«> .:.«>. ^^. -^ t>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V. A .^ {/ ^fiT J^ ■„J A. Us It 1.0 [ffi^ I I.I 2.5 ■^ 1^ 12.2 1.25 IIIIII.4 2.0 1.8 1.6 ^^ V2 o v: w ''W 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WI<5T MAIN STfJll- WEBSTCiX, N.> I "80 (716) 87J-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques Thi totl The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. L'Institut a microfilm^ te meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a it6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mdthode normale de filmaQe sont indiquds ci-dessous. df 1 filn □ n D D □ n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur^e et/ou pelliculde Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes g6ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmdes. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur n Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pelliculdes □ Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolor^es, tacheties ou piqudes □ Pages detached/ Pages ddtach^es □ Showthrough/ Transparence □ Quality of print varies/ Quality indgale de I'impression □ Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplimentaire □ Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible D Orii b«( the sioi oth fir* sioi or I Tha •ha TIN whi Ma diff baij rlgh raqi mat Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont dt^ film6es d nouveau de facon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. □ Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimentaires; This copy is a photoreproduction. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est U\m6 au taux de reduction indiqui ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X M M T^ — 7 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Th« copy filmed h«r« has b««n raproducad thanks to tha ganaroaity of: Univeriity of British Columbis Library T!"-^) imagas appaaring hara ara tha bast quality '^ossibla considaring tha condition and lagibility of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract apacificationa. Original copias in printad papar covars ara fil renant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammas suivants illustrent la mAthoda. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ': ■ •< -I- '>*r-^i .. < ; Vi^A; .^Ni. ^^ EXTRA OFFICIAL STATE PAPERS. < * « . # t. ■>\< ^. ':l S' .*. •*■ •• ; 't- r-fc ■* .* -V- 7 •.-■■:, .V :*--^; : .» . -Vi • f . t.. .:- » i . •»' t I v.:-,; , -V * " \ ^'♦.rv': '- %■ \'- C I- 'a IS. r -^ -. y ^_,__ ,,J^ !_'_ .^liHf"' I l'l"ll HH ' ""^ , ...'■« . ' EXTRA OFFICIAL ST ATE PAPERS. ADDRESSED TO •» -V ■•- . , '• . The Right Hon. LORD RAWDON, ^ ^AND 'the • ; O T HER ME M B E R S , " ' ", - ■ ■ • ' . .1 ■ • OF THE , ..''. ■^. TWO HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, A 8 S O^ I A T B D FOR - • '. I ..-.'«' ■'. • •. " ^ ■■ , • ' ," « the' PRESERVATION OF THE CONSTITUTION* ■ ■ » • ■ ■ ' .- « . .-. , - t - . • . « • • ■ ■ ...-..-,. •••»-• • .• • •■■•. * -•--.• ■■.*."-*■■*■,.'*" '-.' A M 'D ' . ^ ' ■ "' ' ' ■ ■ ■■ • .•:■■-■- ■ , PROMOTING THE PROSPERITY . - - ■ s ■ . ■• . . or." THE BRITISH EMPIRE. .-..: -.' . ■■■:■.■,:.. • ■: ■■::'-,. ..•.■•. Bt a Late UNDER SECRETARY of STATE. LONDON: P|IINTED; HI. • - ■* . DUBLIN: REPRINT ED, ; iANb TO BE HAD AT No. i, EUSTACE-STREET^ f - M.OCC.LXXXIX. t/ /l^ » • VI .0. R.S. ; ■ ■. c tx DON, » -- uo -V i -•! • ■> w ENT, TION* R £. ATE. r) k., Ml. ET, I ■• -I •i > .'i' V hi r » ", c ♦ O-m 80 ni; ffrA I. .\ hi EXT R A OFFICIAL S T A T E P A P E R S My Loud, ■,•"?*.*' 1 ]kE prefervadon of our excellent confti* cution, and the promotion of the publid prolperity and happinefs, being the avowed principles and purpofe of that moft laudable aflbciation of independent Members of Par- 1 liament) which your Lordfhip is at the head of, entitle you not only to the good wifhesf but to the afliftance, alio, of every finccRj friend to Great Britain ; and if in our idea «f the conftitution we include the juft rights ^md prerogatives of the crown, without which the monarchy cannot fubfift, nor the fibcrty of the fubjecSl be preferved ; and give^ credit to the charges brought by either of the . two- i I two parties;' which . now divide Parliament againd the other, there never was a time when the interference of the independent and liiiattached Members -of both Houfes was more neceflary. Thefe charges I fhall therefore briefly ftate, as I have heard them |iUrg?4 ^J. ^^9h -P-^t-yi as the ground of the meafures I mean to fuggeft for averting thofe calamities which both agree are impending over us.- TKe old Whigs, as they call them- felves, it is faid, have been uniform in the purfuit of their plan of lo veering the King's authority, by depriving the Crown of its l^^nfluence, ever fince their expulfibn from Mi- Iniftry by. the Earl of Bute.. The aiFe(5lation I of Patriotifrn,. and a zeal for the liberty of I the people, or .more , properly,' for their own power oyer their Sovereign, is allowed to 'b.e [fair game in every oppofition ; • for as 3iey receive no emoluments for their- fervices, the* / " - , •■'*'.' " ." ■.•*'*. "^ • ■ • \ ' breath of a multitude is as flender .a diet fas even cpurtiers . could wifh them to have to [fubfift on. But when an oppofition gets intgi [office, and the King trufts them with the" ex- lercifeof his. power,, the farce is at an end j land, after a few;aukward apologies,- and a few ineSeiflual votes with old connedUons, H !by way of cdniiftency/ the bufiiiefs of Go- vernment is';expe<5led to be ' taken \up, -and carried pn in the ufual way. ';Such,>h(m- ever, - i^iis-i not the condudl of the old Whi^s, when they vCame into office in 1765, for, connedi^d by many ties of relationfhip, they found thenifelves the mofl numerous 3 body in Parliament, except the dependants of. the Crown, and therefore they imagined^ that if they co.uld ;augment their own i power' b)^ meafures ^ fubV6iiGve * of the* King's 'autliori- ty, they would' :fo- reduce 'the" influence of the Crown" to -an' inferiority, or at leail to an equality 'with themfelves, that they would lay the* Crown under the neceffity of conti- nuing them in employment, for, tbey in op^ pofttlon could, upon all popular queftions, when the country gentlemen would go with them, defeat the minifter ; but they m admU nijlration could defy all oppofition. Hence it is faid jthat they facrificed. the revenue to their popularity in the cider counties, by the repeal of that mo'ft equal tax upon it, and that. they facrificed ^the commerce, revenue, and fpy;ereigrity .of Great Britain, to " popu- larity wijTvdfeVAmeJcic^ fa<5lioh, by the re- peal of tliesOamp tax. Their fliort continu- - -•••' -.«. ,' ' ' ance ance die mifchie the yea without farther rebellio] their pa for fub( impofec power ; to their cagerne fued m ence is particul fe(flualb reign, t that in ^ found 1 by offic Commo form ar office^ their vi any otli his owr in feizii \ \ t 8 ] ance did not permit them to do much more mifchief, and their being out of power from the year 1776 to the year 1782, left them without the means of purfumg their plan any farther than by fomenting and abetting the rebellion in America, and lending fome of their party to the Minifler to defeat his plans for fubduing it. The hard conditions they impofed upon the King, when they came into power in 1782, were in perfeifl conformity to their plan of inthralling Majefty, and the cagernefs with which they framed and pur- fued meafures for reducing the King's influ- ence is too well known to require being particularly mentioned. They indeed fo ef- fecflually employed the power of the fove- reign, to deflroy his authority and influence, that in their fhort continuance in office they found means to reduce the number attached by offices to the Crown, in the Houfe of Commons, below the number neceflary to form an Houfe ; and by depriving all revenue office;;;^ whether freeholders or freemen, of their votes at ele(ftions, they did not leave any otiicr Minifler the power of fecuring even his own feat in it. And had they fucceeded in feizing into their own hands the whole re^ venue » '! m [ 9 ] 'Tenue of India, tliey would have confirmed themfelves in ofEce for life. The irn mediate confequences of their meafures wcr.; fuqh as the party intended ; for when the coalition adminiflration was difmifled in i • ?4, the new Minifler, Mr. Pitt, found a dv mined majority againft him 5 and fo open v/ • re they in avowing their purpofe of reducing the King to a dependence upon their party, that they carried a refolution to the cShO. of in- fifting that the King had not a right to ap point any minifler they did not recommend; and to force His Majefly to acquiefcence, they threatened to withhold the fupplies and difband tiie army.. Of the democratic prin ciples of this party, therefore, the mini fterialifts aflert there can be no doubt, and that it is the duty of every well-wilher to the monarchy to keep a ftri• ere net iQ be found. • , . . .-^. . . ... B c« His K— «« Hisl\ •* an4 1 to, a*"w of Shcl H>ifrepr of givin iranfa^t E^er ihe coi know militar) coent, n before t Admira Viaual out th The he mraHy formed ftitutio cachfh to giv< impofl] from t .1 C »8 I ** His Mjycdy'^ command, U a. high crime •* and mifdemeanor." A* my eTidence upon the occajSon aUuded to, a^ well as my condudl tow^rda the Earl of Shelburne, has beea much canvafTed and B^ificeprefented, I {hall here take the Gberty of gjving a full hiftory of my fituatioa and tranfa£tions with his Lordfhip* . EYery one twEo U at all acqiiainted with the conftit^tion of this government muft know that all warlike preparations, every military operatiofi, and every naval equip* ment, mufl be dirc^ed by a Secretary of State before they can be undertaken. Neither the Admiralty^ Treafury,. Ordnance,. Navy or Vi^ualling Boards, can move a ftep with- out the King** commands- G> fignified. The heads of the three firft Boards are ge- Q^raHy of the Cabmet» and confequently in- formed of what is intended j but the Con- (litution requires that two other Members of each fhould fign any order ifFued by the Board to give It validity. Hence arifes the almoft impoflibility of keeping our defigna a fecret from the enemy. As it was my duty to pre^ . v .» '_ . pare ¥ [' ^^ J rxre all fuch orders, I reprefented to Lord George Germaine the great advantage the enemy had over us, and the improbability of our cnterprifcs ever fucceeding imder fuch a prad^ice, and I propofed a method of carrying on the bufmefs where fecrecy was required, which his lordfliip adopted, and the whole Cibinct and his Majefty approved ; and I have? the great fatisfa necefTarily placed in me ; and therefore, al- though it was my wifli to have retired when Lord Sackville refigned the feals, as I ima- gined fuch a change of meafures would fol- the fame tfrne tRe feftdirtg fRem from any other perfon was a violation of the contra£b. To preferve the fecret, and avoid giving offence to the contra£bors,. Mr. Atkinfbn offer- ed to procure the coals in qualitj of agent for the Mr. Foxes> and to give to them the advantage of the purchafe, with- out making any charge for comnrifllon, when the bufincf* was executed, and he a£tually procured the coals accord- ingly. , • The orders to the General and Admiral Cthofe to the latter from the Admiralty, being only a tranfcript of the Secretary of State's letter to that Board) were difpatched to Portfmouth within tivo hours after the refolution of the Council was reported and approved by the King ; and it was owing to that extraordinary fpeed that the expedition arrived in Cime to fend after and overtake the Dutch fleet, which had failed two days before. low II 1 1 I II l» — I low as I fhould feel great repugnance in car- rying into execution, yet I fubmitted my continuance or removal to his Majefty's good plcafure; and my repugnance to continue ^-as not a little increafed by the apprehenfion that Mr. Dnndafs, who hiad been the occa- iion of his Lordfhip's refignation, was to be his fucceflbr. But I foon perceived, by his friend Mr. Atkinfon's converfation, that a new diftribution of the three Secretaries* offi- ces was in that gentleman's contemplation, and that he meant to content himfelf with the 4ttor of the Eaft-India rofe, without en- dangering the pricking his finger with the American thorn, though he had no objec- tion to its reprefentative, the thiftle, of his t)wn country; the well-known qualities of that plant to offend thofe who touch it gently^ hut to do no Injury to thofe who fqueeze it bard^ being very much to his mind. I was however made happy by the appointment of Mr. Ellis, and was honoured with the King's approbation of my continuing in the office. T he Ihort time the adminiftration lafted af- ter Mr. Ellis's appointment, did not allow 1*12 Public much opportunity of profiting i^y his found judgment and great experience ; but but his ton to America ral appla fuccefs that had failed, nc pns, whe jpf Admi] oppofitio Shelburn tar^, I t King per part I ha lion mac my havii late Adn England, \ jiis papei defiance tory that neral wa ciliated tl bis frienc friendfhij their grai keep then icca- > be his at a offi- and the en- the his of ntly, e it was of ig's ice. af- low ing ce; but '■'i D 22 ] but his recommendation of Sir Guy Carle- ton to be Commander in Chief in North America was a fervice that met with gene- ral applau/e, and gave a promife of better fuccefs in the next campaign than in any that had preceded it. Sir Guy was not failed, nor had Jie received his full inflrudli- ons, when Mr, Ellis refigned. As the change of Adminiftration was general, and the whole oppofition was to come in, and the Earl of Shelburne was faid to be the American Secre- tary, I begged Mr, Ellis to requeft from the King permiflion for me to retire, The ftrong part I had taken againft the American rebelf lion made me particularly obnoxious ; an4 my having done the only vigorous adl of the late Adminiftration againft its abettors in England, by feizing Captain Hutchins and Jiis papers, without any warrant at ally in defiance of all the bad law, and factious ora- tory that had been bellowed out againft ge^ neral warrants^ was not likely to have con- ciliated the noble Earl's good will, or that of bis friends ; and as I had no title to their friendfhip, neither had I any claim upon their gratitude, for I had done my utmoft to keep them out of pffice ; and if every one of the King's I j i! ^\ !,>:. \\\ ' } / • it [ 4i 1 King% fervants had acfled with the fame zeal, or thofe who did not had been punifhed as they deferved, I am well perfuaded th.:it neither the Earl himfelf, nor his paidcular friends, would have feen the infide of the Cabi* net Council Chamber. Knowing ib much of each other, therefore, as we did, it was not poflible for that mutual confidence to grow up, or fubfift between us, which is fo eflential to the fituation I (lood in, the mod important of all the fubordinate offices of the State. But as I knew how injurious to the King's fervice and the public affairs my then withdrawing mull be, I begged Mr. Ellis to acquaint his Majefty that I fhould remain in the office to biing up all the de- pending bufinefs, and to give «very in- formation I was poffefTccl of, to whoever his Majefly Ihould think ^t to appoint his Secretary of State, as long as my attendance fhould be defired. I was there- fore found in the office by the Earl of Shelburne when he brought the feals to Whitehall. Our perfons were not unknown to each other, I had furniihed hia Lordfhip in the year 1763 with fome materials for tus fpeech in approbation of the peace, and ' he he had cxecut< would du(flioi and a where patron as old His: rican were t( transfei former a critici tain th make 2 out of ries wh recomp begged leave r wifh t( would : a time, means : would '■ zeal, ed as either tends, Cabi. aiuch : was ce to ch isi L, the[ )fiiceJ irious ffairs I Mr. loiild e de* in- )ever )oiiit my Here- of to own (hip for and he I H ] he had given me in return a comniiflion to execute in Paris, which, if I had attempted, would probably have procured me an intro- du(flion to Mr. dc Sartine's acquaintance, and a cheaper lodging than the Hotel de Tours, where I refided with my noble friend and patron Lord Grofvenor : we therefore met as old acquaintance. His Lprdfhip informed me that the Ame- rican Department and the Board of Trade were to be fupprelTed, and all the bufmefs transferred to the Southern Department as formerly j that it was his intention to make a critical furvey of the three offices, and re- tain thofe of the befl abilities in each, and make a complete and perfe(ft eftablifhment out of the three ; but that the fupernumera- ries who had behaved well fliould be amply recompciifed for the lofs of their offices. I begged his Lordfhip would be fo good as to leave me out in his furvey, as it was my wifh to retire; he replied quickly, fure I would not think of leaving the office at fuch ^ time, and in fuch a ftate— I faid, by no means ; I had promifed tp the King that I would give his Lordfhip every information . " ' . he 1^ \ I *5 ] he defired, and would remain as long as he thought my attendance neceflary ; but that I mud delire his Lordfhip would not think of employing me in any new or confidential mat- ter. He finiled, and afked me what were my reafons for that ? — I had two, but I chofe to give his Lordihip only one, which was, tha*" his Cabinet was a very numerous one, and fome pf the Members had never been accuflomed to fecrets of State, and that in ; my long acquaintance with minifters I had ever found a State lecret very burthenfbme \ to a new Cabinet Counfellor, and that, either through vanity or imprudence, it was proba- ble their confultations would get abroad, and it was not unlikely that I fhould be charged with having divulged them. He laughed heartily, and went away, fay- ing, he dared to fay every thing would be very fafe with me, My flipulation was, I believe, unneceflary ; for his Lord- ihip had not, I imagine, any intention of confiding his fecrets to me j but as I Jbad made the JUpulation^ I conftdered myfelf at liberty to deny any charge of being in hh conjidencey which was the thing I aimed at; for, after poflefling the f\illell confidence of an Earl mouth, a not broo xavf or s Earl of S ■'I I After tl Itentive, 2 Ipean, my I was no lo jopportuni ipcnie witl pleafed to and for a ; •Jed to th pafs thror waiting, f been take: had been a fhould ha^ ■very diffe that happ( lOther tl d as be 'he Amer p to wai ir fitua [ *6 ] an Earl of Hillfborough, an Earl of Dart- mouch, and a Lord George Germaine, I could not brook the fufpicion of being the repofi^ tor}'' or advifer of the State artifices of the Earl of Shelburne. After the arrival of that very intelligent, at- tentive, and obliging gentleman, Mr. Ne- pean, my attendance at Shelburne Houfe was no longer neceflary, and I took the firft opportunity to requeil his Lordfliip to diA ptnfe with it, and I believe he was as well pleafed to get rid of me as I was to be gone, and for a fimilar reafon ; for I was daily ful> jedl to the mortification of feeing perfons pafs through the room where I was kept in waiting, fome of whom, if my advice had been taken by the late Adminiflratioji, or I Jiad been at liberty to have followed my own, ihould have come into my prefence upon a. very different footing. One circumflance at happened, and as it was followed by .other tke mofl highly gratifying to me, d as both wc^e public, I will mention, he American merchants had one day come p to wait: upon his Lordfhip with a ftate of eir firuation wich the revolted Colonies, and k and to requefl his attention to tlieir interefts in any negociation he might enter into. On their return from their conference they pafled through the room in which I was at- tending as ufual, amufing myfelf with my own thoughts ; and as I was well known to them all they flopped to fpeak to me, and told me, with an air of ridicule, that they had jufl learned how very ill I had done my buiinefs, for they h^d been told that every thing in the American Office was in fucli confufion that it was impoflible for his Lordfhip, as yet, to poffefs himfelf of any information, or to do any bufinefs*. The next Sunday I went to pay my duty to the Queen, and being flopped at the entrance into the upper drawing room by the crowd, I could get no farther than the pafTage, where againfl room f( which f] Lordihi up to hi] country, goodnefi his voice of benig: " can Of «Oh,y, " mj fi His Mai( join in the oppo of two **had re u at ic • Conceiving, I prefume, that the difpofitipi^ of tha oflSce papers Qr ^uld bear a drift analogy to the arrange. ment of the principal's ideas, his Lordfhip orot to go tp I -i i! ^ A I I [ 45 ] to look for it. Hence it was, that I remain- ed ignorant of the whole tranfacflion, and that ignorance will, I truft, excufe the inaccuracy of my expreflion ; and the reafons I have given, that nothing Jhoui^l have pafled without my knowledge, will account for my prefump- tion, that nothing had pafled but what I was acquainted with. Next to the meafures I have propofed for ftrengthening the Conftitution, I would re- commend to your attention an objecfl with which the/afety of the State is moft intimate-t ly connedled ; I mean, tbe provifion of timber for the conflruElion of fiips of the line, I am well aware xhzx it is the general opinion, that fuch is the ftate of the growing timber throughout England as to afford no ground to apprehend a deficiency ; but I will, notwith- ftanding that opinion, venture to foretel, that if no better care is taken than has been, there will not be a fingle tree to be purchafed in an- other century, fit for the conftrudion of a ninety-gun fhip ; and I will give the reafons ^pon which I found that predicflion. 1 happen I [ 46 ] I happen to be a proprietor of woods, and I have cut down oak trees of different ages. A wood of eighty years (landing produced a fum only equal to a rent of one fiiilling per acre, with compound interefl for the time it had been {landing, while a co- plce of twenty years growth produced equal to four fhillings per acre, the interefl com- puted in the fame manner. Can it then be expe(5led that any owners of woods will let his oak trees fland two hundred, or even one hundred years, which they ought to do for the purpofe I have mentioned, when he muft evidently lofe fo greatly by it. Trees in parks or ornamental fituations, I grant, may be permitted to fland the full time of their growth; but even when they are arrived at h the proprietor will find himfelf no gainer by felling tliem to the navy entirCy inflead of cutting them up for country ufe. The mif^ chief done to the ground where the tree is felled, and over, or rather through which it muft be drawn, the pulling down fences, and all the other damages their removal entire muft occafion in a fine park or beautiful lawn, would be fb great, that I am convinced every inland 1 1 • II: ■ ! 'ill ! 1 1 I [ 47 ] inland gentleman of tafle would do as the Marquis of Buckingham has done, give up the price of the timber, and fuiFer the ti-ees to die of old age, rather than difpofe of them upon fuch terms. But the mod forcible rea- fon for my opiilion is ftill to mention. — What owner of a landed eftate is it, in the prefent times, that will prefer the emolu- ment of his great grandfon to his own ? and what probability is there that the heirs for four or five generations will all be fuch felf- deniers as to fuiFer marketable timber to defcend, untouched, to their fucceflbrs ; and indeed the univerfal practice of making every landed man a tenant for life only, upon his marriage, and the diflipated turn of males and females, renders it highly improbable that any timber in the kingdom will be fuf- fered to (land beyond one generation ; for it is to the timber upon the fettled eftate that tecourfe muft be had for relief from pecuniary cmbarraiTment under fuch circumftances. — To flatter ourfelves, therefore, that becaufe much is planted, and much is now ftanding, tliat a fufficient quantity will be fufFered to arrive at the proper age for the conftrudion of of i 48 ] of large fhips, would be the mofl: cdnfiimmate folly, and argue a great ignorance erf man- kind ; and therefore, I trufl, pofterity will have to thank your Society for fecuring to them a fufficient fupply of large timber, by inciting Government to make ufe of the only means that can be effeiflual, or at all to be depended upon, for the purpofe ; which is, the inclofmg the Royal Forejlsy and plant! rr them with acorns* That any people coiitd be happy without virtue, that virtue fhould thrive without re- ligion, and that religion fhould flourifh with- out a priefthood, and that a priefthood fhould fubfifl without an eflablifhment, can only be imagined by fuch politicians as are qualified for lodgings in one of the fides of Moorfields. In fo far, therefore, as the cry againfk tithes has the depriving the clergy of a legal main- tenance for its objedl, it is to be reprobated by all mankind; but as the maintenance it- /elf is not fo generally declaimed againfl, a$ the impolicy of the mode that produces it, which is reprefented as a great difcouragement to tillage, and the improvement of the king- dom, iM ■I adiri. It may not be amifs to examine the ground of i'/jat objediion to tithes. ■ tyr f I # In the natural ftate of all countries flocks and herds mufl be the general property of the people j and their increafe the means of ac- quiring wealth, as that is a produce which requires little labour and lefs fkill in the owner to obtain ;" but a people, whofe fole property is in fheep and cattle, cannot be nu- merous;- for their very profperity prevents their increafe, the land becoming too Jlre'ight for them, as the plains of Canaan did for Abraham aiid Lot. The neceflity of ac- quiring property, and procuring fubfiftence by other means, therefore, neceflarily intro- duces tillage ; and the cultivated produ(fls of the earth becomes the fuftenance of the poorer | and more numerous clafTes. As the demand for vegetable food increafes, that for animal lelTens ; and as the quantity produced of the vegetable mufl be greatly inferior, for many- years, to the produce of the animals, the price of the one will be vaflly higher than that of the other. Such was the cafe in England from the earlieft accounts to the prefenc century; and we may obferve, that the price D of [ 50 ] of grain has been gradually decreafing, and tint of animals rifing, according to the pro- portion which the produce of each bore to the demand, infomuch that flefh and com have noiv changed the places they ftood in, with refpecfl to each other, and the prices they bore in Queen Elizabeth's reign. Sheep and cattle are certainly neceflary as well as corn, and a due proportion ought to be obferved be- tween them, which the price would of itfelf regulate if things were left to take their na- tural courfe, and each to find its own level ; but as, in order to promote tillage, the Legif- lature has interfered, and given to corn pro- duds an advantage over the animal, which has deftroyed the equilibrium, and checked the natural operation of the increafe of that produce beyond the demand of the inhabi- tants, by giving a bounty upon the export of corn, (which is, in fadl, calling in the in- habitants of other countries to aflifl in the confumption of a fuperabundant produce of corn, and thereby keeping up its price,) it prevents the farmer from reducing die quan- tity to the home confumption, and increafing die animal produce, by turning more of his land into paflura^e ; fo that the danger now to :M / [51 ]: to be apprehended, is, that England, from being a country of paflurage only, will be- come a land of tillage only. To prevent the running from one extreme to the other ought to be the care of the Statefman, and the giv- ing attention to fuch fubje(5ls in times of peace would as well become his flation, and be infinitely more beneficial to the public, than his riding in the ivhirliuind^ and direEling the Jlorm of the mod fuccefsful war. But , befid^s the confideration of a proper fupply of both animal and vegetable food for the people, the procuring fupplies of fuch mate- rials for our manufadures, as are connedled with each of thofe fpecies of fuflenance, is another mofl important objedl ; and in this refpedl the animal fpecies has infinitely the preference to the vegetable. - Of the ten millions of inhabitants this iiland is faid to contain, full five millions are em- ployed in manufadlurcs ; and the materials for a great part of them are taken from the fheep or the horned animals, while very few in comparifon are taken from the grain or flraw of corn : Let not then the encou- ragement of tillage be the fole object of your D 2 zeal ; [ 5» I • zeal ; but fpare a little of your attention to the procuring a proper fupply of £heep and black cattle alfo ; and in this view confider tkhes as only operating as a counterpoiie to the bounty on corn, and withholding the farmer fFom too eagerly availing himfelf of the cer- tain profit which that bounty at all times^ holds out to him. from a corn produce, and inducing him to throw out a proportion of his land into pafturage. This lalutary effedl the demand of tithes certainly has, and in fa(fl they, with the bounties, are the great regul - rs of the national agriculture,, and they mu- tually check and controul each other ; though the influence of tithes is- become too- feeble to- preferve the equilibrium^ between the twa produccf and pork, wheat and barley, fmcc hs firft eftablifli- ment, be called for, and compared toge:!--:rr ; and for our future guidance, let the fame clerks of ti* different mar- kets, who now make weekly returns cf rlc prices of grain, nal^e the like returns of the prices oi £r^ is [ 54 1 is unqucilionable, I truft the clergy wUl meet with your fupport in the enjoyment of them. We are often called upon to pray for a blefTmg on all fchools and ff.minaries o^ found learning and religious education^ and yet I be- lieve we fhould find it difEcult to defcribe the religious part of the education in any of them, The boys in the great fchools are taught their catechifm and the Latin articles, and at the Univerfities they read the Greek Teflament, and perhaps Grotius de veritate ; but in fa6l the Cbriftian Religion is almojl the only thing we are not taught in the courfe of what is called a liberal or regular education of a gentleman ; and ^ man m^y become entitled to put an L. L, D. to his name, without knowing as much of the Religion of his country as he does of the Heathen Mythology. How- ever, as I have in a late publication* endea- voured to call up the public attention to a re- form of our Liturgy, and to render the prac- tice ^f our church more correfpondent witL its principles, I fhall not farther enlarge up- on the fubje(ft here, only to obferye that our • Obfervatlons on the Liturgy, printed for Dcbrett, CqUegc ill I ii 'i K (I 'i ^r' li.i in t 55 3 College Chapels are the only confecrated edi- fices in the kingdom in which the Liturgy is read, an^ no fermon ever preached. What I have to propofe for remedy of this defccl in the fyftem of our education will be at- tended with fome fmall expenfe to the na- tion ; but as the religious inftnicflion of our youth is an objedl of fuch infinite confe- quence, it ought not furely to be grudged ; and indeed it is a difgrace to all former Ad- miniflrations that it never has been granted. There are, I believe, in both Univerfitlcs, forty-three chapels in which prayers are read, during the feveral terms, which make about twenty-four Sundays in every year. Let then the finall fum of two guineas a Sunday be given to each for a Sunday le^lure^ or ele- mentary difcourfe upon the principles of our religion, after the morning prayer ; and thofe who have a relifh for a common place of a fu- perior ilyle may afterwards attend the pro- ceflion to the great chiu'ch. The whole ex- penfe would be no more than 2064 guineas per annum, not half the charge of the go- vernment of Cape Breton ; and furely we ought to lay out as much for cultivating the minds of all our youth of the fuperior claflts with the true principles of our religion asl as w iflan rioua taker mean fchoc in th( to th« religio theAl Wh it was hiftori tranfac this cc make had be execute deratio of the nation thehif Britifh States, fpeding take nc '[ -56 ] as we do to improve the barren rocks of an ifland on the other fide the Atlantic. In fe- rious truth, if foine ftep of this kind be not taken, the youth of the lower clafles, by meanr of the Sunday and other charity fchoois, will be the beft-inflru(fled Chrillians in the kingdom ; and our prayers mufl refer to thole fchoois, as the only feminaries of religious educatioti entitled to the blefling of the Almighty, . . > . When I determined upon this publication it was my intention to furnifh you with an hiftorical account of the feveral extra official tranfadlions I had been engaged in refpeding this country, Ireland and America ; and to make you acquainted with the plans which had been formed, the parts which had oQzn executed, and what dill remained for confir deration ; but as the prefent calamitous (late of the King*s health occafions a general ftagr nation of all Government, I fhall referve the hiftory of what has palled refpeding the Britifh Colonies in America and the United States, as well as what I have to propofe re- fpedling them, until better times, and only take notice of two important parts, of my .