IRELAND. 
' 332 
vifed for accommodating the affairs of Ireland to the fa- 
tisfaCtion of all parties. 
In the mean time, the affairs of this ifland haftened to 
a crifis which forced the Britifli miniftry to give that 
relief fo long folicited, and which they fo often promifed 
■without any intention of performing their protnifes. As 
long as the affairs of the country were under the confide- 
ration of the Britifh parliament, the inhabitants preferved 
fome degree of patience; but, when they found them- 
felves deferted by the minifter, their difcontent was in- 
ffamed beyond meafure. The laws he had palled in their 
favour, viz. an allowance to plant tobacco, and a bill for 
encouraging the growth of hemp, were confidered as 
mockery inftead of relief; and it was now refolved to 
take fuch meafures as Ihould effectually convince the 
miniftry that it was not their intereft to tyrannife any 
longer. With this view, affociations againft the impor¬ 
tation of Britifli commodities, which had been entered 
into in fome places before, now became univerfal through¬ 
out the kingdom; and fuch as prefumed to oppofe the 
voice of the people in this refpeCt had the mortification 
to find themfelves expofed to public obloquy and con¬ 
tempt on that account. Thus the Irifh manufactures 
began to revive; and the people of Great Britain found 
themfelves obliged ferioufly to take into confideration 
the relief of that country, and to look upon it as a mat¬ 
ter very neceffary to their own intereft. To this alfo 
they were ftill more ferioufly difpofed by the military 
affociations, which had taken place fome time before, 
and now affumed a molt formidable appearance. Thefe 
at firft were formed by accidental caufes. The fituation 
of Great Britain, for fome time, had not admitted of any 
effectual method being taken for the defence of Ireland. 
Its coalts had been inlulted, and its trading-lhips taken 
by the French and American privateers; nor was it at 
all improbable that an invafion might foon follow. “ The 
minifter (fays Mr. Crawford) told us, that the fituation 
of Britain was fuch as rendered her incapable of pro¬ 
tecting us. The weaknefs of government, from the 
following circumltance, was ftrikingly obvious. The 
mayor of Belfaft having tranfmitted a memorial to the 
Jord-lieutenant, fetting forth the unprotected ftate of the 
coalt, and requefting a body of the military for its de¬ 
fence, received for anlvver, that he could not afford him 
any other afliftance than half a troop of difmounted 
horfe, and half a company of invalids.” In this dilemma, 
a number of the inhabitants of the town afl'ociated for 
the nurpofe of felf-defence; and, on the fame principle, 
a few volunteer companies were formed in different parts 
of tfte kingdom. Thele chofe their own officers ; pur- 
chafed their own uniforms and arms; and, with the af- 
fiftance of perfons properly qualified, aflembled regularly 
on the parade to acquire a knowledge in the military art. 
Their relpeCtable appearance, and the zeal they fliowed 
in the fervice of their country, foon excited curiofity and 
attrafted refpeCf. Their number increafed every day ; and 
people of the firft confequence became ambitious of being 
enrolled among them. As no foreign enemy appeared 
againft whom they might exercil'e their military prowefs, 
thefe patriotic bands foon began to turn their thoughts 
towards a deliverance from domeltic oppreffion. No 
fooner was this idea made known, than it gave new vi¬ 
gour to the fpirit of volunteering; infomuch that, by the 
end of 1778, the military affociations were thought to 
amount to at leaft 30,000 men. But, while, thus for¬ 
midable from their numbers, and openly avowing their 
intention to demand a reftitution of their rights from the 
Britifli miniftry,' they profeffed the utmoft loyalty and 
affeCtion to the king; and, with regard to fobriety and 
decent demeanour, they were not only unexceptionable, 
but exemplary. Inftead of exciting difcrders themfelves, 
they reftrained every kind of irregularity, and exerted 
themfelves with unanimity and vigour for the execution 
of the laws..- 
That luch a body of armed men, aCting without any 
command or fupport from government, fhould be an ob¬ 
ject of apprehenfion to miniftry, is not to be wondered 
at. In the infancy of their affociations indeed they 
might have been luppreffed ; but matters had been fuf- 
fered to proceed too far, and, as they flood at prefent, all 
reftftance was vain. As the volunteers could not be con- 
trouled, fome attempts were made to bring them under 
the influence of the crown; but, this being found im- 
poflible, miniftry thought proper to treat them with an 
appearance of confidence; and, accordingly, orders were 
iffued for fupplying them with 16,000 Hand of arms. 
