This declaration was quickly adopted by all the other counties, and similar sentiments became universally avowed throughout the kingdom. The change in the British ministry in the spring of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, facilitated the wishes of the people. The duke of Portland, who came over as lord lieutenant in April that year, sent a most welcome message to parliament. He informed them, that "his majesty, being concerned to find that discon"tents and jealousies were prevailing among his loyal "subjects in Ireland, upon matters of great weight "and importance; he recommended it to parliament "to take the same into their most serious considera"tion, in order to such a final adjustment as might "give mutual satisfaction, to his kingdoms of Great "Britain and Ireland."

Mr Grattan, whose patriotic efforts had never been slackened, now ventured to propose a second time in parliament, the address which had been rejected before. On the 16th of April he began a speech to this purpose, with an elegant panegyric on the volunteers, and the late conduct of the people. The Irish, he said, were no longer a divided colony, but an united land, manifesting itself to the rest of the world in signal in

stances of glory. In the rest of Europe, the ancient spirit was expired; liberty was yielded, or empire lost; nations were living upon the memory of past glory, or under the care of mercenary armies. In Ireland, however, the people, by departing from the example of other nations, had now become an example to them. Liberty, in former times, and in other nations, was recovered by the quick feelings and rapid impulse of the populace. But in Ireland, at the present period, it was recovered by an act of the whole nation, reasoning for three years on its situation, and then rescuing itself by a settled sense of right pervading the land. The meeting of the delegates at Dungannon was an original measure; and like all of that kind, continued to be matter of surprise, until at last it became matter of admiration. Great measures, such as the meeting of the English at Runny-mead, and of the Irish at Dungannon, were not the consequences of precedent, but carried in themselves both precedent and principle; and the public cause in both instances would infallibly have been lost had it been trusted to parliament. The meeting at Dungannon had resolved, that the claim of the British parliament was illegal; and this was a constitutional declaration. The Irish volunteers were associated for the preservation of the laws,

but the conduct of the British parliament subverted all law. England, however, had no reason to fear the Irish volunteers; they would sacrifice their lives in her cause. The two nations formed a general confederacy. The perpetual annexation of the crown was a great bond, but magna charta was still a greater. It would be easy for Ireland to find a king; but it would be impossible to find a nation who could communicate to them such a charter as magna charta; and it was this which made their natural connection with England. The Irish nation were too high in pride, character, and power, to suffer any other nation to make their laws. England had indeed brought forward the question, not only by making laws for Ireland the preceding session, but by enabling his majesty to repeal all the laws which England had made for America. Had she consented to repeal the declaratory law against America? and would she refuse to repeal that against Ireland? The Irish nation were incapable of submitting to such a distinction.

Mr Grattan now found his eloquence much more powerful than formerly. The motion which, during this very session, had been rejected by a great majority, was now agreed to after a short debate, and the

address to his majesty prepared accordingly. In this, after thanking his majesty for his gracious message, and declaring their attachment to his person and go vernment, they assured him, that the subjects of Ireland are a free people; that the crown of Ireland is an imperial crown, inseparably annexed to that of Britain, on which connection the interests and happiness of both nations essentially depend: but the kingdom of Ireland is distinct, with a parliament of its own; that there is no body of men competent to make laws to bind Ireland, except the king, lords, and commons thereof; nor any other parliament that hath any power or authority of any sort whatsoever, in this country, except the parliament of Ireland. They assured his majesty, that they humbly conceive, that in this right the very essence of their liberties did exist; a right which they, on the part of all Ireland, do claim as their birth-right, and which they cannot yield but with their lives. They assured his majesty, that they had seen with concern certain claims advanced by the parliament of Great Britain, in an act iutitled, "For the "better securing the dependency of Ireland ;" an act containing matter entirely irreconcileable to the fundamental rights of the nation. They informed his majesty, that they conceived this act, and the claims it

advanced, to be the great and principal cause of the discontents and jealousies in the kingdom. They assured him, that his commons did most sincerely wish, that all the bills which become law in Ireland, should receive the approbation of his majesty under the seal of Great Britain; but yet, that they conceived the practice of suppressing their bills in the council of Ireland, or altering them any where, to be another just cause of discontent and jealousy. They further assured his majesty, that an act intitled, "For the better "accommodation of his majesty's forces," being unlimited in duration, and defective in some other cir cumstances, was another just cause of jealousy and discontent. These, the principal causes of jealousies and discontent in the kingdom, they had submitted to majesty, in humble expectation of redress; and they concluded with an assurance, that they were more confident in the hope of obtaining redress, as the people of Ireland had beep, and were, pot more disposed to share the freedom of England, than to support her in her difficulties, and to share her fate.

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To this remarkable address a most gracious answer was given. In a few days the lord lieutenant made a speech to both houses; in which he informed them,