IRELAND. 
lord Townfhend, a bill was prepared and fent over to 
England, by which it was enaCted,, that the Irifh parlia¬ 
ments thenceforth fhould be held every feven years. It 
was returned with the addition of one year; and the par¬ 
liaments of this country were ever afterwards oCtennial. 
During this feffion an attempt was made by the Britifh 
miniftry to infringe the rights of the houfe of commons 
in a very material point. A money-bill, which had not 
originated in Ireland, was fent over from Great Britain, 
but was rejefted in a fpirited manner. Its rejection gave 
great offence to the lord-lieutenant, who repeatedly pro¬ 
rogued the parliament till the year 1771. 
The affairs of Ireland began now to draw towards that 
crifis which effected a remarkable revolution in favour of 
the liberties of the people. The palling of the oCtennial 
bill had diminilhed, but not taken away, the influence of 
the crown ; and the fituation of affairs between Britain 
and America had inclined miniftry to make the molt they 
could of this: influence. In 1773 lord Harcourt, at that 
time governor of Ireland, exerted himfelf fo powerfully 
in favour of adminiftration, that the voice of oppolition 
in parliament was almoft entirely filenced. The difficul¬ 
ties, however, under which the whole nation laboured, 
began now to be fo feverely felt, that an addrefs on the 
fubjeCt was prefented by the commons to his excellency. 
In this they told him, that they hoped he would lay before 
the king the ftate of Ireland, reftridled in its commerce 
from the Ihort-fighted policy of former times, to the great 
injury of the kingdom, and the advantage of the rivals, 
if not of the enemies, of Great Britain. Thefe hardlhips, 
they faid, were not only impolitic, but unjuft; and they 
told his excellency plainly, that they expedited to be re- 
ftored to fome, if not to all, their rights, which alone 
could juftify them to their conftituents, for laying upon 
them fo many burdens during the couri'e of this feffion. 
This reprefentation to the lord-lieutenant produced 
no effect; and Ireland for fome years longer continued 
to groan under the burden of intolerable reftriCtions, of 
which thofe to export cattle or wool have already been no¬ 
ticed. All trade with Alia was excluded by charters grant¬ 
ed to particular companies; and reftriCtions were impofed 
upon almoft every valuable article of commerce fent to 
the different ports of Europe; but that which was molt 
fenfibly felt, took place in 1776. “-There had hitherto 
(fays Mr. Crawford) been exported annually to America 
large quantities of Irilli linens: this very confiderable 
fource of national advantage was now fliut up. Under 
pretence of rendering it more difficult for the enemy 
to be fupplied with the means of fubflftence, but, in 
reality, to enable a few rapacious Englifh contractors to 
fulfil their engagements, an embargo, which continued, 
was in 1776 laid upon the exportation of provifions from 
Ireland, by an unconftitutional ftretch of prerogative. 
Remittances to England, on various accounts, parti¬ 
cularly for the payment of our forces abroad, were more 
than ufually confiderable. Thefe immediate caufes being 
combined with thofe which were invariable and perma¬ 
nent, produced in this country very calamitous effects. 
Black cattle fell very conliderably in their value, not- 
withltanding that cuftomers could not be had. The 
price of wool was reduced in a ftill greater proportion. 
Rents every where fell; nor, in many places, was it pof- 
fible to colledt them. An univerfal ftagnation of bufi- 
nefs enfued. Credit was very materially injured. Far¬ 
mers were prefled by extreme neceflity, and many of 
them failed. Numbers of manufacturers were reduced 
to great diftrefs, and would have perifhed, had they 
not been fupported by public charity. Thofe of every 
rank and condition were deeply afteCted by the calamity 
of the times. Had the ftate of the exchequer permitted, 
grants might have been made to promote induftry, and 
to alleviate the national diftrefs; but it was exhaufted to 
a very uncommon degree. Almoft every branch of the 
revenue had failed. From want of money, the militia- 
law could not be carried into execution. We could not 
331 
pay our forces abroad; and, to enable us to pay thofe at 
home, there was a neceflity for borrowing so,oool. from 
England. The money which parliament was forced to 
raife, it was obliged to borrow at an exorbitant intereft. 
