The quit rents cannot be sold under sixteen years' purchase, and the loss of the revenue is just paying so much per cent. interest.

I have ordered the trial of the Sheares, as far as it is printed, to be sent to you to-night; you will get the remainder about Tuesday. The short-hand writer is obliged to attend Court, and is delayed.

Byrne was condemned at three o'clock to-day.

Yours ever,

J. BERESFORD.

MR. BERESFORD TO LORD AUCKLAND.

Dublin, 25th July, 1798.

MY DEAR AUCKLAND,-Our Secret Committee goes on very slowly; however, we have before us some very important papers, the contents of which have been long.

known to the confidential Members of the Committee; I can easily judge of what the effect of these disclosures will be on the public mind from what it has been on those Members who never heard of them till they entered the Committee.

We examined two collectors of the United Irishmen and two rebels this day; I made out that they computed their army at 50,000 men, in all their different camps; that not two-thirds of them were armed; that when the rebellion broke out they had few pikes, but made many afterwards; that they were very undisciplined, obeyed no orders but those they liked; that the priests, of whom there were seven in the corps of these two collectors, got the complete ascendancy over them, and made them do what they pleased; that they often presented their pikes at their officers, if they presumed to prevent them doing what they pleased; that their original intention was to rise when the French came, and join in overturning the Government, but that they were driven into rising by the committee in Bond's house and Lord Edward Fitzgerald. This appears to me to have been the case, as far as I can see, I mean with the rabble that did rise, and fortunate it was that they were driven to do so in the state of preparation, or rather no preparation, in which they were, and that they did not wait patiently for the French.

This day Mr. Byrne was hanged, and died perfectly hardened. Oliver Bond, the mainspring and spirit of

a Oliver Bond; the son of a dissenting minister in Donegal. A wealthy woollen draper, residing in Bridge Street, Dublin. He died in prison 1798.

the whole party, was condemned yesterday, and will be hanged to-morrow.

The disarming the country, and keeping it so, is one of our great objects now. I think that the people are perfectly tired of the rebellion, and they are so hopeless of success, that I do not think they will rise again, without the French come.

Yours ever,

J. BERESFORD.

I forgot to say that Grattan came over, and wrote an abusive letter to Dr. Duigenan on his pamphlet. The Doctor would give him no answer, and Grattan sailed again. He got no credit, but the contrary.

LORD AUCKLAND TO MR. BERESFORD.

Eden Farm, Aug. 1st, 1798.

MY DEAR BERESFORD,—I returned on Monday night from a five days' excursion, with Lady Auckland and my daughters, to Windsor and its neighbourhood; and yesterday I passed the day quietly at Holwood with Mr. Pitt, who set out this morning for Walmer. I trust that the sea air will do good to him; he is greatly recovered, but is much shaken in his constitution, and must be very attentive as to diet, exercise, hours, &c. His spirits are as good, and his mind as active, as ever.

We have many and long discussions as to Ireland; it seems hardly justifiable to return merely to the old

system, varied only by the disarming of those who were wretchedly armed when the late insurrection broke out, and among whom there remains unchanged all the poison of Jacobinism, republicanism, and disaffection. Nothing will be done hastily; the subject must be considered much more deeply. I am against changes; but it appears to me that the loyal Catholics ought to be distinguished; and that the whole system of needy, and illiterate, and disaffected Papist priests ought to be put down-giving to the sect, not an establishment, but respectable and responsible men of their own persuasion, paid handsomely from the public purse. Are you able to inform me, with respect to Irish tithes, what proportion of the whole you conceive to be paid by Protestants; what proportion by the more opulent planters ; and what proportion by cottagers, potato grounds, &c. ? Have you any guess as to the whole amount of the revenues of your Protestant Church?

I much fear that Mr. Pitt has mislaid the material notes which you sent to me of your revenues, debts, &c. Have you a copy of it?

I send you the enclosed, in which you will find amusement. By-the-bye, you make a figure in the latter pages

of it.

Yours ever,

AUCKLAND.

MR. BERESFORD TO LORD AUCKLAND.

2nd Aug., 1798.

MY DEAR AUCKLAND,-I have already sent you, according to your desire, an account of our funded debt up to Christmas last, and the amount of our interest; I now send you an account of the money since voted, with the rate of interest, and the amount of our annual revenue and disbursements.