249] ANNUAL REGISTER, 
this country, they were graciously 
received, and their mission was at- 
tended with its desired effect. He 
confessed, that upon the state of 
Treland, he did not possess such ac- 
curate information as some of their 
Jordships, but he had heard that 
some of the catholics had formerly 
been persecuted, by the protestants, 
in a horrid manner ; that the for- 
mer had been driven, by a small 
number of the latter, from their 
habitations inthe north, but were 
now returning; that the protes- 
tants were now rebuilding those 
houses that had been destroyed, 
and thatan union was now forming 
between them, which, if not ate 
tended to in time, might be pro- 
ductive ofthe most alarming effects. 
There were two descriptions of 
men in Ireland : The first descrip- 
tion were weil known for their 
daring spirit;' there were not want- 
ing persons among them celebrated 
jn arms, in arts, and even in litera- 
ture; they were men over whom 
courts ceuld never have any influ- 
ence, and who were to beled, not 
driven—Such were the men in the 
‘north of Ireland. ‘The whole south 
was characterized by unruly pas- 
sions, which were always the promi- 
nent features of men unemployed, 
What the.event might be, it was 
impossible tosay ; he warned them, 
however, ‘that it might be such as 
to shake the empire to its centre ! 
and was a subject which involved 
- Such consequences to be set aside 
by, a few words about the indepen- 
dence of the Irish parliament? an 
_ €xpression, which, till of late years, 
used never to be heard of from mi- 
_ nisters!. Fhe motion now before 
- their lordships was couched in terms 
so wise, so prudent, and so moderate, 
_ that he-ceuld scarcely have-suppo- 
1797. 
sed that it could have been object- 
ed to. What was its purpose ? It 
said, to his majesty, “ sire, you have, 
by a happy conduct, attached the 
people of Iveland to your family 
and government, by the same 
liberal and geuerous conduct by 
which your grandfather gained the 
affections of the highlands of Scot- 
Jand. There is but one small 
cause of discontent still remaining, 
and it is only necessary that you 
follow up those wise and salu- 
tary measures, which you have hi- 
theito acted upon, to remove it.” 
‘This was al] that the motion pro- 
posed. If it was done in time, the 
measures might besuccessful ; but, 
it cught to be recollected, that the 
longer the delay, the greater the 
danger. 
The earl of Darnley observed, 
that the motion before their: lord- 
ships, though couched in very ge- 
neral terms, and not appearing in 
itself to point to any specific ob- 
ject, yet, by the explanation given 
of it, by the Jords who spoke in its 
favour, evidently pointed to the 
emancipation (asit was called) of the 
catholics. He thought there might 
be cases in which their lordships 
interference might he justifiable. 
but that the present was not one of 
then. There were discontents in 
Ireland; but by no means among 
the general mass of the people. 
The popular cry of catholic eman- 
cipation was made use of for cover- 
ing desigus for subverting, govern- 
ment. ' 
he duke of Bedford was sorry 
tosay, that theis lordships had toe 
often listened to the trifling argu- 
ments and shifts of ministers, when 
any charge was exhibited against 
them, in that house., They must 
cease tO listen to those shifts, if it 
5 was 
