STATE PAPERS. 
which his majesty’s honour or in- 
terest, or the tranquillity, concord, 
and union of his empire, and its 
common effort against its common 
enemy, may be eff-éted. 
3diy, Because as the peers are 
bound for their own honour, to 
examine with a more strict scrutiny 
into the conduét, and to animad- 
vert with great severity on the 
misdemeanors of those of their 
own body, so they owe a peculiar 
protection to such peers, as on in- 
quiry they shall find, in the exer- 
cise of the high prerogatives of the 
crown, to have demeaned themn- 
seives uncorruptly, to the satisiac- 
tion of the people, with a diligent 
attention to the functions, of their 
charge, and with duty, zeal, and 
fidelity to their sovereign. 
4thly, Because earl Fitzwilliam, 
the lord-lieutenant removed in so 
unprecedented a manner, did vo- 
luntarily solicit in this house the 
production of all such documents 
as might furnish matter for a fuil 
and impartial inquiry into his con. 
duét ; that as the case might ap- 
pear, he might subject himself jo 
the animadversion, or entitle him- 
self to the protection of this house. 
No valid reasons for secrecy have 
been alleged. Delinquency is no 
proper object of secrecy, on the 
one sideor the other ; nor can any 
depending measure of government 
be affected by a disclosure of that 
delinquency. The aét is executed. 
If these vague general allegations 
of secrecy may be urged to prevent 
inquiry, peers may be affected with 
suspicions utterly ruinous to their 
reputation with regard to the mat. 
ters of highest trust, without any 
possibility of ciearing themselves. 
gthly, Because it appeared in the 
course of the debate, without any 
Vor. XXXYVII. 
145 
attempt to contradi¢t it, that the 
earl atoresaid did a¢tively and ef- 
fectively promote the service of the 
crown, and the public interest in 
Ireland, by encouraging through 
ali fitting means, and discouraging 
by none, the zeai and affection to 
his majesty of his parliament of 
Ireland , by obtaining without de- 
lay, and with great unanimity, a 
vote of more than forty thousand 
men, by which the internal force 
of that kingdom was more than 
doubled ; and by obtaining also a 
vote of two hundred thousand 
pounds, for the better manning 
the navy of Great Britain—the 
first vote of the kind in the pre- 
set war, and double to the sole 
example of the supply of the same 
kind, voted in the Irish parliament 
inthe year 1782, as an acknow- 
ledgment of the vast and important 
concessions in legislation, _com- 
merce, and judicature, then made 
by the parliament of Great Britain; 
both these supplies for the service 
of Great Britain were moved by 
Mr, Grattan, confidence in whom 
has been imputed as blame to earl 
Fitzwilliam ; though in the debate 
nothing was alleged to shew that 
this distinguished person, called to 
his confidence and councils, had 
ever, during lord Fitzwilliam’s go- 
vernment, made any other use of 
the estimation in which -he is heid 
in his country, than to perform this 
and other similar services to his 
majesty’s government, and to re. 
concile the minds of his fellow 
subje¢ts of that kingdom to bear 
the burdens brought on by these 
services with cheerfulness, and to 
co-operate with alacrity and una. 
nimity in every means of giving 
them their full effect. 
6thly, Because it does not ap- 
pear 
