point out to you the line of conduct which may be most conducive to the public advantage; and to that lafting connection between the fifter kingdoms, fo effential to the profperity of both. Gentlemen of the Houfe of Com mons, I have ordered the public accounts, and other neceffary papers, to be laid before you. The principle which you fo wifely established of preventing the accumulation of the national debt, will, I hope, appear already to have proved fuccefsful; and I entertain no doubt, that your wisdom will perfevere in measures, which, in their operation, promife fuch beneficial effects. His majefty relies with confidence upon your grant of fuch fupplies as are neceffary for the public fervice, and for the honourable fupport of his government. My Lords and Gentlemen, A fyftematic improvement of the police, and a vigorous execution of the laws, are effential not only to the due collection of the public revenue, but to the fecurity of private property, and indeed to the protection of fociety. The frequent outrages which have been committed in fome parts of the kingdom, will particularly call your attention to this important object. the education, and improve the mo rals of the people. It will ever be my ambition to promote the real interefts of Ireland, and to contribute by all the means in my power towards establishing its future profperity on the fureft and most lafting foundation. The Speech of the Right Honourable the Speaker of the House of Commons in Ireland, to his Grace Charles, Duke of Rutland, Lord Lieutenant, on Tuesday the 21st of March, upon the prefenting the Money Bills at the Bar of the House of Lords. May it please your Grace, HE expences of this kingdom had for a series of years, as well in time of peace as war, conftantly exceeded its revenue, and debt increased on debt. Where fuch a fyftem is fuffered to prevail, manufactures muft at length give way, trade will decline, and agriculture ceafe to produce wealth or plenty. The commons, therefore, in the laft feffion, wifely determined to put a stop to fo ruinous a fyftem, and with a fpirited attention to the true interest of their country, and the honourable fupport of his majefty's government, they voted new taxes to increase the revenue of the year, in the fum of 140,000l. It is unneceffary for me to recommend the proteftant charter- The effort was great, and the fchools to your protection, or to event has proved its wifdom. No enumerate the happy effects which further addition is now wantingmay be derived from your conti- no loan or act of credit is neceffary nued attention to the linen and o--a fituation unknown to this kingther manufactures, to the agricul- dom for many feffions paft, and ture, and to the fisheries of the marking with peculiar force the kingdom, and to fuch measures as happy ara of your grace's adminimay animate the industry, extend ftration. VOL. XXVIII. · [R] · Animated Animated by this fuccefs, and determined to perfevere in the principle of preventing the accumulation of debt, his majesty's faithful commons have, in this feffion, continued the fame taxes, and granted all the fupplies that were defired, to the full amount of every eftimated expence; nor have they omitted at the fame time to provide for the speedy reduction of the national debt by a confiderable finking fund, and to continue to the agriculture, the fifheries, and the rifing manufactures of the kingdom, the bounties neceffary for their fupport. Great as thefe taxes are, they are liberally and cheerfully given,-in the moft firm and full confidence, that from your grace's experienced wisdom and affection for this kingdom, they will be found effectually to answer the end propofed, of fupplying the whole of the public expence, and preventing any further accumulation of debt. The bills which I have the honour to prefent to your grace, for the royal affent, are, &c. &c. &c. proceedings; and I am confident that you will carry with you the fame difpofition for promoting the public welfare to your refidence in the country, where your presence will encourage the industry of the people, and where your example and your influence will be happily exerted in establishing general good order and obedience to the laws. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I am to thank you in his majefty's name for the liberal fupplies which you have given for the public fervice, and for the honourable fupport of his majefty's government. They fhall be faithfully applied to the purposes for which they were granted. My reliance upon your decided fupport to the execution of the laws for the just collection of the public revenue, affords me the beft founded hope, that the produce of the duties will not fall ihort of their eftimated amount. My Lords and Gentlemen, The determined fpirit with which you have marked your abhorrence of all lawlefs diforder and tumult, hath, I doubt not, already made an ufeful impreffion: and the falutary laws enacted in this feffion, and particularly the introduction of a fyftem of police, are honourable proofs of your wifdom, your moderation, and your prudence. His majefty beholds, with the higheft fatisfaction, the zeal and loyalty of his people of Ireland; and I have his majesty's exprefs commands to affure you of the moft cordial returns of his royal favour and paternal affection. I have the deepest sense of every obligation to confirm my attach ment fay to you should bias your opinion; you are gentlemen of confequence in this county, and I am firmly perfuaded of the ftricteft impartiality, and your verdict of confequence must be the result of justice. You are in poffeffion of established facts, from which you will doubtless draw fair inferences, untarnished with any unfavourable opinion which you may have previoufly received against the prifoner now upon his trial, and entirely uninfluenced by any impreffion which an affair that has been reprefented in the moft Shocking colours, both in private converfations and in the public prints, must have made on you. 'Tis not my province to prefcribe the neceffary verdict for you to bring in; you are as good judges of the facts which appear before you as I am, and by thofe must be directed; if any doubt as to any point of law occurs to your mind, I will, with pleafure, as will my brother, explain it, and give you every affiftance; and from my knowledge of you, I again repeat, your determination will be the refult of wifdom, impartiality, and juftice. The fpirit of the laws may fometimes be stretched to a mistaken tenderness, and there are instances where lenity may be repugnant to juftice. The jury retired, after a fitting of fixteen hours, and in fourteen minutes brought in their verdict, guilty. On Saturday the 10th, John Fulton, William Fulton, Archibald Newing, or Ewing, John Reheney, and David Simpson, were alfo found guilty, upon two indictments, for the murder of Patrick Randal MDonnell and Charles Hipion. And, fame day, James Foy, John Cox, James Materfon, David Sal try, otherwife Simpson, Philip Cox, John Berney, Humphry George, Michael Bruen, William Robin, and Wallis Kelly, were feverally acquitted of the faid murder. After which trials, the Right Hon. the Attorney General informed the court, that he was given to underftand a motion was intended to be made in arreft of judgment. He defired that Mr. Fitzgerald might be brought up, and the motion gone into. Mr. Fitzgerald's leading counfel faid, they law no defect in the indictment; but Mr. Stanley declared that he had warm hopes he could fhew ground to arreft judgment, if he were allowed time to confider the fubject till Monday. The Attorney General called upon him to ftate his objections, which he, Mr. Stanley, declined. The Attorney General informed Mr. Stanley, that it would probably affift him in the motion to arreft judgment, if he was informed what the indictment was, as he never had hitherto called to have it read, but had relied on the fhort abftract of it in the crown-book; accordingly, at the defire of the Attorney General, the indictment was read to him; and the court, with remarkable humanity, allowed Mr. Stanley till Monday to confider his motion. MONDAY, June 12. This day Timothy Brecknock was called upon to take his trial, and giver in charge to the jury upon two indictments, for confpiring and procuring the death of Patrick Randal M'Donnell and Charles Hipfon. The evidence having fully established the charges in the indictments, the jury found him guilty. After Brecknock's conviction, the Chief Baron ordered the clerk of the 240] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1786. the crown to call up for fentence ner. The Chief Baron then defired to know of Mr. Stanley, whether he meant to make his promised motion in arreft of judgment? but at the fame time warmly recommended to him, unless there was a folid ground of objection to the indictment, not to make his motion, as it must neceffarily be made in Mr. Fitzgerald's prefence, and might poffibly derange his feelings, which, he faid, he was happy to hear were calm and compofed. Mr. Stanley, on confideration, declined to make any motion in arreft of judgment. Mr. Fizgerald was then brought to the bar of the court, and the Chief Baron, after a preface which drew tears from almost all who heard him, on the enormity of the crime, paffed fentence of death upon George Robert Fitzgerald and Timothy Brecknock, with orders for their execution on that day. Mr. Fitzgerald behaved with compofure, and defired a fhort time to make his peace with Heaven. To this the Chief Baron answered, that the nature of his crime was fo dreadful, and it had been fo fully proved against him, that public juftice required he fhould be made an immediate example. They