■■ .: r- ". . .; ^ .::.- !.:;.: . plaA, tl \ i| 11. I ii 1^1' i ; • I li t J7 ] plan, which have been already under tlie confideration of His Majefty's fervants. — Thefe are, the religious ejlablijhments in the remaining Britifh Colonies on the Continent, and the correfpondence between Great Britain and Ireland and America. In refpedl to the former, the annexed copy (Appendix, No. IV.) of the draught of the letter from the Society for Propagation of the Gofpel to Lord Sidney, and of mine to Mr. Pitt, (Ap- pendix, No. V.) which refers to it, will fur- nifli all the information neceflary to ground an enquiry into what has been done*; and in refpedl to the correfpondence with America, the annexed plan, (Appendix, No. VI.) which I prepared at the requeft of my noble friend and former colleague in office. Lord Wal- fingham, will, I imagine, give full fatis- fadlion to whoever has geographical know- ledge or capacity fufficient to comprehend it, which unfortunately was not the cafe with all thofe in official fituations to whofe con- sideration it was fubmitted ; and although I • The two trafts refpefting the Negro Slaves, and ^c one refpcfting the Free Indians, lately reprinted by Debrett, may alfo be conHdered as a part of my general |>lan. ; ha.4 • [ 58 1 tad the honour to receive from His Majefly's own mouth, many months iince, his re- peated entire approbation of it, no part of it has yet been carried into execution, nor any ftep taken towards it, except the furvey of Crooked Ifland by Lord Walfingham's direc- tions, which has been found to contain an excellent road, eafy and fafe to enter and depart from, with great plenty of frefh w4- ter, in diredt contradiiflion to the report of the late Board of Admiralty, which aflerted there was neither the one nor the other. To obviate all objections to the plan^ through the apprehenfion of the increafed charge it might bring upon the revenue, I propofed to carry on the whole correfpondence upon cither of two footings, viz» to pay to the Poft-Ofiice the full amount of the clear re- venue hitherto received from the American correfpondence, as a rent for a leafe for a number of years, or to take the fum the monthly packets have hitherto coft the public^ as ^ fiill allowance for carrying on the whole zdne days correfpondence : if, however, your Society be of opinion that it is as great a jiational obje(5l as I conceive it to be, you will, w I ! I .i 1 i [ 59 ] will, no doubt, lend your force to compel its adoption. The commercial intercourfe between Great Britain and Ireland cannot long remain upon its prefent footing ; and as an exceedingly wife and politic ftep has been taken in unit- ing the two Privy Councils into one, for the purpofe of inveftigating and deliberating upon fuch fubjedts as afFedl both kingdoms, I tnifl that an equal and jufl tariff will be fettled, and a gentle and mutually agreeable com- mercial band will be added to the other ten- der ligaments which tie, and, I hope, will for ever bind, the two iflands together. The bet- ter to enable your aflbciation to give their affiftance in this important and delicate bufi- nefs, I fhall give, as a fecond part of this publication, an hiflorical account of what has been already done for Ireland, in which I had fo large a fhar^, that I fhall, in fad, be only writing my own memoirs. A P P E N- EN- V ■ << «• ■■ iii t 6. ] maatttm ^ m**^'/* A P PEN D 1 X. PART I. ; : '. . ) . 1 k . . > . I . M ■ •"•-•'-•■•■•' •-■"■•No. i; ■ . :-■'■•--■■ •■ \ <.,■.' . .»:„... " ' , • .■■..•:.:•.... ■ • - i ; , ; J ■' ; ExtraStfrom the Minutes of the Houfe of Lards, :.''.. . ' . ) .■ r 1 Die Mercun'iy 5 ^«i', 1786. U PON the fecond reading of the St. Eufta- tius bill, William Knox was called in, and being fworn, was examined. ' r" '- • • ' . '- ^» » , ^ Do you know any thing of the books fent and delivered from St. Euftatius at the Secretary of State's office in the year 1781 ? A> There were too tranfmiflions of books and papers from St. Euftatius ; they came firft to the Admiralty, and by the Admiralty were fent to the Secretary of State's office. . The firft *"• . came «iM*irihMi«M«te n^ I ■ I iiimiii [ 62 ] came in the Vengeance ; thry refpe^ted two pcrfbns fent as prifoners in ihc name of Gou- vcrneur andCurzonj they wczt Britifh fubjcdls, but merchants fettled as St. Euftatiu5. They were brought in cuftody, zrA accufcd of high trcafon, and of fupplying the Rebel Congrefs with military ftores. Upon their arrival I was diredled to fend for Sir Sampfon Wright, and we examined them upon the charges which wc found in the papers that came along with them, and the fads appeared fo evident and ftrong againfl them, as well from the papers as from their own confeflion, that Sir Sarapfon Wright committed them for high trcafon. One was fcnt to Clerkenwell Bridewell, Newgate not being in a condition to receive him at that time; the other, not being in a good ftate of health, was fufFered to continue in the hands of one of the King's mefTengers. The papers were fe- cured in the office. T/ie tijco men remained in cuflo4^ till the revolution of the ^li'nijiry in March^ 1782. /, conceiving from the com- plexion of the new Adminiilration that neither Gouverneur nor Curzon would be long conti- nued in confinement, but more likclr that I myfel/ might be profccuted for the fhsre I had J m [ 63 ] in their confinement *, thought it for my own fafcty, and of thofe with whom I had the honour to a(fl at that time, to lay my hands on one part of thofe papers which contained the principal evidence of their criminality i and thofe papers I have kept in my cuftodyevcrfince. I was not much miflaken in my conjedurc, for in a few days Gou verneur and Curzon were difcharged. They came down to the Secretary of State's office to demand their papers. I was afked by the Earl of Shelburne what I knew of the papers ? I told him they were in the cuf- tody of the firft clerk, Mr. Pollock, except the papers I had, which I did not acquaint his Lordfhip with, and I afterwards undcrftood his Lordfhip had direded Gouverneurand Curzon to get their papers. The other parcel of papers came fome days after the former ones in the Venus, as I recolledl. They were in great boxes, a great number of them, and were under the care of the Chief Juftice of St. Chriflophcr's, a Mr. Gorges, and Capt. Nichols. Mr. Gorges • The part of that Adminiftration of which I had this opinion can beft be dcfcribed by a certain Mr. Jennings, ■who it is now generally known was employed as a doul'U Jpy* ^^^ 33 he is faid to have received a reward of 5C0I. of the public money (beCdes having his St. Eudatius pa- pers reftored to him) fincc the peace, the public has a riglit to his ioformation. gave IfcA^^-VftM ^^■hMMMMMMMt^ta [ 64 ] gave mc fomc account of what thofe papers were. I, finding them fo very voluminous, and being engaged in bufinefs of more impor- tance at that time, my then colleague, Sir Ben- jamin Thompfon, was appointed to examine them, and he took to his affiftance a Mr. Len- nard, now Chief Juftice of Bermudas, and a Mr. Savage, an American loyalift $ and I begged of them to make what we officially call 2LprectSi or fmall abridgement of the contents of each paper. They made a confiderable progrefs in it : I have feen the precis ; it con- tained feveral particulars of the commercial tranfaiflions of the people of St. Euflatius, with both the Rebel States and the enemy : but as there were no perfons charged fpecifically, or profecutions intended againft any of them, nor any proceedings refpe(5ting the ftate, I gave no more attention to the papers, and they were fuffered to remain in one of the clerks rooms in the office, where I believe they were when I left the office. :^..- . ^ Whether you examined any of the letters as well as the books ? jf, I did not. ^ You •M«*M«ni*M\ ill \\ h HH I ii^i III mtt»t[ Mm !'!' [ 69 ] ment therein^ and making a permanent pro^ vijion for its minijlers. They have learned with muchfatisfadtion, from thecommunication your Lordfhip was pleafed to make them, that inftrudions have been given to the Governor of New Brnnfwick, to appropriate trads of lands in the parifhes to be laid out in that province, for glebes for the minifters to be ap- pointed to fuch parifhes, and other fmaller trails for fchoolmafters, and that a falary of 75I. per annum is intended to be allowed in the cftimate to be granted by Parliament to each of four minifters of the church of England with- in that province j but the Society wifh to know whether any fum is intended to be al- lowed for building churches for thofe minifters to officiate in, and Houfes for their refidence, both of which they conceive to be abfolutely necefTary, as the circumftances of the inhabi- tants, who they underftand are chiefly diftref- fed Loyalifts, will not admit of their contribu- ting any thing at prefent to the conftruflion of fuch edificesj and on the fame account they arc induced to exprefs their wifh that the allow- ,ance of 75I. to each of the minifters may be increafed to at leaft lool. which was the fa- lary allowed to the minifters appointed to Eaft and ^•!l ( 70 ] and Weft Florida, when that country was eredled into thofe two provinces j the climate of which being more benign requires lefs ex- pence for clothing, fuel, and other defences againftcold, than is necefTary to provide in the long and fcvere winters of New Brunfwick. The Society alfo underftand thatfimilar in- flrudions have been given to the Governors of Quebec and Nova Scotia, to appropriate trades of lands for glebes, and fmaller portions for fchoolmafters, in all the diftrids laid out for the accommodation of the Loyalifts in thofe provinces; and they requeft to be informed hovy far the Governors have complied with thofe in- ftrudlions ; in what places the emigrants are feated j whether they have carried any clergy of the church of England with them ; whether any aflignments have been made for the fub- liftence of fuch clergymen upon the revenue; of Q33ebec, or upon the quit rents of Nova Scotia, or any other fund appropriated for the crcdion of churches and parfonage houfes I The Society are ftrongly incited to requeft in- formation upon thefefeveral heads, from their apprehenfions of the want thofe people muft be m i'n ■! h H 1, 1 1 [ 7' ]- * in of religious inftrudion and fpiritual comfort, and from the confcioufnefs of their own inabi- lity to fupply them from the great decreafe of their funds, which are now fo reduced that they find themfelvcs under the necefTity of dif- continuing fomc of their miflions, and lefTening the allowance to others. They are, indeed, per- fuaded that fuch is the flourifhing ftate of the Quebec revenue^ that ample ftipends for fuch church of England clergymen as may be want- ed in that province may be afforded from itj and they are not lefs confident that the quit rents payable in Nova Scotia would, if colled- cd, raife a fund from which not only the fums now allowed by the Society to miffionaries ia that province might be taken without any public inconvenience, but v/hat might bci neceffary to maintain a complete ejlabhjhment oj\ the Church ef England. And upon this fubjed they beg leave to obferve, that the allowances made by the Society to the miffionaries inl Nova Scotia, at the time of the fettlement of that province, in aid of the falaries grantedl them in the cftjmate, were in confideration of the then indigent ftate of the fettlers, confidj ing of reduced foldiers and German emigrants! and that no revenue was to be raifed fror qui] quit cou Ic to CO the in butel rents them Societ' fionari inhabi Crown revenu funds, ; that na enable howeve they m( and fu| land in contrary make th Quebec, fufficieni wanted, fupply \\ \ ;l mmmmmmimmm!^ [ 72 ] quit rents for ten years j but that it never could have been the intention of the Society to continue thofe allowances longer than until the inhabitants were in circumftances to contri- bute to the fupport of their clergy, and the quit rents became fufficiently productive to afford them an augmentation of their falaries j the Society conceiving the maintenance of mif- fionaries among the indigent and fcattered inhabitants of new fettled countj-ieSjWhere the Crown is without the means of an immediate revenue, to be the proper application of their funds, and the calls they have upon them of that nature are more than their funds can now enable them to comply w^ith. They requeft, however, that it may not be fuppofed that they mean in any refped to decline the care and fuperintendence of the church of Eng- land in the American provinces ; for, on the contrary, fhould Government think fit to make them affignments upon the revenue of Quebec, and the quit rents of Nova Scotia, fufHcicnt to maintain fuch minifters as are wanted, they will cheerfully undertake to fupply them, and fuperintend their condu(Sl, f -V \ No. p't ! 'i I HI :l; 'I- I! M [ 73 ] * No. V. C(0 of a Letter from Mr. Knox to the Right Hon. Mr, Pitt. Soho Square ^'^th Aug. lySy, IN laying any material information before you, I confider myfelf as doing the beft I can for the pubh'c advantagc,and thereby expreffing my duty and gratitude to his Majefty in the mod acceptable manner; and therefore it is that I now take the liberty of acquainting you with the hiftory of a meafure which I under- Hand is foon to be adopted, the appointment of a bifliop for Nova Scotia, which I took much pains to promote, as Under Secretary of State under a former Adminiftration, and fince the peace as a Member of the Society for Propaga- tion of the Gofpel, and I alfifted in preparing the letter from that Society to Lord Sydney for the fame purpofe. I did not, however, make that propofition as a feparate and diftincSt mea- fure, but as part of a general plan for the intro- duOion and eftablifhment of the church of England, and through it combating and repref- fmz the prevailing difpofition of the Colonies tp aga- ing for lake nea- tro- i of ref- mies tP [ 74 1 to rcpublicanifm, and exciting in them an cfteem for monarchy. My long experience in colony affairs, and thorough knowledge of their ftatc, had Ihewn me that the great fource of all our difputes and difficulties Jay in the mutability of the meafures of Government from the want of fyftem, and their partaking of the fafhion of the times, and wearing the complexions of their feveral au-r thors ; and I therefore recommended it to the King's fervants, whofe confidence I had the honour to be in, to form a plan for the Colo- nics, and lay the foundation fo deep and wide as to infure firmnefs and duration to the fabric to be eredled upon it. It was my duty to fketch out the plan, and it was adopted by a very intelli' gent Cabinet *j and although it was not made an ofRce paper, I believe his Majefty faw it. So much of this plan as I thought applicable to the then ftate of our remaining pofTefTions in America I communicated to Lord North, when he was Secretary of State, and I have the fatis- fadion to find that every Jlep taken in purfuance cfit\i2L% been judged fit to be followed up in your Adminiftration. The appointment of a • My authority fpr faying fo Arill be feen in a future publication. biihop J' % 1: \ I I [ 75 ] bifliop for NQva Scotia was agreed to be made, though it was among the things left undone when the Adminiftration was changed, as the concomitant meafures had not been fettled, for I was-far from confidering that appointment as ^ neutral meafure not likely to dp cither good or harm J for, on the contrary, I apprehended it might be attended with very mifchievous con- fequences if the concomitant meafures I had propofed did not accompany it. The immedi- ate and obvious effed of the appointment of a bifhop would be the fuperfeding the necefiity of fenJ.ing out mifllonaries from hence, or candi- dates for orders coming here from America for education and ordination, by which one of the ^Jlrongeji bands of union between the Colonies and Great Britain would be cut through ; for it is well known that the church of England piilTionaries in general exerted their influence with their congregations in fupport of the au- thority of Government in the late conteft, and that it was owing to their endeavours that fo many of that perfuafjon were Loyalifts, an ad- vantage which Government is not likely to be able to avail itfelfof on any future occafion, if pothing more be done towards the eftablifhment of the church of England in the Colonies than the appointment of a bifhop. Nay, the prc- .'-' " ■ ■* /■ ■■; . late [ 76 ] late himfelf, if left to fubfift on the interefl of the fund appropriated to him in the hands of the Society for Propagation of the Gofpel, will probably prove a clog upon Government ; for his appointment being for life, and without profped of preferment, he will be apt to confi- der how he may make the moft of his fituation, and, in order to obtain an allowance from the country, attach himfelf to the popular leaders. To counterad thefc evils, I had propofed that the church dignitaries of dean and archdeacon fhould take place with the appointment of the bilfhop J that a falary out of the quit rents fhould be alloted to every parifh minifler, but to fome more than others ; and that thofe of the dean and archdeacon fhould be the mofl conflderable, but all given only during his Ma- jefty*s pleafure, and the prefentation to all be- nefices to be in the' Governor : an additional falary to be likewife given to the bifhop dur- ing pleafure, as head of a Jeminary for the in- Jhu&ion of youths and qualifying them for orders^ to be efahlified at Hal fax \ and as in due time a Canadian bifhop was intended to be appointed, with larger emoluments than the Nova Scotia bifhop, who might look up to that l^e as a beneficial tranflation, and be thence in- ' ■ • . ' cited II It m»^i.mm»>»m f ! ..• [ 77 ■] cited to conduct himfelf with fuch propriety, and acquire fuch a habit of acquiefcencc with the views of Government in his fubordinate fituation as might fecure his promotion, and preferve him in the fame line of condud when he became pre-eminent. It was not meant that either fhould be of the Council, but wholly- excluded from temporal affairs. Should you be led to conceive from this reprefentation that it would be mod prudent to poftpone the appoint- ment of a bifhop, I mufl beg leave to acquaint you, that by doing fo now, th^ ianger will not be avoided, fince bifhops have been confecrated for the United States, (the policy of which proceeding I will fay nothing of) and there are colleges in moft of them, where education can be had fufficient to entitle the ftudents to the apoflolical benedidion of thofe prelates ; and fuch ordination will equally ferve to fuperfedc the neceflity of candidates for orders coming to England for education or ordination, and the fending out miflionaries from hence, as would the appointment of a bifhop for the Britifh Colonies, with this important difference, that as the mode of education, and the principles in- culcated in the ftudents in thofe colleges muft -be entirely Ilepublican, the fupplying the .: w churches I 78 ] churches in the Britlfh Colonies with fuch fajlors would be like garrifoning our ftrongcft fortrefles with troops of the enemy. — ^The fpirit and ability which have diftinguillied your ad- miniftration will not therefore allow me to fuppofc that this appointment will be fuffered to remain a folitary meafure, 9 I have the honour to be, &c. W I L L. K N X. . . No.vr. C(0 of a Letter from Mr. Kxox to Z^r^ Wal- singham, in a?ifwer to his- Lordfhtf s Dejtre that he would ajjijl him in putting the Ameri' can Packets upon a better Footing. iSth Augujl^ ^1^7' ~ My Lord, THE fubjed you'^propofe to me in the letter 1 have juft received is perhaps the one which I have leaft confidered of all the branches of Government ; but as far as I have knowledge, or can acquire information, the rcfult (hall be at your fervice to make whatever ufoyou think it i % r \n .•rfWNI**iM#-.Ai«tiaMM [ 79 ] . it may be applied to. It is my conftant habit to treat every thing which refpeds Govern- ment fyftematically as a part of the whole, and to confider, in the firft place, its relative ufes and efFeds with regard to the whole, before I think of any means for its improvement, for ' that is only to be encouraged in fo far as it is promotive of the general welfare, which I pre- -fuppofe to confift in the prefer vation of the Conftitution. The Poft Office has been hitherto confidered as a mere engine of revenue to the public, and of jobs to individuals J its utility to Adminiftra- tion, as a quick and preferable mode of intelli- gence, under the controul of Government, was never thought of, and even its convenience to commerce was very little attended to. My ideas always run in a different channel, but it was impolTible for them to reach the fountain head when there were fuch infurmountable obflruc- tions in the pafTage.- Mr. Pitt's adoption of Palmer's plan for expediting the domeftic cor refpondence, and diredling the eflablifhmentof Packets between Milford Haven and Water- ford, in confequence of Mr. Beresford's and my reprefentation, (hews his views to be as • enlarge It habit rovern- 3le, and ive ufes before I ent, for as it is ;h I pre- i of the nfidered )lic, and niniftra- fintelli- ent, was nience to Vly ideas It it was am head obftruc- )ption of sftic cor- hmentof i Water- ird*s andl to be as| enlargcc [80 ] upoft this fubjedl, as upon points of greater magnitude, and therefore I hope your Lordfhip will give full fcope to your judgment in form- ing a plan for his confideration, comprehend- ing the feveral objedls of Government utility^ commercial benejit^ and increafe of revenue^ but each in preference to the other in the order in which I have placed them. If fuch be your Lordfhip's purpofe, I will fketch the out- line of it, and fuggefl every meafure which may be necefTary for giving it efFedl : but as in doing this I may be only wafting time, from not knowing your Lordfhip's or Mr. Pitt's intentions, I fhould'wifh to have fome con- verfation with you upon the fubjecft. I beg your Lordfhip to believe me your moft faithful and aiFecflionate fervant, • WILL. KNOX. -I' b 'I , and preventing future evils ; and the great al-^- terations which have been made in the politic '^ condition of the Britifh dominions fincc tho peace of 1763, furnifh the flrongcfb rcafon ; for fo doing, both fpeedily and with great ar- tention. The feparation and independence (/: I Jsof our American colonies, and the eman- cipation of the legiflature and legal judicature ot Ireland, make fuch a change in our circum- ftances, that the old mode of treating our dc- pende?icles mufl be exploded, and a new fyfbcin tormed, better adapted to our prefcnt iituation. ^^'hat that fyflem Ihould be is matter for the serious confideration of his Majefly's cor.f: den- ial fcrvants, and it would not become rnc to Ma£J^iBrt>"in»'«"H«iiiiMa*»j- rii J I > > . :[ 82 ] fugged any ideas refpccling it, but iuch as the particular branch of Government upon which my opinion is defired mufl neceflarily have with it, give occafion to. At the fame time I think it proper to obferve, that as the great annual increafe of the public revenue (exclii- five of what may be fuppofed to arife from the prevention of fmuggling) is chiefly occafioned by the general increafed confumption of taxed commodities by the inhabitants of the improved parts of England, whofe expenditure is now become nearly equal to the whole of their in- come, no confiderable addition to it can be ex- pe M.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^^ ">^ y.M 9 ^^^m [ 93 ] The third Englifh packet Is to fail the 19th of January, and arrive at Barbadoes on the 19th of February, and after flopping 24 hours, and difpatching her mails for St. Vin- cent's, Grenada and Jamaica, by the third Ja- maica packet, and taking on boar ' her bags with letters for the Windward Iflanas, Ber-nu- da, and the Continent of America, as the former had done, proceed, as the others did, to Crooked Ifland, where fhe will arrive the 28th of Fe- bruary, and there meet the fecond Jamaica packet; and having received her mails, and de- livered to the third Carolina packet the mails for Providence, the Carolinas and Georgia, and the bags with letters for thofe places and Ber- muda, and the whole northern didridl, pro- ceed diredly to England ; and the Jamaica packet having alfo delivered to the third Caro- Fma packet her bags with letters for the laft- mentioned places, is to return diredlly to Bar- badoes. , .. ,.. - The fourth Englifti packet is to fail the 28th of January, and arrive at Barbadoes the 28th of February, where, finding the firft Jamaica packet returned from Crooked Ifland, (he is to ^ke on board the bags with letters flie may have brought for the Windward Iflands, and . V :y • • . t ; ' difpatch rtiriLin K ii r - — '"-^ — ' ■■--'-- -■"- 1 -'- T -'--' :he iQtIi on the nng 24 ScVin- hird Ja- ler bags Ber.nu- : former Ilrooked of Fe- Jamaica and de- le mails gia, and nd Ber- dl, pro- [amaica d'Caro- the laft- to Bar- lie 28th le 28th amaica le is to le may Is, and ifpatch [ 94 ] diipatch her as before to Jamaica, arid proceed herfelf to Crooked Ifland, in like manner Jis the preceding packets did, where fhe is to* ar- rive the 6th* of March, and there meet tlie third Jamaica packet from Jamaica, and the Srft C^olina packet returned from Charleftown; and having exchanged mails with the latter, and taken on board thofe brought by the for- mer, and delivered to both her bags with let^ ters for their refpedlive diftridls, proceed to England ; and thofe packets having exchanged their bags with letters for and from their reipe^ve diftricfls, are to proceed on theij* re^e G ivery ^mm receive /"irginia, the time mdland, )r letters and Ha< ; Co that re defec- buthern, either of nentj for "/ of the any one cafe at a plan, defeds, efore ef- •eceding : necef- the fol- ondence erica, as it with he three ncluded ng with every [ 98 ] ei y othery and with Great Britain, three times ill , very month, • ' . , ;. . ■^. ,.. To eiFe<5l this, eight Englifli packets, and fix Bermuda floops or brigs, will only be' wanted, and a land-pod tliroe times in every month from Halifax to Quebec by New Brunfwick ; fhould, however, two mails z month be judged fufEcient for this diftridl, the number of Englifh packets may be re- duced to fix, and the Bermuda floops or brig* to four, and the land-pous from three to two- a month. But as three ir ails in every month is the mofl perfecfl, and c- -anedls more exaclly wltli the Weft India fyfl^m, I have formed my plan according to that idea. « ,,,. " ... _ .»■ NORTH AMERICAN PLAN. MY propofition then is, to fend the Englifli North American packets to Caplin Bay in Newfoundland, an:! no farther, except in the months of Novombc^r, December and January, when they fhould go to Halifax; the voyage is much fhorter from England to chatBav than to Plolifax, and it can be n^.:.de with tl\c wliid at North 'Weft, which is :he violent wind in that , . • <3[uarter. I • \ i I : ' ' : t 99 ] . quarter. I allow, however, for the packet out and home two months, tliough I have known the voyage home made in 15 days*. From Caplin Bay three of the fix floops or brigs are to go to Halifax, and from thence to Rhode Illand, and return from thence to Halifax and back to Caplin Bay ; the other three are to go . toBormuda, and from thence to Norfolk inVir- ginia, and return from thence to Bermuda, and fo back to Caplin Bay ; they will each make their voyage in lefs than 27 days, fo that fix • will afFu ;d two for every nine days. I fliall fuppoie then, that the firft North American packet upon this plan (hould fail from Fal- mouth the firfl of February with mails for ♦ The vaft importance of the Newfoundlar '. ?.fhery to this country has been long known and admitted, and yet no provifion has ever been mide for enabling the fifliers to carry on any correfpondence '-vlth their employers in England, or their employers with :aem, though nothing could more effe£lually promote the bufinefs than fuch a correfpondence, as a fpeedy conveyance of intelligence of the fuccefs of the iifhery would enable the merchants to judge what veflcls to fend out to carry the filh to mar- ket; and, on the other hind, the kncvledge of whers t"' iih was mpft likely t^ be in denn;^.d would enaMe th5 fifhers to fend their tifh to the proper markets •, tg convey fach intelligence, : >i owners are now frequjr::Iy obliged to difpatch light vefTels at their own charge, an i to the great reproach of Govirnci^rat. -/'.'• G 2 Newfound- .Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, St. John's, Canada, and all the American States, (except the Carolinas and Georgia, which .rj provided for in the Well India plan) and for Bermuda alfo, and arrive at Caplin Bay in Newfoundland the firft of March, and from thence difpatch one of the three brigs or floops, which I fhall call the Halifax packets, to Hali- fax, with the mails for Nova Scotia, St. John's, Cape Breton, Canada, Maflachufets B:^)', Con- nedlicut, Rhode Ifland, New York, cie Jerfeys and Pennfylvania, and one of the three brigs or (loops, which I fliall call the Bermuda, packets, to Bermuda, with the mail for that ifland, and thofe for Virginia and Maryland, and having fo done return to England. The fecond EngVifh North American packet fhould fail OTi the loth of February, and proceed to Cap a Bay as before, and difpatch the fecond Haliiax packet and the fecond Bermuda. pac!vet with their refpefbive mails ; and the third in like manner to fail on the 19th of February, and proceed, as the others had done, to Caplin Bay, and difpatch tht; third Halifax packet, and the t'-.>rd Bermuda packer, with tlielr mails, and then return to Engiar. !. The firft Halifax packet to proceed to Halifax by the Sdiof Marcli, and tl;>re deliver hs:r malls - . . . for t f - ■• ■.•■JW'*i--«'.