The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-19 00:00:00

made, and it recommended that a sum of 15,0001. should
be by the Companies to meet the expenditure in the
project, and that seven years' time should be given them
to make such other demands as might be needful, but which
could not then be foreseen. The report finally suggested that
all things should be managed in London as follows :—That a
Company should be constituted in London of persons to be
selected for that purpose ; that corporations should be
settled on the two cities of Derry and Coleraine, but that
all business Concerning the same to be managed in Ireland
should be conducted according to the orders from the Com-
pany in London. The report containing these suggestions,
which was the first germ of the Irish Society, was approved
of by the Common Council and the Recorder, and other
officers of the City were directed to lay it before the Lords
of the Council. The Lords of the Council thought 15,0001.
was too small a sum, and the Common Council ordered that
a sum of 5,0001. should be added, and the Committee were
desired to return their former report with the addition. With
this the Lords, of the Council appeared to be satisfied, and
in contemplation of a final agreement measures were soon
adopted for carrying the project into effect. On the 6th
January, 1610, it was agreed that Sir Thos. Bennett and 22
other persons named, and the four Viewers sent from the
city to Ireland to view the intended plantation, should
from time to time have conference, as well among themselves
as with such Commissioners as should be appointed by the
Lords of the Council, and the Committee were to takeinto
consideration all matters that might be proposed or mooted.
Sir Thomas Bennett was appointed President of the Com-
mittee, and it was agreed that certain sums should be
raised by a certain taxation. The Chamberlain of the
City was appointed Treasurer. Precepts were on the fol-
lowing day issued for the purpose of carrying this arrange-
ment into effect.. The Lords of the Council and the
Committee of the Society soon afterwards came to an
agreement. Articles were drawn up and settled ; they
bore date 29th January 1609-10, and were approved of by
the Common Council. The Society was to perform the
duties ; the City was to provide the fund, and was to have
the profit. The Society was set in motion by what was
called the pressure of the Crown, or the pressure of the
Government. The Crown seemed to have had no nego-
tiation ; the Crown did not Concern itself either with the
means by which the Society was to perform its un-
dertaking. The Companies were treated as the in-
struments by which the sum required should be
levied. That the levies were compulsory and were enforced
against reluctant parties, was shown by abundant evidence
in the cause. At the same Common Council by which the
agreement was approved of, it was ordered and enacted that
for the better directing and effecting all things concern-
ing the plantation, there should be a Company institute:l
and established within the city of London, that should
consist of one Governor, one Deputy-Governor, and twenty-
four. Assistants ; that they should have authority to hold
courts to try and determine
,all matters concerning the
business, and to direct and command what should be
done on behalf of the Society. This arragement
was a practical adoption of the suggestion made by the
Commissioners in the preceding month of December. The
Company, as it was called, though it was only a Committee
appointed by the Common Council, was the Irish Society.
It proeeeded to carry into effect the agreement entered into
by the Crown, and the members of the Society were so far
recognised by the Crown that applications were made to
them respecting the plantations. The undertaking con-
tinued to be carried on by the Company or Society, money
continued to be levied, increased taxes and additional rates
were mode. In the conduct of it the City ad-
vanced money to the Society, which was paid, and the
power which the City had of committment, was frequently
acted on to compel payment of assessments. During this
time no Charter had been granted, but the City pro-
ceeded on the faith that an assessment of the lands
would be granted to them. On the .Bth of
January, 1612, it was ordered that Mr. William Cockane,
the first Governor of the Company, should continue Go-
vernor until an assurance from the King concerning the
plantation should be obtained. The Charter of James was
obtained soon after the date of that order, on the 29th
of March, 1613 ; and after reciting the King's intentions
and that the Mayor and Corporation had laudably under-
taken a considerable part of the plantation, it proceeded to
consolidate the city and town of Derry into one county,
to be called the county of Londonderry ; to incorpo-
rate the city of Londonderry ; to declare that they
should have the power of framing laws and
ordinances ; that such laws and ordinances should be certi-
fied under their common seal to th; Governor and
Council of the plantation in London, to the in-
tent that the Society should, within six months
after the delivery of the certificate, approve or
disapprove of the same. The laws and ordinances were
to be valid if confirmed by the Society, but if declared im-
proper,to be void. The Charter then appointed a mayor,bur-
gesses, and commonalty, and constituted the Irish Society.
