from exercising his right of proroguing or dissolving the parliament. The attorney general observed, upon this, that it reminded him of Lord Townshend's proroguing the parliament. He recollected, when next they met, they voted him an address of thanks, which address cost the nation half a million of money. He hoped, never again to see half a million of the people's money employed to procure an address from their representatives *. Such was an Irish parliament! at that time, perhaps, the most corrupt public body existing in the universe! The majority of its members acted upon a system of open and avowed profligacy. Thus, when it was thought the Prince of Wales would become regent, and bring his friends into power, the Marquis of Buckingham, whose recall was confidently calculated on, was, not only deserted by his venal satellites, but reviled by them. '

* This shameless threat of parliamentary venality was thus forcibly alluded to by Mr. Grattan in his Answer to Lord Clare's Speech, p. 18. "Half a million or more was expended some years ago to break an opposition: the same, or greater sum may be necessary now; so said the principal servant of the crown. The house heard him; I heard him: he said it, standing on his legs, to an astonished and indignant nation, and he said it in the most extensive sense of bribery and corruption. The threat was proceeded on; the peerage was sold; the caitiffs of corruption were every where: in the lobby, in the street, on the steps, and at the door of every parliamentary leader, whose thresholds were worn by the members of the then administration, offering titles to some, amnesty to others, and corruption to all."

Mr. Grattan obtained three triumphs against the ministers but mark the difference when it appeared that his majesty's recovery was likely, and the continuance of the same men in power, certain. That same distinguished patriot, eager and anxious to avail himself of the new born zeal of his political converts, immediately pressed, in parliament, the consideration of all those topics most loudly called for by the popular feeling, viz. the police bill, the pension bill, a place bill, a responsibility bill, and an absentee bill. Upon each of these measures he was successively left in decreasing minorities. The king had recovered, and the "caitiffs of corruption" recovered also their wonted alacrity for place, power and profit. On the 25th of May, 1789, the parliament was prorogued.

No other event of importance occurred during the administration of the Marquis of Buckingham He had become extremely unpopular, because he was the decided supporter of Mr. Pitt's system of government. To this radical cause of discontent were added some minor ones. Notwithstanding his boasted principles of economy, he had resorted to a very liberal scheme of corruption, in order to beat down a formidable opposition, and he had been successful. He increased the pension list 13,000 per annum; and excited general disgust by the marked manner in which he resumed (if resumable) all places and profits that were in the possession of those who had voted for the address to the Prince of Wales. Extraordinary marks of

7.

favour were also bestowed upon those who had supported government on that occasion. A creation of eight peerages took place, and numerous new appointments were made. Among the latter was the elevation of the Attorney General (Fitzgibbon) to the office of lord chancellor, vacant by the death of Lord Lifford; and it is remarkable that he was the first Irishman who had ever been raised to that dignity. But he had rendered eminent service to government: he took his stand in the breach with undaunted courage, and fearlessly opposed himself to the united forces of opposition, strengthened, in the manner already related, by the expected dominion of the Prince ' of Wales.

The increasing unpopularity of the viceroy and the hopelessness of ever regaining that confidence which accompanied his first arrival under Lord Shelburne, or his last, when the memory of past services quickened men's expectation of future good, induced him to think of his departure, which accordingly took place on the 30th June, 1789, when the new Chancellor Fitzgibbon, and Mr. Foster the Speaker were sworn in lords justices. His excellency took shipping from Mr. Lea's villa at the Black Rock; and it was remarked if he had departed publicly his retreat would have been accompanied with very different symptoms to what attended his arrival.

CHAP. VI.

Administration of the Earl of IVestmorelandContenes the parliament—Mr. Grattan's character of the Marquis of Buckingham's administration-The French Revolution-Its influence upon certain persons in England-Eulogy of Mr. Pitt's conduct on that momentous occasion-The catholics assemble-United Irishmen of Belfast and Dublin-Commencement of catholic relief-Proceedings in parliament on this subject-Parliament prorogued.

THE Earl of Westmoreland was appointed as successor to the Marquis of Buckingham, and he met, the parliament on the 21st Jan. 1790 *. The whole of the session was chiefly occupied in the unsuccessful efforts of the popular party to obtain certain leading questions which they considered as of vital importance. When the address was moved, Mr. Grattan strongly marked his disapprobation of the late administration, and among other brilliant touches drew the following

* About this time the Dublin Whig Club was instituted, under the auspices of Lord Charlemont, for an account o which see Appendix, No. V.

highly animated picture of its prominent fea

tures.

"Such has been the conduct of your reformer. This was the man. You remember his entry into. the capital, trampling on the hearse of the Duke of Rutland, and seated in a triumphal car, drawn by public credulity, on one side fallacious hope, and on the other many mouthed profession; a figure with two faces, one turned to the treasury, and the other presented to the people, and with a double tongue speaking contradictory languages.

"The minister alights: justice looks up to him. with empty hopes, and peculation faints with idle alarms. He finds the city a prey to an unconstitutional police;-he continues it:-he finds the country overburthened with a shameful pension list; he increases it; he finds the house of commons swarming with placemen; he multiplies them; he finds the salary of the secretary increased to prevent a pension; he grants a pension;→ he finds the kingdom drained by absentee employments, and by compensations to buy them home-he gives the best reversion in the country to an absentee-his brother! he finds the government at different times, had disgraced itself by creating sinecures, to gratify corrupt affectionhe makes two commissioners of the rolls, and gives one to another brother; he finds the second council to the commissioners put down, because useless; be revives it; he finds the