Arthur O'Connor, Thomas Addis Emmett, Dr. M'Nevin, and Samuel Neilfon, gave details on oath in their examinations before the fecret committees of the two houfes of parliament, in whofe reports published by authority of government is contained a mafs of information concerning the confpiracy. Yet certain it is, that whatever were the original terms of the contract, and by whatever fubfequent events the contractors were influenced or affected, the principal prifoners (15 in number) were not liberated, and a power was referved or affumed, by minifters to detain them in cuftody at least during the continuance of the war with France. Oliver Bond died in the mean time in prifon of an apoplexy.

During the whole of this rebellion the internal peace of the metropolis was preferved by the vigilance of the large military force conftantly kept up within it, which chiefly confifted of yeomanry. The grand and royal canals, which were fifty feet broad and twelve feet deep, were a fecurity against a furprize; and the feveral bridges were strongly pallifadoed and guarded both by night and by day. The trials and executions of fome of the principal leaders in the rebellion tended to keep others in awe, and prevented any further attempts of individuals in that defperate caufe. Among others, a rebel officer, a Proteftant, named Bacon, a reputable taylor, having been apprehended disguised in female apparel, was executed on the 2d of June, near Carlisle bridge. On the 14th was executed, on the fame fcaffolding, Lieutenant Efmond, whofe cafe has been already related. On the 12th of July, Henry and John Sheares were brought to trial, condemned, and foon after put to death. The trial of John M'Cann, who had been fecretary to the provincial committee of Leinfter, followed on the 17th; that of Michael William Byrne, delegate from the county committee of Wicklow, and that of Oliver

for not having answered it were prudential, viz. not to give confequence and notoriety to the contents of it. In it he afferts, that Lord Caftlereagh in their firft conference affured him, that Lord Cornwallis's honor was pledged to them for the religious performance of the agreement; and that Lord Clare made use of these remarkable expreffions: (p. 9) "It comes to this, either you must "truft the government, or the government must trust you: a government that could violate en"gagements thus folemnly made, neither could ftand nor deferved to ftand." He alleges five substantial and most severe deviations on the part of government from the terms of the original agreement, juftified upon the allegation of a change of circumftances after it had been first acceded to.

" On

* Of the execution of Byrne, Mr. O'Connor thus speaks in his letter to Lord Caftlereagh. "the 24th of July laft, Mr. Dobbs and the fheriff entered my prifon with a written paper, figned ' by

Oliver Bond, on the 23 d. The two former were executed, but the third was reprieved, as has been mentioned.

Affaffinations would probably have ceafed foon after the granting of protections, had not fome of the more desperate rebels, reinforced by deferters from fome regiments of Irish militia, remained in arms in the mountains of Wicklow, and the dwarf woods of Killaughram, near Ennifcorthy. Thefe defperate banditti fo terrified the whole vicinity of their lurking places, that thofe peaceable loyalifts, who had remained in the country even in the heat of the rebellion, now found themselves neceffitated to take refuge in towns. But, after a little time, the woods of Killaughram, fcoured by the army, were cleared of their predatory inhabitants, who had ludicrously styled themselves babes of the woods, and tranquillity was restored to that part of the country.

The party in the Wicklow mountains, whose range was much more extenfive, and haunts much more difficult of accefs, continued under two chiefs of the names of Holt and Hacket, to annoy the country for a longer time, and in a more formidable degree; iffuing fuddenly from their fastnesses to perpetrate burnings and maffacres, and retiring before troops could arrive to intercept them.

As thefe maffacres were always intended to fall upon Orangemen, and they were all Proteftants, it was reprefented, that they fprang entirely from

"by seventy state prifoners, purposing to give such information as was in their power of arms, ammunition, and schemes of warfare, (of which it is now manifeft they knew little or nothing) ⚫ and to consent to leave Ireland, provided the lives of Bond and Byrne (both under sentence of ' death) should be fpared.' I refused to fign it, not only from a deteftation of entering into any "conditions with thofe, who compofed the councils of Lord Cornwallis's adminiftration, but be"cause in the maffacre of my unarmed countrymen ftill raging, I did not think that any object, "which was not general, could warrant me, in whom fuch confidence was placed by so many "millions of my countrymen, to enter into any fuch compact, and because the poflibility of its being attributed to a defire to fave my own life, in the peculiar fituation I ftood in, was in my "mind an infuperable objection, if there had been no other. Befides, it seemed to me, that to "fave the lives of Bond and Byrne, enough had figned their felf-facrifice to induce the minifters, "already fated with blood, (as you and Lord Clare appeared to be when we met) to acquiefce; "but in this I was deceived, a council fat on the fate of Byrne; he was executed. In this barter "of blood, although you had leffened your quantum by half, yet you raifed your demands for "the price of the other, and propofed to those who had figned the paper, that they should deliver up names."

"

a fpirit

}

a fpirit of religious hatred, and as the real perpetrators could not be brought to justice, avowed retaliation was reforted to. Where any Proteftants were murdered by these banditti or their confederates, a greater number of Catholics were put to death in the fame neighbourhood by the yeomen. Thus at Castletown, four miles from Gorey, where four Proteftants were massacred in the night by Hacket, feven Catholics were flain in revenge; at Aughrim twenty-seven of that communion were killed in confequence of murders committed on Proteftants. Harraffed inceffantly by the purfuits of yeomen and foldiery, the numbers of the banditti gradually diminished: Hacket was killed near Arklow; Holt furrendered for tranfportation to the Earl of Powerfcourt; and thefe bands of robbers at length totally difappeared.

