are blessed with health, and have it so much in your power to do good, that it may be the study and care of your life to employ your time and talents in such a manner as may afford you true, solid, and substantial pleasure when all earthly grandeur shall fade away, is the sincere wish and prayer of Your Lordship's most respectful, &c.

JOHN SHERRARD.

Mr. Marsden to Lord Castlereagh.

October 23.

My Lord-It will be necessary to issue some Proclamation respecting the export, &c., of grain, as all the former ones expired on the 29th of September. The merchants are, I understand, shipping rice. I have written to Geale not to sell rice at 258., for the purpose of being exported, until he hears further from Government. One merchant has been here, to propose buying a large quantity at 25s., to send to London.

The loan to the merchants will expire in the next month, it not having been renewed in the last Session. This occasions some alarm, and Beresford and others have been with me several times about it. I put them off until your Lordship's return. I believe it will be necessary, by a letter from you, to sanction its continuance for six months longer.

I send you a letter received to-day from one of our look-outs. Seven Trustees for the Circular Road are to be appointed. Yours, very faithfully,

A. MARSDEN.

October 22, 1800.

My silence has not proceeded from the slightest negligence: on the contrary, the most sedulous attention has been paid to business. The result is this assurance, that it is determined, as I before informed you, that conduct the most peaceable will be adhered to; that no meeting or conversation that can give rise to suspicion shall be held; that the sole dependence is on

assistance, which assistance is looked to as certain and not far off.

The news of last week has considerably increased the hopes of the party. They now consider peace with France impossible, and look to the attempt at a descent as immediate. In Dublin, I am convinced not a man would stir till the enemy were in the very capital-at least, that is the resolution.

Mr. George Birch to Lord Castlereagh.

J. W.

Ballyheen, October 23, 1800.

My Lord-I beg leave to congratulate your Lordship on your safe arrival in Dublin, and sincerely hope you left Lord Londonderry perfectly well, and that there are still hopes of your brother's recovery.

We have lately had a meeting of the Synod of Ulster, unusually full, and particularly distinguished for the numbers and respectability of the Elders, to take into consideration the report of the Commissioners nominated to communicate with your Lordship relative to the intention of Government making a further provision for the Ministers of that body. It was their anxious wish and desire that whatever addition the wisdom and liberality of Government might be pleased to make to the present Bounty might be conferred on terms similar to those on which former grants were enjoyed. The Presbyterian body have the fullest confidence in your Lordship, and rely on your giving them your support in obtaining that much wished-for object.

Two days previous to the meeting, I was informed that Dr. Little's character and conduct was to be arraigned by Dr. Black, and I attended to prevent it, and use my best endeavours to keep peace, and promote harmony in the Synod; but, unfortunately, the breaking down of my carriage prevented me from arriving in time; and, after the reports of the Commissioners were received, that ill-timed supplement of Black's

was read, notwithstanding every exertion of mine to prevent it. Dr. Little declared it was false, and fabricated to ruin his character, and appealed to Dr. Bankhead, who declared in favour of Little. After such things passing, I moved an adjournment, which was carried, and we met the next day, and dissolved the commission, and agreed to address your Lordship, and Mr. Bankhead and I were appointed to deliver it. This sketch of the Synod's proceedings I thought it my duty privately to communicate.

Private.

I am, with the greatest respect, &c.

GEORGE BIRCH.

Lord Castlereagh to Dr. Black.

Phoenix Park, October 24. My dear Sir-I lament the temper that seems to prevail amoung your brethren, principally because it produces much temporary discomfort to you and others of our friends among the body. I also lament it, as I think it will render the measure less advantageous in itself, at least, for some time, in connecting the Dissenters with the State. In respect to the detail of the arrangement, it can make no alteration, as the principle on which your opponents found their opinions is little likely to make any impression on the minds of Ministers. So far from operating as an inducement with them to dispense with precautions, their sentiments are calculated to inspire additional caution.

I have received your communication, acquainting me that I am to be honoured with a visit from you and Dr. Birch when I go to the North.

I have now to request that you will furnish me with a correct statement of the several Dissenting congregations, the number of hearers, and the amount of stipend. If I recollect right, this return was called for at the last Synod. I should also wish to have a statement of the discipline and government of the Prebyterian Church in Ireland, with such other

materials as appear to you calculated to throw light on this subject.

I hope to be at Mount Stewart early in the next month. If business should lead you into that part of the world, while I am there, it will afford me pleasure to see you.

Believe me, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Private.

Mr. King to Lord Castlereagh.

November 3, 1800.

My dear Lord-His Majesty's declaration under the Great Seal of Great Britain, that the members of the two Houses of Parliament here are to continue members of the United Parliament, on the part of Great Britain, will pass on Wednesday, and will be inserted in our Gazette of the Saturday following, on which day, I hope I shall be able to send your Lordship, to be submitted to the Lord-Lieutenant, a draft of the instrument to be passed under the Great Seal of Ireland, announcing the time of meeting to ballot for the Irish members, &c. pursuant to the Act.

Although you cannot assist us in our extremity, it is a great deal to learn that we have only ourselves to feed. It will be a troublesome and irksome business, but I think we shall work through it, notwithstanding.

Believe me, &c.,

J. KING.

There was an idea that there should be fifty days, from the date of your balloting, if not from the 1st of January, previous to the meeting of the United Parliament; but the better opinion seems to be otherwise, and that, as fifty days was mentioned in the Scotch Act of Union, and omitted to be mentioned in our Union Act, it, in a more particular manner, leaves it open to the prerogative to fix any earlier day, which I suppose is likely to be about the 22d of January next.

Private.

Mr. Elliot to Lord Castlereagh.

Dublin Castle, November 18, 1800.

My dear Lord Castlereagh-The Lord-Lieutenant has desired me to detain the messenger, for the purpose of informing you that he has received a letter from Mr. Dundas, in which he mentions that the intention of sending an army to Portugal is relinquished, and that the 5,000 troops under Sir James Pulteney are ordered to return to England. Mr. Dundas, however, states that it may be necessary to retain a considerable force in England during the winter, to secure the tranquillity of the country, and that, as foreign troops cannot be applied to that purpose, it would be a great accommodation to the English Government if Lord Cornwallis would accept 5,000 Dutch troops; in consequence of which representation, Lord Cornwallis has acquiesced in the request. As his Lordship is overwhelmed with visitors in his audience room, I have not yet seen Dundas's despatch.

Cooke has been requested by Lord Cornwallis to write to you on the case of Brigade-Major Uniacke, who has been attached by the Court of King's Bench for contempt of its process. Lest Cooke should not have leisure to give you the detail of this subject before the departure of the messenger, Lord Cornwallis wishes me to transmit to you Marsden's memorandum of the particulars of it. I am persuaded you will concur with Lord Cornwallis in thinking it would have been great indiscretion in him to have involved himself in a hostile proceeding against the Court of King's Bench on such grounds. The Chancellor has been very furious in his language, but, I am told, is cooling. His application for the Lord-Lieutenant's interference is one of the many instances of the complete subservience of his judgment to his temper. Cooke's opinion is entirely in unison with Lord Cornwallis's decision.