> ■ ^ w p y pf for Nava Seotia, New Brunfwlck and Qiiebcc, and taking qn board fuch bags with letters as the Pofl-mafter may deliver to her for MafTachufets Bay, Conneiflicut, Rhode Iflaiid, New York, the Jerfeys, Pennfylvania, and (lay- ing twelve hours, proceed %o Rhode Ifland, where fhe i« to arrive the 15th, and there de- liver the "whole of her remaining mails and bags, and take on board the mails for Eng- land. from all tlie faid ftates, and alfo fuch bags of letters as may be delivered to her by the Pofl-mafter for Nova Scotia, Canada, St. John's, Cape Breton, New Brunfwick, New- foundland, or any of the Weft India iflands, or for Virginia, Maryl ind, the Carolinas or Georgia; and after ftayiug twelve hours re- turn to Halifax by the 2 2d, where, having delivered the bags with letters for Nova Scotia, Can la. New Brunfwick, St. John's and Cape Breton, and taken on board the snails from thofe places for England, and any bags with letters for any of the Weft India iflands, Vir- ginia, Maryland, the Carolinas or Georgia, which may be delivered to her by the Poft- mafter, and flaying twelve hours return to CaplinBay by the agth of March; and there meeting the fourth Englifti North Amerl:.in packet exchange mails widi her, and meeting th ere "»^Tf>V^» be pcrJ th re alfo the ifirft Bermuda packet returned from her voyage, deliver to her all the bags with letters for the Weft India iflands, Mary- land, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, and receive from her fuch bags with letters as fhe may have brought up from Norfolk in Virginia, or Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Weft India lilands, for any of the places in the dif- tridl of the Halifax packet, and then proceed to Halifax, as £he had before done. The firft Bermuda packet to proceed to Ber- muda, where ihe is to arrive the 8th of March*, and there deliver her mail for that ifland; and after ftaying twelve hours, ftand over to Nor- folk in Virginia, where flie is to arrive the ^5th, and there deliver her mails for Maryland and Virginia, and take on board the mails from thofe ftates f England, and alfo fuch bags with letters for any of the Weft India Iflands, or any of the northern or fouthern ftates, or Britifh colonies in America, that thePoftmafter may deliver to her ; and after ftaying twelve • The voyage from Caplin Bay to Bermuda being much longer thin from Bermuda to Norfolk in Virgin -.i, the arrival cf this packet at Ber-nudi will ttot be iri re- gular as 1 have fuppok'd it, but the whole vopge may be pcrfoiTifd in the 27 iays v,"- ix-.-it cafe.' . . : hours ! I '1 [ JO3 ] hours return to Bermuda by the 2 2d, an! there d:. liver to !:i\e Carolina packet (or to tli j PolV mafter for her if fhe be not there, as neither of thefe packets mufl wait for the other) all the bags with letters for the Weft India Iflands, and the Carojinas and Georgia, and receive from her, or from the Poftmafter if fhe be not there, ilich bags with letters as fhe may have brought from any of the northern ftates or colonies, and ^er ftaying twelve hours return to Caplin Bay, where flie b :o arrive the 29th of March ; and meeting wi:a the fourth Englifli North American packet, ihe is to exchange mails with her, and as Ihe will alfo meet with the firfl Halifax packet returned there from her voyage, deliver to her the bags with letters for the places within her circuit, and receive from her fuch bags vrith letters for the Weft India Iflands, or the Carolinas or Georgia, as flie may have brought with her, and then pro- ceed as flie had done before. \ . ' By this arrange n.ent a letter from Halifax Av'.'l be carried to Jamaica in 28 days, and <"he aniVer will be bro^jghc back in 28 more, and €0 in refpecl to all other places. Some devia- tion, as I before ob/erved, mufl however ne- ceiTarily be made from this plan in the - - months ^ 1 tliere : roiv [her of all the Is, and e from c there, irought les, and Caplin March ; 1 Nordi e mails ^ith the ■om her Itters for Ive from ft India 1, as flie en pro- iHalifAX I and ♦•he kre, and |e devii- iver nc- in the months [ IQ4 ] months of November, December, and Janu- ary, when the Englifh North American packet fhould be fent from Falmouth diredtly to Ha- lifax, and the Halifax and Bermuda packets diredled to meet her there, inftead of Caplin Bay;, but as only two of the three Halifax packets will then be wanted to go between Rhode Ifland and Halifax, the other one may make a voyage or two to Newfoundland^ when the weather permits, or it is fpUnd ne- ceflary,-; . -. ■■:: ,.:-j- , r -UU .m^.;; ^. :: »• r • ■? •■' ' Both plans being now completed, the intcr- courfe will continue conftant and regular with the whole connecjlion every nine ofays; and al- though none of the places toughed at, except Barbadpes and Jamaica, will have more than twelvQ hpnrs to anfwer their letters by the fame packet that brings them, yet as only nine d^ys will.intervene between the arrival of every two packets, there will be OP juft ground of cpmplaint pn that accpunt. I have prpppfed making Rhpde liland the place fpr the Halifax packet tp deliver and take up the nprthern and middle American States mails ^t, inftead pf JSIew Yprk, bepaufp the vpyage is fhprter, and the harbpur ppen all the year, and for other reafon^ not nec^Jfcfy to mention^ but if it be - thpught «'!2?^^ thought more fit to fend the packet to New York inftead of Rhode Ifland, the change will make no alteration in the plans, as there is time enough allowed for either voyage. •••• •• ' .. •■• , ■».■* To give Ireland the full benefit of this plan, jjnd fecure the whole of her correfpondence to it, the Englifh packets place of failing and arrival fhould be changed from Falmouth to Milford Haven, and the letters for Ireland di* redled to be made up in feparate mails from thofe of England in the Weft Indies and North America, and as foon as the packets arrive at Hubberftone, delivered to the Waterford packed, tp carry over to Ireland, and the Eng- lifh Weft India and North American packets diredled tp receive the mails from Ireland, in like manner, at Hubberftone, and carry them out with them ; this would occafion a great increafe of the revenue, and be fuch an ad- vantage to the trade of Ireland as would put that kingdom in good humour with the Ad- mini(lration that obtained it ; but as tjie Cor- ,ni(h member^ might feel hurt by fuch a re- moval, I would proppfe to compromise the I matter with them, by appointing every other American packet only to fail from and aiTive at . " Milford to New ige will there is lis plan, dence to ing an4 outh to :land di* ils from id North arrive at raterford the Eng- i packets eland, in rry them m 2^ great h an ad- vould put h the Ad- s the Cor- fuch a re- omife the irery other d a^'ive at MiUford [ 106 ] Milford Haven, which would give Falmouth €^ye An^erican packets every two months, in- ftead of the monthly ones that now go fron^ thence, (b that Falmouth would be a gainer by , this plan of fix packets in the year more thaix fh^ has at prefent, which mud iilence all com- plaints or oppofition from that quarter ; and once in eighteen days may be a frequent: cnorogh conreyance for the generality of the hiih merchants correspondence witli America, cfpecially as they would get their letters fq much iboner after the packets arrival than they now do, and could take propordonably fo much longer time in anfwering them, they Eaving now a daily conveyance to and from Hnbbcrftone. The intervention of eighteen days between the failing of every two packets would give tim^ for the northern as well as •tfiff ibuthem parts of that Hngdom to anfwer tfte fetters by every fiibfcquent packet, whicl^ irere brought by the preceding one, and the ]peopfe of Waterford, Cork, Limerick an4 Dublin, who are the chief exporters to the colonttes, might avail themfelves of the inter- metfiate FalmouA packets, to an£wer their letters brought by every Milford Haven one^ But fhould all the Airierican packets continue •"-'"••- ■ -to » I ^i 1 'H I; ' ? I'J 1!^ f i • I, ■■ ; I to fail from and return to Falmouth, none of the towns in Ireland, eifcept Dublin, could pofCbly anfwer the letters brought by any of the American packets by the return of the next ; for, aa after the American mails arrived in London, the letters for Ireland would be four days in getting to Dublin, a^nd the an- fwers would be four days in returning to London, eight of the nine days between the fkiling of the packets would be fpent in the travelling pf the pod between London and Dublin, and confequently only one day would be left for the people of Ireland to receive and anfwer tjheir letters in, which therefore none but the people pf Dublin pould avail themfelves of; indeed the people of Cork and K^nfale would not have more than three days to anfwer their letters by the fecond packet that failed after they received them, as fifteen days pf the eighteen would be ipent in the pofls travelling between London and thofe places, whereas the people of London would have the whole nine days, and the people of I firiftol Gi^ ; Liverpool four, and the moft dii^ tant parts of England at: lead one whole day to anfwer, by the next packet, the letters )>rought to them by a former one. Nor would ;. - * the none of 1, could ^ any of . of the s arrived rould be the an- irning to :ween the nt in the adon and lay "^ould to receive therefore ovdd avail Cork and tree days ind packet I, as fifteen lent in the and thofe .on would people of I moftdifr vjholG day the letters! [or would the [ io8 ] the removal of the packets from Falmouth to Milford Haven deprive any of them of that advantage, as the diftance from Milford Haven to London is not greater tlian from Falmouth to London, and therefore, as the trading in- tercft of England can receive no fort of injury by the removal, and it is of mod eflential im- portance to the trade of Ireland, other inferior coniiderations ought not to be allowed to (land in the way of fo great a national objedl to that kingdom, nor v/ould that loyal but high fp.iri ted and fenfible people brook fo oflfenfive and injurious an inftance of difre- gard and partiality in the Britifh Admini- ftration, as the preferring the petty advantage a little borough in Cornwall derives from a few -travellers, to the co7?i?nercial interefis of all Ireland^ -. :•. ■ : .; ; • ., '• ..... . , y, J I ..:,.,.,■ . -. .... I ... J . .... J. .• . » J • ' ' > •>'. . , .' I have mentioned Crooked Ifland as the place cif rendezvous for the three packets in the fbuthern diflric^l, becaufe I am informed itis'a good and fafe road, and has plenty of excellent water, and exacflly in the; way from Jamaica* by tlie Windward paflage ; and Cap-^ ILn Bay in l*^ewfoundland for tlie rendezvous •I., .,,. ........ , . C\T 1 1< 11 :l ' m 1; f i4 f [ 109 ] of the three packets in the northern diflri<5l, as the place moft convenient for all the three, ■ To make my plans more eafily nnclerftood, I have marked, by dotted lines upon a chart of the Atlantic Ocean, the trails of each of the feveral packets, and referred to them by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, but it is only for the purpofe of explanation I have done it, and not with any intention of defcribing their exadt courfes ; any difcovery therefore that I have gone to the leeward of a ro ':, or flioal, ot illand, when I fhould have kept to the windward, or the contrary, will bring no im- putation upon the plans, or the want of ac- curacy in their author, for I am not propofing any improvement in the maimer of navigat- ing the packets, but only mean to fhew how their voyages may be rendered more beneficial to the public. PART , ) nana, all the srftood, a chart each of lem by is only done It, ng their re that I )r flioal, : to the r no im- of ac- •opofing Inavigat- ;w how leneficial ART \ •• ■ ..\ I , » (it I* (I I !l !|< it* (I 1 t "I ] 1'! i If I PART the SECOND. ! i. i i I ii \' i \\\ JljEING a native of Ireland, and receiving the firft rudiments of my political education from one of tlie ableft and h. .'■: informed ftatef- men that ifland ever produced, the late Sir Richard Cox, I was early well acquainted with the (late of that great, but unknown and neg- ledled member of the Britifh empire ; and fo thorough a knowledge had I obtained of its wants and grievances, that foon after I return- -cd from America, in the year 1761, 1 was able to take up their confideration, and lay fomo propoials for their redrefs before a relpe£b.ble body of Irifh noblemen and gentlemen, who called themfelves the Donegal Society, wlwfe avowed purpofe was to promote the intcreils of their country, but which ended, as Irilh meetings generally do, in toafUng ita friends in : ; the r- i\ D. :eiving ication ftatef- late Sir id with id neg- and fo of its return- as able Y fomc s£h.ble I, who wlK)fe itcreHs s IriHi inds in the . [ 112 ] the Britifh Parliament, and drinking full bum- pers, with three cheers, to the profperity of Ireland. And in tbe year i 'jG^y when the peace was negociating, I prefented to the Earl of Halifax, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Firft Lord of the Admiralty a ftatement of the comparatively higher duties impofed by Spain Tipon Irifh linens than upon thofe of France^ and joined the late Mr. Ellis, Agent to the Linen Board, in fbliciting his Lordlhip's good offices to obtain an equalization, which his Lordfhip afTured me he would mention to the Earl of Bute, but nothing was then done, or ^as yet been done in the buftnefs^ The general indifpofition of the great men of Ireland to do any thing for their country, and their fear of obdruding their own pro- motion in England, by being fufpedled of at- tachment to it, left me no hopes of their fup- port in carrying into execution the plan I had formed for promoting the profperity of Ireland, in coincidence with that of Great Britain and America, and combining them in one common intereft, nnlefs I could give an influence to the great body of the people over them, and engage them to exert it for their own and their coun- try's ■\ : [ "3 } ffy*s intereft and advantage. Th^ adminiftra tion of Ireland (for it never had any thing like a fyftematic government) had long been car- ried on by contrail, and a reciprocity of jobs between the contra<5lors and thofe birds of paf- fage, the Lord Lieutenants and their fecretaries, without the leaft attention to the flate, or inte- refts of the country; and as the members of the Houfe of Commons held their feats for life, there was no fort of intercourfe between them and their conftituents, much lefs had they any influence over them. The government there- fore of Ireland, though in fpeculation an exadl pidl\n*e of that of England, was, in fad, an ariftocracy, or rather an oligarchy, and there- fore my firft objcdl was to demolifh the cor- rupt fabric, and to give the people their pro- per fliare in the government, and compel their reprefentatives to pay attention to their inte- refts. The obvious means of effedllng this was to procure a limitation to the duration of Parliament, and with that view I dvQw ^p the paper,* No. I, in the Appendix, and prefented it to Lord Frederick Campbell, when he was Jvppointed fecretary to Lord Townihend. How far that paper influenced the meafure I know -». «o-.-.~^ H not, *■ . liniftra ing like een car- of jobs 5 of paf^ retaries, or inte- rs of the for life, :ii them liey any It there- in exadl fadl, an 1 there- :he' cof- nr pro- lel their ir inte- ig this Ltion of iip the efented he was How '. know . not, [ "4 1 not, but Ireland owes the odlennial ad to that adminiflration. .. '. My fituation of Under Secretary of State enabled me to difcover the fentiments of the King's confidential fervants towards Ireland, and it was with exceedingly great fatisfa(5lion I perceived in them all, particularly in Lord North, the mod liberal and friendly fenti- ments towards it, infbmuch that I entertained the ftrongefl hopes that if we fucceeded in fettling matters with America, every part of my plan would be adopted. - The firft meafure I propofed was, the admif^ fion of the Irifh into a participation of the Newfoundland fifliery ; and when I found my propofal relifhed by the minifters, I drew up the paper No. II, which I put into Sir Stanier Porteen's hands, to deliver to Sir John Bla- quiere, then fecretary to Lord Harcourt, who was in London, but with whom I had not then the honour to be acquainted, and afterwards tranfmitted to him the further propofitions contained in my letter to him, No. III. That very fpirited and fenfible gentleman, the firft Irifli feerecary that, I believe, ever tlioughc of foliciting any commercial favour for Ireland, adopted n [ "S ] adopted my propofitions refpecfling the fifhery, and purfued them with fuch zeal and ability, that the bill was immediately brought in and paiTed here, and a fimilar one in Ireland, a copy of which Sir John fent me in his letter. No. IV. The fenfv that gentleman had of my fervices to Ireland, and Lord Harcourt*s adminiflrati- on, will be bed feen in his own letter to Lord Harcourt, upon an application I had made to him in behalf of an unfortunate brother, which he was fo candid and honorable as to fend to me open, with permifHon to keep a copy of it, and which I have given in the Ap- pendix, No. V. ^ . 1....1, . The acquifition of Lord George Germalne to the Cabinet was a fortunate circumflance for Ireland, and infured the accomplifhment of my plan, which I opened fully to his Lordfhip, and which he found to correfpond fo entirely xyith his own ideas, that it was his conflant de- claration to his intimate friends ever after- wards, that whoever wanted to know any thing of Ireland or America mufl come to me. To remove the abfurd prejudices which their^ pa- triots had inftilled and inculcated into the people of Ireland, and to give tliem right no- tions of their political fituation and commer- H 2 cial [hcry, jility, n. and L' copy o. IV. rvices ftrati- • Lord ade to other, as to ^eep a tieAp- Line to ice for ;nt of [dfhip, Ltirely int de- after- thing To lir^pa- lo the It no- imer- cial [ 1.6 ] cial rights; in order to prepare them to accept my intended proportions, and give thcni their full fupport, I drew up and privately circu- lated the tracfl, intitled " Conftderattons on the *V State of Ireland^^ in the Appendix, No. VI, taking care that I fhould not be known for the author, and I find it has been generally attributed to Mr. Jenkinfon, (now Lord Hawkefbury) who never faw the manufcript. And in my pamphlet in defence of the Que- bec adl*, I placed the harih and impolitic condudl of the Irifh Proteftants towards their Roman Catholic fellow-fubjedls in fo flrong a light, and treated their prejudices in a note with fuch ftriking ridicule, that its publica- tion ferved more to reconcile them to that per- fecuted people than all the laboured appeals of tlieir advocates. ,■,-.•-■ -■ .... The next ftep which I took, with Lord George Germalne's concurrence, was to open a part of my plan to the Irifh adminiftration, and to get them to make the application for • An cxtra£l of this pamplikt is added to the Appendix, No.L. •"••' .'. • - - 2 " allowing i i ! Jl E "7 1 pillowing Ireland a participation in the trade of the Britifh Colonies ; and as I had then no correipondence with Sir Richard Heron, I wrote my letter, No. VIIl, to my friend Sir Lucius O'Brien, which produced the letter from Sir Richard Heron to me, No. IX.^ r';i ■■..) Soon after, Sir Richard Heron came to Eng- land, and from his converfation I found that the Irifh Privy G)uncil were afraid of giving offence to Admlniftration, by making the ap- plication I had pointed out; but upon my aflur- ing him that all I propofed they fhould afk for would be readily granted, he went back with the determination to make the application, but before his departure, recolledling that no fuch application had ever been made by the Iriili Privy Council, and that there was no precedent /or it In their books, he begged I would give him a draft of the letter which It would be pro- per to fend over, which I accordingly drew up. The delay In tranfmlttlng the demand, how- ever, eccaiioned me to write the letter to him. No. X ; and as our correfpondence from thence-forward became regular, I have only to refer to the ferles of it, as arranged in tlie Appendix, trade en no on, I friend 1 the ► me, jEng- d that giving :he ap- ■f affur- afkfor k with 3n, but lo fuch le Irilh icedent Id give e pro- ew up. , how- ;o him, from re only in the )endix, [ ii8 ] Appendix, to (hew the part I took in a bufinefs which all mankind had hitherto looked upon as impoflible to fucceed in, but which was accomplifhv.1 with very little noife or buftlc, and with the greatefl cordiality and mod per- fect good humour on both fides. The whole of this correfjpondence I fent up from Pem- brokefhire to Mr. Rofe, on the 17th of Fe- bruary, 1 785, for Mr. Pitt's information, when I firft heard of his Commercial Propofitions to Ireland : but fuch is the tranfcendant fupe- riority of intuitive omnifcience over the dull acquifitions of experience and fcientific know- ledge, that the receipt of my letter was not even acknowledged to me, and I believe not one of my papers were ever read, for when I applied to Mr. Rofe for them, at Lord Sack- "''Iile's defire, who wifhed to fee them before he fpoke upon the Propofitions, they were re- turned to me in the very form I had fent them up, and my own letter to Mr. Rofe upon the top of them. An intimation had teen given to me by Sir Lucius O'Brien, in 1778, of the injury Ireland fufkained by the embargo upon butter, and I reprefented the grievance in fuch a light, that its [ 119 ] its removal was ordered ; and the paper. No. XLIV, with the letter, No. XLV, from that mofl able and firm friend of Ireland, the late Speaker, will teftify to whofe application it was owing that the embargo upon the beef was Jikewife taken off. 'k f ■ 1 " I i ! A reftriiflion injurious to Ireland, which had been clandeftinely inferted in the filhery adls, I got removed the next fefTion, and obtained a declaration in the adl of Parliament that Irifh fhips were to be deemed Britifh in all refpeds whatever. I had propofed to Mr. Eden, when he was appointed Secretary to Ireland, the eftablifh- ment of a national Bank, which was a part of my principal plan; and upon receiving his letter, No. XLVI, from Ireland, I fent him tlie anfwer, No. XL VII. I have not given this detail of pad tranfac- tions merely to emblazon my own merit, or to deprive others of the importance they had af^ famed from them, but to fet the public, and €fpecially my countrymen, right in two very • material )er. No. )m that the late ration it he beef ich had ry adls, btained nt that in all he was :ablifh. part of ing his Lt him •anfac- t, or to lad ajp- c, and o very aterial dent to the year ,-<3, ^^^' '""««- Admmiftratllu L ^f ' ^"'" ^"'"'^ ^'°^ ^'^ iuntccrs. The oth T""""" °^ ^''^ ^^^ ^o- ■or comm rX, l"r '°"' "*^^P°«tlca ■o- thing was gi :;;r t '°'^^' •'"^ '»>« Prerailed For vL ' ^"""^inff h"mo«r refpondenceZthe r' '.- ^^ 'he cor- • -«-dthatthr:J:,fS'^"^' -;■« be con- I7 Lord North ,ncln! f ' '"'^ P^^^^ular- ^nendLordSa^SefeS^^^"^^"*'^ ly, generous, and nlllTf " '"°'^ '■^""<'- f^^-^ -untr,, throS; S "rr""^"''^ 'ngJ and that everv T T ° ■' P'"""^''- -- well confide t"M-'""''°"^' that the plan w., forVdT;"^' ='"<' -ft; f-^e any volunteers were "^'^.T''^ '° ^^- have been carriv! ;„. ^^*''' ^"^ ^o"''' "tent if the h . " "'"''°° ^° '^^^ f--« the-.teill.dJeS'^:^"'"^'^^'^^"-^- tive managenTent U r 1"°""'' ='"'' '''''0^- tien.effoaU iTru. Tr"^''^^'''^ -hat was ■ .■.■^^. ^truathofe noble perfons. with whom 1^1 i ■ l\ fl i^i •' ^ T'-i- T- ill t 1 % »ii,i \\ ill -[ 121 ] whom I had the honour to ferve, will not fuffer by the comparifon. I truft too, that the Earl of Buckinghamfliire and Sir Richard Heron will receive, through this publication, that Ihare of the public regard which their )iearty defire and earned endeavours to pro- mote tlie interefts of Ireland and the general welfare, fo well entitle them to. : • • .. - :. .-. '■ ■ . • -. . '■ '. .. '■ ..T t,. :.* As I well know that the generous and warna hearts of my countrymen, who may perufe thefe papers, will incite them to inquire what has Ireland done for a man who has done fo much for her, when fhe does fo much for thofc who never rendered her any fervice, I think it fair to fet down an anfwer, which I fhall do in the words of St. Paul, that / have not ought to acctije my nation ofy nor either of the admini- flrations who had the credit of my fervices. Lord " larcourt obtained the office I folicited for my brother ; and befides the letters to me from Sir Richard Heron, which fo repeatedly exprefs the Earl of Buckingham's kind difpo- fition towards me, that gentlenian made me, on the part of his Excellency, an offer of a . handfome peniion, for myfelf or Mrs. Knox, upon the Irifli eflabliflnnent ; but as I had . . .then ( 122 ] ill not o, that lichard ication, :h their to pro- general id warra y perufe lire what sdone fo for thofe I think {hall do not ought admlni- fervices. folicited lers to me lepeatedly |nd difpo- ade me, •fier of a Ts. Knox, as I had .then then good hope of recovering my American property, which produced me an income equal to all my defires for myfelf and my family, I declined the generous offer, preferring the gratification of being able to refledl that I had rendered my country more eflential fcrvices than had ever been performed by any of her fons, and that I was the only one of them that had ever declined her bounty, or refufed to be a burthen upon her. Could I, indeed, have forefeen what has fince come to pafs, that I fliould not only be deprived of my eftate, which remitted me from 1700/. to 2000/. per ann. but of all my offices, which yielded me 2500/. more, and that a penfion, which pays 440/. per ann. would be here deemed an ade- quate compenfation, not only for them, but for all my fer vices alfo, I confefs I fliould have been lefs ambitious of difplaying my difin- tereflednefs in the eyes of my countrymen. Since my removal from office I have had no opportunity of bringing forward any of the remaining parts of my plan refpedling Ireland, nor have I had any epiflolary intercourfe with the chief governors of that kingdom, except upon the fubjecfl of the American correfpon- derice ; I:;j • i^i [ 123 ] // .if. '-,, Without going back farther than our me- mory will feryeus, we fliall find fuch diyerfity in the charadersof our feveral chief governors, ^nd variety in the meafures of their adminiftra- tions, as ftrongly to incline us to fuppofe that they would not W/ have failed as they did in giving content to the people, -were it in the power of tf^ chief governor to give it. We execrate the fubtle Lord Carteret for aiming to deprive us of the advantages of biennial {q^' (ions of Parliament; and vv^e:are not better pleafed with the undefigningLqrd Tpwnfhend, who has fecured and improved that privilege by an odlennial election j we accufe Lord Chef- terfield of fapping the foundation of the Irifli intereft in Parliament J and we cenfure tord Harrington for putting himfelf into the hands of the Ariflocracy, and confenting to their vio- lent and arbitrary attempts upon the freedom of our eledions* The Duke of Dorfet is never to be forgiven for opening a new channel of cir- culation for the King's favours, and it feems to ' ' DO [ HO. ] ht the great grievance of the prcfent hour*, that the hands through which they then pafTed are no longer employed in diflributing them. The Duke of Devonfhire is blamed for efFedling an union of the contending parties ; and that he governed by a fadion, is one of the crimes of the Duke of Bedford ; and whilft the unaccom- fftodating pride of the latter nobleman is recol- kded with difguft, the facility and politenefs of Lord Halifax is branded with the epithets of falfhood and infincerity. In fliort, fplendour and magnificence is ufelefs profufion in Lord Northumberland, "and an attention to domeftic tBConomy miferable parfimony in Lord Hert- ford, A large redundance of public treafuro had well nigh undone the 'kingdom in 1753, and an increafe of its dorp' ^ic expenccs have brought it to the verge of banr.ruptcy in 1772. It is neddlefs for me to multiply uillances of bur difcontcnt, or to expofe the contrariety of theCaufes we affign for them, efpecially as it is not my purpofe either to vindicate the cha- i-a^lers or conduct of our Viceroys, or to revive the public clamour againfl them; all I mean to fhcw is, that the people have been uneafy undef ^ I • This paper was written in the year 17^3* all y [ '5' ] all adminlflrations, and that, judging of the fu- ture by the paft, there is no likelihood of their being content with any chief Governor, until the conftitution of Ireland receives fome im- provement. This is a point of which I wldj my countrymen to be fully convinced j for fo long as they entertain a hope of feeing an admi-' niftration to their mind, they will be apt to join in the cry raifed by the fa£tious againft €very chief Governor, vainly flattering them- felves, by his removal, to make way for their favourite j and thus, inftead of bending their force to remove the caufe, they will continue to be, as they have been, the dupes of defigning and artful leaders, exclaiming aga,inft its necef- fary effedls, without any public principle for the bafis of their opinion, or any conflitutionai rule for the diredion of their condu To have the clearer view of this very im-^ portant fubjed, it will be neceflary to go back to the origin of the connexion between Eng^ land and Ireland, and to inquire into the mo-? tives which induced it, and the principles upon which it was founded, - . . • From the imperfedl accounts we have of the ftate of Ireland antecedent to the arrival of Henry the Second, compared with what we know to have been the ftate of England at the fame period, it is eafy to prove that the intro- dudion of the laws and cufloms of England ;^ . i into - —"^wiati**"*** -^■-■■■=Tr. ill ' !:.i^':i [ '53 1 into Ireland by that monarch was a confidcra- ble boon to the people of Ireland. The tenure by which the inhabitants hold their lands is in all countries a fair tcft of the freedom or defpo- tifm of the government, for where-ever the people have a right to be confulted upon ads of ftate, they never fail to ufe that right to fecure to themfelves a fixed property in their lands, which, next to the liberty of their perfons, is deemed the moft important confideration; and indeed there is good reafon it fliould be fo con- (idered, for perfonal freedom in a country where there is no certain property, is no other* ways beneficial than as it enables the inhabit tants to remove out of it, and feek their for- tunes under a better conftitution of govern- mentt . Nothing could be more v.'retched than the ancient condition of the people of Ireland ap- pears to have been in refpedt to property in their lands j poiTefTion was the only rule of right among the inhabitants j and as by the cuftom of taneftry, the captain, or head of each fept, was elective, it is eafy to fuppofe, that upon the fucceflion of every new captain, room was to be made for the accommodation of his friends, by the removal of thofe his predecciTor or ■ - confidera- ;'he tenure lands is in 1 or defpo- •e-ever the ipon ads of it to fecure their lands, perfons, is irationj and i be fo con a country is no other- the inhabi- k their for- of govern- ed than the Ireland ap- )roperty in ily rule of as by the lead of each ippofe, that Lptain, room lation of his predeccfTor or or opponent ; and as the fame cuftom prevailed in the fuccefTion of their princes or kings, the continual wars, rapines, murders, and defola- tion which we are told of, appear to be no more than the neceflary efFeds of the barbarifm of theconflitution ; what a blefTing then was the introduction of feudal tenures to this people ! and therefore it is not furprifing that the great men of the ifland fo univerfally and immediate- ly embraced the offers of Henry, and, relin- quifhing their former titles, confented to hold their principalities and domains of him as their feudal Lord; for by fo doing they acquired for their children a right of inheritance, and conti- nued their own pofTeflions in their families; nor were their tenants lefs benefited by the change, as they were of courfe to hold their farms of their lords upon the like conditions; and of this they were made more fecure, as well as in their perfonal eftates and liberties, by the abolition oftheBrehon law, and the introdudion of the laws and cuftoms of England in its room. Few of the laws of England, more than thofe of Ire- land, were at this time written; but as in Eng- land all criminal, and the greateft part of civil, caufcs v/ere tried by juries of the vicinity, a per- petual memory of what was law was kept up • among ^H I' ■H ' - liH ' 11 ^ ^^^^x' ^^ 8^5 IH ' ■H ^^Hfl JjIBiP n 1| i il fl H ■ 1 11 f ' f J ! 