not only sound legal knowledge, but a young! and glowing vigour, virtue, and capacity that will assert and exalt the peerage of Ireland.fon

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"But you are to consider this lead in another point of view; you are called on this day to settle the constitution, and if you leave any thing un settled, if your leave any thing unasserted, you are responsible to England that the settlement shall be final, and therefore it must be radical. England meets your wishes; the new ministry intend to remove every subject of dispute, and throw themselves on the support of the people; then how can we support them if any cause of dispute be left? England has said, state your grievances; and shall we neglect to do so? If we do, and if there shall be general meetings of the people, and of the volunteers, to complain of grievances after what is intended for a final adjustment, would not England think there was something insatiable in the Irish people? Do not you know, that if the legislative supremacy is eeded, the jurisdictive will be the next subject of attack? These are great conjunctures; but I would not have them of the ordinary course of things. I would therefore settle all our questions with England now, and shake hands with her for

ever.

"The question of judicature cannot be distinct from the question of legislature. If the 6th of Geo. I. be partially repealed, the claim of legis lation is not ceded. Let us then restore the ap

mit?

?

pellant jurisdiction; for if that part of the act he not repealed, they leave not only the claim of British supremacy standing against us, but they leave the exercise of the power existing; for the part of that act which yests the judicature in England is an exercise of legislative authority. To cede the latter, therefore, the law must be repealed in toto; and if repealed, their original right reverts to the peers, unless you pass an act divesting the peers of their hereditary right. But will the peers submit to this will the people subwill you expose administration to the odium of such an act? It cannot be the illustrious house of peers, composed of persons of the first learning, talents, and abilities; aged men matured in wisdom, aspiring youth animated to glory, never will rest in the fashionable insignificance to which they have been reduced, nor carry about, the world, in their noble persons, the evident badge of extinguished honour. No: my lords, you shall have your judicature, you shall sit in the seat of your ancestors, dispensing justice according to the ways of the constitution, in full nobility. England can have no objection to this-she is not ambitious of the trouble of being an arbiter.

"I now come to the third head, the mutiny bill. (Here he condemned it very forcibly, mentioned several reasons against its perpetuity, and what kind of a mutiny bill there should be.) It must," said he," be limited in time, in number of men, the articles of war set forth, and the

English declaration of rights in the preamble." He then went to the fourth head, Poyning's law, under which the councils had exercised a power of suppressing and altering bills; both which powers must be extinguished by law.

"I cannot imagine the present ministers of England are inimical to the rights of the Irish nation, when they have been for so many years advocates for the liberties of England and of the colonies. It was the great rule of their opposition; and it is impossible that men who are ready to grant independence to America should oppose the independence of Ireland. If the late ministry lost thirteen colonies during the course of an unsuccessful war, Ireland has, from being a colony, grown into a nation. If ministers have the same powers and the same sentiments in office that they had when in opposition; if they are not afraid of Ireland; if instead of seeking to soothe, they mean to redress it; if they will give us ample and unqualified redress-the Irish people then are their friends, the volunteers are their army, and we are their supporters: we will give them a support very different from the canting of moderation, or that sort of pensioned loyalty whose exertions never went beyond these walls; and let me add, this is a time when a venal parliament and a murmuring country will not serve either England or Ireland. The same sentiment of pensioned loyalty did very well, when every thing was

to be lost, but won't do now when things are to be recovered. You must advance the state now with a loyalty amounting to a passion, such as a bribe don't inspire, but such as British privileges will inspire. But then the redress must be manly, and strictly constitutional-there must be no shuffling, no artful delay. I do not say that ministers should take the lead in this business; if they will but concede, if they will not oppose our rights, I will support their adminisration.

"I have in my hand the terms; I will read them..

66

6th of GEO. I. inadmissible--foreign judicature inadmissible-legislative power of the council inadmissible perpetual mutiny bili inadmis

sible.

"Limit and new mould the mutiny bill-extinguish the legislative power of the council-re store the power of the lords-establish the inde pendency of parliament.

"These are my private terms: I speak to viceroys and kings here in parliament; and these being complied with, I will take a decided part with the present government; consulted if they please, but not considered. I don't say that men of character ought not to take places under this administration; these things, being done, places become honourable, and men of character ought to take them, to inspire the nation with a confidence in government, by shewing, in the first

offices of trust, the most faithful of servants, and exhibiting in the same person the friend of the people and of his majesty's government.

"When I disclaim office, I should not disclaim responsibility, nor impose a rule for others, but crave indulgence for a singularity; I have no personal knowledge of the lord lieutenant; I was not acquainted with those about him; nay, if he had sent for me, I am persuaded I should have declined the honour of seeing him. But as I believe his government will be virtuous, so far he shall have my free support. Yes, I will, if called upon, go into the cabinet, the people's friend; I will return unplaced and unpensioned-supporting, but not supported."

Mr. Grattan then moved an amendment, which

was RESOLVED NEM. CON.

"That an humble address be presented to his majesty, to return his majesty the thanks of this house for his most gracious message to this house, signified by his grace the lord-lieutenant.

"To assure his majesty of our unshaken attachment to his majesty's person and government, and of our lively sense of his paternal care in thus taking the lead to administer content to his majesty's subjects of Ireland.

"That thus encouraged by his royal interposition, we shall beg leave, with all duty and affection, to lay before his majesty the cause of our discontents and jealousies; to assure his majesty that his subjects of Ireland are a FREE PEOPLE; that