Notwithstanding the difaftrous ftate of the country, the parliament ceased not to fit from time to time as the exigencies of circumftances required. On the 17th of July, Lord Caftlereagh prefented to the Houfe of Commons the following meffage from his excellency.

"CORNWALLIS.

“I HAVE the king's commands to acquaint the House "of Commons, that his majefty, notwithstanding his juft abhorrence of the "unnatural and unprovoked rebellion, which has broken out in this king"dom, yet being ever difpofed to exert as far as poffible his royal preroga"tive of mercy, and to receive again under his royal protection, those who by the arts of wicked and defigning men have been feduced from their allegiance, has fignified his gracious intention of granting his general and "free pardon for all offences committed on or before a certain day, upon "fuch conditions, and with fuch exceptions, as may be compatible with the public fafety; for carrying which benevolent purpose into execution, his majesty has fignified his gracious intention of fanctioning, in the ufual "form, by his royal fignature, a bill for that purpose, previous to its being "fubmitted for the concurrence of parliament.

"His majefty has alfo directed me to lay before you feveral important which may papers, affift you in unfolding the nature and extent of the confpiracy, which has long prevailed in this kingdom; not doubting, that "whilft your endeavours are directed to give effect to the gracious in"tentions of his majesty, you will feel it your indispensable duty to con"fider of and adopt fuch meafures of falutary precaution, as may tend to "fecure the ftate hereafter, against the machinations of the difaffected.

"In your deliberations, the fufferings of his majefty's loyal fubjects will naturally receive your attention, and recommend to you the framing of "effectual measures for afcertaining their loffes, and bringing their claims "under the confideration of parliament.

"The numerous and continued advantages of his majefty's forces over the

rebels, afford me juft ground to believe, that as their hopes of fuccefs muft "have failed, fo the obftinacy of their refiftance will speedily cease. The generals under my command have received, and fhall continue to receive, "the most pofitive orders to proceed againft them with unceafing activity "and vigor; and I fhall not fuffer their exertions to relax, fo long as any body of them whatever shall remain in arms against his majefty's peace." This meffage was ordered to be entered on the Journals, and to be referred to a fecret committee, which was to confift of thirteen members, inclufive of the fpeaker and the law officers of the crown in that house, to be chofen on the morrow by ballot in the ufual form; and that the papers mentioned in the meffage, and which his lordship prefented to the houfe fealed up in a box, be referred to the committee.

On the next day (18th of July) after the ballot for the committee, Lord Caftlereagh, according to the order of the day for taking into confideration his excellency's meffage, moved, that an addrefs be prefented to the lord lieutenant, requesting his excellency would lay before his majefty the fincere acknowledgments of his faithful commons for the gracious communication made to that houfe; the motion was feconded by the chancellor of the exchequer, and paffed unanimoufly without debate, though Lord Caftlereagh ushered it in with a very long speech upon the general topic of the rebellion; extolling the liberality of his majefty in granting an amnefty and recommending a provifion for the indemnification of the fuffering loyalifts. The attorney general on the 27th of the month brought forward a bill for the attainder of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Cornelius Grogan, and Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey, deceased: for which purpofe feveral witneffes were examined at the bar. Similar proceedings were also had in the Houfe of Lords. This measure was confidered by fome perfons rather as an act of imprudent feverity, or fort of fupplementary vengeance upon the unoffending widow and orphan, rather as the base pofthumous ifiue of the late, than the genuine offspring of the prefent administration. To compenfate, however, for this folitary inftance of feverity, a bill of general amnefty was paffed in the courfe

of

of the feffion, with the exception only of Mr. Napper Tandy, and about thirty others, chiefly fugitives in France. A bill was alfo paffed for granting compenfation to fuch of his majesty's loyal fubjects as had sustained loffes in their property, in confequence of the late rebellion, and commiffioners were named for carrying the fame into effect.

The fyftem of moderation and mercy purfued by Lord Cornwallis appeared peculiarly feasonable at this crifis, and was apparently attended with the happiest effects. The fyftem of military law and military execution was relaxed throughout most parts of the kingdom where the flames of rebellion appeared to be extinguished. In one inftance, indeed, his lordfhip gave fome offence to the more violent partizans of the ancient regime.

In the county of Wexford the introduction of the fyftem of conciliation and mildness met with more resistance than in any part of the kingdom, and in none was it fo fupereminently requifite. *General Hunter was indefatigable in his exertions to appeafe the minds of the people, and to restore confidence and tranquillity to that distracted country. In this he was very materially affifted by the addrefs and exertions of Captain Fitzgerald, who by the special appointment of the British government, was attached as a proper perfon to attend the general as brigade major on the fervice in Ireland; and to this station, besides his acknowledged military talents, a recent display of courage, independent of his knowledge of the country, certainly recommended him. He was even invefted with the extraordinary privilege of recommending fuch as he thought deferving of the protection and mercy of government.

Some principal gentlemen of the county, and others befides, attempted to interpofe their authority to fuperfede the tenour of the general pardon held out by proclamation, purfuing the fame line of arbitrary conduct, which they had practifed previous to the infurrection. They even proceeded to the length of prefuming to tear fome of the protections, which the country people had obtained; but this coming to the general's knowledge, he foon quieted them by threatening to have them tied to a cart's tail and whipped. Others had been rash enough to levy arbitrary contributions for the loffcs they had fuftained during the infurrection, but were glad upon difcovery, and refunding what they had received, to efcape punishment. A curate was

* Hay.

induced