his Ireland Fifty Years Ago, mentions that Colonel St. Ledger having seen the duchess wash her mouth and fingers one day after dinner, he snatched up the glass and literally drained the contents. "St. Ledger," said the duke, “you are in luck; her grace washes her feet to-night, and you shall have another goblet after supper.

The attractions of his wife failed to make this young viceroy as domestic as could be desired. On his way home from the theatre one evening he was induced to visit the residence of Pag Plunket. He forgot that a guard of honor attended him, and on glancing from the window next morning, his embarrassment may be conceived at recognizing a troop of mounted dragoons with drawn sabres in front of the house. Curran used to tell that a noisy god at Crow Street theatre archly inquired of Miss Plunket, on the occasion of a command night, 'Peg, who was your visitor the other evening?" In a tone of mock rebuke she wittily retorted, "MANNERS, fellow."

A career so dissipated was not likely to last long. Charles Manners, Duke of Rutland, died * in the government of Ireland from the effects of a fever induced by intemperance, and the imposing pageantry which marked the funeral procession was consistent with the splendor of his memorable regime.

He who writes the history of the Rutland viceroyalty should consult the files of the Sham Squire's journal. Higgins was its organ and eulogist; but, setting aside political considerations, the duke possessed tendencies which specially recommended him to the cordial appreciation of Francis Higgins. The services of Shamado did

not pass unrewarded. During the Rutland viceroyalty he received the office of under-sheriff for the county of Dublin,* one in those days of considerable emolument. Mr. Higgins had a busy time of it. Presiding in court with all the assumption of a judge, he not only tried all the forty-shilling causes, but much larger questions, under the writ of Scire Facias. He executed the writs which had been issued by the superior courts, superintended the gibbeting of criminals, and throughout the popular tumults, which locally raged at this time, he no doubt frequently figured at the head of his posse comitatus, or sheriff's guard.

Nefarious practices had long degraded the office of sheriff, but in 1823 they received a decided check by the parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of Mr. Sheriff Thorpe. The partiality with which sheriffs habitually packed juries for particular cases was then unveiled; and it transpired that they pledged themselves, before their election, to take a decided part in politics against every Catholic. “Catholics,” observed Mr. O'Connell, "would rather submit to great wrongs than attempt a trial in Dublin."

Com

petent witnesses were examined at the same time; and the Edinburgh Review, noticing their evidence, said that, "No one could fail to be equally surprised and disgusted with the abominable course of profligacy and corruption which is there exhibited." That the Sham Squire was no better than his predecessors and successors we have reason to believe.

Mr. Higgins became every day a richer man. From the publication of the government proc*Wilson's Dublin Directory for 1787, p. 112.

lamations alone he derived a considerable income. When we know that the sum paid in 1788 to Mr. Higgins for proclamations was £1,600, according to the parliamentary return, it is not surprising that the popular organs of the day should have complained that "Signor Shamado" received from the government, annually, more than a commissioner of his majesty's revenue.*

* Dublin Evening Post, No. 1765.

CHAPTER II.

Peculation.-The Press Subsidized and Debauched.-Lord Buckingham. - Judges Revel at the Board of the Sham Squire. A Pandemonium unveiled.-Lord Avonmore.— A great Struggle.- The Regency.- Peerages Sold.- John Magee.-Lord Carhampton.- Mrs. Llewellyn.-Squibs and Lampoons.-The Old Four-Courts in Dublin.-Dr. Houlton.- The Duke of Wellington on Bribing the Irish Press. THE viceroy's leisure in the last century was heavily taxed by unceasing applications from Lord Clonmel and his unpopular colleagues, to authorize and sign proclamations on every imaginable infraction of the law. Mr. Griffith, on January 23d, 1787, complained in his place in parliament that the " newspapers seemed under some very improper influence. In one paper the country was described as one scene of riot and confusion; in another all is peace. By the proclamations that are published in them, and which are kept in for years, in order to make the fortunes of some individuals, the kingdom is scandalized and disgraced through all the nations of the world where our newspapers are read. The proclamations are a libel on the country. Was any offender ever taken up in consequence of such publications? And are they not rather a hint to offenders to change their situation and appearance? He did hope, from what a right honorable gentleman had said last year, that this abuse would have been redressed, but ministers have not deigned to give any answer on the subject."*

* Irish Parl. Register, vol. vii., pp. 37, 38.

On February 2d following, Mr. Corry animadverted to the same effect. Foreigners would mistake the character of our people, and look upon us as a savage nation; hence the low price of land in Ireland and the difficulty of raising money. He denounced the bills furnished by newspapers as a gross attempt to waste the public money. Hussey Burgh declared that more proclamations were to be found in the Dublin Gazette, in the time of profound peace, long before the Right Boys created a disturbance, than in the London Gazette during the rebellion ! Mr. Wolfe observed that government absolutely abetted the Right Boys; they had inserted Captain Right's manifesto in the middle of a government proclamation, and so sent it round the kingdom much more effectually than Captain Right ever could have done, and that without any expense to the captain.

Mr. Forbes " 'thought it hard that the payment of the Freeman's Journal should be disputed; for he was sure that the proprietor was a very generous man. An innkeeper in the town he represented regularly received that paper. On his inquiring what he paid for it, and who sent it, the innkeeper replied that he did not know. A Mr. F. H., some worthy gentleman, God bless him! had sent it to him, and never troubled him for payment or anything else."*

Thus it would appear that "F. H." considered himself so overpaid by the peculating government of that day, that he might well afford to push his paper into an enormous gratuitous circulation.

The Duke of Rutland was succeeded as Lord Lieutenant by the Marquis of Buckingham, who, Irish Parl. Register, vol. vii., pp. 83, 88, 89,