Star.
London, England, 1802-04-13 00:00:00

g the other. I might reit my demanct. for
~,.;city into the conduEt of Minifters upon the
vi,J I have already Hated. It is not a matter
•.,,mini. or doubt, but of abfolute certainty,
t...: .i;•)i.leps have broktn the laws—are they then
t tc.9ed for the aanal violation of the law,
the people are punilhed on mere fufpicion?
•.,11 I did not think - that the difdainful and

y flyle adopted by the late Minlllers would
.s• .I;.in,ged fo fuddenly—l did not think their
ns would have ended in a full acknowledg-
-3,-: f guilt, and an appeal for pardon : I did
„ •!•ey N'.'ll.lld haie grounded their defence on
it r Laity of the. cafe, and the reality of thofe
: . rd conspiracies, for which at the time they
, •: • tied confidence, under pretence the details of
•• • ~Id be dangerous to unfold. I think I
rtti,- them what were the contents of thofe
gi., i loses and green bags that were lent to
ci.0t..1 Committees ? We find them all to have
tricks, cheats, and deceptions. I have
h. ird much of the happinefs of the country. In
v.h.tz toes it confift ? Does it confift in a Debt of
? A Government overawing the
rople by the terrors of halides and dungeons
In the repeal of the Habeas Corpus AQ, fo fre-
quently that it has ceafed to be a privilege of the
v.tlue ? Does it confift in having an Army of
spies and Informers—an inquifition over property
wad political opinion ? In railing the falaries of
itid,;es for fupporting corruption ? In threatening
Jut it_s for voting according to their confciences
In the deftruelion of the liberty of the prefs • in a
fonitcl and beggared people ; a degraded Arifto-
e. ace, and a confiding Houfe of Commons ? De-
plor..ble as is the fituatinn of this country, yet if
we tut n our eyes to Ireland,'we (hall find that def.
pi,tifm is there erected on a foundation broad and
deep. Painful as is this part of the fubjeft, it can-
not be palled over in filence. In order to enable
_ _

the Houle to form an opinion of the tranfaeions
of twit country, of which the people of Eng-
-I.md are too little informed, it will be necefiary
to refer to a period as remote as the end of
the American War ; it was at that time Kniners
fent 2000 cut of 12,000 troops, forming the
handing army in Ireland, to fight their battles in
America. There troops conllttuted a volunteer
at my, felf-cloathed and felf-paid ; it was a debating
army, chuling its own officers; an army formed of
Irillnen, fubje& to no article but private opinion
—no law but that of honour. The people of Ire-
land, though at that time maltreated by the Eng•
lifn Government. believed the time or deliverance

wls at hand, and that an honeft aralindependent
Parliament would redrefs their grievances. At
that period, when the army was confide l in, there
was no Habeas Corpus. Sufpention Aft; no Con-
vention BiU ; no olottaele to public meetings ; no
murders, maffacres and burnings ; Martial Law
had not difgraced the country; no free quarters,
and bills of indemnity. This was the reafon why
Prance, if they ever wished, during the American
war, to invade Ireland, did not dare to make the
attempt. She knew, that while the people of Ire-
land had reafon to perfevere in their loyalty, the
attempt would be impraCticable.. The Englifh
Pat Lament clofed its labour by a Bill profeffing to
meet the willies of the people of Ireland, but a
Mort period had fcarce elapfed before it was dif
covered, that whatever advantages private indivi-
duals might derive from the conceffions made by
the Parliament of this country, the nation at large
gained nothing ; they loon found, by the introduc-
tion of Placemen, that the revenues of the country
were to be diftributed to the Lords Lieutenants for
the purpofes of corruption. So notorious was the
lyaem of corruption at the period to which I al-
hide, 'that a feat in the Houfe of Commons of Ire-
land role from Sool. to aoool. and in the Upper
Hook from almoft nothing to three or vool. The
people loon found the Parlament was only inde-
pendent of their Conflitnents. Then the queftion
of i'arliarnenutry Reform was introduced in Ire-
land, and the people were not in. a (mall degree
induced to promote it by the eloquent fpeeebes of
the Right Hon. Gentleman oppofite me (Mr. Pitt);
hat the Hon. Gentleman having become Prime
Minitler of England, and his Government ftrength-
cued by the troops which had arrived from Ame-
rica, he thoughrit neccffary to refill every attempt
towards that reform which it had before his been
objet to obtain ; and however he may now with
to draw a veil over the arguments contained in his
fpeeches in favour of Parliamentary reform, they
macro the molt rapid progrets in convincing the
minds of the people of the neceffity of that reform.
—However general this fentiment was in Ireland,
Mwas retitled by..Qovernment, and it was found
at the only way or the people of Ireland &Edic-
t-I ent diferiptions was to unite ; a tell was prawn.-
ed, acid was received with the general glint of the
people of Ireland. By this tell they promifed to
lay afide all party animofities, and religious dir-
t:TlC:ions, and unite for the pnrpofe of obtaFning
Parliamentary Reform. So mutual was the with
if the Parliament and the people of Ireland upon
this fuhjeft, that in 1793 the former put the quef-
t..,n, and eleven Committees were appointed to
take into confideration the Rate of the reprefenta-
von. Government thought that Ireland uniting
for the purpofe of Reform, was what ought not to
he endured. It was the Union of Ireland that
!truck terror into Minifters, and therefore it was
that the Right Hon. Gentleman, who bad fupported
Reform only that ht might the better know how'
to counteraa it, made the Irilb Parliament pars the
Convention Bill. The effed was, that meetings
which were before held publicly were now held
privately ; they were perfevered in, and in order
to fupprefs them recoil' re Was had to unjullitiable
meafures of perfonal violence, and alts were com-
mitted for which the parties ought to have been
fevetely refpontiblc. The King's Attorney Gene-
ral was fent down to the theatre of there praftices,
under the pretence of bringing the offenders to
coal : all of them were acquitted, except one, and
lie was pardoned. It was therefore not to be won-
tiered at that after this the Catholics fhould with
to (Efarm the Orangitts--but how did the Govern-
ment aft ? It did not fend down the Attorney Ge-
neral with a number of Gownfmen, but it fent an
a' my, the Officers of which tried all who were ac-
tweet by Courts Martial, and hurried whole tribes