288 
he was contemporary with fome of the moft 
celebrated men who have diftinguifhed them=_ 
felves in all the recent and important tranf- 
attions that have occurred in Ireland; fuck 
as the late Mr. Flood, Mr. Grattan, Mr. 
Fofter, the late Speaker of the Irifh Com- 
mons, &c. He is yet remembered by fome 
of the old members of that feminary, on 
account of the ability and induftry which 
even then marked his character. 
completed ‘is courfe of collegiate ftudies, 
and kept his terms at the Temple, hg was at 
jength called co the Irifh bar, with advantages 
poffeffed by few at the outfet of life, and 
thefe were fupported by a high charaéter, 
and a fortune which, even independent of 
any increafe from the fuccefs of forenfic la- 
bours, fecured to him fomething infinitely 
beyond a competence. Affluence, however, 
dia not produce in Mr. Fitzgibbon what is too 
commoniy its effect on the youthful mind— 
an indolent apathy.—-His afliduity in profef- 
fional purfuits was not exceeded by any of his 
rivals at the bar; and though there was no 
man who drank more deeply of the cup of 
pleafure, yet few toiled through more bufi- 
hefs, or in the difcharge of it, difplayed more 
of that accuracy of knowledge which is the 
refult only of attentive induftry. It was by 
the obfervance of a rule of life which none 
but ftrong minds have ever prefcribed to 
themfelves, namely, *‘to fufter no portion 
of time to pafs without filling it either with 
Dbufinefs or with pleafure,” that Mr. Fitzgib- 
bon was enabled to unite thofe generally in- 
compatibie purfuits. With fuch application, 
and with talents certainly above the common 
level, though, perhaps, far below that at 
which his friends would place them, he foon 
xofe to eminence, In the Houfe of Com- 
mons, of which he became a member for the 
Oniverfity, in 1776, fhortly after his call! to 
the bar, by the operation of this principle, 
aided by a kind of eloquence, which, though 
3t was neither very brilliant, nor very perfua- 
five, yet being accompanied by a certain air uf 
confident fuperiority, aconfiderable efte& was 
produced ; and he was foon efteemed one of 
the moft efficient fupporters of the party he 
efpoufed. Without affe€ting popularity at 
any time, he launched into political life, un- 
invited, and unbought, the partifan of the 
court, and the profefied contemner of thie 
profanum vulgus: in this fentiment he has 
been wonderfully confiftent. From his firft 
entrance he did not, in one fingle inftance, 
ftart from the track before him. His con- 
duét was marked by an unyaried and 
uniform fupport of the Britifh cabinet, and an 
avowed, perhaps a revolting contempt for the 
principles, motives, ‘and objects, of what has 
been called the pepular party. He had noe 
been long in Parliament, before the calamities 
brought upon Ireland by the continuance of 
the American conteft, rendered it neceflary to 
feek, in an enlargement of her commerce, 
for fome remedy againit a general bankrupt- 
Account of the late Earl of Clare. 
Having’ 
- [April 1, 
cy. The Commons, urged by the cries of a 
famifhing people, called for what was then 
denominated ‘*a free trade,” and Mr. Fitz- 
gibbon, much to his honour, did aot oppofe the 
application. The defencelefs ftate in which 
the kingdom had been left, by drawing off 
the troops to ferve on a diftant continent, 
fuggefted to the community the neceffity of 
arming for felf-defence, Mr. Fitzgibbon ap- 
peared in the ranks as a private ; butit would 
be unjuft to charge him with participating in 
thofe high-flown fentiments of national pride, 
and love of freedom, which foon began to ac- » 
tuate the volunteer army, and which, no 
doubt, gave fome ftrength to the fubfequent. 
declaration of legiflative independence by the 
Irifh Parliament. He rather feemed to be 
carried forward by the irrefiftible impulfe of 
national fentiment, than to have advanced 
with it toward the goal. Accordingly, when 
an occafion occurred of retiring without dif. 
honour from’ a caufe fo little congenial to his 
principles, he feparated from the vulgar herd. 
The moment chofen by him was. during the 
difcuffion of the long agitated queftion, rela- 
‘tive to the fimple repeal of the fixth of 
George JIT. From that time he conti- 
nued the firm and zealous advocate for a 
ftrong and energetic government, and the 
powerful opponent of every man who attempt. 
ed to reform, or innovate on prefent eftabs 
lifhments. When Mr. Yelverton was ap- 
pointed Chief Baron of the Exchequer in — 
Ireland, Mr. Fitzgibbon fucceeded him as 
Attorney General. No man was ever better — 
fitted for the office. His firmnefs, his confi- 
dence in his own powers, and the bold tone 
with which he hurled defiance at his Parlia- 
mentary opponents, on every quéftion con- 
netted with legal or conftitutional know- 
ledge, often appalled the minor members of. 
oppofition, and fometimes kept even their 
chiefs at bay. Thefe qualities, however, 
did not always conftitute a {ure defence. The 
repulfe which, on one memorable evening of 
debate, he experienced on the part of the 
prefent Lord, then Mr. O'Neil, of Shane's 
Caftle, whofe manly and honeft mind caught 
fire at the haughty and didtatorial language 
with which the Attorney General had dared 
to addrefs him, is remembered by thofe whe 
were then converfant in the’ politics of the | 
day, and probably will not foon be forgotten. 
But though this daring, and as it is often 
called, overbearing, {pirit, cid fometimes mif- 
carry, in general it enfured him fuccefs.. A 
remarkable inftance of its efficacy occurred at 
a time when the minds of the people were 
extremely agitated by the rejecting of their 
petitions for reform, and for protecting duties. 
At amoment when the ferment feemed to 
have azifen to a very dangerous height, an 
aggregate meeting of all the inhabitants of 
the metropolis was, on a requifition of feve- 
ral refpe€table perfons, convened by the high 
therifts of Dublin. The Attorney-general 
owas then the mof unpopular man in the 
country, 