The Irifh parliament, thus encouraged by the fpirit of 
the nation, and preffed by the difficulties arifing from the 
diminifhed value of their eftates, refolved to exert them¬ 
felves in a becoming manner, in order to procure relief 
to their country. At their meeting in October 1779, an 
addrefs to his majefty was drawn up; in which it was 
exprefsly declared, that t! it was not by temporary expe¬ 
dients, but by a free trade alone, that Ireland was now 
to be faved from impending ruin.” When this addrefs 
was carried up to the lord-lieutenant, the ftreets of Dub¬ 
lin were lined with volunteers, commanded by the duke 
of Leinfter, in their arms and uniform. But, though a 
general expectation of relief was now diffufed, an anxious 
fear of difappointment ftill continued. If the ufual fup- 
ply was granted for two years, there was danger of the 
diftreffes continuing all that time; and, after it was 
granted, the prorogation of parliament might put a flop 
to the expeCted relief altogether. The people, however, 
were not now to be trifled with. As the court-party 
fhowed an averfion to comply with the popular meafures, 
a mob rofe in Dublin, who, among other aCts of violence, 
pulled down the houfe of the attornhy-general, and did 
their utmoft to compel the members to promife their 
countenance to the matter in hand. When the point 
therefore came to be debated, fome efpoufed the popular 
fide from principle, others from necefiity; fo that on the 
whole a majority appeared in favour of it. A fliort 
money-bill was palled and tranfmitted to England; where, 
though very mortifying to the minifter, it pafifed alfo. 
On the meeting of the Britifh parliament in December, 
the affairs of Ireland were firft taken into confideration 
in the houfe of peers. The neceffity of granting relief to 
that kingdom was ftrongly fet forth by the lord who in¬ 
troduced them. He faid, the Irilh, now confcious of 
polfefling a force and confequence to which they had hi¬ 
therto been ftrangers, had refolved to appiy it to obtain 
the advantages of which the nation, by this fpiritcd exer¬ 
tion, fhowed themfelves worthy-. Had they for fome 
time before been gratified in fmaller matters, they would 
now have received with gratitude, what they would, as 
affairs flood at prefent, confider only as a matter of right. 
He then moved for a vote of cenfure on his majefty’s 
miniflers for their neglect of Ireland. This motion was 
rejected ; but earl Gower, who had now deferted the 
caule of miniftry, declared, that there did not exift in 
his mind a fingle doubt that the vote of cenfure was not 
well founded. He added, in his own vindication, that 
early in the lummer he had promifed that relief fhould 
be granted to Ireland, and had done every thing in his 
power to keep his word; but that ail his efforts had 
proved fruitlefs. 
In the houfe of commons the minifter found liimfelf 
fo hard preffed by the arguments of the minority, and 
the fliort money-bill from Ireland, that he was obliged to 
declare, that in lefs than a week he intended to move 
for a committee of the whole houfe to take the affairs of 
Ireland into confideration. On the 13th of December he 
accordingly brought forward his propofitions in favour of 
this kingdorti. The defign of thefe was to repeal the 
laws prohibiting the exportation of Irifh manufactures 
made of wool or wool-flocks; to repeal as much of the 
aCt of 19th Geo. II. as prohibited the importation of glafs 
into Ireland, except of Britifh manufacture, or the ex¬ 
portation of glafs from Ireland 5 and to permit the Irifh 
to 
