The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-02 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

of the means and the inclination of assisting their indigent
neighlmurs; and we can assure them that the menaces of
amoh, under any circumstances, cannot lead to concession
or an amelioration of the condition of those who are now
unfortunately so severely suffering. A call for a charitable
purpose is never made in vain to the affluent in this country,
and the cawduct of the Macclesfield operatives will alone
check active benevolence in their behalf.

It is not more the duty than it la the anxious wish of
his Majesty's Ministers to alleviate the present distress.
From the first moment that it commenced they havo been
constantly engaged in acquiring information connected with
the embarrassments of the country; and the promptitude
with which they have brought measures before Parliament
upon this important subject, is the best guarantee that
every class cf the commercial community can have of the
future efforts of Ministers, as far as they can apply, being
directed towatds an alleviation of its difficulties.

We have given some extracts in another part of our
paper from a very sensible pamphlet on the condition of
Ireland. It is a curious fact, not generally known, that in
the reign of Janis THE FIItST (1607), the greater part
of six counties in the province of Ulster became vested in
the Crown, by an Act of attainder of SHANE O'Neti, and
other persons of distinction who had rebelled against the
State; and soon afterwards a project was suggested to tl e
KING for establishing a Protestant colony on the forfeited
estates, which was considered in Council, approved, and
published. In the year.loo9, hit Majesty coneciring the
c'ty of London to be the body beat able to undertake so
important a work, made propositions for that purpose,
which were considered at a con4ence held on the 30th
of July, between the Earl of SauseunY, Lord High
Treasurer, and the Loan MaYorej with some of the lead-
ing citizens: and after some further negotiation, articles
of agreement were at length entered into, on the 24th
January, 1610, between the Lords of the Council, on be-
half of the Kina, and the Committees appointed by Act of
Common Council on behalf of the Naxos and Com-
monalty of the City of London, concerning a plantation in
part of the province of Ulster. In pursuance of this
agreement, the Corporation of London, with the assistance
of the twelvelnincipal Companiekcommenced the fulfil-
ment of the conditions on their part ; and having made great
progress, the KING, in the year 1013, granted a charter,
by which a certain number of citizens of London (all
members of the Common Council, as their successors are
at this day), were put in possession of the forfeited
estates, and were ordained and constituted one body, cor-
porate and politic, who should be called by the name of
" the Society of the Governor and Assistants of Lentlea,,
of the new Plantation in Ulster" (now commonly called
the Irish Society.) Soon after obtaining the charter all
' the lands granted by it were divided, by persons appointed
for that service, into 13 parts; of which one, consisting
of the city of Londonderry, the town of Coleraine, &c.
was retained by the Governor and Assistants ; and one of
the other twelve was assigned to each of the twelve com-
panies who had assisted the Corporation in the under,
taking. The authority for this proceeding was a license
granted by the KING for that purpose. In the reign of
CHARLES 1. the citizens having offended the KING, the
charter was in the most arbitrary manner annulled
and cancelled by the Court of Chancery ; but it was re-
stored by CHARLES 11. ; and it is by this renewed charter,
and renewed grants from the Irish Society, that the twelve
Companies now hold.