1 ■ ||- i ||L||| |! [ '55 ] among the people, and the rule which govern* cd in a former cafe became a diredion in al! fuccecding ones ; and as all decrees and fen- tences were recorded in the county or manor rolls, a fixed and regular fyftem of jurifpru- dence in courfe of time took efFed in each county and manor j in fome inftances, indeed, different from that which prevailed in others, but in nothing of great importance, as the fu- perior courts which attended the king, and the itinerant judges had the controul over all the inferior courts, and we may fuppofe took care to cflablifli, as near as could be, an unifor- mity of proceeding among them. The Brehon law was on the contrary the mofl defpotic and arbitrary that can be imagined j every captain orchief of a fept appointed a brehon or judge to decide all caufes, criminal and civil, among the people of his tribe. Caufes between the peo- ple and the chief were feldom brought, or if they were, it is not difHcult to gucfs in whofe favour they were decided; but the lord was not content to benefit by the dicifions of the bre- hon in his own caufes only, he was equally careful that fome profit fhould accrue to him out of the fuits of his tenants. Hence all rapes, felonies, murders, and other crimes, were made - commutable ich govern* dlion in all es and fen- y or manor of jurifpru- sd in each Lccs, indeed, d in others, e, as the fu- :ing> and the over all the 3fe took care , an unifor- [TheBrehon defpotic and very captain on or judge :ivil, among een the peo- ought, or if :fs in whofe ord was not s of the bre- as equally rue to him ce all rapes, , were made ;om mutable I '56 ] commutable for money, and punifhed only by I "fines to the lord, and fbme compenfation to the party injured. As the brehon held his office at the . od pleafure of the captain, and as every fucceeding captain appointed his own brehon, there is no room to doubt that the interefls of the party in pofTeiTion were leaned to by the brehon, and indeed that his dccifions were made the means of recompcnfing the fervices of the friends of the prefent chief at the expenfe of thofe of his predeceflbrs. Hafty and unjuft, therefore, are the cenfures of thofe zealous champions of what they think the privileges of Ireland, upon the want of fenfe and fpirit in the natives to defend their own laws and pofTcffions, and in meanly fubmitting both to the will of Henry, confenting to hold their lands of the crown of England, and to be go- verned by the Englifh laws ; for in fad they adlcd in this refped with more wifdom than we find any other people ever did in the like cir- cumftances. They changed a mode of govern- ment and laws replete with tyranny and oppref- fion, and produdive of every enormity, for a conflitution framed upon principles of equal right, and for laws which gave them fecurity in their perfons, and property in their pofTelTions ; . .^ but »-*tr-9-^B*TW;:f i ' I I ... I I [ «S7 ] but this Was not all, for inftead of fubmittln^, as it is weakly and falfely allcdged, to the con- dition of a people conquered by an invader, they ftipuldted for a common right with their invaders, not only to all the privileges t/iej ihould enjoy in Ireland, but to a community of rights and privileges with them in their own country, England. Where, let me afk thefe tra- ducers of our anceftors, (hall we find in modern hiftory a conquered people admitted to a com- munity of rights and privileges with their con- querors? or, which of the many nations over- come by the Romans ftipulated with that proud people, in the zenith of their power, for all the privileges of Roman citizens? Yet this the peo- ple of Ireland did, with that great and mighty monarch Henry the Second of England ; they became incorporated with the Englifh, and were made one people with them, by an union, the mofl entire and perfed that can be con- ceived. Their king was the fame, they held their lands by the fame tenure, their laws were not fimilar, but the fame; their leglflator was the fame, their religion was the famCj how happy would it have been for the people of both iflands, but efpecially for thofc of Ireland, had this union proved as lading as it was com- plete! What horrid fcenes of wretchednefs and mifery ubmittlng, to the con- n invader, : with their vileges they mmunity of their own {k thefe tra- d in modern ;d to a com- th their con- rations over- th that proud er, for all the this the peo- t and mighty ngland -, they JEnghlh, and by an union, can be con- e, they held| eir laws were I |legiflator was I famej how he people of fe of Ireland, ,s it was com- Itchednefs andl mifery [ 158 ] mifery would it have prevented ! Rebellions ! maflacres, and devaftations, would not have then fillrd every page of our fhocking hiftory, nor would the poverty of the bulk of our people have been, as it now is, our reproach among civilized nations; but on the contrary, participating with our brethren in England in every benefit of commerce, profiting by their wealth and fkill in manufactures for the per- fedling our own, deriving equal advantages with them from the incrcafe of the colonies, and beneficial treaties with foreign Hates 5 peace and plenty muft have taken place of poverty and defolation, and the happinefs and profpcrity of Ireland would have been the envy of all nations. But providence, which fre- quently ufes the wickednefs of one man as the inftrument to punifh the crimes of others, by permitting that monflcr of bigotry and de- ceit, Louis the Vllth of France, to call Henry into Normandy before he had feen his new conftitution take efFed, left the miferable na-. tives to fufFer by their new rulers, and each other, for their former enormities. When a new mode of government and new [laws were to be introduced, it was highly re- quifite ; i [ '59 ] quidte to appoint magiflrates, well ilcilled in both, to adminifter them to the people; but this Henry had not time to do, and therefore it fell of courfe to the brehons to pronounce judgment by laws which they were wholly unacquainted with, and to eftablifli cuftoms which they had never heard of. No provifion fcems to have been made for the tanifl, or eleded fuccefTor to the chief of each fept, and as each captain or head was now become a ba- ron, and his barony defcendable to his fon, the tanift was barred of his fucccflion, and without any compenfation. It is unnecefTary to look for other fources of mifchief ; thefe two were more than fufEcicnt to deprive the people of Ireland of all the advantages the new confti- tution held out to them, and even to render it more odious in their eyes than their own ; for as the tanifl would naturally claim the fuccef- lion by the old law, and the heir of his prcde- cefTor would endeavour to retain it under the fancSlion of the new tenure, and Henry the lord of the fief being abfent, a civil war in every fccpt was the necefiary confequence of the death of the Chief. The tyranny and opprcf- iion of the Chief, which the people hoped to have feen retrained by the Englifh laws, wcr^, ' ' .' on flcilled in >plci but lercfore it jronounce re wholly h cuftoms provifion tanift, or fept, and ome a ba- is fon, the d without y to look two were people of ew confti- render it own J for :he fuccef- his prcde- under the lenry the ir in every Ice of the id opprcf- hoped to Lws, wcr^, on [ i6o ] on the contrary, incrcafccl under pretence of them J for it was cafy for him to diredl his bre- hon to give a colour to the moft iniquitous do- cifion, by declaring it to be according to the Englifli lav/s j and it was in his own power to feize upon the pofTeiTions of any of his fept un- der pretence of their being forfeited to him by thefe unknown laws. Indeed when John be- came Lord of Ireland, we find him endeavour- ing to remedy thcfc evils by renewing the char- ter of Henry, and carrying over from England a number of learned judges, and appointing them to difpenfe the Engliih laws to the peo- ple J his own troubles, however, foon took off his attention to the affairs of Ireland j and it was the misfortune of this country, that thofc to whom its government was committed, in thefe early times, infteid of labouring to draw the band of union ftill clofer between England and Ireland, took every polTible mcafure for fe- parating the native Irifh from the Englifh, and their defcendants who were fettled here. It was their villainous policy to excite quarrels among the Irifh Chiefs, and then declare them rebels, and to feize upon their countries as for- feited by their treafon ; and finding the Bre- hpn lavv's more convenient to their purpofes of tyranny tyranny and opprcfTiou, they deniv^d tlieir wretched tenants thebcncfit of the laws of Eng- land, and forced them to refbrt to their brehoii.' In public and notorious violation of the great charter of Henry, confirmed by John, they fet up a pale as a boundary between the poiTef^ lions of the Englifli and Irilh inhabitants, and confined the jurifdlcllon of the Englllh laws within the limits of that pale ; nay, what was ftill more unjufl, they denied the benefit of thofe laws to fuch of the defcendants of the native Iriih as dwelt within the pale. It is with pain I relate thefe iniquities of my country- men ; for it ^vas our anceftors who praclifed them on each other. The defcendants of the Laceys, the Fitzgerald?, the Cavanaghs, the Courcys, and many more v*ho may find them- felves injuredbythc recital of the injuflice done to thofe they take to have been their anceflors, by thofe they call Englifli, ought to change the fubjecl of their complaint, and lament that their anceflors were capable of fuch cruelty and injuflice to thdr countrymen ; neither the government orpeoplc of England were indru- mental in this wrong, any fartlier tlian by neglecling to take proper meafures forprevent- ing it; and the unfettled ftate of tliofe tinv;^^, L the Led tliclr ■s ofRng- rbreh(3ii.' the great »hn, tliey he pofTef- :ants, and ^I'llh laws what was benefit of Its of the It is with country- praclifed Its of the laghs, the nd theni- ice done nceftors, change ncnt that cruelty lithcr the [e inCtru- Ithan by Iprevcnt- fe tin'.:"^, the [ 1C2 ] the conthiual difputes about the fucceflion,and the Wars on account of the territories in France^ furnifli excufes for that ncglcd. Equally ma- licious and abfurd arc tlic endeavours of thofe who by an exaggerated account of thefe trani^ adlions labour ta excite In the prefent inhabi- tants of Ireland refentnicnt and ill will againfl their fellow fubjeds in I'.ngland, as if it were the anceftors of the prcfcnt Englifh who in- flided thefe hardfliips upon the anceftors of the prefent Irifli. No, my countymen, let us not be deceived by fuch incendiaries ; they were equally our own anceftors who perpetrated the cruelties with thole who fuftered them. Even fuch, w^hofc names denote them to be of the native ftock which ftrft peopled this ifland, ought to be cautious !u>w they Indulge their feelings againft the cruel invaders, for their names are no fecurlty tli.it their anceftors were not among the opprelfors, as it became a prac- tice with many of the deiccndants of the Eng- lifli, as Spenfer inform^-i us, to change their names, or alter them to Irilh, in order to give abetter colour to their rcfuiing the benefits of the Englifli laws to tlu -r tenants, and obliging them to fubmlt to thoV called the Brehon ; neither have we better c: rounds to look npon I li IS« iii !! 'I i ! [ '63 ] all thofe whofe names are not of Irifh origin, as defcendants of the invaders, for we find an acfl of the Irifh Parliament, held at Trim by the Earl of Defmond in the year 1465, the 5th of Edward the IVth, requiring " every Irifhman ** that dwelt in the counties of Meath, Unil, .** and Kildare, to take to him an Englifli fur- " name of one town, as Sutton, Chefter, " Trim, Skryne, Cork, Kinfale ; or colour, as " White, Black, Brown ; or art or fcience, as " Smith or Carpenter ; or office, as Cook, " Butler." And here it is proper I fliould take notice, that the chief of the hardihips infliclcd on the native Irilh, and thofe which we are the mofl fhocked at, were the necefTary confequences of the revival of the brehon law; for by that law all crimes, as T have before obferved, were com- mutable for money ; and therefore, when we find a price fct upon the head of a native Irirti- man, and his murderer was acquit'ied upon the payment of that fum, we ought not to coniider it as a fingle a(fl of tyranny or cruelty, but im- pute it to its fource, the rcfufal of the bcntfit of theEngliili laws, and the revival of that of the brehon: and it is fomcwhat extraordinary that the violent partizaus of what they call the liber- L 2 ties h origin, as fiad an a(fl rim by the the 5th of y Irifhman ;ath, Unil, nglifli fur- ., Chefter, r colour, as fcience, as as Cook, |ake notice, cd on the c the mofl iicnces of y that law were com- when we Itive Irifli- upon the |o confider ^, but im- Ibcntfit of Ihat of the inary that I the liber- ties [ '64 ] . • ties of Ireland, who declaim fo loudly upon thcfe barbarous doings, in the fame breath impeach the authority, of the Englifli laws in Ireland, which alone made them criminal, and thereby, render thefe very proceedings legal, if not jufti- fiable. That the government in England was far from countenancing thefe proceedings of the. adminiflration in Ireland is evident from the adl or letters patent of the i jt^i of Edward the . Firft, dated at Nottingham in the year 1288,^ two and twenty years before the date of the firfl ad pafled by an Iriih Parliament, as printed in . the colledlion of the Irifh ftatutes. The pream- ble to, this a6l declares it to be, for the omeud^ ment of tJje government of our realm of Ireland^ and for the peace and tranquillity of our people of the fame land; and, indeed, the enabling claufes.. very w:ell correfpond with the intention ex- preiled in the preamble, for they prohibit the - juftice and all other officers of the crown froni .. purchafing lands within their refpcdlive baili- . wicks without fpecial licenfe from the King. It commands that they fhould not take vicluals,., . or any other tiling, of perfons againft their, will ; that they fhould not arreft.fhips or goods , of ftrangers or fubjecls ; but, that^ trade Jhould: ' he free and unref rained betzveen England^ JValeSy md Ireland, And to corrcd this abufe of par- doning i i 5 ii m i I J in 11 :i t '65 ] donlng or commuting for murder, the King re- ferved to himfelf the power of pardoning in all fuch cafes, and reftrains his juflice or chancellor from exerciiing that prerogative in future. I am not writing the hiftory of Ireland, al- though it is highly fit it ihould be done by fome one * ; for there * is no civilized people upon earth who know fo little of their own 1: '.Lory or affairs as' we of Ireland do of ours;, but I con- ceive it to be of good fervice to the public to remove the prejudices which ignorance of the truth has laid us open to, and which prevail among us even to this day, in a degree ex- tremely injurious to the welfare of our country, and highly difgraceful to us as an enlightened people ; for not content with the fingle abfur- dity of fuppofing that no intermixure has hap- pened among the inhabitants of fo fmall an ifland in fix centuries, a new mark of diflinc- tion has been borrowed from religion to fupply that of defcent, which might otherwife have been worn out in fo many ages ; and although the reformation did not take place in England * This was written before Dr. Lcland's Hiftory was publifhed. I am forry its publicutioii has not givcil me occafion to alter what I had written. for Jieking re- oning in all r chancellor L future. Ireland, al- 3ne by fome people upon ml \ Lory or I but I con- tie public to ranee of the hich prevail a degree ex- Dur country, enlightened ngle abfur- ire has hap- fo fmall an of diftinc- n to fupply rwife have d although |in England Hifiory was Inot given me for [ J66 ] for 350 years after Henry's invafion of Ireland, yet the Proteflar ts of Ireland arc weak enough to fligmatize the whole body of the Roman Catholics as defcendants of the ancient Irifh, and as fuch are unwilling to allow them a community of rights and privileges with them- felves; but that the ancient inhabitants of this ifland were equally entitled to all the laws, rights, and privileges of Englifhmen with the Englilb adventurers, has been, I perfuade my- felf, fufliciently proved ; and although the charters of Henr}^ the Second, and of his fon John, granting thofe laws, rights, and privi- leges to the people of Ireland, had not the ex- prefs confent or. concurrence of the Englifh Barons or Parliament, yet I am bold to af^rm that fuch confent or concurrence was not ne- ceflary, and the Englifh ftatutes themfelves afford abundant proofs that the Parliament of England acquiefced in thefe acls of their kings, and confidered the people of Ireland for 300 years aftervrards as Englifhmen, and entitled to a communitv with themfelves ia all their laws, rights and privileges. It is diflicult to avoid carrying with us our ideas of tilings as thy appear at prefent into the iurl I f ! 1- K •« i 1 I i t 167 ] difcufion of the practice that prevailed in. an- cient times ; and as we now fee Parliament the fburce of legiflation, and vefted with high, perhaps bonndlefs,jurifdiclion, we are apt to conceive that fuch has always been the cafe, in fome degree at lead. Laws too are now ge- nerally made to redrain the people, and give power to the officers of the Crown; .and Par- liament, inflead of petitioning. theKing for pri- vileges, is continually authorifing the Crown to abridge the people's liberties in fome inflance or other ; but the truth is, the King and the Parliament have changed places in latter times, and the fundamental maxims of Government are entirely reverfed. The doctrine in former ages was, that all power v/as in the King ; the dodlrine now is, that all power is derived from the people. Every liegeman was then in the power of the Prince, and fubjecfl to his v/ill, except where he could fliew a grant or charter of the Crown in his behalf. Now the King has no power over any man unlefs there be fome law to give it to him. Inftead of being affembled to fignify their acceptance of the grace of the Crown in the grant of a charter or law, Parlia- ment now meets of v\^\\t^ propounds and enacts laws, and prefents them to the Crown for af- fent; ailed in. an- rl'iament the with high, re are apt to sen the cafe, I are now ge- le, and give ^n; .and Par- King for pri- the Crown to bine inftaace ^Cing and the n latter times, Government ine in former he King; the derived from s then in the 51 to his v/ill, .nt or charter the King has here be fomc .ngaflembled n grace of the |r law, Parliii- h and enacls Crown for af- fent J [ i68 ] , fent ; and woe be to the advifers of the Prince if tliat affent be with-held. 1 .* - The expreflions legljlatlve jnrlfdt&ion of Par- liament^ which are applicable to the prefent flate of things, have no meaning when applied to former times. Parliarnent was then nothing more than an afTembly of fuch of thofe who held lands in capite of the Crown, as the King thought fit to call together by his writ, in order to accept^ on the part of the whole people, fuch laws or charters as the King might be pleafed to grants and in return, to (ignify the people's confent to the King's levying, for his own ufe, a certain fum of money; how then was Henry obliged to have the confent of the Englifli Par- liament to his granting to the people of Ire- land all the laws which himfelf or his prede- cefTors had granted to the people of England ? Neither could he be re drained by any law or rule then in being, from calling, by his writ, certain of his Irifh tenants in capite to the alTcmbly of his tenants, or Parliament, in Eng- land, and receiving their acceptance of his laws in common with his Englifh tenants, and their cotifent to the fame fubfidies alfo; but whether the King thought fit to call any of his Iriih te- nants ^^911 ^ ^^^SaBm 1 ^ HhI ^^^H ^^H Hill Iffin 1 ■PIM 1^ H ^^^H H ' ^^H ID ^^H ^^^H H -'i ^1 i liUI ^^■f H i ' 1 1 '^ ^Rl 1 Inlll AlfiBSfl pfll ti 1 i 1 i: f : i' .■ 1 1 : i jl * 1^^ ' Ml 1 i •f'l i* 1 i : \ ^ i , 1 ! i b j ■ . it Jilt 1 Hi^iji 1 liiiiift ■1 ■■B ''- > ; [169 ] Hants to thefc afTemblies or not, the people of Ireland were equally entitled with the people of England to the benefit of the laws accepted by fuch aflemblies; or as the modern mofl im- proper phrafe is, were equally bound by them ; for the King was in no cafe obliged to fummon qll his tenants to fuch alTemblies ; and as the dates and people of Ireland .had adopted the laws and government of England, they were thenceforward included in all the tranfacflions of thofe aflemblies ; for it was the law of Eng- land that thofe afTemblies fhould confent for the whole people, and we find the fa(5l correfponds with this doiflrine ; for it appears manifeft from the Engl ifh flatutes (which are always the beft and fureft guides to the national opinions) down to the i ft of Henry the Fifth, the year 1413, that thisifland was deemed a part of England, and its inhabitants in all refpe(fls Englifhmen^ / In all theadls for regulating trade, England, Ireland, and Wales are coupled together, and the liberties and prohibitions extended to all alike. By the ftatute of the i ith of Edward the Hid. neither man or woman in England, Ireland, or Wales, wcx'-e to wear cloth, but of the manufaclure of England, Ireland or Wales, and people of :he people \;s accepted L moft im- ' by them; 3 fummon and as the dopted the they were ranfadions aw of Eng- rj/erit for the iorrefponds rs manifeft ; always the al opinions) th, the year a part of ill refpeds le, England, Igether, and :nded to all I of Edward England, Both, but of ^d or Wales, and [ 170 ] and of fuch parts of Scotland as were then in the King's power ; no foreign cloths might be brought into any of thofe countries ; none under a certain degree might wear furs; all foreign cloth workers might come into any of thofe lands with fafety, and have franchifes granted them. By the 8th of Edward the Illd. wines of Gafcoigny imported into England, Ireland, or Wales, are diredled to be guaged. All people of England,Ireland, and Wales, that are not artificers, may pafs into Gafcoigny in virtue of the 43d of Edward the Hid. and pur- chafe wines, provided they import them into England, Ireland, or Wales. The ftaple of wool, leather, fells, and lead, by the 27th of Edward' the IIIJ. is appointed for England at Newcaflle and nine other tov.ms ; at Carmar- then for \Vales ; and at Dublin, Waterford, Cork, and Drogheda, for Ireland; and all the wool, leather, fells, and lead to be exported out of any of thofe countries, are directed to be firfb carried to a flaple town in the refpeclive counrries, and there fold to foreign merchants for gold or filvcr,but not for foreign merchan- dife. Merchants of Ireland or Wales, by the 17th of Edward the Hid. are allowed to bring their mcrchandife to the ftaples in England, and Jell I il I li I «7' ] fell them there without paying any but the Irifh or Welfh cufloms; becaufc, fays the fla- tute, " Foreigners do not fo generally go to pur- " chafe at the Irifh and Wellh ftaples as they ^* do to thofe of England." The 34th of Ed- ward the Hid. accords that all the merchants, as well aliens as denizens, may come into Ireland with their merchandifes, and from thence freely to return with their merchandifes and vidluals, without fine or ranfom to be taken of them, faring always to the King his ancient cuftoms an(' ther duties. By the next chapter of the fame ad, it is ena(fled, " That " the people of England, as well religious as " other, which have their heritage and poffef- " fions in Ireland, may bring their corn, beads, " and victuals^ to the faid land of Ireland, and " thence to re-carry their goods and merchan- •" difes into England freely^ without impeach^ *' wz^;//, /.^.hindrance, paying their cufloms and ♦* devoirs to the King." By the 43d of the fame Edward, the wool flaple at Calais is taken away, but the former adls, appointing flaples in Eng- land, Ireland, and Wales, are confirmed. The adl of the 9th of Richard the lid. which is the firfl effay of the Englilh Parliament to- ■ • ■ • ■ ■ wards but the s the {la- 50 to pur- is as they th of Ed- lerchants, ome into and from rchandifes Lfom to be LC King his 3y the next ed, « That eligious as and pofTcf- ;orn, beads, eland, and merchan- .t impeach' j luftoms and of the fame :aken away, ,les inEng- .firmed. lid. which lliament to- wards t 172 '] , ^ wards a navigation adl, prohibits the King's fubje(5ls from carrying forth or bringing many xnerchandifes, but only in fhips of the Kings dUcgiance, Neither Ireland or Wales are men- tioned in any of the enadling claufes or chap- ters of tlie 14th of that King, but from the preamble it is evident that the regulations then made were to take place in thofe countries, as well as in England ; the words of the preamble are> " for die relief and increafe of the com- *' nion profit of the realm of England, and of the lands of Wales and Ireland^ which have been in divers manners greatly hindered in times paft, our Lord the King," &c. From henceforward we find no mention of Ireland in any ftatute until we come to the 8th chapter of Henry the Vth, fo that from the a(fbs I have quoted it is mod evident that during this long period of near tlirce centuries, and intliecourie of many reigns, England and Ireland were deemed by the King and Parliament and people of England to be incorporated, and the inhabi- fcuits of the two iflands to be one people, and equally entitled to the fame immunities, and fubjecl to die fame reflraints. Nor are diere the fmallefb grounds to fuppofe that there was any exccpdon of the dcfccndants of the native Iriih «c (Et (b j I :'i^ '*« J \< m I •»;■ ' ; \ [ 173 I Irifli from this community, and that only the Englifh adventurers and their defcendants were included in it ; for, on the contrary, all the terms which might lead to fuch ideas of dif- tindlion are carefully avoided, as the flatutes never fpeak of Irijhmen^ but people of IreL) id^ which certainly includes the whole inhabitants. How wicked and ill-founded then, my country- men, ^re thofe cruel afperfions upon the Engr^ lifh government, which our hot-headed and ignorant zealots have thrown out, as if it was they who out-lawed the natives, and excluded them from the common rights of fubjedls, and even of men? And how ought we todeteftfuch bafe incendiaries, for endeavouring to create in us a j^ealoufy and animofity againft our Englifli brethren, and to make the Englifh government odious to us by fuch notorious falfhoods and atrocious calumnies? You cannot pofUblyrefufe to give credit to the evidence I have laid before you, and if you do not, it will be equally im- poflible for you to refufe your afTent to this con- fequence which is fo clearly deducible from it; namely, that during the whole period I have run over, it appears to have been the uniform purpofc of the laws and government of Eng- land to abolifh all dilUndions among the iii- - habitants nly t!ie Its were all the ofcUf. ftatutes ' Irelirid^ ibitaiits. :ouncry- the Engr^- Lcled and if it was excluded ledls, and teft fuch create in Englifli ^ernment )ods and Dlyrefufe lid before lally im- I this con- ifrpmit; td I have I uniform of Eng- Ig the iu- labitants r '74 ] habitants of Ireland, and to confider all as en- joying the rights and privileges of Englifhmcn. Who then, you will afk, if not the Englifh go- vernment, created and foflered thofe cruel and imjuft diflincfkions betv/een one part of the in- habitants and the other? I anfwer freely, Irilh- men; perhaps the defcendants of Englifhmen, Welfhmen, Scotchmen, or Danes, but more efpecially our Irifh rulers. Upon thofe, and upon thofe only, is to be charged all the mifery, wretchednefs, and deflruclions that have befal- len us. Before we had a Parliament, we fee by the adl of the i jth of Edward the Firfl that the condudl of our great men in power did not eA cape the notice of the Englifli government, and that a wife and efFeclual nieafure was taken to put a flop to their opprefTions upon our trade and exadllons of ofHce, as well as to deprive them of the power of makin*^ diflinclions in cales of murder and felonies between one part of the people and the other, and pardoning or punifhing according to that wicked rule they had made of allovving the Englifh laws to the defcendants of Englifli only, and allowing the defcendants of the native Irifli no other than the brehon law. But when a Parliament was once held in Ireland, the Englifli government . '. . com- ' M' n I', [ '75 1 committed the care of the inhabitants to it, and from thenceforth the Englifli Parliament did not once interfere with its domeflic government or intermeddle in its affairs. How well thelrifli Parliament and thofe in power here purfuedthe beneficent and wife purpofes of the Englifh government, may eafily be colledled from the terms they made ufe of to diflinguifh the de- fcendants of the native Irifli from thofc they fuppofed to be defcendants of the Englifli ad- venturers, 170 years after the incorporation of the two nations by Henry the Second, denomi- nating the one Iri/b euefnles^ and the others Englijbmeru Of this, and of the cruel, violent, ar.i illegal methods of proceeding with thofe unhappy men, whom they were pleafed to con- found under the general name of Irijlj enemiesy die acts of the Irifh Parliament in the 25'th of Henry the VIch, chapter the 2d and T^d^ which I have - copied in die margin, * are fhocking proofs. There • The 25th Henry the Vlth. chap. 4th ena£l3 ** that he tliat will be tukcn for an Englilhman (lull not ufe a heard upon his upper lip alone. The offender flull be taken as an Irilli enemy. " For that now there is no diverfity in any betwixt the Englifli marchours and the Irifli enemies, and fo by colour of it, and mt did -nment lielrifli Aiedthe Englifti rom the the de- 3fc they rlifli ad- ■ation of denomi- fe others iolent, h thofe to coii- enemksy 25th of , which hocking There [is "that Inot ufc a Ir flull be Itwlxt the Iby colour of [ "176 I . ;' There is good ground to believe, from the" rtyle and tenor of the Irifh acts of thefe times, . f that of the Englifh marchours the Irilti encinies do come from" day to day to other into the Englifli counties as Englifli marchours, and do rob and kil! by the highways, and