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diftemper juft mentioned, ground appropriated to grazing 
became more valuable than that employed in tillage. The 
cotters were every-where difpoffeffed of their little poffef- 
fions, which the landlords let to monopolizers who could 
afford a higher rent. Whole baronies were now laid open 
to pafturage, while the former inhabitants were driven 
defperate by want of fubfiftence. Numbers of them fled 
to the large cities, or emigrated to foreign countries, while 
thofe who remained took fmall lpots of land, about an 
acre each, at an exorbitant price, where they endeavoured, 
if poffible, to procure the means of protracting a miferable 
exiftence for themfelves and families. For fome time thefe 
poor creatures were allowed by the more humane land¬ 
lords the liberty of commonage; but afterwards'this was 
taken away, in defpite of juftice and a pofitive agreement; 
at the fame time, the payment of tythes, and the low price 
of labour, not exceeding the wages in the days of queen 
Elizabeth, aggravated the diftreffes of the unhappy fuf- 
ferers beyond meafure. In fuch a fituation, it is no won¬ 
der that illegal methods were purfued in expectation of 
redrefs. The people, covered with white {flirts or fmock- 
frocks, affembled in parties at night, turned up the ground, 
deltroyed bullocks, and levelled the inclofures of the com¬ 
mons. Befides committing other aCts of violence, thefe 
mifguided people placed men quite naked on horfeback, 
on laddies covered with the ikins of hedgehogs, and drove 
them albng in excruciating pain ; orleft them many hours 
buried to the chin in holes in the ground, with branches 
of thorns trodden clofely round them. Thefe efforts and 
afts of violence, though fufficiently alarming to indivi¬ 
duals, yet impotent and unavailing in a public view, were 
conftrued into a plot againlt the government. Numbers of 
the rioters were apprehended in the counties of Limeric, 
Cork, and Tipperary, and fome of them condemned and 
executed. In different places thefe unhappy wretches, 
inftead of being looked upon as objeCts of compaffion, 
were profecuted with the utmoft feverity. Judge Alton, 
however, who was fent over to try them, executed his 
office with fuch humanity as did him the higheft honour. 
A moft extraordinary and affefting inftance of this was 
difplayed, when, on his return to Dublin, for above ten 
miles from Clonmell, both lides of the road were lined 
with men, women, and children; who, as he paffed along, 
kneeled down and implored the bleffing of heaven upon 
him as their guardian and proteftor. 
In the mean time, the violences of the White Boys con¬ 
tinued, notwithftanding many examples were made. The 
idea of rebellion was ftill kept up; and, without the finall- 
eft foundation, gentlemen of the firft rank were publicly 
charged with being concerned in it, infomuch that fome 
of them were obliged to enter bail, in order to proteft 
themfelves from injury. The catholics of Waterford pre- 
fented in a petition to lord Hertford, the governor, in 1765, 
in behalf of themfelves and brethren, protefting their loy¬ 
alty and obedience to government; but no effectual ftep 
was taken either to remove, or even to inveftigate, the 
caufe of the difturbances. 
About two years after the appearance of the White 
Boys, a fimilar commotion arofe among the proteftants in 
Ullter ; which, however, proceeded in part from a differ¬ 
ent caufe, and was of much fliorter duration. By an aft of 
parliament, the making and repairing of highways in Ire¬ 
land was formerly a grievous oppreffion on the lower ranks 
of people. A houfekeeper who had no horfe was obliged 
to work at them fix days in the year; and, if he had a 
horfe, the labour of both was required for the fame fpace 
of time. Befides this oppreffion, the poor complained 
that they were frequently obliged to work at roads made 
for the convenience of individuals, and which were 
of no fervice to the public. Nor were thele the only 
grievances of which the infurgents at this time complain¬ 
ed : the tythes exafted by the clergy were faid to be un- 
reafonable, and the rent of lands was more than they 
could bear. In 1763, therefore, being exafperated by a 
road propofed to be made through a part of the county 
A N D. 
