the parliament of Ireland proceeded to regulate the army, therefore, they ought to have adopted the maxims of the British constitution, as well as the rules of British discipline. But they had totally departed from the maxims and example of the English, and that in the most important concern, the government of the sword. They had omitted the preamble which declared the great charter of liberty; they had left the number of forces in the breast of the king, and under these circumstances they had made the bill perpetual.

It is probable that the bulk of the Irish nation did not at first perceive the dangerous tendency of the bill in question. The representations of Mr. Grattan and others, however, soon opened their eyes, and a general dissatisfaction took place. This was much increased by two unsuccessful attempts in the house of commons; one to obtain an act for modifying Poyning's law; and the other for securing the independency of the judges. A universal disgust against the spiritless conduct of parliament now took place; and the hopes of the people were once more set on the volunteers.

As it became now somewhat probable that these companies might at last be obliged to assert the rights of their countrymen by force of arms, reviews were judged necessary to teach them how to act in larger bodies, and to give them more exact knowledge of the use of arms. Several of these reviews took place in the summer of one thousand seven hundred and eighty. The spectators in general were struck with the novelty and grandeur of the sight; the volunteers became more than ever the objects of esteem and admiration, and their numbers increased accordingly. The reviews in the following year exceeded those of the former; and the dexterity of the corps who had associated more early, was now observed to be greater than that of the rest. More than five thousand men were reviewed at Belfast, whose performances were set off to peculiar advantage by the display of thirteen pieces of cannon. They showed their alacrity to serve their country in the field, on a report having arisen that the kingdom was to be invaded by the combined fleets of France and Spain; and for their spirited behaviour on this occasion they received a second time the thanks of both houses of parliament.

Such prodigious military preparations could not but alarm the British ministry in the highest degree; and it was not to be doubted that the Irish volunteers would come to the same extremities the Americans had done, unless their wishes were speedily complied with. Still, however, it was imagined possible to suppress them, and it was supposed to be the duty of the lord lieutenant to do so. It was during the administration of the duke of Buckingham that the volunteers had grown into such consequence: he was therefore recalled, and the earl of Carlisle appointed in his place. Though it was impossible for the new governor to suppress the spirit of the nation, he found it no difficult matter to obtain a majority in parliament. Thus every redress was for the present effectually denied. Neither the modification of Poyning's law, nor the repeal of the obnoxious parts of the mutiny bill, could be obtained. The volunteers, exasperated at this behaviour, resolved at once to shew that they were determined to do themselves justice, and were conscious that they had power to do so. At a meeting of the officers of the southern battalion of the Armagh regiment, commanded by the earl of Charlemount, the following resolutions were entered into, December 28th, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one.-1. That the most vigorous and effectual methods ought to be pursued for rooting corruption out from the legislative body. 2. For this purpose a meeting of delegates from all the volunteer associations was necessary; and Dungannon, as the most central town in the province of Ulster, seemed to be the fittest place for holding such a meeting. 3. That as many and lasting advantages might attend the holding such a meeting before the present session of parliament was much farther advanced, the 15th of February next should be appointed for it.

These resolutions proved highly offensive to the friends of government, and every method was taken to discourage it. On the appointed day, however, the representatives of a hundred and forty-three volunteer corps did attend at Dungannon; and the results of their deliberations were as follow:-1. It having been asserted, that volunteers, as such, cannot with propriety debate or publish their opinions on political subjects, or on the conduct of parliament, or public men, it was resolved unani

mously, that a citizen, by learning the use of arms, does not abandon any of his civil rights. 2. That a claim from any body of men, other than the king, lords, and commons of Ireland, to make laws to bind the people, is illegal, unconstitutional, and a grievance. 3. Resolved, with one dissenting voice only, that the powers exercised by the privy council of both kingdoms, under colour or pretence of the law of Poyning's, are unconsti tutional and a grievance. 4. Resolved unanimously, that the ports of this country are by right open to all foreign countries not at war with the king; and that any burden thereupon, or obstruction thereto, excepting only by the parliament of Ireland, are unconstitutional and a grievance. 5. Resolved, with one dissenting voice only, that a mutiny bill, not limited in point of duration form session to session, is unconstitutional and a grievance. 6. Resolved unanimously, that the independence of judges is equally essential to the impartial administration of justice in Ireland as in England, and that the refusal or delay of this right, is in itself unconstitutional and a grievance. 7. Resolved, with eleven dissenting voices only, that it is the decided and unalterable determination of the volunteer associations to seek a redress of those grievances; and they pledged themselves to their country, and to each other, as freeholders, fellow-citizens, and men of honour, that they would, at every ensuing election, support only those who had supported them, and would support them therein, and that they would use all constitutional means to make such pursuit of redress speedy and effectual. 8. Resolved, with only one dissenting voice, that the minority in parliament, who had supported those constitutional rights, are entitled to the most grateful thanks of the volunteer companies, and that an address to the purpose be signed by the chairman, and published with the resolutions of the present meeting. 9. Resolved unanimously, that four members from each county of the province of Ulster, eleven to be a quorum, be appointed a committee till the next general meeting, to act for the volunteer corps, and to call general meetings of the province as occasion requires. 10. The committee being appointed, and the time of general meetings, and some other affairs of a similar nature settled, it was resolved unanimously, that the court of Portugal having unjustly refused entry to certain Irish

commodities, the delegates would not consume any wine of the growth of Portugal, and that they would use all their influence to prevent the use of the said wine, excepting what was then in the kingdom, until such time as the Irish exports should be received into the kingdom of Portugal. 11. Resolved, with only two dissenting voices, that they hold the right of private Judgment in matters of religion equally sacred in others as in themselves; and that they rejoiced in the relaxation of the penal laws against the Roman Catholics, as a measure fraught with the happiest consequences to the union and prosperity of the inhabitants of Ireland.

CHAPTER X.

WHILE these proceedings took place at Dungannon, the ministry carried all before them in parliament. In a debate concerning the exclusive legislative privileges of Ireland, a law member, speaking of the arbitrary acts of England, asserted, that "power constituted right;" and a motion that the commons should be declared the representatives of the people, was carried in the negative. These scandalous proceedings could not but hasten the ruin of their cause. The resolutions entered into at the Dungannon meeting were received throughout the kingdom with the utmost applause. A few days after, Mr. Grattan, whose patriotism has been already taken notice of, moved in the house of commons for a long and spirited address to his majesty, declaring the rights of the kingdom, and asserting the principle which now began to prevail, that Ireland could legally be bound by no power but that of the king, lords, and commons of the country; though the British parliament had assumed such a power. This motion was at present rejected by a large majority; but their eyes were soon enlightened by the volunteers.

These having now appointed their committees of correspondence, were enabled to communicate their sentiments to one another with the utmost facility and quickness. An association was formed in the name of the nobility, representatives, freeholders, and inhabitants of the county of Armagh, wherein they set forth the necessity of declaring their senti