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1506. him, though sure to fail, and sacrifice his situa

Mr. Fox's

letter to Mr.

Ryan.

tion to their cause.

That invaluable monument of

Mr. Fox's candor, sincerity and wisdom is expressed in the following words:

Бомнил.
NUS, TIO
ILLUIME

"Downing-street, Feb. 18, 1806.

DEAR SIR,

"I owe you many apologies for not having sooner written, as I promised you to do in a "short letter from St. Anne's Hill, or answered your last. With regard to your last, I have

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given it to Lord Henry Petty,* who has pro"mised to attend to it, and who will, I have no

The sequel of this negociation for the appointment of state broker, or money remitter will be most faithfully represented by Mr. Ryan himself. It abounds with document, as to the principies and Spirit of the Irish administration under the Duke of Bedford. Soon after this letter of Mr. Fox, Lord Henry Petty, wrote to Mr. Ryan the following letter.

"SIR,

"London, March 1, 1806.

"It gave me the greatest pleasure, both from personal regard "for yourself, as well as from respect for the interest and cause, "with which you are connected, to concur with Mr. Fox, in

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recommending you 'for the appointment you desire; the no"mination to it must lay with the Irish Treasury; but Mr. Fox "and I have both spoken to Sir John Newport on the subject, "in the strongest terms, and I have no doubt of his disposition "to serve you. I am, Sir,

"With the greatest regard,

Your faithful humble servant,

" HENRY PETTY."

"doubt (unless unforeseen difficulties should "arise) be happy to comply with your wishes. "With respect to the question you put to me

After some stormy meetings of Catholics in Dublin, which turned upon the conduct of Mr. Ryan, in soliciting the appointment for himself, and the effects of Mr. Fox's letter, with reference to the Catholic cause in general, Mr. Ryan thus winds up the narrative of his ultimate disappointment, through the countervailing influence of Mr. Ponsonby, and the predominating sympathies of the new managers of the system in Ireland with their predecessors. "Relieved in a great measure from the "persecution of my enemies, the reputed patriots of the day, I "went over to England to ascertain Sir John Newport's inten❝tions respecting the employment in question; I had an inter"view with him at his public office in Whitehall. He told me "he was sorry he was precluded from complying with the soli"citations of Mr. Fox and Lord Henry Petty, to nominate me "to the agency of drawing for the money raised in England for "Irish account. That he had been perfectly willing to do so, "if it was consistent with an impartial performance of his pub"lic duty. He said, he had been willing to remove Mr. Raw"lins, provided he found his political principles and conduct

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were not of the most liberal kind. That he had resorted in to"tal ignorance of Mr. Rawlins to the authorities, which, he hoped, I would consider to be the most suitable to apply to, namely to the Lord Chancellor Ponsonby and Mr. Henry "Grattan. He said, they replied to his enquiry, by stating "there was no man in this country, who was a more strict ad"herent to all the liberal principles, which they professed, than

Mr. Rawlins. He concluded by hoping, I would be convinced "he acted upon the occasion with perfect impartiality. I took "my departure, after expressing my obligation for the honour"able part he had acted, and assuring him, that Mr. Grattan

and Lord Chancellor Ponsonby would not find many in Dub-lin to agree with them in the report, they gave of Mr. Rawlins's political principles."

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1806.

1806.

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"about the presentation of a Catholic petition this year; I have consulted with our friends, who all agree in thinking, that, for the interest of the cause, such a measure ought to be deferred to "another session. Measures are actually taking,

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by the removal of Lord Redesdale, Mr. Foster, "and others, to shew the good intentions of the "ministry towards your body. Steps still more important will be taken to manifest our disposi

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tion, by doing for the Catholics all that is con"sistent with existing bad laws, by giving them "in substance what they have now only in words; a right to be in the army, to be corpo"rators, &c. &c. by a change of justices of peace, "whose conduct has been notoriously oppressive. "I hope too, by some arrangement about tythes. "And, in fine, by giving you all the share in the

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government of your country, that we can give. "The effect of these measures will be partly to "make the Catholics of the lower order more sa"tisfied, partly to enable them to come with ad"ditional strength and weight, when they again

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assert their claims. I therefore strongly recom"mend suspending the Petition for a time. If however, it should, notwithstanding our wishes, be presented, I will support it with all my power; "but the divisions of last year and the opinions, "which have been industriously propagated in "this country, make me despair of success, unless "we could have active assistance from a quarter, "in which to look for passive acquiescence, is "perhaps, more than we can reasonably expect. If

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"we are beat, which we certainly shall be, and
"if the fall of our ministry should follow, which
may be the case, you run the risk of a ministry
being formed on the avowed principle of defeat-
ing your claims, and thus
would put all

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you

hope further off than ever. I am, with great "regard, dear Sir,

1806.

"Yours ever,

"CHARLES JAMES FOX."

сара

conduct of

Mr. Fox having under an erroneous impression, Subsequent that Mr. Ryan was an accredited agent and minis- Mr. Ryan. ter plenipotentiary to the Catholic body, and consequently commanded extensive influence over them, communicated through him his sentiments on their cause, and with equal unreserve avowed his disposition to serve his interests, must be supposed to have acted with that beneficence towards him rather in his delegated, than his individual capacity. Mr. Fox's blending the two objects in the same letter, raised difficulties in Mr. Ryan's mind. He took some days for consultation upon it with Lord French and other friends, before he proceeded to act upon it. He tells us in his narrative, that Lord French, upon seeing the letter, agreed with him in opinion, that he had no doubt of the pointment taking place, and earnestly recommended him to go to England, to have the matter brought to as speedy a termination as possible. Mr. M'Donnell, however, recommended other previous measures; and they were acquiesced in. The first of which was, the serving upon a select number of

ap

1806. gentlemen in Dublin (about 80 in all) the follow'ing circular notice:

Catholic
Meeting in

Street.

"77, Marlborough-street, Feb. 26, 1806.

" SIR,

"I have to beg the favor of your attendance here on Saturday next at half past two o'clock, in order, that I may lay before you and other members of the Catholic body a letter, which I have received from Mr. Fox on the subject of their question. I am very truly, your's, &c.

"JAMES RYAN."

Indefatigable pains were privately taken to induce the Lords and some of the leading Catholics of fortune in Dublin to attend this meeting, and give sanction to what proposals might be made at it.

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A meeting of Catholics was holden on the 1st of Marlborogh March 1806, at the usual place in Marlboroughstreet, consisting of nearly of one hundred persons, mostly relatives and dependants of Mr. M'Donnell and Mr. Ryan; yet several uninvited Catholics of rank and respectability attended. Lord French, who had hitherto supported Mr. Ryan, became disgusted at an unwarranted assumption of power over the body: and when Lord Southwell was called to the chair, he opposed it with great energy. He said, that in the present state of the Empire, he would oppose the agitation of any question, that could tend to create ferments, alarms, or disunion amongst his Majesty's

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