deftroy the common people by lodging upon them in the nights, arid alfo do kill the hufbaiuls in the nights, and do take their goods to ther Iriflimen ; wherefore it' IS "ordained and agreed that no manner of man that will he taken for an Engliflmian fhall have no beard above his mouth} that is to fay, that he have no hairs upon his ' upper lip, fo that tlie faid lip be once at lead ihavcn every fortnight, or of equal growth with the nether lip. And if any man be found aniongfl: the Englilh contrary hereunto, that then it fliall be , lawful to every man to take them and their goods as Irllh enemies, and to ran- fom them as I/ifli enemies." C HA P. V. ** Alfo for tliat divers Irllh enemies be many tirnc*^ received by lieutenants and juftices of this land to be- come ligemcn, and thereto are fworn to be loyal lieges during their lives ; and after many times they do not perimplifli the fame, but do rob, burn, and deftroy the king's liege people ; and the fame liege people, for fear to be impeached, dare not kill nor imprlfon the faid ene- mies, nor take their goods iior chattels, whereby the faid liege people cio take great hurt and hindrance ; it is ordain- ed and eftabliilied, that if any fuch IrlHi enemies, fo receiv- ed to the legiancc of our fovereign lord, be found with any fuch ofFence aforcfald, that it fhall be lawful to every liege ' man that may meet with them to do with the faid Irlfiimen, fo received to the legimcc afore- -I !t 'f [ V77 ] that they were pafled by the deputy or lieute- nant, without having been tranfmltted to Eng- land, or approved by the King ; for it is not to be fuppofedthat theEnglifli government would have Confented to adls Co diredlly contrary to the laws of England, or have fufFcred it to be declared by ftatute, as is done in that of 35th of Henry tlie Vlth. chapter 3d. ibai there were fufidry pcrfons in Ireland who were ?iot amenable to the common law ; and indeed we find it is ex- prefsly declared in the preamble of the nth of Elizabeth for confirming Poynings' a£l, that when liberty was given to the governors under her Majefly's progenitors to call Parliaments at their pleafure, a<5ls pafled as well to the diJho7iour cfthe prince as the hindrance of their fubje&s. It was the ahiife then of this liberty of making laws by the Irifli Parliament and chief gover- nors that called for that now obnoxious and be- afofcfaid, and to their goods and chattels, as to a man that never was become liege, without any impeachment of the law, notwithftanding any flatute." The 5th of Edward the IVth. chap. 2d. " An z€(. Aat it (hall be lawful to kill any that is found robbing by day or night, or going or coming to rob or (leal, having no faithful man of good name or fame in th'-ir company in Englifh apparel." M wHilec or lietite- ;d toEng- t is not to ent would )ntrary to id it to be at of 35th there were ot amenobk hd it is ex- :lle I ith of (' aa, that nors under liaments at he d'ljhononr fubje5is. It of making lef gover- ous and be- as to a man impeachment « An z€i pd robbing by fteal, having |h'-ir company wiiilec [ 178 1 wailed acl of the loth of Henry the 7th, com- monly called Poynings' a(5\, which obliges the lieutenant;'* or deputy, and privy council of Ireland, to reprefent to the King the neceflity or expediency of holding a feflion of Parlia- ment ; and if we difpaflionately examine the feveral a6ls which I have quoted as pafled by Irifh Parliaments, antecedent to this king's reign, and compare them with thofe which followed this re{lri(fl:ion, I am confident it will appear that this rejlraint was necejfary for the common good of the people of Ireland^ and that it has been produBlve of beneficial coufequences to them. Indeed the feveral laws enadlcd in this reign fliew an attention to the quiet and good government of Ireland, which is not difcoverable in the Irifli ftatutes of any preceding reign. The act that no citizen receive livery or wages of any hrd or gentleman^ was certainly highly necefHiry for the peace and profperity of the city of Dublin, and the otlier cities and towns, if what we are told in the preamble be true, " that it was ufual for the " citizens to be retained by certain lords and " gentlemen, contrary to their own laws and " cufloms ; whereas they (hould take part with " no man b it only the part of their fovereign "lord, [ J79 1 •* lord, and his lieutenant for the time being, " and to fee their faid cities and towns furely " kept under due order and obcyance, the " which retainders, partaking, and divifion " have been a great caufe of all the trouble " within the faid land." 5 ii The a(fls " that no per/on take any money or " amends for the death or murder of his friend or " kinfman^ other than the kings laws will; that " no perfon Ji'ir any Ir'i/Jjry to make war ; that " no peace in war be made with any man with- " out licence of the governor ; that for extirpa- " tion of a new manner of coin and livery ; for " aboUfjing the words Crainabo and Buttcrabo^ " and / * .' whereby murder of malice propenfe " // maJi treafon;^ ail fpeak fufficiently for themfelves; but there is fomething fo cxpref- five of the defire of government to reftrain the violences of the great men, to protedl the lower clafs, and do equal juftice to all in the lad mentioned a(5l, that I cannot help reciting it. " Forafmuch as there hath been univerfal mur~ " der by malice propenfe, ufcd and had in this ** land by divers perfons contrary to the laws of " Almighty God and the King, without any *'*' fear or due punifhment had in that behalf be it " enaded, *■••'•• Ma ) 1 le being, ns furely ince, the divifion e trouble ^ money or ^friend or mil; that '}ar ; that ma7i 'With-' pr extlrpa- very ; fir Biittcrabo^ c propenfe ently for fo cxpref- rain the he lower the laft jciting It. rfal mur- A in this e laws of bout any ■If, be it enaded, [ .'8° ] ** enadled, &:c. that if any perlbn or perfons ♦* of whatfoevcr ejlate^ degree^ or condition^ he ** 6r they be of^ of malice propenfe do flee or *' murder, or of the faid malice provoke, flir, ** or procure any other perfon or perfons to flee *' or murder any of the Kings fiibje&s within *' this land of Ireland, be deemed traitor at- **^ tainted of haute treafon, Itkew'ife as it Jhotild •*^ extend to our fatd fovereign lora^ perfon, or to " his royal majefly." The Englifli a<^t of the firfl of Henry Vth. by which 1 limited my affertion that the ifland and people of Iceland were, by the King and Parliament of England, deemed incorporated with England, marks no line of partition be- tween the two iflands, neither does it make any difcrimination of the rights and privileges of the inhabitants, but inafmuch as it fixes an opprobrious lligmaupon the natives of Ireland, and rcflrains them of that free intercourfe with England which the incorporation of the two iilands entitled them to, it mufl: be allowed to indicate in the Parliament of England an idea of dlftiuctlonbetwecn the natlvesof Ireland and tlie natives of England: the like obfervatlon may be made upon the tirl"t of Henry Vlth. chap. ill • [ '81 ] - chap. 3d, and the fecond Henry Vlth. chap. 8th, which are properly amendments of the former a<5l of Henry Vth. But although thefe acflsunqueflionablyfetup a diflindlion between the natives of the two iflands, yet they do not appear to have been followed by ariyothersof a fimilar nature ; nor indeed is there to be found upon the ftatute roll down to the 15th of Charles the lid. a fingle adl for laying any par- tial reftraint upon the trade or manufacflures of Ireland, or imposing any duty upon the manu- fa(flures, produdls, or merchandife of Ireland, when imported into England. On the con- trary, all the laws refpeding trade pafTed in the feveral reigns antecedent to the reftoration, con- vey to the people of Ireland the fame advantages which they confer on the people of England. Third of Edward the IVth. which declares certain ** Merchandifes not lawful to be brought *' ready wrought into England, has this pro- " vifo, that all wares and chafFres made and " wrought in the land of Ireland or "Wales, ** may be brought and fold in this realm of ** England, as they were went, before the mak-|£di " ing of this ftatute, this ai5l or ftatute notwitb ** ftanding." The firft of Henry Vllth. enads, That no Gafcoign or Guien wines be broughtfpcn: it i( (t « « (( (( Ais realm T f 'S;« "nvey or bring into wick !n '"^' ^"''^'' Calais, or Ber- -od, Z irr" °' ~ °^ ^'^"'-^^ /-W. wi?"c! "''^'^ reataof England, themafterand' ' ."^ ^^"'^'^' ^"^ Calais." ''''"^°^«n. or of Berwick, or Aer Eng.-tnn '■"?■?'" ^'^^ e°°<^^ °f ^^o- ^^-o-^nci, Ireland, ^.-c." Imcnti'onS ,°a,i"!-^^S ^°f "- ^^-^ before- [ ^- ^ --:i. :: IS repealed. The Sth .--" F';--v V , Ipcnalty u. .:' .''.^-r""^. ^^^P- 3d. inflids a ' ' ■•'■•"-'5°« of England, Wales, or [ i83 ] I or Ireland^ over fea, any rams, lambs, or fhecp alive. The 43d of tliis reign prohibits the ftretching woollen cloths within her Majefty's realm of England, or the dominions of the fame. The 2d of James the Ift. forbids to employ in hat-making any perfonborn out of his Ma- , jefly's realms and dominions of England, Scot- land, and Irelandp Another a<5l of the fame year permits, under certain reftrid\ions, any perfons, being fubjedls of the Kittg^s Majefly^ to tranfport corn in any fhip wherof any Englifh-born fiibjcEl fhall be the owner. The a^ of the 3d of this King, chap. 6th, for enabling all his Majefly's loving fubjecls of England and Wales to trade freely into the dominions of Spain, Portugal, and France, has a preamble fo expreflive of the fenfe Parliament had of the common right of the King's fubjedls to a free trade, and abhorrence of a monopoly, that I {hall recite- it at full length, " Whereas divers merchants have of " late obtained from the King under the great " feal of England, a large charter of incorpo- " .ration for them and their company to trade " into or {hefp libits the Majefty's as of the to employ ofhisMa- land,Scot- nits, under eingfuhjeBs :orn in any ea {hall be this King, fty's loving :rade freely •tugal, and Ive of the right of the abhorrence :e. it at full ts have of :r the great f incorpo- ny to trade *» into [ '8+ ] ** into the dominions of Spain and Portugal, " and are moft earnefl fuitors to obtain the like " for France, whereby none but themfelves, " and fuch as they fliall think fit, fhall take " benefit of the faid rh u - : , difabUng tliereby " all others his Majcily's loving fubjedls of this " realm of England and Wales, who ought in- " differ etitly to enjoy all the benefits of this " mofl happy peace, and alfo debarring them ^^ from that free enlargement of common traffic " into thofe dominions which others his Majejly s ^^ftibje&s of this realm of Scotland and Ireland " do enjoy r • . Theie, together with thofe which I before- mentioned, are the only laws refpedling trade tliat I find to have been made in England before the Refloration, and it is moft; evident, from the extracts which I have given, that the legifla- tures which enacled t^- em clearly held the in- habitants of Ireland to be entitled to all the pri- vileges and immunities enjoyed by the inha- bitants of England; I .: as commerce now became a principal objCvTc of the attention of the Englifh Parliament, a fpirit of monopoly and exclufion of others, which a love of trade never fails to generate, dlfcovcrs itfelf in alltheir fu- ture MM 1' ' III: t 185 ] turc mcafures, and Ireland is no longer confi- dered as a part of England, and incorporated with it, but it is henceforth regarded as the competitor inftcad of the fifter of England, and all its commercial advantages viewed with par- tial and jealous eyes. Other caufes, befides the fclfi'h nature of trade, were not wanting to create a breach in the union of the tvyo iflandsj the vanity of Henry the Vlllth. in taking the tille of King of Ireland, and by confequencc ere(fling the ifland into a kingdom, had no fmall fhare in the mifchief j for this fatal name of kingdom, whenever it was founded in the ears of a native of England, could not but excite in him ideas of a diftind ftate or dominion, hav- ing interefts and views peculiar to itfelf, fcpa- rate from, and incompatible with the views and interefls of England. The repuguanc which the Roman Catholics of Ireland had always (hewn fince the Reformation to the Englifh government, and their then late horrid maffacre of thofe they deemed the defcendants of Eng- lilhmen, muft alfo have greatly ferved to ftrengthen this jealoufy in the people of Eng- land, and the number of fettlers which hadj flowed into Ulftcr from Scotland, whofe princi- ples Charles and his loyal Parliament equally! difliked, :r confi- rporated d as the and, and with par- efides the inting to oiflands-, taking the nfequence id no fmall il name of . in the ears ut excite in inion,hav- itfelf, fcpa- e views and anc ' which had always the Englilh rid maiTacre nts of Eng- ferved to ,ple of Eng- which had l-hofe princi- ,ent equally diflikedj [ .186 ] difliked, was no fmall inducement for tliem to countenance by law the popular prejudices. What happened to Wales in the reign of Henry IVth. gives weight to thefe fuggeflions; for the people of that principality having fup- ported Earl Mortimer's title, Henry and his party in revenge procured feveral a6ls of Par- liament to be pafTed, by which Wales and its inhabitants were feparated and cut off from England and the rights of Englifhmen ; nor was that country re-united to England, and its inhabitants reftored to their privileges, until the reign of Henry the Vlllth. The cafe of Scotland in later times affords another proof of the mifchievous cffcds of prejudice and jea- loufy ; for immeiiiatc'v after the refloration of Charles, that free tra*., ^ and communication with England and its dominions, which had been allov^^ed to Scotland from the acceiTion of James was abridged, «nd Scotland and Scot- ti(hmen laid under the f^ine d'fabilities in re- fped to trade as foreigners, ft was however the happinefs of Wales to have no diflind go- vernm.ent of !•:• own, to continue the jealouly of England b; ir ridiculous attempts at indc- Ipcndencvj and Scotland, by relinquifhing her fcparatc '>. '%^. ^ \^r^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I mm *ii m->A. Ill M 2.2 :!: i;^ 12.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 J4 ^ 6" — ► 71 .*&. ^B m 7 :>/ > a o / Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WliT MAIN STREET WEBSVI" MY US*" (716) 872-ii,Ji d t SS i\ c\ \ 'i'^ o\ ^t? ^ ^<^^' ^ <^ ■#> y fcparate legiflature, and abforbing it in that of England, by that one ad, the wifeft fhe ever did, removed for ever all the bars and obftruc- tions to her intercourfe and commerce with England and its dominions, and became en- titled to all the benefits, rights and immuni- ties, that the power, wealth, and wifdom of England had for many ages be 1 acquiring. Should my countrymen refufe to profit of thefe examples, from an unwillingnefs to ab- forb their local legiflature in that by which the whole empire is governed, ftill there are other means they may employ to recover their for- pier fituation. . ■' - ■ . . : :- No. vir. Extra6i of a Letter from Sir Lucius O'Brien to W. K. Efqi dated Dromoland, t^th July, ^777- . ' . .,.....' •. . . MY dear friend, for fuch I muft ever efteem the man who demonftrates his flrenuous at- tachment to the interefts of Ireland, inde- pendent of thofe inflances of pcrfonal civility which I that of (he ever obftruc- rce with ime cn- mmuni- fdom of airing. profit of is to ab- hich the ire other heir for- VBrien th July, r efteem lous at- inde- civility which whfch I daily receive from you, will you now allow me to make a requeft to you ? It is for jfour general opinion on what ought to be foli^ citedy and what may be obtained for Ireland on ysur Jide the water, and what you worn i recom-- mend us to do here, I know you have turned your thoughts often to thefe points, and the folicitude with which I wifh for information from you will prove how high a value I put upon it, . • ■ ■ ■- , _ . ' ' .■.. V ; . . •. 1 /.: ■ ; No. VIII. Copy of a Letter fr'ofn^ , K. £)?> '^ *S/r Lucius V 0*Brien. Whitehall, 23 Augujl, 1777. Dear Sir, . THE time for the meeting of your Par- liament being fixed, I agree entirely with you that fuch meafures as may be proper to pro- pofc fhould now be taken into confideration, and put into form, ready to be laid before them when they meet. In my private opinion there will be no great difficulty in carrying the , points • 1 191 ] I mean Angola, and another is managed by the Crown, Sencgambia. • a .. ' -■ -.-•..' [^■-■: ..:- :,■, '^ rvv/. .''■ ' ','-•' ..' - / ■ You will obfcrvc what advantage the New Englanders made by the falc o( their rum, or molafles fpirits. Why could not Ireland fup- ply the place of it by their malt fpirits ? I have time to fay no more, but that I am, with great regard, &c. WILL. KNOX. i* ' No. IX. . To William Knox, Ef/. Dear Sir, SIR Lucius O'Brien fome time fince did me the honour of communicating a letter he had received from you, in which you are fo oblig- ing as to mention that if I did not go to Eng- land before the meeting of Parliament, you would write to me upon fuch points as you thought Ireland might obtain, for which I fhould have immediately troubled you with my acknowledgments, but was in hopes of being able to fubmit fome things upon the fubje. ■- ■» >y the New m, or ifup- Ihave OX. * .t' lid mc had oblig- )Eng- [t, you as you [hich I ith my being pjea to [ 192 3 . your confidcration, which however I am not yet fully prepared with, I have therefore only to fay that my Lord Lieutenant would moft feadily concur in any meafufe for the benefit of Ireliind, which might be found pradicable, and will be much obliged by any alfiftance you can give him towards it. ^ I took an opportunity, immediately aftet receiving your letter, of mentioning thefc views to the Speaker, who fhewed me a let- ter he had received from England upon the fubjedl. . He is difpofed to be ad^ive in all things which may be for the benefit of this country, but feemed to think great caution neceflary, and that unlefs the ^opportunities were very favourable, it were better to wait till cifcumftances brought forward the mea- fures Ireland wifhed, than to attempt the forcing them, if being clear that every un- fuccefsful attempt will throw the objed to a greater diftance. I mention this merely to apo- logize for my feeming tardinefs, arid left you fhould be difcouraged by it from expelling my afllftance in any meafures your experience and knowledge of this country may fugged to you for the benefit of it, in whicli you will ahv^ys find *■ find the fupport of my Lord Lieutenant, and the beft endeavours of, • ,f» ■ '.•■*> a • i» -r J , -J J I - - Dear Sir, Your moft faithful, And moft obedient fervant, Duhlin Cajiky ..^ , Sept. 27, 1777. R. H E R O N. [Sir R. H. came to England foon after this letter was written, when I fuggefted to him the application the Lord Lieutenant and Coun- cil (hould make to Lord North. I afterwards wrote to him No. X. which produced his No. XL] • V. ■• . .. - . No. X. . - ■ • - '■■'' '■-.-. i- .. . ■ : To the Right Hon, Mr, Heron. - Dear Sir, Whitehall, Feb, 9, 1778. I HAVE been in conftant expedlation of hearing a demand had been made by my Lord Lieutenant, of a grant to Irehnd in the terms we had fettled, but I am told nothing of the kind has yet come. Lord George Gcrmaincex- N . ^ prefTed 7" [ '94 ] . , ■ :'. prefTcd to me this day his wifh that it was come, and when I tell you that it is not in- tended the Parliament (hould fit after Eafter, you will concur with his Lordfhip and myfelf in opinion, that no time fliould be loft if you intend to make the propofition this feflion. I conceive the matter is highly beneficial for Ire- land, arid advantageous for the empire, and therefore I propofed it, and wifh it fuccefs. I have no private motives for propofing that, or any other matter, unlcfs it be the defire of per- fecting a bufinefs which I firft gave the hint ofj and transferring to Lord Buckingham's adminiftration a ftiare of a very creditable meafure of Lord Hafc6urt*^s. I am, &c. WILL. KNOX. No. XL -»-■■•• 1 . . . « To Will. Knox, Efq; Dear Sir, . MT^ Lord Lieutenant has ly this mail wrote to Lord North a dtfpatch upon the fuhjeEls your econi' mended^ of which I have the honour to incJofeyou a copy. This would have been done fooncr, but upon «.■•/• r. 1 1 1 > upon fuch occafions it is neccflary to confult many gentlemen here who would otherwife think themfelves negleded, and that is not to be done without delay. You will fee his ex- prefs letter refris to another Britifh ad pafTed Jince that referred to inyoiir inJiruElions upon this fubje& J and Sir Lucius O'Brien being doubtful whether this country might not be entitled to carry into the ports of Africa the articles allow- ed by the 5th and 6th fedions of the 15th of his prefent Majefty from Ireland to Newfound- land, and perhaps others as confequential to the right of fifhing given to Ireland, the allega- tion that the (hips which had them on board would be liable to feizure is left out, yet he wifhes to have the claufe infertcd. Touformerly tgave Sir Lucius O'Brien expe&ations of greater advantages as he ejieemed them^ hut I conclude the occajion does not offer. My Lord Lieutenant is exceedingly obliged by the affijlanceyou have given him in this hujinejs^ and hopes you will be Jo kind as to have an eye tothe progrefs of it» The extreme hurry I am in during the fit- . ting of Parliament affords little opportunity of confidering meafures at large for the benefit of this countryj in a few months I fliall hope for •) . , . N 2 fufEcicnt :::::=v "[ 196 "] fufficicnt leifurc j and having now been fome time in the country fo as to fee its views, that leifurc might be ufefully employed, if you would give me the henejit of your advice. I could have points well confidered, and the bufiuefs properly prepared againft the next feffion of your Parliament, for it is in vain, during the fitting of Parliament, to attempt any thing which requires confideration. • My Lord Lieutenant will by to-m-*rrow^s mail tranfmit to Lord North an addrefs of the Truftees of the Linen Board, upon points which feem very important ones, and may, perhaps, not be obtained at this time, notwith- llanding the claim Ireland has from Great Britain to every indulgence towards the linen manufactures of it. I have the honour to be, '.-.■.• Dear Sir, '■.vr.-'^^.' :.■>... With great refped, ' ' ' ' ', Your moft faithful, _ ;: Humble fervant, DuhlinCafh, R. H E R O N. 10th Feb, 1778. ■ ■ ■ y^ I ! [ 197 ] V To the Right Hon. Lord North. ■ :• [Inc/ofed in No. XI] ". Dublin Cq/ile, Feb. i^^S. My Lord, BY the 3d feaion of the Britifli ad of Par- liament of the 15 th of his prefent Majefty, chap. 31, intitled " An a6l for the encourage- " ment of the fifheries carried on from Great '* Britain, Ireland, and the Britifh dominions in " Europe, and for fecuring the return of the " fifhermen, failors, and others employed in the " faid fifheries, to the ports thereof at the end ** of the fifhing feafon," fuch vefTels employ- ed in carrying on the whale fifhery on the coafts of Newfoundland and the feas adjacent, as ihall appear to be Britifh built, and owned by his Majefty*s fubjed^s reflding in Ireland, and which fhall be fitted and cleared out from fome port in Ireland, are equally intitled to, and put upon the fame footing with refped to the bounties allowed by that ad, with fuch vefTels as fhall be fitted out from Great Britain, Guern- fey, Jerfey, and the Ifle of Man, for carrying on thofe fifheries. And by the 2ifl fedion of the fame ad, the like bounties w^hich are grant- ed by the Britifh ad of the i ith of his prefent Majefly, LTII. Feb. 177S. ad of Par- nt Majefty, encourage- from Great iominionsin turn of the )loyed in the f at the end fels employ- lery on the ;as adjacent, and owned in Ireland, •ed out from Litledto,and jfpea to the fuch vefTels tain,Guern- for carrying ft fedion of ch are grant- f his prefent Majefty, [ 198 ] Majefty, intitled ** An adl for the better fup- ** port and eftabliftiment of the Greenland and " whale filhery," to (hips fitted out from Great Britain, or any of his Majefty's dominions in America, for thofe fifheries, are granted for fhips fitted out for that purpofe from the king- dom of Ireland, every fhip or veft!el being; Bri- tifti built, and owned by his Majcfty's fubjeds of Ireland. The Parliament of this kingdom, in their ad- drefl^es to his Majefty in Odober 1775, teftified their fenfe of the advantages which muft arife to the navigation and trade of Ireland by this ad, which extends the great benefits of Britilli fifheries to Ireland, and which has been the fource of induftry and wealth to other nations 5 but I am forry to acquaint your Lordfhip, that according to reprefentations which have been made to me from perfons of knowledge and au- thority refiding here, the benefits held out bj the former part of the ad to this kingdom, are in a great meafure defeated by a proyifo in the 30th fedion thereof, by which it is enaded, *' That no bounty ftiall be allowed or paid for *' any fhip or yefTel fo employed, either hj *• yirtue of this or any former ad of Parlia- mm* I ' I I " ment, unlefs the whole and entire property ** of fuch (hip or veflel (hall belong to fome of " hisMajefty*s fubjedls redding in that part of *' his Majefty's dominions from whence fuch " (hip or vefTel (liall be rcfpe£lively fitted and " cleared out." And which reftraining pro- vifo is repeated in an a£l of the i6th of his pre- fent Majefty, chapter 47, intitled " An ad *' for the further encouragement of the whale " fi(hery carried on from Gi?at Britain and " Ireland, and the Briti(h dominions in Europe, " and for regulating the fees to be taken by *' the officers of the cu(^oms in the ifland of ** Newfoundland." For the gentlemen of this country alledge, that almoft tflle whole of the Iri(h trade being carried on with Britifh money, and in Britifh (liips, the only means by which Ireland could have (harcd in thefe bounties muft have been by being concerned in joint adventures with the people of Great Britain. The (hips muft be Britifh, and the owners ad- vance part of the money for defraying the ex- penfe of fitting out J but by thefe provifoes there can be no coparceny between the fub- jeds of the two kingdoms, at leafl no bounty can be claimed by either in fuch circumftan- ces, nor can the inhabitants of Gucrnfey, Jer- fey, cr the Ifle of Man, be joined in partncr- fhil tire property a to fome of 1 that part of whence fuch ly fitted and jaining prO" ,th of his pre- ed " An ad of the whale t Britain and ons in Europe, be taken by 1 the ifland of itlemen of this whole of the Britifh money, eans by which .hefe bounties ;rned in joint Great Britain, jc owners ad "raying the ex- ^ icle provides I j ■ccn the fub- 4 •aft no bounty J |h circumftan- | jucrnfey, Jer- ;d in partner- i (hip [ 200 ] fhip with natives of Great Britain, or with any other than the inhabitants of their refpedivc illand. It is very probable that this provifo was in- ferted to prevent the rebellious colonies in America from having (hares in thefe bounties, and if that was the intention, it is apprehend- ed this objed might be obtained, fo as to ex- clude the American colonies on/y^ by making it run thus, viz. " Th^t no bounty (hall be al- " lowed or paid for any (hip or veflTel fo em- ♦* ployed by virtue of either of the faid adls, or " by any former ad of Parliament, unlefs the " whole or entire property of fuch (hip or vef- ^' fel (hall belong to fome of his Majefty's " fubjeds rcfiding in Great Britain, Ireland, " Guernfey, Jerfey, or the Ifle of Man." I have alfobecn requeHed to lay before your Lorddiip another matter, which it is alledged would be of very great advantage to the trade of this kingdom, if approved of by your Lord- (hip as confi(^ent with the ti'ade and welfare of England, and might be inferted in the ad for making the amendment above propofed, which is this; theHoufe of Commons of this king- .. : , . . . . . 4om^ • [ 201 1 dom, in the laft feflion of the lad Parliament, voted refolutions for pafling an a» . •> BUCKINGHAM. No. 1 1 i m 1 i iiiH J 1 ! M m « 1 IIH 1 H 1 t 1 1 ■1 '1 W Hf L ! i [ ^03 ] ■••,'•:;•■•■ ■ , NaXU, ' ^9 //&/ //o;?. Mr. Heron, JVhUe/jall, 2d March y 1778, Dear Sir, I WAS very glad to find by your obliging favour of the 20th of lall month, that my Lord Lieutenant had made application toLordNorth on the points we had talked of; and from what I have feen of his Lordfhip's difpofition fince the difpatch was received, I think we fhall fuc- ceed : he is, however, fo much engaged in Parliament with conciliatory bills, and out of Parliament with his loan, that it is impoflible he can at this moment attend to any thing elfe. I have had the linen board papers before me, and prepared a cafe which is printing in order to be delivered by the agent to the perfons in- terefted in the fuccefs of the application he is direcfled to make. As individuals I do not ex- pedl much from their fupport ; they arc fo much afraid of being thought attached to Ire- land, that they are mighty cautious of inter- fering in any matter that has the appearance of teing beneficial to htr, although it is at the fame • • ,' ' ' ' [ 204 ] ' fame time advantageous to the whole empire. I, who have no property but in America, mud be allowed to a.0. difintereftedly, when I prefs meafures of utility to either Great Britain or Ireland, or both j but duty makes me take a part that even intereft will not excite my coun- trymen to undertake, and I readily engage in the folicitation, with only the hopes of fuccefs in profped for my reward. The African bufi- nefs, which was agitated laft year in Parlia- ment, lies dormant this felTion, there will, therefore, be no opportunity of moving the propofition I made to Sir Lucius O'Brien^ upon thatfiibjed j but if you obtain what you have allced, a good progrefs will be made towards obtaining a more liberal fhare of the African trade, and if the exportation of cheques and printed, &c. linens, to the colonics in Africa and America, be alfo granted, as prayed for, Ireland will find more benefit from thofe in- dulgences than is imagined ; the fifhing (hips may then take with them all forts of linens, ft The profpe£l of raifing companies is laid afide for the prefent, but I do not imagine we are fo fanguine in cur expevQations of peace with [ 20$ ] with the Colonies that we mein to relax In our preparations for another campaign. I beg you will do me the honour to prefent my rcfpedls to my Lord Lieutenant, and believe me, • ■■•• '■ ••• ■ ■ • • *■ -: rv.. , / Dear Sir, &c. ' WILL. KNOX. .. I No. XIIL R/j^/it Honourable Mr. Heron. .-, ' • . . ■ ■ > JVhitekall^ March i^, 1778. • .^ ■•.,.■-■ Dear Sir, THE confideration of the whole fyftem of our commerce, you will fee by the a£t for ap- pointing commifTioncrs to treat with the Colo- nies, rauft foon be taken up. I always ima- gined this would be the cafe, and I apprized the Speaker of it when I had the plcafure of feeing him here in the fummer of 1776. I then fuggefted to him how neceflary it would be for the leading men in Ireland to confider what in- dulgencies it would be proper to apply for, and in what inftances they would wiih to be in- cluded in our eg you )e6ls to NOX. .. I r> 1778. yftcm of \ for ap- he Colo- ays ima- apprized jafure of 6. I then Id be for what in- fer, and to be in- cluded [ 206 ] eluded In any compact that mfght be made with America. I am afraid the Speaker is too much of an Irifhman to have taken his mea- fures fo long beforehand as now to be in rea- dinefs to bring forth the propolitions for this purpofe, but I am fure he will do me the juftice to acknowledge I gave him the notice. In the inftrudlions our commifTioners are to have, fomething ought to be faid refpedting the trade between Ireland and the Colonics, but if nothing is already prepared you will not be in time, for every thing is prcfTed forwards as much as pofTibc to get tiiofe gentlemen out. J have not, norjiiall jiot Jicgk6l you, but I want fupport from your fide j I think the moft im- mediate and powerful application from you would be a letter from my Lord Lieutenant, ftating it as the cxpcdation of all the King's fervantsand fupportcrs of his Majcfty's mea- furesin Parliament, that whatever privileges or advantages in trade fliall be granted to the Co- lonies, the fame will be extended to Ireland, and that the Colonies will in no refpcifl be put upon a better footing than Ireland. 