take any notice of such an essential alteration; but next year, on its being repeated, the bill was rejected. Government were now at the utmost pains to defend the measure which they had adopted, and pamphlets were published attempting to justify it on various grounds. The event at last, however, was, that his majesty by letter took the money which had been the subject of dispute out of the treasury.

In the year seventeen hundred and sixty, Ireland sustained an inconsiderable hostile invasion, the first with which the kingdom had been visited in seventy years. The armament consisted originally of five ships; one of forty-eight guns; two of thirtysix; and two of twenty-four; having on board twelve hundred and seventy land forces. They were commanded by the celebrated Thurot, whose reputation, as captain of a privateer, had advanced him to this dignity. The squadron, however, was driven by adverse winds to Gottenburgh; where having continued a few days, they set sail for the place of their destination. On their arrival at the coast of Ireland, they were obliged to shelter themselves in Lough Foyle from a violent storm which again overtook them. The wind, however, having shifted, and continuing to blow tempestuously, they were obliged to keep out to sea. Two of the ships were thus separated from the rest by the violence of the storm, and returned to France; but the remaining three directed their course to the island of Ilay, where they anchored; and having repaired their damages, took in a supply of provisions and thence sailed to Carrickfergus.

In the mean time, an officer belonging to the small number of troops at that time in Carrickfergus took post on a rising ground, with an advanced party, to observe the motions of the enemy. A skirmish ensued betwixt this party and Thurot's men, until the former, having expended all their ammunition, were obliged to retire into the town. Having in vain attempted to prevent the enemy from taking possession of it, the British troops shut themselves up in the castle, where they were soon obliged to capitulate, after having killed about one hundred of their enemies, with the loss of only three on their own part. The French having plundered the town, set sail on the twenty-sixth of February; and three days after were all taken

by captain Elliot, Thurot himself being killed in the engage

ment.

Soon after the accession of George III. Ireland first began to be disturbed by a banditti who styled themselves White Boys; and as these were generally of the Romish persuasion, the prejudices against that sect broke forth in the usual manner. A plot was alleged to have been formed against government; French and Spanish emissaries to have been sent over to Ireland, and actually to be employed to assist in carrying it into execution. The real cause of this commotion, however, was as follows: About the year seventeen hundred and thirty-nine the murrain broke out among the horned cattle in the duchy of Holstein, from whence it soon after spread through the other parts of Germany. From Germany it reached Holland, from whence it was carried over to England, where it raged with great violence for a number of years. The mitigation of the penal laws against the papists about this time encouraged the natives of the south of Ireland to turn their attention towards agriculture, and the poor began to enjoy the necessaries of life in a comfortable manner. A foreign demand for beef and butter, however, having become uncommonly great, by reason of the cattle distemper just mentioned, ground appropriated to grazing became more valuable than that employed in tillage. The cotters were every where dispossessed of their little possessions, which the landlords let to monopolizers who could afford a higher rent. Whole baronies were now laid open to pasturage, while the former inhabitants were driven desperate by the want of subsistence. Numbers of them fled to the large cities or emigrated to foreign countries, while those who remained took small spots of land, about an acre each, at an exorbitant price, where they endeavoured if possible to procure the means of protracting a miserable existence for themselves and families. For some time these poor creatures were allowed by the more humane landlords the liberty of commonage; but afterwards this was taken away, in despite of justice and a positive agreement; at the same time, the payment of tythes, and the low price of labour, not exceeding the wages in the days of queen Elizabeth, aggravated the distresses of the unhappy sufferers beyond measure.

In such a situation, it is no wonder that illegal methods were pursued in expectation of redress. The people, covered with white shirts, assembled in parties at night, turned up the ground, destroyed cattle, and levelled the inclosures of the commons. These unavailing efforts were construed into a plot against the government; numbers of the rioters were apprehended in the counties of Limerick, Cork, and Tipperary, and some of them condemned and executed. In different places these unhappy wretches, instead of being looked upon as objects of compassion, were prosecuted with the utmost severity. Judge Aston, however, who was sent over to try them, executed his office with such humanity as did him the highest honour. A most extraordinary and affecting instance of this was, that on his return from Dublin, for above ten miles from Clonmel, both sides of the road were lined with men, women, and children; who, as he passed along, kneeled down and implored the blessing of heaven on him as their guardian and protector.

