IREI 
knights were inverted at the caftle of Dublin ; and on the 
17th, tbcfertival of the tutelar faint, the ceremony of in- 
Ibllation was performed with great magnificence. About 
this time commifiioners from the Gene.vefe, who, in con- 
lequence of tire preponderance gained by the ariftocratic 
party, had quitted their native city in difguft, arrived in 
Ireland to negociate for a fettlement in this country. 
The projeft of a proteftant colony of induftrious and 
highly-civilized artilbns was eagerly embraced by the go¬ 
vernment, who afligned 50,000!. for its execution, and di- 
refted a town, named New Geneva, to be built for the 
reception of thefe ftrangers in the county of Waterford, 
near the union of the rivers Barrow, Nore, and Suir, 
where a tract of land was fhortly to revert to the crown. 
As, however, the emigrants infilled not only on being re- 
prefented in parliament, but alfo 011 being governed by 
their own laws, the treaty was broken oil', and the intend¬ 
ed fettlement never took place. 
If the volunteer aflociations of Ireland, after the attain¬ 
ment of their great objeft, the emancipation of their legif- 
lafure, had religned their arms, when, on the conclufion 
of a general peace, they were no longer neceflary ; their 
conduct would have entitled them to the higheft com¬ 
mendation. Milled, however, by dellgning or miftaken 
men, and influenced by the example of fome very emi¬ 
nent perlons in England, they' carried their exertions be¬ 
yond the limits of true policy, and turned their attention 
to a new objeft, a reform in parliament. Soon after the 
commencement of this difcurtion, earl Temple, whofe fiiort 
adminiftration had been diltinguilhed by various econo¬ 
mical reforms, was fucceeded by the earl of Nortliington. 
An artembly of forty-five volunteer companies of Ul- 
fter, convened on the ill of July, 1783, at Lifburne, in the 
county of Antrim, to deliberate on the means of effeft- 
ing a parliamentary reform, appointed a committee for 
correfponding with other locieties ; and a general meet¬ 
ing of the delegates of the province was appointed at 
Dungannon, on the 8th of the following September. The 
delegates of 272 companies accordingly met, publilhed re- 
folutions concerning the reprefentation of the people in 
parliament, and elefted five perfons to reprefent each 
■county in a national convention to be held in Dublin on 
the 10th of the enfuing November, to which they invited 
the other provinces to lend deputies likewife. Agreeably 
to this invitation, the delegates of the four provinces af- 
lenibled in the Rotunda at Dublin. Having defied the 
earl of Charlemont their prefident, they appointed a com¬ 
mittee to digeft a plan of parliamentary reform, and to 
prepare a report on the fubjeft. The report being finifhed, 
a motion was made in the houfe of commons, by Henry 
Flood, for leave to introduce a bill for the more equal re¬ 
prefentation of the people in parliament. This was ftre- 
nuoufly oppofed by Barry Yelverton, the attorney-general, 
who declared that he admired the volunteers as long as 
they confined themfel ves to their firll line of conduft ; but, 
that to receive a bill, which originated with an armed body, 
was inconfiftent with the dignity of the houfe and the 
freedom of debate. The motion was, after a warm con- 
telt, rejected by a great majority; and the commons im¬ 
mediately palled this refolution : “That it was then necef- 
iary to declare that they would fupport the rights and 
privileges of parliament again ft all encroachments.” They 
likewife voted an addrefs to the king, in which the lords 
concurred, alluring his majefty, that they were determined 
to fupport the exilting conftitution witji their lives and 
fortunes. On the 2d of December, the convention of de¬ 
legates voted an indefinite adjournment, after palling a 
refolution that they would carry on individually fuch in- 
veftigations as were neceflary to complete the plan of par¬ 
liamentary reform; and having agreed upon an addrefs 
to the king “exprefiive of their duty and loyalty, claim¬ 
ing the merit of their part exertions, and imploring his 
majefty that their humble wifli to have certain nianifeft 
perverlions of the parliamentary reprefentation of this 
kingdom remedied by the legiflature in fome reasonable 
Vol.XI. No, 757. 
