"- "k A. D, 1779. 643 



not lefs than ^15,000, nor more than ;^2o,ooo, a-year, to commence at 

 the end of one year after the conclufion of the war. Thus was a landed 

 eftate (I might almoft fay a territorial fovereignty) which, confidering 

 the extent and rapidly increafing value of it, was perhaps the mofl va- 

 luable ever pofleffed by any fubjed, transferred, after a pofTeflion of 

 above ninety-nine years, from a private family to be the property of 

 the ftate *. 



The relief afforded to the commerce of Ireland by the laft feflion of 

 parliament was fo flir fhort of the demands and expedlations of that 

 country, that the fpirit of difcontent was little or nothing abated. 

 Meetings were held in Dublin, and afterwards in other places, at which, 

 after branding the oppofition to the complete emancipation of their 

 commerce as not only illiberal and unjuft, but alfo impolitic, they en- 

 tered into refolutions neither to import nor confume any articles of 

 Britifh produce or manufacture of any kinds, which could be produced 

 or manufactured in Ireland, till a more enlightened policy in Britain 

 fhould abolifli the reftraints on the trade and manufactures of Ireland. 



While the afKiir was thus refumed with increafed ardour by the Irifh 

 and their friends in this country, the oppofition to it became much 

 fainter on the fide of the Britifh manufacturers : and in the meantime 

 an unintentional combination of circumftances gave a new acceflion of 

 force to the refolutions and demands of the Irifh, which could not very 

 eafily be refifted. A confiderable part of the army ftationed in Ire- 

 land had been drawn off to be employed in America ; whereupon many 

 noblemen, gentlemen, farmers, merchants, and traders, had formed them- 

 felves into volunteer afTociations for the defence of the country againft 

 invafion ; and their number foon increafed to about 42,000 men, well 

 armed and difciplined, among whom there was no diftinCtion of reli- 

 gion, whether proteftant or catholic, and fcarcely any diftinCtion of 

 perfons, men of title and fortune ferving in the ranks along with their 

 tenants and dependents. It was impoflible that fuch a body of men, 

 deeply interefted,as they were, in the prolperity of their country, fhould 

 not feel their own power and importance ; and they refolved, not only 

 to repell foreign enemies, but alfo to aflert their right at home, and to 

 command that freedom in trade, which, they faid, had, as in the cafe of 

 America, been denied to their humble folicitations. The matter was 

 now become too ferious to be trifled with ; and the recent example of 

 America convinced the adminiftration and parliament of Great Britain, 

 that no time was to be loft in giving real and effectual fatisfaCtion to fo 

 refpeCtable and powerful a body of fuppliants. The Britifli parUament 



• Bcfldcs the compenfation allowed to them by their late tenants, or v.TfTals, the family got an allow* 

 ance of ;^4,coo a-ycar ffom the Britilh revenue, which was ftcured by art of parliament, 30 Geo. III. 

 •c. 46. 



4 M2 