1 iliall write to you again on the fubjecl of your applica- . tions r [ 207 ] . : tions already made j at prefcnt I have only time to add my rcfpedts to my Lord Lieute- nant, and affurances that I am, &c. ...:::/■. WILL. KNOX. No. XIV. To Will. Knox, E/f-, •- ■ • » . ■ • ■ ■ / . , (Private.) '^ * Dear Sir, IN confequence of your letter to me of the 14th, my Lord Lieutenant wrote laji night to Lord North a difpatch^ of which I fhall inclofe you a copy. This would have gone two days fooncr, but as I was preparing it his Excellency re- ceived a notification of the treaty of friendfhip and alliance between France and America. The Speaker is of opinion Ireland cannot be efTen- tially benefited by any thing fhort of a free commerce, which 'he affirms would produce in this country difpofitions to make the mod ample returns. How wife foever this bold mea- fure might be, there are, I fear, miany preju- dices, in both, countries, to be got over before ■ : 'it * • only ieutc- [OX, le i4tb, Lord ^e you a fooncr, icy re- endrtiip ca. The e effen- a free produce ic moft )ld mea- preju- ;r before it [ 208 ] it could be efFeded. Ireland will, I believe, upon the prcfent occafion, give every proof of a good difpofition to Great Britain. My Lord Lieutenant ejleems himfelf much obliged by your attention to us^ and hopes you will give your bejl ajjijlance tn forwarding any propojition which may be thought for the benefit of Ireland. If 1 can^ in apojl or two^ inform you of any parti- culars which might be wi/hed beyond what have been already propofed^ I will not fail to communi- cate them to you. I am, dear Sir, Your moft obliged. And moft humble fervant, Dublin Cafile, ^ March 21, 1778. R. H E R O N. Copy of a Letter from his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant to the Right Honourable ho rt> North, inclofed in No. IX. written in confe- . quence of my No. X. Dublin Cafile, 2Qth March^ i'^^^. (Copy.) r ; My Lord, IN confequence of the very kind difpofitions cxprefTedby bothHoufes of Parliament inGreat Britain 'i V;. . • [ 209 ] '.; • ' Britain towards this kingdom at this critical jundlurc, which have been received here with the utmoft fatisfadion and gratitude, I have been prefTed by many of his Majefty's princi- pal fervants, and other gentlemen who have uniforu^ly and fteadily fupported his Majefty's meafures in this Parliament, to lay before your Lordfhip their humble hopes, that the prefent lituation of affairs may afford an opportunity of improving thofe favourable difpofitions into fome real benefits for this country. V As they apprehend that the ad lately pafTed in Great Britain for appointing commifTioncrs to treat with the Colonics, and the prefent flate of the Britifh empire muft foon bring oil the confideration of the whole fyflem of the Britifh comnierce, they have thought it incumbent upon them to reprefent it to me as their true fentiments concurring with thofe of the public, that this would be a proper time for me to fo- licit your Lordfhip's favour, and to fubmit to you their earneft requell that whatever privi- leges or advantages in trade Ihall be e;ranted to the Colonies, if the conciliatory plan (hall take effect, may be extended to Ireland, and tHat the ::. . O • Colonies critical re with I have princi- 10 have [ajefty's >re vour prefent ortunity ons irito y pa (Ted liiTi oners 'ent ftate g oh the e Britifh umbent Iheir true e public, , e to fo- lubmit to cr privi- anted to ail take that the Colonics [ 210 ] Colonies may not in any refped be put upon a better footing than Ireland. In different converfations which have paffed between me and fome of the ableft men here concerning the trade of this kingdom, I have been thoroughly convinced that an enlarge- ment of it in many inftances is become abfo- lutely necelfary for its fupport, as well to ena- ble it to anfwer the many drains to which it is annually fubjedl, particularly to Great Britain, as to' make provifion for the cxpenfes of his Majefty's government, which of late years have in every branch been increafed to a confrdera- ble amount. And I am perfuaded that the wealth and advantages proceeding from fuch enlargement of their trade would not only redound to the benefit of Great Britain, but that in return his Majefly^ may expc£l the ut- mofl efforts of his fubjedts in this kingdom in fupport of his government, and for the gene- ral iervice of the Britifh empire j I have there- fore made no difHculty in complying with their requefl, that I would reprcfent this flate as the general fenfe of the country to your Lord- fhip, in order that when any f}'flem of com- merce fhall be agitated, fuch fleps may be taken with .«« m [ 211 ] with rcfpcdl to the trade of Ireland, as fhall appear to be moft for the benefit of the two kingdoms. I cannot entertain a uoubt of your Lord- ihip*s readinefs to promote fuch a folid advan- tage to this country ; and in juftice to it I muft declare that the fteadinefs of all perfons of any rank to co-operate in every meafure which can at this crifis conduce to the maintenance of the dignity of Great Britain, and their zeal and attachment to his Majefty and his government, very fully entitle them to all the afliftance which can be given them by his Majefty's Minifters, and to every mark of favour that can be granted them by the Britifh Parliament. Your Lordlhip will therefore permit me to recommend this meafure in the ftrongefl man- ner to your fupport. - ' I have the honour to be, With the greateft refped, . • ' My Lord, &c. BUCKINGHAM. O 2 No. XV. ^" [ ai2 ] •;•.":.•.• . ^^^ XV. Right Ho able Mr. Heron. '■ fFhitehan.i^th March, 1778. Dear Sir, The extraordinary occupation which you will eafily fuppofe the late proceedings of the Court of France muft have given me, will pre- pare you to excufe my delay in the performance of my promife to write to you on the fubjedt of IriOi applications here. lam exceedingly gratified by your letter, and the copy of the one to Lord North inclofed in it that I received yefterday. Nothing could be better judged or better timed than the addrefs and the applica- tion, and I think now I really fee a probability that Ireland will at lajl become a favoured coun- try, and add thatjlrength and riches to the empire it is Jo capable of doing. Lord Nugent, you mufl have known, has undertaken the fugar bufi- ncfs. I thought it was brought forward a little prematurely, but ^ was happy in being able to check the oppofition intended againft it. The ground I had propofcd putting the application for a direcl importation upon, and which 1 be- lieve I mentioned to you, was the increafe of > •* the y 1 1 . 1 ' i| w^mL Ij \ \\wBk ]' ^^ ilL 1 ! ' ill ii ;|m:||; ;]!: I iflv 1 Pwh 1 ujMflli jQ i fflHI: ki H \ 'flMi^ U! uB r ''ii|- nl n '■ I'ii ' i| 1 \W^ \ ( r i ' ^ i 1 , s .1 ifc-i ; 4p I ■i ' •j i Al ' i ^!;i. l- ?■( ^ i 1 1 1, J! ' f ' IHI'l '1 111 a 1 11 • 1^- 1 iji'i 1 r 1 ^i [ 213 ] the confumpti'on of rum in Ireland, to the ex- clufion of French brandy. This I had ftated to the Weft India Plan'ers^ in hopes of engag- ing them to afk for it, at leaft to fupport the application. While thismatter was under con- fideration, fome zealous friends of Ireland, in the city, applied to the Merchants on the fame fubjedl, and they immediately fuggcfted to the Planters that the purpofe of the people of Ire- land^was to introduce foreign fugars inftead of Britifh, and foreign rum alfo. They therefore, joined with the Merchants in requeuing that the liberty of a dired importation might not be granted. They came of courfe to this ofHce, which gave me an opportunity of entering fully into the matter with them. I fet out with granting that the liberty requeued would be a very trivial benefit to the north eaftern fide of Ireland, as the vicinity of the coaft of England and Scotland made it no great incon- venience to that part of the country to land their fugars in England or Scotland, and then bring them over, and perhaps they were fully paid for that inconvenience by having the monopoly of the whole kingdom. But there was the evil and hardship to be redrefTed. The whole weft and fouth-weft parts of Ireland were the ex- (latcd engag- ort the er con- and, in le fame d to the ; of Ire- iftead of herefore ling that li-rht not lis office, entering 1 fet out d would [i eaftern coafl of |at incon- to land nd then ere fully ving the But tkere 'ed. The if Ireland were I 214 ] . were excluded almoft entirely from the Weft India trade ; for if they brought any rum from thence, they could bring no fugar with it, as the expenfe and difficulty of fending the fugar to England to be landed, and then bringing it back again, would be more than ♦iven the land c::rriage from Dublin or the other eafterri ports. An entire cargo of rum being too much for one Merchant in an out-port to import (and he could not bring one affiDrted with fugar) the confequence was, that very little rum was im- ported, and French brandy was encouraged to be fmuggled to fupply the confumption in its (lead. That a dired trade with the Weft India iflands from all parts of Ireland would be the certain means of extending the confumption of both rum and fugar over the whole kingdom, and that in point of regulation and domeftic oeconcrny it was moft illiberal and unjuft to oppofe a propofition which had for its obje6l the fair circulation of trade, and putting all parts of a country upon an equal footing. They were To candid as to own that in the hght 11 reprefented the matter they did not fee any juft ground of oppofing what was defired, if c?;2 was taken to prevent the introdudion of foreign fugars, which I promifed fliould be ^.•.au^aMMu y fi m Ik I; S [ 215 J ^ant- ■donc ; and I hope if any regulations are ing in your cuflom-houfes for that purpofe you will have them fupplied. The exportation of foap and candles from Ireland to the Weft Indies was alfo fpoken of j and the merchants aflured me they would not oppofe it if fuch a liberty was aflM Vll Imiaii^- ' ■! T I • II ■' ■ I i l —I I' 1 .-: cept in the article of woollen goods) a/iJ a di- re£i importation of their produEl -^ and he is much obiiged by your having imdertaken to bring into the Houfe a bill for that purpofe. It is much to be wilhed a proper advantage nuay be taken of the prefent concurrence of circumftances in fa- vour of Ireland. My Lord Lieutenant would have flatcd propofltions, but that the ftating . particulars at fuch a conjuncture is difficult; too much or too little might be aflied, and therefore his Excellency thought it beft to make a general rcquifition, and as you have not fuggefted the expediency of making any particular applicatioUy and the Speaker is now in England, my Lord Lieutenant will reft the caufe of Ire- land upon thatdifpatch to Lord North. I fhall, however, inclofe to you the draught of an ad, which w;as prepared fome time fince for the purpofe you are now purfuing, as it may pof- libly be of of fome ufc, and;/ // occurs to you that any particular application from my Lord Lieu- tenant to government can pro"} lote your 'work y L beg ^ou will fate it to m^e by cxprefs^ that I may lofe no time in laying it before his Excellency. Since writing the above, Sir Lucius O'Brien has mentioned to nie his intention of going to | pn'^land j he has a great deal of information ' • upon ' * »i»'iLiriiil(Biw*wiitw4*"Wliarf ^-- a?id a di' \e is much >ring into ; much to ; taken of ices in fa- int would he ftating difficult; fked, and it beft to m have not particular \ England, ufe of Ire- •th. I fhall, of an a£l, :e for the may pof- nirs to you Lord Lieu- work y I leg I may lofe Excellency, us O'Brien Df going to nformation upon [ 2l8 ] upon the fubfe<^ nP o^ «feful to you ™'"'''^'> ^"'^ «^y be J have the honour to be, ' Your much obhged, And obedient humble fervant. Dublin Cajlle ^' H E R Q N. JOth April, lyjg^ - The draught of the aFf r - in , No. XVII. , Rfghi Honourable Mr. Hbro.v. Dear Sir, THE arrival of the Speaker f„ 'smoved all mv -n. u r °Ppo'-tuneIy buffering fo wS f °"^ °' "" ^^-'^ ^ou Jhav^rX7tw"'"'■°l'^'■^^''°"• W'^'h.thave■beeab-o; ti?":"'"^^'^-^ :ontain every thi.. Zf a ^ '"^ ' "'^^^ /ttiM^Hccandelirej but I am not m m [ 219 ] not without my fears of their undergoing fome alterations. Briftol has already fet forward an oppofition, and Liverpool, Mancheftcr, and Glafgow, will certainly join in it 5 London, I believe, will be quiet. The Weft India mer- chants have been again with me. They very candidly told me they would not oppofc any part of the bills, if they could be fatisfied that foreign fugars were not meant to be introduced into Ireland inftead of Britifli plantation. I affured them no fuch thing was intended, and ventured to undertake that any regulation they could propofe, confiftent with the general pur- pofe of the application, would be adopted in Ireland. Sir Lucius O'Brien has fince told me I did not go too far in my undertaking, and I am to bring fome of the merchants to meet him and the Speaker, to have their confir- mation of it. As Sir Lucius propofes flaying here to watch the progrefs of the bills, and the bufinefs is now in fuch a ftate of forwardnefs that I can do little to promote it, except by advice, I fhall not have occafion to trouble you any farther upon this fubjed until the ifTuc is known ; but I would recommend to you, as the teft means of engaging adminiftration to fup- port the meafure, to take the bills into confidc- ration, Grfome 'ardan r, and idon, I a tner- ey very ofc any :ed that reduced tion. I ed, and ion they ;ral pur- [ 220 ] ration, and write to Lord North, in the name of the Council, exprelTing great thankfulnefs for the kindnefs intended to Ireland, and ftrong afTuranccs of grateful rcturnsj and be as liberal as pofllble, both of your thanks and proniifes, and in extolling the benefits Ireland, and, through her. Great Britain will derive from fuch generous and liberal condudl. It would be right alfo to take fome notice of the objec- tions made to opening the trade of Ireland, particularly the danger of clandeftine importa- tions and exportations, and offer to recommend to Parliament, with confidence of fupport, any -proper meafure for giving greater fecurity againft illicit commerce than the prefent laws or regulations do that fhall be thought fit and necefTary by adminiftration. It is now you (hould try your ftrcngth, and every gentleman fliould apply to his connedions here, and the traders fliould alfo write to their correfpon- Gcnts to give their afTiflance. I v.iOi the r^- e'^portation of Englifh woollens had been fur- bidden in the exportation bill, for I fo well know the jcaloufy of Englilhmen rcfpeding ihiit fua;i:/f.:J7:/n\ that I would never fufTer them to think we could have anv idea of en- Couraging it in Ireland, or fnmggling our own ... out il r; . [. 221 ] • out inftead of theirs. I hope the Scotch propo- fition refpeding the fifhery will be adopted on your fide J it is not the very thing you want, but it will certainly lead to it ; in the mean time your fituation will be mended. I mud now beg you will prefent my refpedls to my Lord Lieutenant, And believe me, &c. WILLIAM KNOX. . No. xvm. To William Knox, Ef^. Dear Sir, > AS my Letter of the loth would be in a great meafurcan anfwerto what was contain- ed in that I had the honour to receive from you of the 8th, and as you would immediately after fee our Speaker and Sir Lucius O'Brien, I have not troubled you with any acknowledgment of it, relying that if any thing occurred in which my Lord Lieutenant could promoteyoiir hufincfs^ you would have Wrote to me. I under/land from 7)iy friends you 'will be able to weather the opfo/ition which will appear after 'the recefs : if you do you will perform wonders. I laft night received a letter from Sir Lucius O'Brien, dc- '"• . ' ■ firing propo- ptcd on I want, ; mean Imuft i to my KNOX. [ 222 ] firing Mr. John Wetherall, Deputy Examina- tor of the Cuftoms, and Mr. Robert Stephen- fon, infpcdlor of the Linen Board, may be fent over as witnefles. As I do not know how to dirc(5l to Sir Lucius, I wifh you would ac- quaint him Mr. Wetherall and Mr. Stephen- fon are both in the country, but that I will endeavour that you fhall have them by the 2d of May. I am, dear Sir, Dublin CaJIk^ A^ril 2<^^ 1778. Your moft humble fervant, R. HERON. No. XIX. To William Knox, .^. Dear Sir, THE bearer is Mr. Wetherall, one of the gentlemen Sir Lucius O'Brien defired fhould attend the committee. He was in the country, which prevented his coming fooner. Mr. We- therall is AfTiftant Examinator of the Cuftoms, and of great knowledge in his branch, and we have thought it right that he fhould bring with him the books of the cufloms for the laft i<:.\tix years, • Mr. 1 i ; i' i ill f' 11 \ i 1^ 1 [ 223 I Mr. Stephenfon, the other perfon dcfired to attend, was in the country, and is not yet re- turned, though I fent an cxprefs to him im- mediately J but as foon as he comes I will dif- patch him to you. ][^ Lord Lieutenant had wrote in the moji nr^ gent terms ^ and has^ Jince I received your letter^ repeated his reprefentations of the wijhes and dif- pqfitions of the gentlemen in this country. IJhall hope to receive an account of your Juccefs very foon. And am, with great eftcem, Dear Sir, Your moft faithful, humble fervant, Duhltn Cafle, April 29, 1778. R. HERON. * ..-'.* . No. «j.; mmm i 224 j -^ No. XX. Right Honour ahle Mr. HERON. ■ ■ . c -' - Soho Square^ May 4, 1.778. Dear Sir, WHAT I apprehended from the inter- ference of the Irifh gentlemen in our applica- tion has happened ; their eagcrnefs, mixed with threats, and not a little inflamed by ig- norance both of this country and their own, and the times, have confpired to raife fuch a tempeft as to give us many fears for the fate of all the bills. When I went to Lord North this morning, I found his Lordfhip under much em- barrafTment and anxiety ; a gentleman from Briftol was with him, to lay before him the grounds of oppofition determined on by that city, to fupport which a deputation from the manufadurers of hemp and iron, foap and can- dles, was come to town. It is not neccfTary to give you a detail of our converfation, it ended in. giving Lord North hopes that an accommo- dation might be effeded, and the Briftol de- puties were to come to me at two o'clock. I immediately m n [ 225 ] immediately fcnt for Sir Lucius O'Brien, who fortunately was in the way and came to me. The iron and hemp manufadurers' deputies met us, they ftatcd their objedions to the ge- neral exportation bill, which went to fliew that the Irifh could manufadurc thefe articles cheaper than the Englilh, becaufc of the dif- ference of the duties laid upon the importation of the materials. The duty upon iron im- ported into England is near 3I. 3s. no part of which is drawn back upon the re-exportation except to Ireland. In Ireland the duty is only il. 4s. Englifh, Ireland has therefore the ad- vantage of il. 19s. per ton on that material. The hemp was ftated in the fame way, and the difference in favour of Ireland was equal. They generoufly waved all confideration of the advantage Ireland had in cheapnefs of labour and provifions,, and candidly declared thej were 'milling that h eland /hould Jliare with England in all her tradi\ but they could not confent flic fhould have it in her power to heat England out of the market. Their propofition therefore was, that the fame duties Jhould be laid by Ire la fid on the importation of the materials as were laid and not drawn back in Evghuid. We applauded their principle as fair and friendly, but Sir Lucius P ftatcd I [ 226 ] ilatcd other ways of equalizing the charge of the materials, which were the taking ofif the duty here, or giving it back upon re-exporta- tion, both which I knew Lord North would difapprove, and therefore I went to a third ; I told them, that Ireland being in pofTeflion of thefe materials at prefent, at a low duty, the manufactures (he made of them for her own confumption, and for exportation to all foreign countries, had that advantage over thofe of England. A duty therefore upon importation equal to the Englifh duty would be a burthen upon her own confumption and foreign export, which file had no reafon for laying, and could not be expe ^e are extremely anxious for the proceedings of your Parliament, If your refolutions^ or the mojl material of them^ are carried into a law^ ourfej/ions w///, / thinks end very happily i hh 'f they fail ^ we may look for all the confeque.iccs of dif appointment. However, I always look for the befl. I am, : . - '; ' j. • : .. \ ' \ » Dear Sir, With great truih, *. - • • . » .. ^ »* , , , - » Your mofl obliged, - Dublin Cafle^ 6ih May^ ^778. Humble fervant, ' r . '''' * R. HERON. ^ohc nigh and ough the and , to th this n he. hi •hi*-* aiv . ■ < r I .•I •V. "whic I (I » > • r ' ■ . • • » I • « • * Th blame Roma ? in Khe'i ad.van Hi: No. you, I the came Tii8;bt 'dings or the a laiv, decs of 3k for vant, I feON. [ • 230 ' 1 ' r ' ' 1 . ,. t No. xxir. To the R/jrht Hon. Mr, Heron. Soho^ Square, ^tk Mijy^ ly'jS'—S o'clock A.M. < . ' ' ■ I • 1 • X. ^ ■ ■ I ■ .,...,,. ' .-, • *■ ..••. .... r ' ■ .■•■.J.i. ,< - ..D^ar Sir, . . . :. . . ".. .. . - FROM what paiTed in the Committee lad night, upon the Import Bill, Sir Lucius O'Brien and myfelf think your Houfe of Commons ought, without delay, to bring in a bill upon the propofition I mentioned to you in my laftj and Sir Lucius fends, hy this exprefs, claufes to the Speaker for the fubftanceofthe bill. If this n\eafurc be adopted, not a moment fhould yc loft, and the iuilant the bill has been read a '•":!>y fhould be fent to Lord North, from ray i :?.d Lieytcnant, as a meafure of Government, whicn he is to communicate to Parliament. No. The Irifli Government 'have been much blamed by all C.les for their treatment of ihe ! Roman Catholics ; if you could do any thing in dicir behalf at this time you would feel the advantage of it in the progrcfs of the bills j it is U [ 231 ] is under confidcration here to repeal the a£l of Queen Anne, refpeding the forfeited eflates. 1 have much to fay upon the fubjedl, but you will find the fubftance of my plan, in a note, in my " Defence of the Quebec A(5l," publiihed when that aifl pafled ; it is intitled " the Jufticc and Policy, &c. vindicated." Watfon, the Bookfeller, in Capel-ftreet, has them, I beg mj r'^ncits to my Lord Lieutenant, and am, Dear Sir, &c. &c. WILL. KNOX. i • No. XXIIL ■ ' . .' ■■.'•'. To W I LL» Knox, F/^. ■:. . DubimCaJlk, loth Mty, 1778. SIR, : -:, . I LAST night received, by exprefs, your letter of the 4thin{lant, communicating to mc, for the information of my Lord Lieutenant, the particulars which pafTcd in a conference between y rou [ =32 ] you and the iron and hemp manufadlurcrs* de- puties, and defiring an opinion from hence upon the propofition intended to remove the objedion made by the feycral traders and ma- nufacturers intereflcd in the bills now before the Britilh Parliament, viz. " That all Irifh " manufacSlurcs which fliall be exported, in ^' confcqucnce of the liberty to be now grant- " ed, fhall carry out with them a duty equal tc *' that which remains upon thofe of the fame " denomination exported from England.'* I have by his Excellency's diredlions in- formed the Speaker of the Iloufe of Commons, the Prime Serjeant and Attorney General, and fome other members of the firfl confequence in the Houfc of Commons, of the import of your letter. And I difpatch this to you, at their defire, by a m.eflengcr, to acquaint you, that none of thofe genrlemen have, nor have I, the fmallefl apprehcnfion that a propofition {o rcafonable, and upon which meafures of great national importance will depend, can fail of being cheerfully adopted by thisHoufe of Commons. I therefore wi(h joi^ would have hills drazvfi in Englatid. a?id the draughts fent O'jcr^ as the beft mode of informing us what it u [ 233 ] IS precifely that you exped from our Parlia- ment ', and I am the more defirous of receiving the information of what is expeded by Great Britain in this mode, as thefe being money bills, cannot, if we fhould miftake your inten- tions, be altered when fent to England, with- out great inconvenience ; and as the feflion is drawing towards a conclufion, there will be no time for explanations. I have given diredlions to the mefTengcr who brings the letter to wait your orders, and I wifli to receive the draughts of the bills we are to pafs by him as foon as they can be prepared, and you fhall fee the bills you are pafTing arc fafe with you, / am direBed hy my Lord Lieutenant to mah his acknowledgments for the ajjljlance you have given^ and your attention to him in this hufinejs j and am, SIR, Your mofl obedient, Humble fervant, K. HERON. To I 234 } No. XXIV. To the Right Ilmoiirahk Mr. Heron. Whitehall, May 14, 1 77S. Dear Sir, YOUR letter by exprefs arrived very for- tunately. The violence of fome of our friends excited fuch a jealoufy of the determined pur- pofe of the gentlemen connccSled with Ireland, to carry matters with a high hand, and allow no compromife or modification, that a fpirit was lifing which would foon have put an end to all our expedations, Mr. Robinfon told me on Wednefday, that he had received more than twenty raefTages from gentlemen who had voted for the comriitment of the bills, acquainting him that they had done fo with a view of giv- m2, fomethitig to Ireland j but as they under- ftood all was meant to be contended for\ they would now vote for their rcje6lion : I immedi- ately fen t to Mr. Gafcoyne, who had taken a ftrong part againfl the import bill, and ho was fo obliging to come to me. He told mc he had been with the Manchefter and Liverpool peo- ple, and that, finding their ftrcngth, they were determined that day to put a fliort queflion upon the import bill. • I will [ 235 1 I will not trouble you with a detail of onr converfation ; but it ended in tny. propojtng to except^ out -of the expert hili^ cottons of all dcno- 7nmatwns mixed or ur: mixed ^ German lincm^ printed or Jiained^ ditto giuipoivder, gi^f/s^ i'ops, beaver ivool, hats^ coais^ ivoolien manufd^nre in all its branches. The fugars, lie contended, could not be given up wiiliout druwing on the intire ruin of Liverpool and Lanciilerj but if they v.erc excepted he had a good argument to ufe for the allowance of the exports, Vv'hicli was, that the bulky goods remaining, freiglit for their manufacliires would be always had at an eafy rate, and that would fecurc them a market. I would h:ive offered an additional duty on the fugars directly imported, and gave him the inclofed paper as a proportion ; but nothing would b^ admitted but an abfolute ex- ception. He went however from me in {o good a temper, that he perfuaded the com- mittee for oppofing the bills, to avoid coming to a qucfiion that day ; and meeting Sir Lucius O'Brien, a propofal for accommodation was taken into confideration, and the gentlemen of Ireland fummoned to meet next morning at Lord George Germaine's ofEcc j the rcfult oi that meeting was, to endeavour to obtain the export the l!' I Wl ;iil of our "opo/tng to all dcno- n linens ^ 'uii^iire in intended, ig on tlic iler } but ir'2;umcrit ts, which 5, frciglit vavs had c them a :lditionaI md 2;ave on ; but lute cx- ic in (0 ic com- coraino; Lncius ion was itlcmcn nornin:]: ■cfult 0^ :ain the export [ 236 ] export bill, with the exceptions I have men- tioned i but a point that had been infiftcd on by the Mancheftcr people, viz. the taking ofT the duty on the exportation of yarn from ire- land, was to be refifted. This day the committee on the import bill adjourned till Monday fe'nnight, in order to give an opportunity for the export bill to make a progrefs in the mean time. And if it paiTes, with the exceptions I mentioned, I imagine the import bill will not be deferred to the next feflion. The taking off tlie duty upon the yarn is ftill contended for j but I have no doubt the Manchefter people will be beat upon the qucilion. I give this hafly account, that you may be able to judge of the ftate of things, and form your minds to receive with thankfulnefs what it is likely will be granted, which, in truth, is more than I cxpedled, after the imprudent in- terference of the friends of Ireland, as they called tkeuifelves. I beg my befl refpeds to my Lord Lieutenant j and am, &c. WILL. KNOX. The i 1 ill [ 237 ] The paper inclofed vjitJi the foregoing. There is, at prefent, no Weft-India commo- dities imported into the weftern part of Ireland. The inhabitants of that part of Ireland confume no rum, and fcarccly any fugar; whatever therefore of thofe commodities may be import- ed into thofe parts will be an increafe of the prefent confumption, and no diminution of the trade from London, Briftol and Liverpool, to Ireland. Sugars, if diredly imported into Ireland, would now pay Qd. per cwt. more duty than fugars imported from England. An additional duty of i6d. upon fugars imported diredly, added to the prefent duty, will prevent any part of Ireland that now imports fugars from England from importing them diredly, and therefore the trade, with refped to them, will continue on its prefent footing. But the wef- tern parts may find it for their advantage to pay the additional duty, and open a dired trade with the Weft Indies. It t i'iB ] onig, ia commo- of Ireland, d con fume whatever be import- afe of the tion of the vcrpool, to Ireland, |duty than additional diredly, [event any gars from 6ily, and hem, will the wcf- ntage to a dired It It is therefore propofed that an additional duty of i6d. per cvvt. be laid in Ireland upon all fugars imported dired^ly from the plantations into Ireland, and that no duty be repaid upon the re-exportation of refined fugars from Ire- land to the plantations. No. XXV. Right Honour able Mr. Her ox. Whitehall, i6th Mdj, 177S. Dear Sir, IN my letter by laft night's poft I gave you fome account of what had pafTed in the Iloufe of Commons, and at the meetings which had been held with theoppofcrs of the bills for the purpofe of accommodation. The export bill is to be read the fccond time on Monday, and to be committed on Tucfday ; Mr. Wcthcrall is employed in the mean time to prepare an exad ftatc of the duties the Par- liament of Ireland is to impofe on goods ex- ported, in order to make the charge equal to that which the Englifli goods carry out with them agreeable to what has been agreed on, but as that [ 239 ] that will take fomc time, and you mufl then pafs bills in confequcncc, we arc apprehenfivc the Parliament here will not fit long enough to admit of thofe bills arriving here, and wc doubt if the Houfc of Commons will pafs the export bill upon the credit of our undertaking that fuch duties fliall be laid. To obviate this difli- , culty, we have thought of propofing a claufc [. to be inferted in ihc export bill, reflrainingin cCfc^ the operation of that bill until your Par- liament fliall have