AND. .337 
degree, might not be attributed to any fpirit of innova¬ 
tion, but to a fober and laudable defire to uphold the 
conltitution, to confirm the fatisfaftion of their fellow- 
fubjefts, and to perpetuate the cordial union of both 
kingdoms.” This tame conclufion of a bufmefs fo for¬ 
midable in its outlet, was occufioned by the juft confi¬ 
dence of government, and the diffidence of the popular 
leaders, who had not expended fo firm a ref:fiance to their 
demands, 
The change in the Brltilh adminiftration which ele¬ 
vated William Pitt, the fon of the great earl of Chatham, 
to the office of prime minifter, inverted the duke of Rut¬ 
land with the lord-lieutenancy of Ireland at the end of 
February, 1784.. The queftion of parliamentary reform, 
of which Mr. Pitt had been a ftrenuous advocate, was 
again brought forward ; but a bill to that effeft was re¬ 
jected at the fecond reading by the houfe of commons. 
Difcontents on political and commercial fubjefts pervad¬ 
ed the nation, and riots became frequent. In confequence 
of quarrels between the mob of Dublin and the garrifon, 
the favage cultora of houghing, or cutting the ham-ftrings 
of the ioldiers who were found ltraggling, increafed to 
fuch an alarming pitch, that an aft was parted for levy¬ 
ing on the citizens of Dublin a maintenance during life 
for every foldier thus difablfed. The manufacturers of 
the metropolis alfo, affembling in riotous bodies, infulted 
fuch merchants and ffiopkeepers as were fufpefted of not 
adhering to the agreement pf non-importation of Englilh 
cloths; and fome perfons particularly obnoxious they 
even tarred and feathered. 
In compliance with the general outcry for parliamen¬ 
tary reform, a meeting of the citizens of Dublin, convened 
by the flieriffs on the 7th of June, 1784, voted a feries of 
refolutions, in which they arterted the right of the people 
■of Ireland to a frequent election and a free reprefenta¬ 
tion 5 and that, to extend the right of.fuffrage to the Ro¬ 
man catholics, at the fame time preferving in its fulleft 
extent the proteftant government of the country, would 
be a meafure fraught with the happieft conlequences, and 
highly conducive to civil liberty. They appointed a 
committee to prepare an addrefs to the people, and a pe¬ 
tition to the king. In the former, every eounty and large 
town was invited to depute five perfons to meet in Dub¬ 
lin, on the 25th of the enfuing Oftober, in a national con- 
grefs; but, when the petition was prelented to the vice¬ 
roy for tranfmiffion to the throne, he promifed to com¬ 
ply with the requeft, though he declared his refolution of 
conveying at the fame time his entire dilapprobation of it, 
as tending to diminifh the authority of the laws and parliar 
ment of Ireland. Vigorous exertions were made by the rni- 
niftry to prevent the affembling of the intended congrefs. 
The fheriffs of Dublin, who had figned,a fummons for a 
meeting of the citizens for the choice of delegates, were 
threatened by Fitzgibbon, the attorney-general, with 
the vengeance of the law, and intimidated from farther 
interference. The meeting took place without the lhe- 
riffs, and the delegates were chofen. The attorney-ge¬ 
neral now proceeded to file informations againft the ma- 
giftrates who had prefided at fimilar affemblies, and the 
printers of newfpapers who had publilhed their obnoxious 
refolutions. In fpite of all impediments, the congrefs 
met at the appointed time; and, after a fertion of three 
days, finding their number not complete, adjourned to 
the 20th of the following January. At the fecond meet¬ 
ing it was found to confilt of above 200 members, the re- 
prefentatives of 27 counties, and moll of the principal 
towns; who refolved upon an application to parliament, 
couched in terms fo general as to leave the mode of re- 
drefs as open as portible to the legiflature. 
Before the prorogation of parliament in May 1784, in- 
efteftual attempts had been made to procure the impofi- 
tion of taxes on manufaftured goods imported into Ire¬ 
land, for the encouragement of the domeftic manufac¬ 
tures. The propofal was ridiculed ; but, to allay the con- 
fequent public diffatisfaction, the commons unar.imoufty 
4 R voted 
