Original DetuiLi of the Irish Revolutiun m 1782. [July^t/ 



496 



tered into by all the armed associal ions, 

 to vindicate their ancient rifi;hts, and 

 hiizard every thing for the recovery of 

 them. 



The administration, as well as the 

 people of England, began to be alarmed 

 at the growing discontents in Ireland : 

 a change in the administration took 

 place, and the Duke of Portland was 

 immediately sent over in the room of 

 Lord Carlisle, bringing with him a sort 

 of earnest, that the principles of the 

 new administration were meant to be 

 extended to Ireland, and that the same 

 popular conduct was likely to take 

 place in both kingdoms. 



On the Ifith of April, 1782, Mr. 

 Grattan introduced into Parliament an 

 address to his Majesty, declaring in the 

 most express terms, that Ireland was 

 an independent kingdom, with a Par- 

 liament of its own, the sole legislature 

 competent to make laws for it ; that 

 the IJritih Parliamcnthaving assumed 

 a riglit to make laws for Ireland, was 

 a grievance. The other parts contained 

 in the address, pertaining to the legis- 

 lature of Ireland, shall be mentioned in 

 their order. 



The repeal of the 6th of Geo. 1. was 

 evidently the object of this address ; 

 for which, however galling to tl)e pride 

 or the power of the IJritish Parliament, 

 the whole naf ion was committed. An 

 awful interval of suspense ensued from 

 the ICth of April to almost the 27th of 

 May, before any account arrived, in 

 what manner this solemn recpiisition 

 was received by the Parliament and 

 Ministry of (ilreat Britain. In this in- 

 terval the public mind was variously 

 agitated ; many despaired of the ac- 

 quiescence of tlie British Parliament, 

 to a measure which touched them to 

 the quick, and affected at once the 

 pride and the prejudices of England ; 

 many imagined that if the Cth of Geo. I. 

 was repealed, it would probably be 

 qualified in order to spare England 

 from an apparent humiliation, but by 

 which the satisfaction of Ireland cotild 

 not be obtained. However, neither the 

 suspense nor the despair of the public 

 prevented an assiduous cultivation of 

 arms ; all ranks and degrees of people 

 crowded to their standards, with a so- 

 lemn determination to meet with forti- 

 tude the sad reverse wliich a refusal 

 must have inevitably produced. Be- 

 fore the 27th of May, the day the Par- 

 liament met after its prorogation, an 

 authentic account arrived, that all the 

 objects contained in the Irish address, 



were to be aeced«l to; the 6th of Geo. 

 I. to be repealed without quuiiflcation 

 or condition ; the mutiny bill to be li- 

 mited induration ; the law ofPoinihgs 

 to be modified ; the final judicature to 

 be restored to the Lords, and an eitd 

 put to the writs of error from (he courts 

 of law. It is easy to cimceive how the 

 public were transported with these tid- 

 ings, and what an alteration it produced 

 in the minds of men, who were thrown 

 into a state of despondency from an 

 apprehension of having asked too much. 

 A scene of transport and triumph now 

 took place; all ranks, orders, distinc- 

 tions, and degrees of men, expressed in 

 the strongest" terms tlieir universal sa- 

 tisfaction ; every armed association iu 

 tlic kingdom pressed forward from alt 

 quarters with addresses of gratitude to 

 Mr. (Jratfan, and styled him emphati- 

 cally the great d(;liverer of his country. 

 Parliameiit voted him .W,000l. as a 

 mark of national favour ; scarcely an 

 assembly of people in tiie \vhole king- 

 dom omitted to press themselves 

 upon him in strainsof compliment and 

 panegyric which flowed from the purest 

 fountains of gratitude, to an admired 

 and exalted benefactor. Delegates 

 from the province of Leinster met and 

 unanimously voted an address of thanks 

 to his Majesty, and expressed tlieir en- 

 tire satisfaction on the compliance of 

 the Parliament of England with the 

 claims of Ireland. Nothing seemed 

 wanting to increase the public joy and 

 general felicitation. The collective 

 body of the nation, in their constituent 

 capacities, in several counties, address- 

 ed the Duke of Portland on the subject 

 of satisfaction. The volunteers of all 

 Ulster, to the number of 300 corps, 

 unanimously expressed their satisfac- 

 tion, and gave authority and singularity 

 to their declaration, by sending from 

 themselves five deputies to the throne, 

 Avho were received at St. .James's with 

 a ceremony as singular as their appoint- 

 ment was unprecedented. They brought 

 to Great Britain an irrevocable pledge 

 of cordial union and perfect satisfac- 

 tion. The volunteers of Connaught, 

 by their delegates, assembled and voted 

 an address to the King, declaring their 

 entire satisfaction. 



If any nation on earth, after a state 

 of sufferance for nearly a century, 

 could be considered as capable of re- 

 quital, the joy and satisfaction of the 

 Irish people, on this great event, seemed 

 a full compensation. 



During the whole of this ardent busi- 

 ness. 