were removed from the court to the gaol. At fix o'clock in the evening George Robert Fitzgerald, Timothy Brecknock, and John Fulton, were conducted to the place of execution, on the hill near the Castle, at Caftlebar, where they On Mr. Fitzgerald's coming out of the prifon he feemed to be collected, but turning his eyes on the wonderful multitude which attended his execution, he loft all his fortitude, and giving a fort of a wild fhriek, continued weeping during his way to the fatal fpot; but Brecknock feemed at intervals devoted to prayer; his countenance bore strong traits of philofophy and innocence; he uttered fome expreffions which were thought incoherent by the multitude. Brecknock was first turned off, and met his fate with a fortitude and compofure worthy a better caufe. Fulton feemed penitent, and died with firmness. After hanging the ufual time, they were feverally cut down, and their bodies cut or fcarred. The other four convicts, John Reheny, Archibald Newing, William Fulton, and David Simpfon, were ordered for execution on a fature day. After the verdict of the jury against Mr. Fitzgerald, he requested to have fome private conference with Mr. Browne, the high fheriff; the latter confented, on condition of having a friend prefent. What paffed on the occafion did not tranfpire; but the fheriff and his friend accompanied him to the prifon, where, having walked about his room in fome perturbation, he threw himself on a bed, and continued lying on his face above three hours and a half without uttering a word. He wore a loofe great coat, and had his head bound round with a handkerchief. Refolutions merchandize, and fhall pay in the dominions of his faid majefty no other or greater duties, charges, or fees whatsoever, than the most favoured nation is or fhall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, privileges, and exemptions, in navigation and commerce, which the most favoured nation does or fhall enjoy; fubmitting themselves as aforefaid. Each party fhall have a right to carry their own produce, manufactures, and merchandize, in their own or any other veffels, to any parts of the dominions of the other, where it fhall be lawful for all the fubjects or citizens of that other freely to purchase them; and thence to take the produce, manufactures, and merchandize of the other, which all the faid citizens or fubjects fhall in like manner be free to fell, paying in both cafes fuch duties, charges, and fees only, as are or fhall be paid by the most favoured na tion. Each party fhall endeavour to protect and defend all veffels, and other effects, belonging to the citizens or fubjects of the other, which fhall be within the extent of their jurifdiction by fea or land; and fhall ufe all their efforts to recover, and cause to be reftored to their right owners, their veffels and effects which fhall be taken from them within the extent of their faid jurifdiction. If one of the contracting parties fhould be engaged in war with other powers, the free intercourfe and commerce of the fubjects or citizens of the party remaining neuter, with the belligerent powers, fhall not be interrupted. On the contrary, in that cafe, as in full peace, the veffels of the neutral party may navigate freely to and from the ports, and on the coafts of the belligerent parties, free veffels making free goods, infomuch that all things fhall be adjudged free which fhall be on board any veffe! belonging to the neutral party, although fuch things belong to enemy of the other; and the fame freedom fhall be extended to perfons who fhall be on board a free veffel, although they should be enemies to the other party, unless they be foldiers in actual service of fuch enemy. an In the fame cafe of one of the contracting parties being engaged in war with any other power-to prevent all the difficulties and mifunderftandings which ufually arife refpecting the merchandize heretofore called contraband, fuch as arms, ammunition, and military ftores of every kind-no fuch articles carried in the veffels, or by the subjects or citizens of one of the parties to the enemies of the other, fhall be deemed contraband, fo as to induce confifcation or condemnation, and a lofs of property to individuals. But in the cafe fuppofed-of a veffel stopped for the articles heretofore deemed contraband, if the mafter of the veffel ftopped will deliver out the goods fuppofed to be of contraband nature, he fhall be admitted to do it, and the veffel fhall not in that cafe be carried into any port, nor further detained, but shall be allowed to proceed on her voyage. If the contracting parties fhall be engaged in war against a common enemy, the following points fhall be obferved between them. ift. If a veffel of one of the par ties, retaken by a privateer of the other, fhall not have been in poffeffion of the enemy more than twen[R] 3 ty-four |