1828.] ‘Notes for the Month. 289° 
the Doctor grew more animated, and at last rose as if with the intention of 
speaking. He was reminded of the impropriety, and immediately sat down. 
After Mr. Fox had concluded, he exclaimed :—‘ Had I followed any other pro- 
fession, I might have been sitting by the side of that illustrious statesman ; I 
should have had all his powers of argument,—all Erskine’s eloquence,—and 
all Hargrave’s law.” 
Mr. Field’s second volume of “ Memoirs” (the first we noticed in our 
Magazine some numbers back) is out; with a good characteristic like- 
ness of Parr, by way of frontispiece. It is dull as a narrative ; but, as 
it contains less “personal anecdote” than the former volume, it exhibits 
the learned Doctor under an aspect less ludicrous. 
A writer in the Post of this morning, who signs himself “ A Friend to 
Fair Dealing,” is prodigiously angry with our review of Mr. Kinsey’s 
« Illustrations of Portugal.” If “ Fair Dealing” have no better friends 
than this gentleman, her condition is somewhat an unlucky one ; but the 
poor Post is absolutely run mad these last twelve months, about politics 
and religion. There is a stop to all that choice “ Fashionable Intelli- 
gence,” and still more to those inimitable “ musical and dramatic criti- 
cisms,” which we used to copy out every month for the admiration of our 
readers ; and the editor does nothing, as it were, but sit upon the house 
top—at the office, just by Exeter ‘Change, in the Strand —crying 
out “ The Duke of Wellington, and the Established church !” from one 
month’s end to another. We confess we don’t like these symptoms 
about the Post. Calling us heretics and Atheists, because we refuse to 
damn French barbers for going to the play on a Sunday! And we shall 
watch its symptoms, and perhaps admonish it from time to time as we 
see reason. 
The whole “ Protestant interest” of Ireland, is looking, in open- 
mouthed astonishment, to the speech of their heretofore representative and 
champion, Mr. George Dawson, the member for Derry. Mr. Dawson, it 
appears, as violent people on all subjects are not unapt to do, has all at 
once entirely changed his opinions upon the Catholic question; and 
the reasons which he assigns as having produced this alteration of view, 
we shall give in his own words, as we find them in the Irish report of 
the Derry meeting. After describing the universal interest felt by 
all classes in Ireland on political subjects, Mr. Dawson says— 
© It is true that we have a government to which an outward obedience is 
shown, which is responsible to parliament, and answerable to God for the 
manner of administering its functions ; but it is equally true, that an immense 
majority of the people look up, not to the legitimate government, but to an 
irresponsible and to a self-constituted association, for the administration of the 
affairs of the country. The peace of Ireland depends not upon the government, 
but upon the dictation of the Catholic Association. It has defied the government, 
and trampled upon the law of the land—and it is beyond contradiction, that the 
same power which banished a cabinet minister from the representation of his 
county, because he was a minister of the king, can maintain or disturb the 
meoee of the country just as it suits their caprice or ambition. The same 
ger impends over every institution established by law. The church enjoys 
ignity, and the clergy enjoy their revenues by the law of the land; but 
we know not how soon it may please the Catholic Association to issue its anathemas 
against the payment of tithes ; and what man is hardy enough to say, that the 
Catholic people will disobey its mandates? It depends upon the Catholic Asso-~ 
ciation—no man can deny it—whether the clergy are to receive their incomes 
or not. The condition of the landlords is not more consoling—already they 
M.M. New Series—Vow. VI. No. 33. 