impofcd fuch duties : and I fend you a draught of a claufe wlr Lord Nugent, Sir Lucius O'Brien and myfeir, think will anfwer the purpofc : but as the ground is very delicate, and if it fliould excite any jea- loufy in Irehnd, the mifchicf would be great, we think it beft to fend it to you by your mef- fengcr for your confidcration, or alteration in what manner you may think profx^r : but we beg you would return it, or what you think would be more lit in tlie place of it, as expe- ditioufly as polFiblc, that the palTjge of the bill may not be delayed ; for it mufl be added in the Houfe of Commons, and tha third read- ing of the bill kept back for it. I am, Dear Sir, &c. &c. WILL. KNOX. No. t 240 ] [fl then hen five )ugh to c doubt I export ng that lis difli- 1 claufc ining in lur Par- : and r Lord 1, think onnd is my jea- ireat, ur mef- tion in 311 1 we til ink s expe- of the :; added d read- OX. No. No. XXVL Rrght Honourahk Mr. Heron. JVhilehall, n^th May, 1778. Dear Sir, I AM at Lord Nugent's with Sir John Bla- quierc and Mr. Burke, celebrating the pafTage of the export bill through the committee with the exceptions I mentioned. A laufe was pro- pofed, requiring a duty upon Irifli linen yarn exported to England to be taken off, as the condition of granting the liberty of exporting the manufadures not excepted, but I have the pleafure to inform you it was rejecfled by a ma- jority of 79 to 33. Lord North diflinguiflied himfelf as a patron of the bill, and an oppofer of the claufe, and every gentleman who could have been expcded from connexion or fitua- tion to take a part, fhewed a zeal that cxprefTcd their attachment to the caufc of Ireland j thofe efpecially in whofc company I write took a very warm part, that it was alfo an able one no body will doubt. I think the bill is pretty fafe, though not out of danger, and I fend you this account by ex- prefs li [ 241 ] prefs to quiet your appreboQllons nnd kqcp np your fpirits, but not to tlvjqwc your anxiety entirely- for' as f/me is our adverfary, there is no faying what advantage our opponents may niaKC of fuch an ally. I am, Dear Sir, &:c. &c. Sec. WILL. KNOX. P. S. The bill for repealing the ad of Queen Anne,refpeding thclriil"! Roman Catholics, was read a fecond time this day without oppofition. No. XXVIL William Kxox, £/^, Dear Sir, I YESTERDAY received vour letter of the 14th, by the mail, and by the meffcn- ger that of the i6th, inclofing a claufc pro- pofed to be infertcd in your export bill. In my former letters to you, upon this fubjcifl, I had mentioned that there was no doubt but the Parliament of Ireland would chearfully concur in your propofition for equalizing the duties on goods to be exported from hence, un- a der ^m ccp np nxiety :here is ts may s[OX. Queen C3, was fition. Jtter of lefTcn- e pro- II. In ijca, I bt but :ir fully ig the e, un- der [ 24^ ] deryour a(^, tothofc which thcEnglifh good& carry out with them. But as you think it may- be expected the claufe you fent me, and which 1 Hiall return, fhould be inferted in the ad, I conferred to-day in the Speaker's chamber with many of the principal gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons, as well thofe who arc the particular friends of Government, as thofe who have not any immediate connexion with Ad- miniflration, and am perfuadcd, from what pafTed, that our Parliament would immediately lay fuch duties upon the goods to be export- ed from hence, by virtue of your export bill, as this claufc is calculated to obtain. It was therefore the wiOi of gentlemen the bill fliould pafs without a claufe, which fecms to cxprefs a doubt of the Parliament here doing what is right in this rcfpcd, and which is the lefs nc- cedary, as Ireland hopes for further benefits, and cannot befo impolitic as to forfeit her claim to them, by an ill iifc of what is now to be granted. However, if the claufe is infiHcd upon, the gentlemen fcemcd of opinion the infcrt- ing it could not occafion difTatisfadion here upon the ground you mention, and in what- ever way you pafs the bill it is defired that the moft cxa6l account may be fent cf the duties -HS^a I !l (I I' E 243 ] duties and taxes, the goods, &c. imported from Great Britain, ftand charged with, including the duties or taxes paid upon the fabric or im- portation thereof, or the materials thereof, and not drawn back upon exportation, that thePar- liament, in laying on the duties here, may be fure they proceed correclly in it. Imiijl not conceal that the long train of excep- tions in this bill^ particular Ij that refpe&ing cot- ton , and the poJJpon'mg the import bill to the next Jejfion^ were, after the high exbe^ations, con- ceived a "jery great d if appointment here, but in this d f appoint ?nent they do not forget thejlretnious efforts of their friends, and fee ni extremely Je?fihk of their exertion and zeal through the whole f this mof importa?it bufnefs. I am, dear Sir, With great refped and efceem, Your ".lofl faithful, And obedient fcrvant, R. FIERON. Dublin Cafle, li2dMay^ 1778. O 2 N. [ 244 ] wj", con- No. XXVIII. 7b William Knox, Efq-^ Dear Sir, / AM exceedingly chligedhy your letter of the lOjtli^ acquainting me the export bill had gone through the Co?nmittee. I hope it will proceed without farther amendments. The Speaker fhewed me to-day a printed bill with the excep- tions as propafed, and copies ' the provifocs, of all which he approves j aiiJ ?iow people's minds begin too cool^ they are fcJifihk of the adva?i' tagesyou have procured to this country j — I mean all reafonable people, who will foon fatisfy the reft how thankful they ought to be to England forthefc concefTions, and to the friends of this country for having procured them. But the unanimity with v/hicli the refolutions paiTed had flattered Ireland every thing would be granted, and being afterwards alarmed with the apprchenfion of lofing every thing, the minds of people of all ranks were flrangely agitated, and the lower order feeling at the fame time great I III HII Mi. ! 1 Wl||fl ii 1 Hi Mm 1 1 M|| 1^ ' 1 i 1 J . iiyi ' . [ 245 ] - great dlfirefs from the fcarcity of provlfion?, and the want of work, it is certain the diHip- pointment would have produced a "ciokiit con- vulJio?i in this kingdom." The criiis of this fever is pafT-^-d j that which will be produced by agitating queilions refpecling the Popery Lav.s will, I fee, be very violent, but does not fecm of i^ dangerous a tendency as the other. The quellion is between the individuals of tb.e fame country, and the party which is beat will have only to lament its being the weaker. The other would have become a queftion, and an ugly one as it fhould feem, between nation and nation. Mr. Gardiner will, I believe, move to-morrow for leave to bring in heads of a bill for relief of his Majefly's Roman Catholic fubjeds of Ire- land. He is not yet determined what to prj- pofe ; there is a general idea of putting the Ro- man Catholics of Ireland upon tlie fame footing with the Roman-atholics of England. Govern- ment will fupport. the motion for leave to bring in heads of a bill. There will be a flrong op- pofition againfl any alteration whatever, and a violent one againfl repealing the gavellirig claufe, which tlie Roman Catholics abhor, and their oppofers, even mode rate men, confidcr as the palladium of Ireland. It \vill therefore be ivifion?, e difap- 'e?it con- of this .r.ced by ry Laws lot fecm ;r. The th.e fame ;ill have 'he other ugly one i nation. |-morro\v rehef of s of hc- to pro-' the Ro- :. footin;^ Govern- to bring long op- r, and a V thing ,ior, and onfidcr creforc bo [ 246 ] be very difficult to get rid of this claufe ; but, having done that, you will be fuppofed to have done every thing, and may, in another fcirion, blot tiie word Papift out of their fla- tutes. I conclude your Parliament will foon rife; when we fliall be able to do the fame one cannot even conjc6lure, I have the honour to be, Dear Sir, , Your much obliged , And faithful humble fcrvant, Dublin Cajile, R. HERON, No. XXIX. R/g/it Honour able Air. Heron. Soho Square^ May 26th^ ^77^. Dear Sir, THE mclfcngcr that had the c'.re of your letter of the Z26. inflant did not deliver it to me before eight o'clock laft night. An accident that had happened to me that morning con- fined me at home, but I had the pleafure to hear the export bill v/as read the third time in the «ii'i [ ■' ' '-•r'hrt 1*1 ni l m'rt J t 247 ] the Houfc of Commons, and carried up to the Lords time enough to receive a firft reading that day. I do not apprehend it will meet with any material oppofition in its pafTage through the Houfe of Lords.. Sir Lucius O'Brien fent the Speaker a copy of the bill after the report of the Committee, and it has undergone no alte- ration, fince you will fee by it that a claufe to the efFccl of the one I fent you, and you re- turned, is inferted, and I am glad to find it will occafion no je.doufy on your fide j it could not be omitted, for you nuift confider it was not Parliament that required it, or Parliament that was to be fatisficd without it, but the ma- nufacturers and their reprefentatives. The claufe refpedting the iron was alfo required by the manufadlurers of that commodity, and wx had much ado to avoid others for the foap and cordage. And in truth I could not blarr:e tlic trades-people for infifting upon better fecurity than Sir Lucius's or my declaration that v,c would reprefent the matter ; and even your letter to me, though fufHciently fatisfadory to every gentleman in Parliament, was not fuch fecurity as manufad^urers are accuflomed to truft to ; however, I am very happy that the bufinefs has been carried through even in the way it has, and I think fuch a foundation is laiJ up to the \ readins; neet with - through n fent the report of e no alte- \ claufe to id you re- , to find It ; • it could der it was Parliament .n tlie ma- ves. The ev^^uired by y, and we : foap and blame thii er fecurlty that we ven your sfadory to not fuch ftomcd to that the vcn in the Indation is laiJ [ 248 ] laid as we may ercd an engine upon to full the two ijliuids together fome time hence ^ and until that happens Ireland will be increafing in wealth, population, and revenue. From the de- fire you exprefs in your former letter, of having an exad ilaie of the duties you were to impofe fent to you, I thought it right to enter into the fubjedl with the agents for the feveral mann- fadurers. Mr. Wctherall's prefence was a great advantage, and he, with the afTiflance of an able officer belonging to the cuftom-houfe here, went through the book of rates, examining and comparing the duties in each ifland upon each article. The foap proved a difficult one. The dyity upon barilla imported here is 4s. 6d. per cwt.the fame duty is laid in Ireland, but with the exception of isohat may he for the ufe of the linen mamfatlure^ under which ex- ception the w-hole imported into Ireland has avoided the duty. Such being the cafe I could not fet the Irifli duty againft the Britifli, yet as our object was foap exported^ which could not be faid to be for the Irifh linen manufac- ture, all barilla ufed in making foap for expor- tation muft either pay the duties, or the im- porters be perjured. The latter, I much fear- ed, would be the cafe j and, therefore, inflead of I [ l 1 t'249 ] - of making the importer's oath ftrongcr, and to except foap for exportation, I judged it be'ft to accommodate upon the footing of the barilla duty in IrcLind being repealed, in order to fave the confclences of my countrymen, without prejudice to the revenue. The next difficulty refpeiTcing this article was, the duty upon tal- low exported from Ireland ; for the Briftol and Lancafliire foap-makers declared that the greatcft part of the foap they exported to the Weft Indies was made of Irifh tallow, it being of a harder nature,, and therefore kept better in a hot climate than either Englifh or Ruffia tallow. This point I would not difcufs ; I flood to the terms of the agreement, which could only mean that native com7nodities Jhoiild be Jet againjl native commodities^ and fore igii againji foreign. That if they allowed their tal- low to be exported to Ireland without any duty, then they might complain of the duty upon *Irilh' tallow ; but as the Irilh could not have theirs at any rate, they ought to be thankful to the Irifli for fufFering them to have theirs at fo low a duty &«? is. 6d. per cwt. This reafoning prevailed, and they gave up the point. ' Another [ 250 ] Another charge they had to mr.ke was the duty on ftimps of their bonds and certificates, &c. all vvliich upon a medium they fairly made out amounted to fixpence per hundred ; the duty on fait ufed in making an hundred of foap was threepence ; and with the barilla duty, which was two iliillings and three-pence for half a hundred, made the whole amount to three fhillings, which we had a duty of fixpence to fet againft. But by much debating we got ofFthe flanip duty ; and by reprefenting that our foap-boilers made ufe of kelp inftead of barilla, and that our foap was inferior to theirs, they were brought to agree that we fliould lay an additional duty of one fhilling and fixpence Irifii on all our foap exported to the colonies ; and that if the Parliament thought fit to take off the duty on barilla imported, it was not to affe6t the agreement. This I thought a good bargain for Ireland, cfpccially as I am certain barilla mufi: be ufcd by the Irifh foap-boilcrs for what they fend to the Weft Indies ; but it is fair to Lord Nusrent and Sir Lucius that I fliould tell you, they did not go -vcith me eiitirely in this bargain. Lord Hillfborough, whom [ have fince talked with on the fubjed, thinks ought to lay on a much higher duty J foap ! ' I I ;: i I i f I [ 3SI 1 foap is a material for the linen manufai^uro, and a large exportation might injure it. Candles you have a (hilling per hundred on, and tlicre is no duty upon candles exported from Great Britain J but from compafTion to the Lanea- fhire people, who convinced me they now ex- ported candles made of Irifli tallow, to the amount of ten thoufand pounds, 3.x\d perhaps out of a little policy to /often the rejetitmeiit oftlmt country^ I promifed I would recommend it to you to lay fixpence/'^'r cwt. more on Irifli can- dles, but I undertook nothing. The cordage would have been a greater difficulty than the foap, if Lord North had not removed the ob- jection, liemp pays a duty upon importation here, and all cordage, except what is exported to the colonies, has a bounty eo^ual to it. Any duty that you might lay could eafily be evaded by declaring the cord-iG;e to be for the fhip's flores i and it is known that you do now fend cordage to the colonies in that ivay. A duty equal to that paid here upon the importation of hemp I would not hear of j and I knew the duty on hemp imported here could not be given up, and therefore the only way of accom- modating both fides was to extend the bounty to Britifh cordage exported to the colonies j and . t 252 ] and upon my ftating the matter to Lord North, he at once agreed to it i:oith that chcerfulnefs xM which he has done ez'ery thing for Ireland t la's \jcffion it was pojjihle to expect. The leather, which is almofl the only remaining arlicic on which Ireland has not as high or higher duties upon exportation than remain here, has been fettled by Mr. Wetherall : no agent appeared for the manufadurers, and therefore we could not make an agreement. In the whole pro- ^refs of this bufinefs, and in the conduifl of all future matters of the kind, thcwantofa Board of Trade or other ofhce in Ireland, to tranfacfl with, has been, and muft be feverely felt. In- deed the Speaker and Sir Lucius O'Brien have inoft kindly fupplied the dcfe6l in the prcfent inflance ; but you muft not always cxpe6l the two gentlemen who mofl pofTefs the confidence of the Houfc of Commons on commercial fub- jeds, v/ill take the fame trouble upon all future cccafions. The advantage you will make of the conceflions obtained for you will much depend upon the regulations trade is put un- der j and a receptacle and depofit for commercial knowledge is the only means of colledlino; and bringing into ufe the information upon which fuch regulations ought to be founded. You will ,i I Ml [ 253 ] will therefore, I hope, pnrdon me forhintin^ to you the propriety of follovviug thefe conccf- fions on the part of England, by the appoint- ment of a Chamber of Commerce, or Board of Trade, or fome fuch like office, to fuperintend your trade, to watch over the laws pafTed here, and to colled information by correfponding with all parts to which you can carry on a trade. I will now put an end to this long epiftle, by requeuing you to prefcnt my beft refpeds to my Lord Lieutenant, and humble thanks for the obliging notice he has taken of my little endeavours to promote his Excellency's vviHics for the advantage of Ireland, and begging you to believe me with great regard, Dear Sir, &c. WILL. KNOX. P. S. The fifhcry and the fhip claufe were not objeded to. By the Newfoundland fifliery returns it appears there have been iivo thoiifami] more Irtjh employed there in each year Jince th | liberties gratited to Ireland than before. No. r hinting b conccf- appoint- Board of pcrintend .{Ted here, idingwitli I trade. I spiftle, by efpeds to thanks for f my little y's wifllCS gging you NOX. aufe were' nd fiflicry !0 thoufarii] irjincc th\ [ ^54 ] No. XXX. Right Honour ahk Mr, Heron. Whitehall^ Z^th May, 177S. Dear Sir, NO circumftance has arifen in the Houfc of Commons on the fccond reading or commit- ment of the export bill that would have given occafion to me to trouble you with another let- ter, after the very long one I difpatched by your meffenger on Ttiefday evening. The fhare I have been obliged to take in the Irifh bufi- nefs has, however, \c6. fome perfons here to ima- gine that I ought to continue to correfpond with you upon every matter of importance to Ireland that is in agitation here j and there- fore I am now to give you fome account of the Popery bills. The one for repealing the firft of Queen Anne I apprized you of in a former letter, as intended to remove an obflrudion out of the way of the Irifli Parliament to their extending the rights of men to the Roman Catholics ; and at the fame time give a ftrong intimation of the fcnfe \\ ml ; Ri i W [ 255 ] fenfe of Parliament here, that fuch ufe ought to be made of it. The fentiments of indivi- duals correfponded with the public meafurej fcarce a member fpoke againft the export or import bills but reprobated the Irifli policy of opprefling and rendering ufelefs the better half of the inhabitants. Kow can that government, it was faid, complain of narrow and confined condud in England towards them, when they perfiit in a plan infinitely more narrow and perfccuting with regard to their own people. But another ftep has been taken by Parliament here that will operate more powerfully than the intimation conveyed by the bill I have mentioned. Another bill has been brought in for relievina; the Roman Catholics of Great Britain from many of the reftraints and hard- fhips laid upon them by the laws of this coun- try; and I have the fatisfadion to tell you that this bill pafTcd the lloufe of Commons with only one diflenting voice ; and has been read twice, and yeflerday went through the Com- mittee of the Lords without any material # amendment or alteration. Both bills have been fupported by the whole Bench of Bifliops, and the DilTcntcrs have been zealous promoters of them, as a proof of the liberality of their fentiments, [ 256 ] fentiments, and an inducement to grant them indulgences they huve heretofore in vain foli- citcd. If this example flioiild fail of influenc- ing the Irifli Parliament to take fome fiep in favour of the Irifli Roman Catholics, their want of liberality will bring on them the re- proach of even the Scotch Prefbyterians, v. ho have gone cheerfully with the Britifli mcaftire. But a worfe con fequence than reproach will follow to Ireland, if their bigotry gets the bet- ter of their policy : every Roman Catholic of property will quit tlie kingdom and remove into Great Britain. The liberties juft granted to you in trade will be of no advantage; for vou will neither have money to carry on an cxtenfive commerce, nor hands to employ. I inclofe the copies of the bills, that the gentle- men of Ireland may fee what is doing here j and I flatter myfelf they will adopt the mea- fure, and not fuffcr this feffion to pafs over without manifefting to their countrymen an equal regard for their happinefs as the Britifli Parliament has teflified. I am, Dear Sir, &c. WILL. KNOX. l! ! i No. II [ 257 ] . No. XXXI. '' To William Knox, F/^-, Dear Sir, SIR Lucius O'Brien, Mr Wetherall, and Mr. Fofler, the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, have, with the ailiflance of the Attorney General and the Commiifioners of the Revenue, fettled the duties which are to be laid on fuch articles of the manufacture and produce of the kingdom, as are by the ad you have pafTed this feflion permitted to be exported from hence to the Plantations in America, the Weft Indies, and to Africa, fo as to raife the duties here on thofc articles to as high an amount as articles of the fame quality exported from Great Britain are chargeable with j and the Attorney General has prepared heads of a bill, which will be brought into the Houfc to-day, for laying on thofe duties. This ope- ration has been a difficult one, notvjithjlaiiding all the ajlJiflancey oil have ghemis. But I believe, from the abilities and care of the gentlemen who have been employed in it, that it will be found properly executed, and conformable to R the -^.■^- ■%- .:V^--x,^^. j.^^^^^,^. .^ I 258 ] the intention of the Britilh Icgiflaturc, and of the manufa<5turers in GreatBritain, fo as to en- title Ireland to the full benefit of your export The raifmg duties here upon articles carrying out a charge in their export from England to as high an amount as thofe articles carry out from England, is a meafure required by the Britifh ad of Parliament. A.nd as that ad has given to Ireland the full liberty of exporting to the fame plantations the produce or manufadurc to Ireland, certain articles excepted, and all goods the produce or manufadlure of Great Britain, certain articles excepted, and all cer- tificate goods, fome gentlemen here have thought that, according to the principles of equality profefTed by your export ad, thefe fevernl articles fhould be exported from hence upon the fame terms as they are exported from Great Britain, according to the fcheme I inclofe, and they have brought in heads of a bill for that purpofc. I acquainted thefe gentlemen that notwith- flanding the feeming equity of this propofition, as my Lord Lieutenant had noinflrudions upon the fubjcd, and as it was no part of what is required iiliM«WI nut., . ' I 1 [ 2<9 ] required by the BrltiHi a6l, his Excellency could neither fuffcr it to be implicated in thnt ad with the other propofition, nor could he give i.iiy countenance to fuch a bill, as it was ini^oirr.^ie to forefce what objedion might arifc to it 'q England. His Excellency could therefore neither permit the bill for raifing the duties (in which no alteration could be made in EnL'- land, it being a money bill) to be hazarc'cd 7 the infcrtion of any thing not required by ♦he BritiHi ad, nor could any way concur in th»..r meafurc, as the doing fo might be dccncd the holding out a falfe expedation, if there (hould appear to theBritiili miniftry any reafons i-'or re- jeding their bill. They have, however, prepared and brought in heads of fuch a bill, in as guarded a manner as could be done, and it muft take its chance in Enirland. T^oie will Judge of the propriety of the vieafure by the inclofed papers^ and I trouble you with them now, that you may confider the propriety of it when the bills Jhall he tranfmittedfrom the council. You have, J doubt not, heard of the auk- ward flate of the bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics of this kingdom. The op- /o/frj-of this bill grew every day more warm, R 2 till, iiiiiAi « ,ii>iii^,,iW,t,'r .'ti-. ,u.'..^ ^ i t ii «i iii '-'--"-'ir' >ii i [ 260 ] till, contrary to what tlicrc was rcafon to cxpe6l, they joined the Prcfl)yterians, and together in- fcrtcd a claufe for repeal of the facramcntal left, enabled here by the 2d of Anne, intitled An a<5l to prevent tlie further growth of po- tt it pcry >> the 1. iw wliich created the difabihties, the prefent bill intended to remove. They in- trodnccd this chiufe from an opinion that the repeal of the teft would be difagrceable to Go- vernment, and therefore obftrud the bill. If the bill retLirns from England without this claufe, there will be difhcidty in carrying it through the Commons; if with the claufe, in carrying it through the Lords. The hiftory of this teft law is, that it was tacked to the fe- cond of Anne in England with a view to oc- cafion that law being thrown out upon its return hither. The repeal of the teft is now tacked to the heads of this bill, for relief againfl thofe difabilitics, with a view to occafion Its being thrown out in England, or rcjedled here by the Lords. I am. Sir, With great refpc£l, Your moft obedient. Humble fervant, Dublin Cajile^ ^une 24> 1773. R. H E R O N, June 24, 177 '1 No. ^«Utf ■■.■Y:::-:i::«^j'i-A>i\:.v,.it=- .j:,iv^ ^;t*.i nmy . . . r ..i » ..i n i. - i n * >. , ''!,i ( I, I 26, ] No. XXXII. • ' To William Knox, EJ^. Dear Sir, THE mefTenger who will deliver you this carries over feveral bills, of which two are our export bills. My Lord Lieutenant has wrote to the Lord Prcfident, Lord North and Lord Weymouth upon the fubjecSl, and has furnifhed their Lordiliips, in addition to his private letter, with an explanation of the principles of the bills, and I fhall enclofe to you a copy of that paper. In my letter to Mr. Robinfon I have referred him to my laft letter to you. By mif- take a copy of the bill for equalizing the duties is not made, which I alfo intended to enclofe to you. Our manufli(f^ures here are in a moft wretched fituation, and we have now reafon to apprehend very bad confequences from the inability of the mafters to continue their jour- neymen at the loom. They have been fup- ported a long time by fubfcriptions, which are now exhaufted ; and the maflers alledge they have an urcommon flock on hand and no money, fo that there is reafon to apprehend feme diforder. This country had means of conveying L 262 ] conveying their m ami failures abroad, which have been flopped, and if their ports are not now opened, the country muft be undone. There has, however, within thefe few days, been a confiderable rife in the hncn, which may have fome efFed. I hope there will not be found any reafon for rejeding either of the export bills. I wifh you would fee his Excel- lency's privp.te letter refpeding the bills, for I have not time to fend you a copy of it. I am, Your moft obedient, Humble fervant, R. HER OR Dublin Cajlle^ id Jul)/, 1778. No. XXXIII. To William Knox, Efq, Dear Sir, LORD Nugent has wrote to our Speaker, dc- firing fome perfon might be fentfrom hence to folicit and explain the export bills which were fent by the mefTenger laft night. If thersr. was any I ii i ,■1 !i [ 263 ] any pcrfon here competent to the undertaking, that could be prevailed on to go, my Lord Lieutenant would mof\ readily fend him over, but there really is not. And I fliould hope the explanation which his Excellency has tranf- mittcd with the bills, of which I have fent you a copy, and that I now enclofe, would, -with your friendly aid^ be fufncient for the pnr- pofe. 1 am therefore direBcdhy my ILord LicutCTjant iorequejl you will be fo kind as to give us y cur bejl fervices upon the occafon. lam jenfihle I need not mention any inducement to you \ hut really thc'JIale of our ynanufiEtures isfuch as requires every idea ofbeneftjiiould he held out to this country^ ivhich can with propriety he done^ in order to keep up the fpirits of people, whicii are much aliened ; and if all profpe(£l of advantage from your ex- port bill Hiould be loft by the reje(ftion of the bills fcnt from hence, it might have a very ill cfFedl here, the bills being for fo iliort a time j and as any thing v/hich may want corre^ing may be done in the next fefTion of this P.:rlia- ment, his Excellency hopes no diiEcDlty can be made to the pailins, them. over, pc the tranf- 2 fcnt vonld, ic pnr- utc??nnt icur heft need not th.iftale ery idea y, lijhich r^eep np levied ; our ex- ot the very ill :\ time; :>rres5lbg ,y can be S [ -M- ] ^j / have CDrrefpoiideJ '•joith you upon the for- mer part of, this biifincfs, I do not trouble Sir Grey Cooper j)r Air. Rohinfon upon the fuhjecf^ knowing it will be cornmunicated ?nore effedually to them by you than any thing I could write , . • I cnclofe herewith copies of the heads of the bills, and a (late, explaining the duties, which are granted by the bill. I prefume it may be ncccfTary to have a foli- citor appointed to attend the progrefs of this bufinefs, as it may meet with obdrudion from the manufacturers of Great Britain. And I trufl you will.be fo kind as to appoint a fo- licitor for this purpofc, to whom I will be an- fwerable for the fees he fliall pay to Counfel, and all other expenfe that fliall be incurred, •' ' • I have the honour to be, Dear iSir, . .1 . ; •,. i Your moft obedient, Humble fervant, Dublin Cafllc, >i'4,.i778. • . • R. HERON, ii No. [ 265 ] No. XXXIV. t Right Honourable Mr. Herox. }VhitehaJU dth July, 1778. Dear Sir, I HAVE this moment received yonr favour of the 2d infiant by the meffcnger, and am gl.id to find the bills arc arrived of which you gjve me an account 1 a former letter. That for equalizing the duties, by augmcntingthofe pay- able in Ireland, correfponds entirely with the conditions of the Englifh ad, and the traders to whom I communicated the copy you fcnt objecl to nothing but the want of an additional fixpence upon candles. That omifTion will not, however, obflrnd the return of the bill. The other bill is an extenfion of the principle on which the firft is founded, and in moft parti will, I think, be acqulefced in by the traders; but there is one p;;rticular which will require fome alteration. The redu<51ion of the prefent duties on Irifh manufadurcs exported from Ire- land, to a level with the duties paid on the e%- port of fimilar manufadurcs of Englifh fabrick from England, is confident with the idea of | equality adopted in the former cafe. But when the \m y. «778- ir favour i am 2,1-d you g^ivc That for ihofepny- with the he traders you fcnt dditional n will not, ill. The inciplc on moft parts le traders ; f\\\ require Ithe prefent d from Irc- on the cx- lifh fabrick the idea of But when the [ 266 ] thelnfh materials pay a duty upon their export to England, and the manufa^5\urc from Eng- land carries out i/iat diiiy^ if thelrifh manufac- ture pays none, the Irifh will evidently have an advantage over the Englifh manufadlure, both being made of \.hc fdvje Iri/h materials. The inflance of tallow and candles will ex- plain my meaning j and, in refpeifl to thofe ar- ticles, I am pretty fure the Privy Council will not confent to your taking oiFthe onefliilling per emit.