the abettors of a riot, which had happened at the election of members for the city, led the commons to animadvert severely, upon the inflammatory conduct of Sir Conftantine Phipps, lord chancellor, whofe attachment to the arch jacobite Sacheverell, had been particularly diftinguished. For acting a part, in a variety of refpects hoftile to the conftitution, and to the liberties of his country, they refolved, that an address should be presented to her Majefty, to remove him from his place of Lord Chancellor, for the peace and the fafety of her Proteftant fubjects of Ireland. To this the lords paffed refolutions directly the reverfe. Irritated by this oppofition, the commons renewed their cenfures of the Chancellor, in a manner which placed his conduct in a ftill more obnoxious point of view. But they were ineffectual. The government of England was now directed by new men, and by new meafures.

LETTER

Adieu.

LXV.

Ο

NE of the most strenuous affertors of liberty, and of revolution principles, in this country, was the Right Honourable Robert Molefworth. At this time a particular circumftance happened, which rendered him very confpicuous. With the change of the British miniftry, the profeffed political fentiments of the convocation changed alfo. In the year feventeen hundred and five, they avowed principles most friendly to the revolution; thofe which they now patronized were quite of a contrary complexion. To express their zeal in the cause of jacobitifm, they carried up an address to the Castle, in fayor of the Chancellor, with a view to counteract

that

66

that which juft before had been prefented by the commons. On their entering, Mr. Molefworth, who happened to be prefent, faid to fome gentlemen near him. they who have turned the world upfide down, are come hither alfo." He was overheard by the clergy. They took fire, and complained of the afperfion to the lords. The lords defired a conference with the commons, but they treated the matter with indifference. However, the English miniftry chofe to confider it in a different light. To the difgrace of their principles, they removed Mr. Molesworth from the privy council.

So great was the confidence they placed in the dangerous schemes of government, now in agitation, that the friends of the Pretender began openly to enlift men in this country, for his fervice.

IT was highly honourable to our parliament and a fingular bleffing to the nation, that from the acceffion of the Queen, they had uniformly fupported the principles of the revolution. What a pity it is, that heated by a fpirit of party, impressed by too strong a sense of past tranfactions, and perverted by the old leaven of religious bigotry, they reduced the Roman Catholics to a state of depreffion, which every fentiment of benevolence loudly condemns, and which no argument of policy or of reafon can juftify. The act of reftraining them, with refpect to the 'conveyance of their eftates, has been already mentioned. This is but one of the many additional oppreffions laid upon them by parliament. They were forbidden to realize the produce of their industry, under the penalty of forfeiture. Under the penalty of forfeiture, they were excluded from the benefit of leasehold intereft, for a longer term than thirty one years; even with refpect to this advantage, reftrictions were impofed upon them, one of

which

which was, that if their farm produced more than a third profit, their right in it was immediately to ceafe, and to pafs over entirely to the first Proteftant discoverer. The parliament invested the fon of a Roman Catholic, who would conform to the established religion, with a power over his father's inheritance. The father became tenant for life, and that under mortifying reftrictions. Not only purchased eftates in land, but fmall tenements, even houfes were made discoverable by law, and became the property of the firft Proteftant informer. A horfe of five pounds value, belonging to a Roman Catholic, might upon information, be taken from him without any equivalent. Under the penalty of a hundred pound, every Papift was forbidden to keep more than two apprentices, who were to be bound to him for a term, not less than seven years. To Roman Catholics feminaries of education in this country were exprefsly prohibited, and if they fent their children to be inftructed abroad, they became fubject to punishment. In refpect to the exercife of their religion, it was restricted by a variety of new and aggravating oppreffions. The fetters imposed upon confcience and their civil privileges, were almost numberless. To read the laws enacted against these unhappy people at this period, fills the heart with anguish. Was it reafonable thus to deprive nen of their natural rights, to encrease the miseries of thofe, who, except for a few preceding years, had been grievously afflicted? Is it reasonable to be unjuft? The public faith was plighted to the Roman Catholics, by the articles of Limerick. Where was the national honor, in realizing the fufpicions entertained of government, by the fourteen thousand who deferted their country, to the prejudice of thofe, who repofed in the rectitude of it's intentions an im

plicit

plicit confidence? The latter encouraged by the profpect of future fecurity, began to cultivate their lands, and to purfue their feveral avocations. Though the greatest part of the English troops were removed, not the leaft attempt was made by the Irish to disturb the public tranquillity. Befides, trufting to the fentiments, which he concluded would be infpired in the natives by better treatment, the wifdom, the juftice and humanity of King William, with respect to them, were confpicuous above all the fovereigns, who, from the time of Henry the Second, had fat upon the English throne. But fcarcely was this excellent prince laid in the grave, when notwithstanding the vifible falutary effects of his lenity towards the Roman Catholics, which had lafted ten years, and were likely to continue, they began to be treated with rigour. It daily encreafed, until it far exceeded the feverity of former times. In vain the imprudence of a few Catholics, or fufpicions with respect to the intentions of a number of those of the lower clafs, in favour of the Pretender, were pleaded in justification of fuch meafures. No act of difloyalty, no defign of disturbing the peace of government, could upon a reasonable foundation, be charged on the body of that people. As kindness, or rather common juftice, had begun to remove their diffatisfation, and to attach them to government, the contrary ufage alienated their affections from it, and from their country. They ceased to cultivate their farms, and converted them to grazing. Industry drooped. A number of the inhabitants of Leinster, Munster and Connaught emigrated, and fought elsewhere for the means of subfiftence.

Adieu.

LET

LXVI.

I

LETTER

F the Irish parliament, during the present reign, encroached upon the privileges of the Roman Catholics, the fame treatment was measured out to themselves by the parliament of England.

THE illegal interference of the English lords, in the cause of the Earl and Countefs of Meath has been mentioned.

By a British act of parliament, the town of New Rofs, in the county of Wexford, was made a port for exporting wool from this country to England. By the fame pretended authority, we were permitted to export linen cloth to the Plantations, and prohibited to import that commodity from Scotland. By a British act, a limited time was appointed, for perfons to advance their claims to forfeited eftates and other interests in Ireland.

A STATUTE, to prevent the growth of fchifmm in England concludes thus, "Be it enacted, that all and every the remedies, provifions and claufes, by this act given, made and enacted, fhall extend to Ireland, in as full and effectual a manner, as if Ireland had been exprefsly named and mentioned, in all and every the claufes of faid act." Thus did they continue to purfue a fyftem of policy, with refpect to us, illiberal, injurious to the rights of our legislature, of which we had long complained, particularly as you have perceived, during the whole of the late reign. Both with refpect to themfelves and others, men of tory principles are infenfible to the bleffings of freedom. But it is aftonishing that whigs, the avowed and the zealous patrons of liberty, had no fcruple, and were ftruck by no feeling of inconfistence, in trampling on the privileges of the Irish conftitution.