HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
was their object to save the state 
from ruin. But it might be asked, 
what it was that he thought likely 
to restore happiness to the people 
of Ireland? “Restore to the peo- 
ple of Ireland the person you have 
revaled ; give back to them the 
man whom, they have tried, and 
whom they, admire; act on the 
principles. on which he acted, and 
then discontents will cease: if you 
do not, God only knows into how 
much more dreadful a state that 
unhappy country may be reduced.” 
Lord Grenville was of opinion, 
that the remedy proposed by the 
noble duke would have a tendency 
to create that which he seemed to 
dread: a disturbance in Ireland ; 
for, that must necessarily be the 
tendency of recalling the present 
lord-lieutenant of that kingdom. 
If the ta'ents, the virtues, and the 
exertions, of that noble lord were 
not sufficient to preserve the tran 
quillity of Ireland, he believed it 
would be out of the power of any 
other individual whatever. 
The earl of Moira rose up to 
make a few observations on the 
main point in question: the con- 
tentment or discontentment of the 
people. of Ireland. As their lord- 
ships could not try the veracity of 
one noble lord against another, the 
only way they had to decide, was, 
to refersto facts. His lordship 
again appealed to the various facts 
already mentioned or alluded to,’ 
by himself and the earl Fitzwilliam : 
parishes and whole counties out of 
the king’s peace, and disarined : 
insurrections in divers places, rour- 
murs of discontent in all; and a 
general assembly within fifty yards 
of the castle of Dublin, headed by 
persons whose talents and characters 
were of the very first class, and 
[243 
who, after the most matute delibe- 
ration that could be had on such an 
occasion, resolved and declared it 
to be their firm persuasion, that 
there was no chance for the salva- 
tion of Ireland, without an intire 
aud immediate change in the whole 
system of executive government. 
After this, the house divided ; and 
the noble earl’s motion was rejected 
by 72 against 20. 
Two days after this decision, in 
the house af peers, tle same subject, 
that is, the general state of Ire- 
land, was introduced, into the house 
of commons, by Mr. Fox, who pre- 
faced his speech by calling to mind 
the part he had taken im the recog- 
nition of the complete independence 
of Ireland, and how much he na- 
turally considered himself to be 
bound, in a particular manner, to 
follow up the principle on which 
it was founded. Though a variety 
of circumstances had concurred io 
produce the present distarbances 
in Ireland, he confined his obser- 
‘yations to two or three leading 
points. These were, whether, in 
consequence of the concessions that 
had been made tu Ireland, she had, 
in fact and substance, enjoyed the 
advantazes of an independent le- 
gislature ? Whether, in that form of 
a free constitution which they ob- 
tained, the people possessed that 
political sveignt to which they were 
entitled ? And, whether, their just 
-voice and influence had been pro- 
moted, by the alteration which had ~ 
been effected? The people of Ire. 
Jand were divided into two, though 
these unequal classes, the catholics 
and the protestants: neither of 
which enjoyed their just share of 
political power and _ influence, 
About nine years ago, a regular 
system was devised for enslaving 
[R 2] Treland, 