* now charged upon candles, if you continue the is. 6d.on tallow fent to England : and how extraordinary muft it appear to the traders to find, inftcad of an additional duty of 6d. the old duty of is. 6d. we told them of taken ofF? If this bill for taking off duties be a money bill, I do not know how to fave it ; but there are two ways of amending it, if it be amenjdable. Tlie one is, to infert in the lift of exceptions candles and every other article which pays a duty either upon its material or maiuifa<3ure upon its export to England. The other, to take ofF the duty upon fuch, or its material going to England. If you have any means of doing either by an additional bill, I lean get this bill kept back until fuch an one lean arrive. . i • TiiJs iras a nsUt^-^ke iu t!ic copy feat mc. The i;( i! i t 267 ] ' • The Roman Catholics' bill is, I think, in jeopardy. Lord George Gcrmaine has acquain- ted my Lord Lieutenant with what puffed upon the fubjed on Thurfday. Inftcad of repealing the teit entirely, I have propofed a partial repeal in refpetfl to military commillions, to fliew con- fidence in the DiflTenters by trufting them v\ ith the fword i at the fame time, the church and civil government would remain fafc from their interference. I propofed to -dd alfo a ropehl of the Churchwardens* oath and qualificati(.>n, fo far as to enable the DiflTenters to execute the office themfelves. and fave the expenfe of de- puties J and indeed all chrijiians ought to join in taking away the oath ; for no man can now take it without expojing himjelfto ruin by complying with^ cr perjury by evading it *. I give you this information from myfelf upon the inftant, for there arc no minifters in town, and therefore I do not wifh this letter to be confidered as containing any opinions but my own. The feveral matters I have written to you upon in the courfe of laft feflions will probably ♦ The Primate has Cnce difpenfed with the oath. corae [ 268 ] come again into difcnfTion : and as I have kept no copies of my letters, 1 muft beg the favour of you to fend me copies when your ofHcc people are at leifure. I beg my refpeds to my Lord Lieutcna:,t, and am, • Dear Sir, &c. &c. WILL. KNOX. No. XXXV. To William Knox, FJj. Dear Sir, I HAVE confulted with ^-jch crentlemen who are in town, that are convcrfant with the fubje(5l of your letter, and we have looked over the two bills refpeding the exports from this kingdom (Sir Lucius O'Brien being one of thofe gentlemen), from which it fecms that the objcdion made with refped to candles is not founded, as candles are included in the excep- tions [ 269 3 tions in the fecond bill j fo that if the firP:, which is for raifing the duties, is not excepti- onable, it follows that, candles being exceptc.'. in the fecond bill, there is nothing in that b'' . to afFedt the principles of the firfl ; and thcv do not occur to us any other article to •vvlr.^'-. the principle of your objedion can be applivv • It is difficult to fay abfolutely whether C-: fecond bill would be confidercd by the Hov r as a Money Bill or not, as I find gentlen.. :\ differ upon that queftion. If it could be pav.V.l without any alterations it would be very hv- py ; but if it cannot, as the whole is upon i principle of liberality to Ireland, it ought tv^ l\' received with good humour ; and if the altv',,i^ tions appear evidently ncceffary to the equ.i!i;y intended by both kingdoms, they may bt- .u - quiefccd in, if the Houfc can confider tht- ImI! as a bill of regulation ; but it is hoped \\\c. alterations may be as few as poffible. The bill for relief of the Roman Cathoru ■. ef Ireland is certainly embarraffing, and pro«lii r-, fnch a variety of fentiments here that it i-, ( > tremely difficult to give any opinion upon ilio fubjedl. I can only fay, that v/hatcver mcafiKc he firf:. except" - tjxceptcA thatb'. ,nd the .• to whi.^'-. apphcJ lether t'-.- theHov..' gentlemx .\ I be pai'.v-.l very h,\-- ; is upov\ .1 light tv> 1\' the aUv-',,\- le equ-il>'V lay he .n - er the- ImII hoped tlio c. . !athol'u ■• of Id pro'hi. (■] at it i'. ' > h upon ilio ler mc.il'i:^ [ 270 ] is adopted, it will be fupported by my Lord Lieutenant to the amount of his power. I could not anfwer your letter fooner, as the gentlemen with whom u was neceffary for mc to confult were mofl of them in the country. I am, dear Sir, Your much obliged, And obedient, Humble fervant, Biillin CaJ}Iey "July 21, 1778. R. HERON. No. XXXVf. Right Honourable Mr. Heron. IFhitehall, i6th July, 1778. Dear Sir, I AM glad to find, by looking into the bill itfelf, that the alarm 1 had taken becaufe of the new claufe in the copy tranfmittcd to me in your lafl:, has not really been inferted in the equalizing duty bill j where the clerk w^ho made that copy for me ^ot the claufe 1 cannot com- [ 27t 1 comprehend, but I truft he will be more care- ful in future not to infert in his copies tirmg? that are not in the original. Another niillakc! iind was made in the copy fent me of the tndc bill, by omitting candles amongft the excepted articles, which I find arc excepted in the origi- nal J and it is difagreeable enough to refled that all the uneafincfs I felt upon both ac- counts proceeded from the carelelfncfs of the copier, I have the pleafure to tell you tlie equalizing duty bill has, with a fmall amend- ment in expreffion only, paiTed the Onincil, but the trade bill is poftponed, as I told you it would be ; the Attorney General has however flated an objedion which goes to the v/holc cf the bill, and that is, that the duties rcf'.nccd are laid by the ad of Charles the Second, nnd con- fequently what revenue would arife fioni them would be hereditary, and alfo that the boun- ties and drawbacks are made payabl'': out of the revenue at large, and fo may be t'lkcn out of the hereditary revenue. I fhewcrl liim the refolution of the Houfc of Commons la anfwcr, but he will not admit a refolution a-, a fuirici- cnt ground to go upon when an ad h to be repealed j and he befidcs alledged Pyriicthinj unfavourable to your good faith, in alibiing by rcfoluti- you tnc ainend- :;:(nincil, (I you it however [ 272 ] refolutions in former cafes ; on the whole, therefore, I think this bill muft be nev/ mo- delled, and that for this fclFion you will fee no more of it. The Roman Catholic Bill will receive its de- cifion this night. The Attorney General's re- port is favourable, but it has loft a friend by Lord Gower going into the country. Lord George Germaine will give a line to Lord Buckingham when the bufincfs is ovei. I hope it will have a favourable ilTae, though I much fear the contrary. I am, See. WILL. KNOX. No. XXXVII. To William Knox, Ii/^, Dear Sir, It is certain the arguments for giving a free paffagc for Engl i Hi goods through Ireland to America and the Colonics, might be applied to jgive a freepLiffage forlrilh goods through Eng- |iand to the fame places ; but that can only be cfFcded ii ■ I "J; m i I h i [ «73 ] • cfFeded by an Englifli a6l taking off the Import duty or giving a bounty or drawback. The bill fent over takes off the import duty on Englifh goods fent to America : England may by a lav^ take off her import duty upon Irifh goods fent thither ; but as Ireland docs not know what part of the goods which go from Ireland to England pafs to America, ihe could not, for the purpofe of the American trade only, take off the export duties on the goods intended for America, without taking off the whole. !1|fl i' !s;i :l J •■If Sir Lucius O'Brien mentioned to me his ap- prehendon that the fccond bill, by not except- ing the articles on which duties are impofed in the iirft, m:iy occafion difliculty with refpe61 to thofe duties But this doubt is clearly without foundation, 'i^ the fccond bill only takes off the duties from fuch gO'ids as might be lawfully exportei. whereas iron, the only article not ex- eepted. could not be lowfuUy exported without paying; the duty requirt-d by the Britifh adj and it is alfo clear that both bills, beins; of the fame felhon, to render them eifc^lual, mufl be con- fidcred as one bill. My l/^rd Lkutemnit de fires me to make his acknoii'kdgments for all the trou- S hk, If .1) [ 274 ] » ble you are Jo kind as to take in this i7nporiant hufinefs^ And I am, Dear Sir, Your mofl obliged. And obedient fcrvant, Dublin Cajlk^ July 16, 1778. R. HERON. No. XXXVIII. To the Right Hon. Mr, Heron. Whitehall^ July 23, 1778. 3 d clocks P, M, J!)ear Sir, THE Privy Council have this moment de- termined upon the bill for the relief of the Ro- man Catholics. The bill is to go back without any amendment, except leaving out the tacked claufc for the repeal of the tefl a6l. This has been obtained with much difficulty j and I hope you will be able to carry it through upon its ar- rival in its prefcnt flatc. That you may have the carliefl intelligence of this important determi- nation, ,aaEomtiim- f i » !, i ! : 1 [ 275 ] ^ nation, and have time to colled your forces before the bill appears, I fend you this by ex- prefs J and h have the pleafure to tell you far- ther, that the export bill is in a fair way of getting through, with fome amendments which I think will not be objcdted to on your fide. The principal objedion flated by the Attorney General to the bill as it came over is — the in- jury to the hereditary revenue, both in adual lofs and prevention of increafe. The refolution of the Houfe of Commons he will not allow a fuiFicient fecurity, and therefore, to give it force, I have propofed to add to the laft claufc fome W'Ords, expreflive of the intention of Par- liament to make compenfation to the heredi- tary revenue, both for the lofs and prevention of increafe. — This expedient Lord North ap- proves, after hearing a converfation between the Attorney General and me of four hours laft night upon the fubjcd, and the /\ttorney General is to prepare the addition, and the bill will pafs next Thurfday. I propofc leaving out the claufe that dircds bond to be given on the export of Irilli manufaclurcs, not excepted, as a prejudicial Ihacklc on your trade ; for even your linens would be fubjed to it, and it would prevent you of the confumption in the S 2 voyage \ ir forces is by ex- you far- r way of its which your fide. Attorney — the in- in adual refolution Dt allow a to give it laft claufe onofPar- e heredi- rcvention [North ap- between ur hours Attorney ,d the bill saving out icn. on the [cepted, as for even |t, and it ion in the . [ 276 ] voyage and the private trade with * * * * I perceive your rcafons for inferting it, but as the addition to be made to the lart claufe will cover all defalcations of the hereditary reve- nue arifing from this a£l, there will be no harm done to it, even if all your foreign ex- ports be made under colour of going to the Bri- tifh colonies ; ami I hope your foreign trade will increafe by fo faving the duty. I will de- tain this intelligence no longer from you than to beg you will prefent my beft refpedls to my Lord Lieutenant, and to believe me, Your's, &c. &c. WILL. KNOX. No. XXXIX. To the Right Hon. Mr. Heron. St. James's^ July 31, I778» 2 o'clock^ P. M. Dear Sir, I HAVE now the pleafure to inform you that the bill for tlie encouragement of trade is palTed i 1 VO)' i^age [ 277 ] pafTcd by the Privy Council with the cnclofed amendments, and fome literal corrections made by the Attorney General. The purpofe of thcfe amendments is to pledge Parliament, by the adt itfclf, to make good any diminution the hereditary revenue may fuftain, by taking ofFthe 5 percent, on the exports, or paying the drawbacks and bounties out of it, and the ex- preflions made ufe of are taken from the lofo- lution of the Houfe of Commons, to prevent any pofTible objedion on the part of that L loufe to their beinsjinferted. Tlie Attorney General had propofed to leave out the words " cuf- " toms andexcife^' in the claufo that dlrcvfls the collecflors to pay the drawbacks and bounties, that the revenue arifing from them might in no wife be charged with fuch piiyments ; but I thought it unreafonable, (and had the good fortune to find Lord North of the fime opi- nion) that the branch of the revenue which was benefited by the importation fliould be ex- empted from the re-payment on exportation, and, befidcs, fuch an exception would go in all future cafes to curb Parliament in making arrangements which might be judged nccedary for the public good, wherever the hereditary revenue might beaffcdedj but I trull: the gen- tlemen [ 278 ] tlcmcn of the Ilouf^ of Commons will be careful to maintain good faith with the Crown on this occafion. They muft (ce how impor- tant it is to the welfare of Irelnnd that th.c Crown flioiiKl have confilcncc in their promi- fcs to make good any lofs the hereditary reve- nue may eventually fuller by any regulations they may make, and they can take no method fo efficacious for eftablifliing that confidence as making a liberal provifion in the cafe of this bill. The amendment I told you I intended to propofe, in that pr.rtof the bill which rcfpe6ls the cautions undv^r v/hich tlic exports arc to bo made, I found would not be reliihed at prefent, as the Parliament of Ireland had judged them proper, and the reafons I had to offer required more attention than can be expelled of minifters at this fcafon of the vear, the few hours a week they arc in town. But befides, as the penally of not returning the certificate is only the pay- ment of the duty, the uncharged sjoods, fuch as linens, although the bond is required for them, will be liable to no penalty if the cer- tificate is not returned. When the ad is re- newed next feffion, it will be proper to alter that [ 279 ] that part of it, and you will fee by the cnclofcd paper how I had intended itfhould have been, and I think it will meet with no difficulty here if you keep good faith with the hereditary revenue. I beg my refpeds to my Lord Lieu- tenant, and am, &c. WILL. KNOX. P. S. I date my letter from St. James's, having come up to attend the Council. No. XL. To William Kn'ox, Kfq, Dear Sir, COPIES of the letters I had the honour of receiving from you, in the courfe of the laft feffions of our parliaments, were made fome time iince j but as you had hinted that the fe- veral matters they treat of might come again into difculfion, I wifhed them to have been ac- companied with a word or two upon thofe fub- je£ls, and have been collecfling materials for the purpofe. I am Jorry this has occaficned a dehiy i7lC0?l' e cnclofcd avc been, difficulty hereditary /ord Lieu- K N O X. , James's, ;il. [ 2S0 ] inconvenient to you ^w / • • 'y^^M the having J,f:i . '°"'<^€ir ^ould P^iffc inddiedto ..Jr'"^^"'"'"'"" and the hc^^fenjlhle laZfn '^^'""""y ofJ,avi„g ■^ "f" "'""J occafions. I am, dear Sir, •Wth great eftecm, Vour moft faithful, Duhh-nCaJ}!. ^"^ obedient, |'5tli0^.i778 ""mWe fervant, ' ■ R- HERON. e honour )f the lad ade fome at the fe- me again been ac- hofe fnb- ils for the d a dehij i?ico?i' No.XLI. D.: Sir, ''^'^^'^<^^/^778. Iter of ti„- sxChft ^'""'■J"'>' °"''§'"S '<='- ''°"btthatweft,„;;,:"°""''^"dmake „o ">^ ^'teration, ilvj£^'T'''^-& '"" ^^'"^ I ^^""'^'"'y not agreeable to thofe i '1 * t. i m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V A ^^ y ^ 1.0 = U£ li^ ill 2.2 !!: li^ III 2.0 I.I !!'•« 1.25 1.4 1.6 • ^ ■ — 6" ► p /i V <> t 28l ] \ thofe who are capable of judging of the fubjed. The keeping up the diflindtion between the he- reditary and temporary rev'enue can anfwerno purpofe but'to continue jealoufies which every good man muft wifh to extinguifh : there are but two principles upon which it can be fup- ported, and no man, believe, will avow ei- ther. — The firfl is, that a time may come when the Crown may ad w'ithout a ParHament, and depend upon the hereditary revenue for its fupport ; the fecond is, that the hereditary re- venue is the private property of the Crown, ^nd may be difpofed of at pleafure. Whatever advantage rnqy oe derived to this kingdom from the laws which have fajjed in Great Britain the laji fcj/ion^ it has been oh- tained^ lam perfuaded^ pri?icipa/ly hy your judg' ment^ induflry^ and zeal, I am fen fib le that I had not the leaf merit in any thing which was done j for though no man had warmer wijl:es^ I per- ceived very clearly that nothing I faid made the leaf imprcffion. It will certainly appear that Great Britain will not fuffer any prejudice from thofe laws. I wifh it were equally cer- tain Ireland would receive benefit from them, ^'hich I muft confefs to you I much doubt, from ♦ •,..,— ^S--+*'-'K fubje£l. 1 the he- ifwer no ich every there are 1 be fup- avow ei- me when nent, and ae for its jditary re- le Crown, ed to this ^ajjed in been oh- our judg- that I had Wivas done\ t'f, I per- i fnade the pear that prejudice nally cer- lom them, h doubt, from [ 2S2 ] • from the want not only of capitals, but of fpirit in our merchants. Seven hundred pounds pre- mium to the firft fliip which goes has already been offered, and, to all appearance, in vain. / Jliall be happy in the cotitinuancc of a correfpon- dence with one for whojn I have fo much eftcem^ and who has proved himfelf to be fo fncere^ as well as powerful^ a friend to my country. The Roman Catholic bill will pafs our Houfe this day, and I make no doubt will pafs the Lords likewife. I am, with much affedlion and cfteem, Dear Sir, Your moft affured, And obedient fcrvant, EDM. SEX. PERY. No. XLIL To William Knox, Efq-^ Dro?noland^ Sept. 20M, 1778. Dear Sir, Ob/erving in a late paper that the govern- ment' here have {fjued a proclamation for iakim^ i-JU^-'Vl-l^.-i-. I h [ 283 ] off" entirely the embargo 6?? butter^ I cannot omit Tetur?iihg my thanks for a mcafiire to 'which I was a •witnejs.how much your zeal for Ireland contributed. It were exceedingly to be wi/hed that Jomething could be done alfo with refpe6l to the beef trade of this kingdom-, (b far as may be ne- cefTary for the fleets of England, it is altogether reafona'i le they Ihonld be firft ferved, and yet, confidering thecircumftances of the two coun- tries, even that pre emption might be always infured, by thecontradors paying two or three (hillings per hundred more than they do at pre- fcnt, without that terrible convulfion which a . T)ow three years embargo has made on our trade andconlfitution But above half the beef of Ireland is of an inferior fort, which the con- tractors for the navv will not take 1 and while the convoys go only from Cork, Waterford, and Dublin, even ti^at over-loaded trade of fmall beef is monopolized in thofc towns by a few merchants, while Limerick, Galway, Sligo, &c. are under an abfolute prohibition. I feel the cffeds of this very fevercly at this inflant, not being able to get a guinea rent among my tenants. What the fenfc of the Limerick merchants is you will judo;c from the enclofcd, which contains a pretty fair re- prefentation inot omit which I '* Ireland 'Ihcd that et to the ly be ne- Itogethct and yet, NO coun- 36 always or three do at pre- i which a e on our f the beef the con- nd while aterford, trade of wns by a Galway, ihibition. ly at this inea rent Ifc of the do;c from y fair re- fentatlon I 284 ] prefentationof the fads, though the letter was not written, I believe, to be (hown about. The Roman Catholics feem every where highly grateful for the benefits they have re- ceived, and yet without any imprudent ex- prefTions of their joy : the principal ones of them every where come to the afllzes to take the oaths to his Majefty j and if it be thought ncceflary, the whole body of the people might be brought to do the fame by the next felTion. At my affizes, the titular bifhop, M*Mahon, and all his clergy, were fworn, and at the fame time he publiflied the enclofed exhorta- tion, which I fend you as an evidence of thofc people's opinion. I am, dear Sir, Your obliged and Faithful fervant, LUCIUS O'BRIEN. No. \ \ [ 285 ] '^ No. XLIII. To Mr, P E R Y. Dear Sir, 9M 0^. 1778. SOON after I received your very obliging letter our friend Sir Lucius repeated his vifit to this metropolis j and as he feldom travels in vain for his country's advantage, an oppor- tunity offered while he was here of liberating the Irifli butter from the embargo, and we did not fuffer it to Jlip. The beef is flill wholly fubjed to it ; and I find, by a letter 1 have re- ceived from him fince his return, that its being fo is of very mifchievous confequences to Ire- land. The Attorney General, who is now here, tells me the fame thing j and as I never can fuppofe Government 7nean to do viijchief^ though they often do it^ I wiih to be able to fhevv the evni, and point out a remedy. There are two objcdls to be attended to in any propo- rtion that we may make them : the fecuring a fufficient fupply for our own forces, and the preventing the French availing themfelves of our beef to visual their flilps and colonies. The embargo effedually docs both ; and if we . . ' cannot \ 1778. obliging his vifit I travels n oppor- iberating id we did II wholly have re- its being :es to Ire- is now as I never 7nifchief, le able to There ny propo- |fc'curing a and the felves of colonies, and if^ve cannot [ 286 ] cannot fliew fome other way of doing fo, I fear the embargo will not be removed. You are able to give Government the bed information upon this fubjedl, and I very willingly offer my beft endeavours to have your advice liftened to. The prefent is a feafon of recefs, and any mat- ter of this kind can now be eafily brought into confideration ; the fooner therefore that you make your propofition the better. I am not afraid but that we fliould prevail to have the fmall beef £ciit at large, if we could draw an effedtual line between it and the kind our own people are fupplied with ; for I think the firft objedl I mentioned is of much greater impor- tance than the fecond j and if that can be ob- tained the other might be lefs regarded. I am going to Bath to drink the water the re- mainder of this month, and hope to be honour- ed with your commands upon my return, which will give great pleafure to, and be pundually executed by, &c. WILLIAM KNOX. I No. v» [ 287 ] \ No. XLIV. To William Knox, E/g, Edmunis Burj^06f, 11^ 1 778. Dear Sir, i, I DEFERED acknowledging the receipt of your very kind letter of the 9th inftant, until I had again fpoke to Sir Richard Heron upon the fubjedl of it, which, indeed, I had repeatedly ' done before : he ajjiired ?7ie that my Lord Lieu- tenant and he had ujed e'very argument they could think of to have the embargo upon f mall beef taken qffl or at leaji relaxed^ but in vain ; however he faid he would, at my requeft, make another effort for the purpofc, fince I feemed to think there was a poITibility that it might fucceed. Yet I confefs to you I have little expedations from it ; the fame principles upon which it was firfl laid on ftill fubfift, and will continue it. How confident they arc cither \/ith juftice or good policy I will not prefume to examine ; but this I am certain of, that hitherto it has anfwercd , I77S- [ 288 1 anfvvered no other purpofe but that of reduc- ing to the utmoft diftrefs a people who have defcrved better. You fay there are two objedls to be attended to in any propofition to be made on this fubjedl j — the fecuring a fufHcicnt fup- ply for our own forces, and preventing the French fhips and colonies from being vidlualled. With refped to the firft, I am confident that none of our beef which is fit for the EngHrh market ever goes to any other 5 the price of it, which no other country will, or perhaps can pay, is the beft fecurity againfl that. With re- fped to the fecond, it now appears that the French fleets and colonies have been fufHci- ently provided with viduals, notvvithftanding the embargo in this kingdom continued for years j and I confefs I cannot fee what advan- tage it is to Great Britain that France fliould be obliged to take her provifions from other coun- tries rather than from Ireland. It has I know been the policy of very wife nations to fupply their enemies, even in time of war, with what they wanted, and I believe they never had rea- fon to repent having done fo. With refpedl to drawing a line between the fmall beef and that fit for the confumption of Great Britain, in my opinion the price moft effcdlually does it; [ 289 ] ■ it J but if that is not judged fufficient, proper perfons, in whom Government may confide, may be A:itioited at the different ports of ex- portation to examine the provifions intended to be exported. I am, dear Sir, Your mofl faithful, ■J And obedient fervant, EDM. SEX. PERY. No. XLV. Papers whtch procured the Revocation of the Embargo on Irijh Provifions^ Dec. 1778. THE intention of layins; and continuino- the embars^o on the exportation of beef and pork from Ireland was to fecure a fufficient fup- ply for our fleets and armies, and to prevent the rebels and French from getting them. There T is [ 290 ]^ is no rcftraint upon the quantity that may be fent to our own iflands, but only that the fliips muft fail with convoy, and give bond to deliver their cargoes according to their declaration. — This rcftraint has operated fufficiently for pre- venting clandeftine exportations to the French iflands or the rebellious provinces. The con- tinuance of it therefore may be expeded to have the like operation, and on that account it ought to be continued j but the reftraint of exporting to all Europe except France does not appear {o necefTary. The French fleets and trading Ihips have not been kept in port for want of Irifli provifions, and fhould the French ^ct them through Spain or Holland, their doing fo will not ferve to augment their navy, a.nd Vv'ill therefore be no injury to Great Britain. They can now get fupplicd with Danifli and SwediTn provifions in the fame manner as they will then get the Irifh. They cannot then fo eafily fend the Irifli provifions to their iflands as they now can the Danifli or Swedifli, for the Dan i ill or Swcdilli may go in fifety in their own fliips to St. Eullatia or St. Croix, and have only the rifle of being taken between thofe iflandi and the French, but the Irifli provlflons, if fent from France will have the rifl-: of being taken i 1' I i'! \t I' I i [ 291 ] taken in Europe as well as in the Weft Indies. The taking off the embargo therefore upon the exportation of Irifli beef and pork to ai! parts of Europe except France, cannot be of any public detriment, but it will greatly ferve Ire- land, for the Spaniards and Portuguefe will have it for their Ihips and fcttlements. The French will endeavour to get it in preference to what they now make ufe of, but the demand on the whole will not be fo great as to interfere with our own fupplies, nor will the fame fort of beef that we want be called for by the French, Spaniards or Portuguefe. T2 No. [ 292 ] eft Indies. ; upon the 3 all parts 3e of any ferve Ire- uefe will Its. The ference to J demand D interfere fame fort )r by the No, No. XLVI. m Extra6l of a Letter from Mr, Ed em to Mr, Knox. DiihUn CaJlle.Nov. 28, 1781. My Dear Sir, THIS meficngcr carries the remainder of our money bills, and I fincerely hope they may be returned without delay or alteration. Pray write to me by return of this meffenger, and give me yonr fentiments and advice upon the fubjed of a national Bank for Ireland. I have many ideas upon it, whenever I can find time to digeft them j and I fee the importance of the prcfcnt government taking the lead in the mea- fure, and managing it indeed before they bring it into Parliament, (ince that Ci\ablifhment mufl fooner or later be made j and it is very cf- fential to the interefts of the nation to make this alfo a link of conneiftion. Believe me, my dear Sir, ^ Faithfully and afFedionately, Your's, &c. W. EDEN. No. \'i [ 293 ] I I 1! No. XLVII. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Knox to Mr. Eden. JFhitehaJly December 6, 1781. My dear Sir, ONE batch of your bills is gone back, and the other, I believe, will very foon follow. You defire my thoughts upon a national Bank for Ireland. It is an ill time for one who is juft become a bankrupt in one part of the world to think of eftablilliing a fyfiem of credit in another J but you fliall have w^hat occurs, and as it is a fubjcd I have often deliberated upon, the lefs confideration will now be neceffary. (The whole of this letter being iipoti a fubjeSl of too delicate a ?iature for the public eje, fiort €xtra6is of the plan is only given.) The plan of the Bank of England is, fur commercial pur- pofos, X to Mr. 6, 1781. 3ack, and 3n follow, onal Bank tie who is * the world " credit in :curs, and ated upon, neceflary. a fubJeLl eye, fiort The plan rcial pur- pofcs. f [ 294 ] pofes, the moft pcrfcd that can be imagined, and it has the advantage of long experience and infinite fuccefs lo recommend it. The interior of it is wonderfully regular -, to come at the knowledge of it you muft buy one of the clerks at any price, for the ceconomy of it is kept a fecrct. I know a good deal of it, but not fufncient to Iketch the plan. The Bank fliould be rcflraincd from lending money upon lands or purchafins: ; but they fhould beat liberty to lend upon Government fecurities. To extend the circulation of your notes, from which all the benefit to the nation mud arifc, as by that means the public ftock will be augmented, wh'ch is the great thing now wanted, pafs an adi, making Irifh cur- rency the fame as Englifh, and then the Bank notes will gain a circulation here, and through- out all England and Scotland ; but you m.uft. have a correfponding houfe here, as the Briftol banks l:ave, to give caili for Irifli Bank notes. The alteration of the currency would have another good effcd j it would afDO you with loans from this and other countries, as ad peo- ple would know what they were to receive, de- ducting a commiiTion, which they cannot now i! 1 I ' [ 295 ] ^- do, cmbarrafTed by the difFercncc of exchanges. It would anfvver politically alfo, by removing a diPiindion between the two kingdoms, which is of no fort of ufe to either ; for vou arc too ;11 informed of th yoi of to fll rormea or tne nature or money pofe the increafing the nominal value of the fpecie will ferve to rcftrain it in any country. And fiill further to promote tlie circulation of their notes, and give the government a claim to their alTiftance, all the receivers of the re- venue fliould be ordered to fend their money to the Bank ; but the fame caution fiwuld be ufed by the Iriili exchequer as is M^ed here, to prevent the idea of Bank notes being lawful tender. The exchequer never offers to pay in notes ; a clerk of the Bank fits there, and upon your defiring notes, hands over to the Teller the fum wanted. Your Tellers and Heceivcrs General will not greatly like my propoHtions, cfpecially that one of the Colledtors remitting to the Bank ^ but you can compenfite them h increaling their falaries, for the thing mud to done, or your Bank will fail of its utility to the public from the w^'lnt of circulation, for the collectors being remitters to the Bar.I; will be glad to take Bank notes, and tliiii every one of them throughout the kingdom will exchanges, removing, )ms, which Tou arc too ncy to fiip- akie of the :iy country, rculation of ent a claim s of the rc- thcir money 5n flionld be s ufed here, bein^ lawful 'crs to pay in ■re. nndupon o the Teller d Receivers propofuions, rs rcmittir.2; fate them by ling mull be its utility to lculation^ f'^f the Bar,!; [ 296 ] will become a cafliier for the Bank. I know the colledors make a profit by remitting mer- chants and manufadlurers bills, but if you oblige them to remit weekly they will not always be able to get good bills, and muft take Bank notes. I have another plan to propofe in addition to that of a national bank, with the fame view of incre^iing the national ftock of money, and pointed efpecially to the improvement of the lands ; but while the British government is giv- ing an interefl of 6 per cent, it is in vain to think of carrying it into execution. WILL. KNOX. No. XL VIII, \Copjf of a Letter from Mr Kno'5c to the Marquis o/'BucKKNGHAM, ,i i, found to invite or ab-t !! r '^' """^ former foverei^n n "''''^°" ''^ '^^'^ Catholic primer '"'' °"'" ^°-- :r inftance orca, were s more in nhabitants i, and hof-' mitted the nd proper- [ to Gr^at :he pre fen t two wars with THE END.