of Armagh, the inhabitants moft immediately affefted by 
it rofe in a body, and declared that they would make no 
more highways of the kind. As a mark of diftinftion, 
they wore oak-branches in their hats, from which circum- 
ftance they called themfelves Oak Boys. The number of 
their partifans foon increafed, and the infurreftion became 
general through the counties of Armagh, Tyrone, Derry, 
and Fermanagh. In a few weeks, however, they were 
difperfed by parties of the military; and the public tran¬ 
quillity was reftored, with the lol’s of only two or three 
lives. The road-aft, which had been fo juftly found fault 
with, was repealed next l'eflion ; and it was determined, 
that for the future the roads fliould be made and repaired 
by a tax to be equally affeffed on the lands of the rich 
and poor. 
Befides thefe, another fet of infurgents called Steel Boys, 
foon made their appearance, on the following account. 
The eftate of the marquis of Donegal, an abfentee noble¬ 
man, happening to be out of leafe, he propofed, inftead 
of an additional rent, to take fines from his tenants. 
Many of thofe, who at that time poliefled his lands, were 
unable to comply with his terms; while others, who could 
afford to do fo, infilled upon a greater rent from the 
immediate tenants than they were able to pay. The 
ufual confequences of this kind of oppreffion inftantly 
took place. Numbers being difpoffeffed, and thrown.dei- 
titute, were forced into aits of outrage fimilar to thofe 
already mentioned. One of thefe, charged with felony, 
was carried to Belfaft, in order to be committed to the 
county gaol; but his affociates, provoked by the ulage 
they had received, determined to releafe him. The de- 
fign was eagerly entered into by great numbers all over 
the country; and feveral thoufands, having provided them¬ 
felves with offenfive weapons, proceeded to Belfaft in or¬ 
der to refcue the prifoner. To prevent this, he was re¬ 
moved to the barracks, and put under the guard of a party 
of l'oldiers quartered there ; but the Steel Boys preffed for¬ 
ward with a determination to accompli!!) their purpole 
by force, and fome fhots were aftually exchanged between 
them and the foldiers. The confequences would un¬ 
doubtedly have been fatal, had it not been for a phyfician 
of highly relpeftable charafter, who interpofed at the rilk 
of his life, and prevailed on thofe concerned to fet the 
prifoner at liberty. The tumult, however, was not thus 
quelled. The number of infurgents daily increafed, and 
the violences committed by them were much greater than 
thofe of the other two parties. Some were taken, and tried 
at Carrickfergus, but none condemned. It was fuppofed 
that the fear of popular refentment had influenced the 
judges ; for which reafon an aft was paffed, enjoining the 
trial of fuch priloners for the future to be held in coun¬ 
ties different from thofe where the crimes were committed. 
This breach of a fundamental law of the conftitution gave 
fuch offence, that, though feveral of the Steel Boys were 
afterwards taken up and carried to the caftle of Dublin, 
no jury would find them guilty. This obnoxious law 
was therefore repealed ; after which fome of the infur¬ 
gents, being tried in their relpeftive counties, were con¬ 
demned and executed. Thus the commotions were ex- 
tinguiflied : but, as no methods were taken to remove the 
caufe, the continued diffrelfes of the people drove many 
thoufands of them to America in a very few years. 
In the mean time a very material alteration had taken 
place in the conftitution of the kingdom with regard to 
the duration of parliaments. At an early period thefe 
had contiimed only for a year; but afterwards they were 
prolonged until the death of a fovereign, unlefs he chofe 
to diffolve it fooner by an exertion of his prerogative. 
Thus, from the moment of their eleftion, the commoners 
of Ireland were in a manner totally independent of.the 
people, and tinder the influence of the crown; and go¬ 
vernment foon availed itfelf of this power to bribe a ma¬ 
jority to ferve its own purpofes. Various methods were 
thought of to remedy this evil; but all proved ineffeftual 
until the year 1768, when, during the adminiftration of 
3 lord 