England, in its prefent ftate, was affeCted with the wretched 
condition to which our affairs were reduced. Individuals 
there, who had eltates in Ireland, were ftiarers of the 
common calamity; and the attention of many perfons in 
the Britifh parliament was turned to our fituation, who 
had even no perfonal intereft in this country.” 
While things were in this deplorable fituation, earl 
Nugent, in the year 1778, undertook the caufe of the 
Irifh, by moving in parliament, that their affairs fhould 
be taken into confideration by a committee of the whole 
houfe. This motion being agreed to almoft unanimoufly, 
it was followed by feveral others, viz. That the Irifh 
might be permitted to export directly to the Britifh 
plantations, or to the. fettlements on the coaft of Africa, 
all goods being the produce and manufacture of the 
kingdom, excepting only wool or woollen manufactures, 
&c. That all goods, being the produce of any of the 
Britifh plantations, or of the fettlements on the coaft of 
Africa, tobacco excepted, be allowed to be imported di¬ 
rectly from Ireland to all places, Britain excepted. That 
cotton yarn, the manufacture of Ireland, be allowed to 
be imported into Great Britain. That glafs manufac¬ 
tured in Ireland be permitted to be exported to all places, 
Britain excepted. With refpeCt to the Irifh fail-cloth 
and cordage, it was moved, that they fhould have the 
fame privilege as for the cotton yarn. 
Thele motions having palled unanimoufly, bills for 
the relief of Ireland were framed upon them accordingly. 
The trading and manufacturing towns of England, how¬ 
ever, now took the alarm; petitions againft the Irifh in¬ 
dulgence w'ere brought forward from many different 
quarters, and members inftruCted to oppofe it. In con- 
fequence of this, a warm conteft took place on the fecond 
reading of the bills. Mr. Burke fupported them with 
all the ftrength of his eloquence; and, as the minifter 
feemed to favour them, they were committed ; though 
the violent oppofition to them ftill continued, which 
induced many of their friends at that time to defert their 
caufe. 
Though the efforts of thofe who favoured the caufe of 
Ireland thus proved unfuccefsful for the prefent, they 
renewed their endeavours before the Chriftmas vacation. 
They now urged, that, independent of all claims from 
jultice and humanity, the relief of Ireland was enforced 
by neceflity. The trade with Britifh America was now 
loft for ever; and it was indifpenfably requifite to unite 
the remaining parts of the empire in one common intereft 
and affeCtion. Ireland had hitherto been pallive; but 
there was danger that, by driving her to extremities, fhe 
would caft off the yoke altogether; or, even if this fhould 
not happen, the tyranny of Britain would be of little 
advantage; as, on the event of a peace, the people would 
defert a country in which they had experienced'fuch op- 
preflion, and emigrate to America, where they had a 
greater profpeCl of liberty. On the other hand, they in¬ 
filled, that very confiderable advantages muft enfue to 
Britain by the emancipation of Ireland; and every benefit 
extended to that country would be returned with accu¬ 
mulated intereft. The bufinefs was at laft fummed up 
in a motion made by lord Newhaven, in February 1779, 
that liberty fliould be granted to the Irifh to import fugars 
from the Weft Indies. This was carried; but, the mer¬ 
chants of Glafgow and Manchefter having petitioned 
againft the bill, it was again loft through the interference 
of the minifter, who now exerted his influence againft the 
relief in favour of which he had formerly declared. Va¬ 
rious other efforts, however, were made to effeCt the in¬ 
tended purpofe; but nothing more could be obtained 
than a kind of compromife, by which lord Gower pledged 
himfelf, as far as he could anlwer for the conduct of 
others, that, during the recefs, fome plan Ihouid be de¬ 
viled 