After making many regulations respecting the land,
it granted to the Irish Society all authority over
the land as amply as the King had the same.
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ated their
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terms of the Charter were suggested by the order of
the 6th January, 1610. But this made no difference in the
effect of the constitution or of the power granted to the So-
ciety by the charter ; and it was impossible to read and con-
sider this charter without coming to the conclusion that the
power granted to the Society was different from that which
would have been vested in mere" private trustees for the
benefit of particular undertakers. Many of the powers
were of a public and political nature, and considering
the charter, with contemporaneous circumstances, his
Lordship conceived it must have been understood
that the power and estates granted to the So.
ciety were given for the purposes of the plantation,
and, so far as it was consistent with those purposes, to the
benefit of the City of London. The Companies of
London were in no way mentioned in the charter,
nor did the Crown appear to have noticed them at
all. The charter expressly stated that the Society was
to make ordinances on behalf of the city of Lon-
donderry, and it did not appear that the Com-
pany had arrogated to themselves any authority.
On the 24th of June, 1613, it was ordered that the
walls, fortifications, &c., in Derry should be raised, in such
a manner as tile Committees appointed for the plantations
should think fit and direct ; and by a further order, made
on the same day, it was directed that some just and worthy
Magistrate of the city, accompanied by some Commoner,
should be sent into those parts, to take an exact view and
account of the whole work of plantation, and every cir-
cumstance and thing appertaining thereto. Alderman
Smithers and Mr. Springham were appointed to go to Ire-
land, and confer with the Irish Society ; and authority was
given them, by the Court of Common Council, to take an
exact account of the plantation, and of all the disburse-
ments and accounts, and generally to do and execute every
further act which to them might seem meet for the better
ordering and governing, of the plantation ; the charge
thereof to be defrayed by the Irish Society, or out of the
general stock of the plantation. This order was remark-
able, as showing the great power which, after the Charter,
the City of Lonon exercised over the plantation, as well as
the importance attached to the satisfaction which should be
given to the Companies. No doubt, it seemed to have been
intended that the Society would act according to the sugges-
tions, views, and orders of the City ; and that they were
bound in duty or policy to satisfy the Companies. In No-
vember, 1613, Alderman Smithers and Mr. Sprangan deli-
vered their report to the Common Council, which stated
that whereas it was generally desired that a decision should
be made of all the lands by the several Companies, they
had viewed the lands, and enquired into their true value,
and that they had made an equal division of them into
,twelve parts, with their best skill and diligence, the form of
which division they had brought ; but as to the city of Lon-
donderry and the 4,000 acres there, and the town of Cole-
raine and the 3,000 acres there, and the ferries and fishing,
they were of opinion that a division of these could not be
made ; but that the rents and profits ought to be divided,
and go among the several Companies. The report was ap-
proved and allowed by the Common Council, and that
part which related to the division of the lands was
almost immediately acted upon. The other parts which
stated that the rents and profits of the Crown lands, fer-
ries, and fisheries ought to be divided, had naturally been
much dwelt on on behalf of the plaintiff. It was not only
in accordance with the precepts of January, 1610-11, but
also that expensive public works were still in progress, that
the City was conceived to have the power to levy all such
monies as were required, though an income of considerable
amount was to be derived from property which was not
then to be divided.
The division of lands, under the superintendence of the
Common Council, took place on the 17th of December,
1613, and each of the twelve Companies had allotted to it
one-twelfth part of the land so divided ; and under the ar-
rangement by which every Company was to diave a share of
the divided land, they were to pay a proportionate share
for the purposes of the plantation ; and, an order was im-
mediately made for a further levy of 5,0001, which was to
be raised by the several Companies of the City-;
and also that conveyances should be made of the lands
in such manner as the Committee of the Planta-
tion should think fit. Complaints- were made on
the part of the Crown that the plantations had not pro-
ceeded according to the conditions, and an intimation was
given that the grant might be resumed. Further time was
allowed till the last day of August, 1616. In 1615 li-
cense to hold the lands by mortmain was granted to the
Companies, and in the course of the next two or three
years following conveyances were made by the Companies
to the Irish Society. The conveyances were absolute
in some cases, with, and in others without, the reservation
of rents to the Irish Society. The Companies of London