitution. But when you washed this conftitution with the waters which were to render it invulnerable, like the mother of Achilles, you forgot, that the part by which you held it was untouched in the immerfion; it was benumbed, and not rendered invulnerable, and therefore it should attract your nicest care.

You may talk of commerce extending of a freedom of trade, but what in God's name, have they to do with the wretched peasantry?—and when the peafantry complain, and when I hear fuch language, I confider it as a folemn and an exulting mockery.

But let me examine what government has done to suppress thofe disturbances? they fent down the Crown Solicitor to Cork! and was the Crown Solicitor a perfon to quell rebellion? They fent down four hundred foldiers! was it to fugal for the body of rebels? if it was not, where are the conquefts they made? But what did both folicitor and army do? They impannelled twelve of the wretches to try a thirteenth-they found him guilty, and they whipped him through the town at a cart's tail!-for fhame! for fhame! ceafe thus to expofe the King's government to the ridicule of the whole world!by this trumpeting of alarm, when fuch is the only founda

tion for it.

I have on a former day oppofed attachments; but I think those magiftrates who have neglected their duty, fhould and ought to be attached ; and that it would be a better measure, than to augment the offences, or our criminal code, already too numerous.

He concluded by moving the following amendments:

To the fecond paragraph of the address, by inserting between the word kingdom and the word and, the following words: Though it is a great confolation to us to think that these outrages have not originated in any disaffection in your Majesty's Subjects of this kingdom to your Majefly's government, or to any concerted defign of disturbing our present happy conftitution either in church or state, but they had been wholly confined to fome individuals of the loweft class of the people, whofe extreme indigence, and diftrefs, may be the occafion, though they cannot be a juftification of fuch illegal proceedings; and it is a further confolation to us to know, that the ordinary powers of the law now in being are fully adequate, if duly exerted, to punish and restrain fuch Exceffes.

To the third paragraph, by adding after the word governinent the following words: At the fame time we humbly beg leave to reprefent to your Majefty, that the public expences of this country have encreased to a degree fo far beyond the ability of the people to bear, that we feel our felves called upon by our duty to our confituents to reduce thofe expences by every mode of retrenchment, confiftent with honourable and necessary support to your Majefty's government, within fuch limits as may be compatible with the very exhaufted refources of a diftreffed people. And we do not doubt of having your Majefty's gracious approbation of a measure fo effential to the commercial hopes of your kingdom of Ireland, as well as conducive to the permanent peace and prosperity of this kingdom.

And the question being put, that the words proposed to be added ftand part of the faid paragraphs, it paffed in the negative.

Shortly after the address to his Majesty had been tranfmitted and an answer returned-the Attorney General entered into an enquiry concerning the outrages in Munster: he addrefs'd the house as follows,

After