362 
head, and arrived at Dublin, on the 
43th of October. 
The Duke of Bedford, and Mr. George 
Grenville, the father of the present Mar- 
quis of Buckingham, were, at this period, 
at the head of the administration. Ha- 
ving determined on another change of 
the government of the sister island, it 
was resolved, by means of a spirited 
exertion, to wrest it out of the hands 
of the “ Undertakers,” a class of men, 
powerful in point of wealth, influence, 
and talents, who, provided they and 
their friends were gratifed to the full 
extent of their wishes, ‘* undertook” to 
ebtam a parliament favourable to the 
wishes of tiie ministers of the day. 
It bad been hitherto customary, for 
z lord-lieutenant, to repair thither, only 
one or. two years, to live in splendid 
magnificence during a few months, and, 
after providing places for his dependants, 
and loading himself with gold boxes 
and complimentary addresses, to hurry 
back to England, leaving the seat of his 
government in possession of, and a prey 
to, a party. 
A new system was now in contempla- 
tion, and Viscount Townshend was the 
nobleman referred to on this occasion. 
At first, every thing assumed a most 
favourable aspect ; “be, who had dis- 
dained the thraldom of an undertaker, 
was ready to wear the livery of a re- 
sident viceroy; and the most inveterate 
republican became a convert to the new 
theory of governments: all was rapture 
and reformation; the return of Astrea 
was hourly expected, and the kingdom 
of Saturn was supposed to be at hand.” 
The spirit of the new viceroy was 
not doubted, but it appeared necessary 
to entrust the secret management of 
public affairs to an able and experienced 
counsellor. Such was supposed to be 
efound in the person of Sir George Mac- 
artney, who had just distinguished his 
talents for diplomatic skill at the Court 
of St. Petersburgh, and fortified bis in- 
terest at home, by means of an al- 
Hance with the daughter of the Earl 
ef Bute. On the first of January, 1769, 
ke was accordingly nominated chief se- 
eretary of Ireland, and soon after sworn 
as member of the privy council. 
But a military viceroy and an elegant 
eourticr united were not a match tor 
Trish aristocracy and the Irish‘ patriots, 
when these discordant bodies thought 
fit to join against them. The Duke of 
‘Leinster, Lord Shannon, and Mr. Pon- 
sonby, enibodied all their mercenaries, 
Memoirs of the late Marquis of Townshend. 
[Nov, 1, 
and formed them into battle array, 
while. the Earl of Charlemont, Mr. 
Hood, and Dr. Lucas, acted as volun- 
teers. 
At first almost every demand was 
complied with. “ Various schemes (Says 
Lord Macartney*) were offered, and 
the utility and the necessity of pur-~ 
suing them were painted in the most 
sedacing colours. One day a bounty 
on fish and whale-catching was desired ; 
the establishment of county-hospitals 
and public coal yards, was another day 
mentioned; a septennial bill, a judges’ 
bill, an habeas-corpus bill, premiums for 
_corn preserved upon stands, and for 
corn brought to Dublin coastways, were 
all asked in their turns; nay, what will 
scarcely be believed, a proposal was 
seriously made, that the dand-carriage 
bounty should be paid for all corn and 
flour, brought to Dublin by the new canal. 
And such was the success of the repre- 
sentations, that many of the demands 
above mentioned were in a great inea- 
sure complied with. 
“lhe immense charge incurred by 
them, may be seen in the public ac- 
counts, where they stand as incontro= 
vertible evidence of their own exorbitance 
and impropriety. 
““ A Lord Lieutenant new in his go- 
vernment, perhaps new in business of 
any kind, unacquainted with the people 
and constitution of Ireland, and desirous 
of carrying on his administration with 
popularity and good humour, probably at 
first did not apprehend any danger or 
Inconveniency from adopting these~ 
schemes: he perhaps seemed to approve 
them, and his seeming approbation was 
immediately sworn into a positive pro- 
mise, the performance of which he was 
afterwards. either soothed or frightened 
into, according to the features of his cha~ 
racter, and the circumstances of the 
times.” , 
Be this as it may, certain it is, that: 
the government of Lord Townshend 
proved highly, although we had almost 
said unintentionally, beneficial to Ire- 
land. 
It was the avowed purpose of his mis=— 
sion, to render that country more ductile 
and obedient, and yet one of the first 
measures of his administration, was to 
recommend from the throne, to make 
the Judges’ commissions, not revocable 
at will, as formeriy, but retained like 
* See Barrow’s Life of Lord Macartneys 
vol. ii, p. 146. 
those 