In the mean time, the violence of the White Boys continued, notwithstanding that many examples were made. The idea of rebellion was still kept up; and without the smallest foundation, many gentlemen of respectability were publicly charged with being concerned in it, and some of them obliged to give bail, in order to protect themselves from injury. The catholics of Waterford presented a petition to Lord Hertford, the governor in 1765, in behalf of themselves and brethren, protesting their loyalty and obedience to government; but no effectual step was taken either to remove, or even to investigate the cause of the disturbances. About two years after the appearance of the White Boys, a similar commotion arose in Ulster; which, however, proceeded in part from a different cause, and was of a much shorter duration. By an act of parliament, the making and repairing of highways in Ireland was formerly a grievous oppression on the lower ranks of people. An housekeeper who had no horse was obliged to work at them six days in the year; and if he had a horse, the labour of both was required for the same space of time. Besides this oppression, the poor complained that they were frequently obliged to work at roads made for the convenience of individuals, and which were of no service to the public. Nor were these the only grievances of which the insur

N

gents at this time complained: the tythes exacted by the clergy were said to be unreasonable, and the rent of land was more than they could bear. In 1763, therefore, being exasperated by a road proposed to be made through a part of the country of Armagh, the inhabitants most immediately affected by it, rose in a body, and declared that they would make no more highways of the kind. As a mark of distinction, they wore oak branches in their hats, from which circumstance they called themselves Oak Boys. The number of their partisans soon increased, and the insurrection became general through the counties of Armagh, Tyrone, Derry, and Fermanagh. In a few weeks, however, they were dispersed by parties of the military; and the public tranquility was restored with the loss of only two or three lives. The road-act, which had been so justly found fault with, was repealed next session; and it was determined, that for the future the roads should be made and repaired by a tax to be equally assessed on the lands of the rich and the poor.

Besides these, another set of insurgents called Steel Boys, soon made their appearance, on the following account. The estate of an absentee nobleman happening to be out of lease, he proposed, instead of an additional rent, to take fines from his tenants. Many of these who at that time possessed his lands, were unable to com; y with his terms; while others who could afford to do so, insisted upon a greater rent from their undertenants than they were able to pay. The usual consequences of this kind of oppression instantly took place. Numbers being dispossed and thrown destitute, were forced into acts of outrage similar to those already mentioned. A very respectable farmer, of the name of Douglas, having been charged with being a principal leader of the Steel Boys, was seized and confined in Belfast, in order to be committed to the county jail; but his friends and associates, highly irritated at the treatment he had received, and smarting under their own grievances, determined to rescue him by force. The design was eagerly entered into by great numbers all over the country; and several hundreds, having provided themselves with offensive weapons, proceeded to Belfast in order to release the prisoner. Το prevent this, he was removed to the barracks, and placed under "the guard of a large party of Highland soldiers quartered there. The Steel Boys, however, with a determined and undaunted

courage, worthy of the best cause, and in excellent order, pressed forward to accomplish their purpose by force, and several shots were actually exchanged between them and the military. The consequences would undoubtedly have been fatal, had it not been for a physician of highly respectable character, who interposed at the risk of his life, and prevailed upon those concerned to set the prisoner at liberty. The tumult, however, was not thus quelled. The number of insurgents daily increased, and violences committed by them were much greater than those of the other two parties. Some were taken and tried at Carrickfergus, but none condemned. It was supposed that the fear of popular resentment had influenced the judges; for which reason an act was passed, enjoining the trial of such prisoners for the future to be held in counties different from those where the crimes were committed. This breach of a fundamental law of the constitution gave such offence, that though several of the Steel Boys were afterwards taken up and carried to the castle of Dublin, no jury would find them guilty. This obnoxious law was therefore repealed; after which some of the insurgents, being tried in their respective counties, were condemned and executed. Thus the commotions were extinguished; but as no methods were taken to remove the cause, the continued distresses of the people drove many thousands of them to America in a few years.

In the mean time, a very material alteration had taken place in the constitution of the kingdom, with regard to the duration of parliaments. At an early period these had continued only for a year; but afterwards they were prolonged until the death of a sovereign, unless he chose to dissolve it sooner by an exertion of his prerogative. Thus, from the moment of their election, the commoners of Ireland were in a manner totally independent of the people, and under the influence of the crown; and government soon availed itself of this power to bribe a majority to serve its own purposes. Various methods were. thought of to remedy this evil; but all proved ineffectual until the year 1768, when, during the administration of Lord Townshend, a bill was prepared and sent over to England, by which it was enacted, that the Irish parliaments thenceforth should be held every seven years. It was returned with the addition of