deducting all drawbacks, repayments, or bounties granted in the nature of drawbacks, over and above the sum of six hundred and fifty six thousand pounds in each year, towards the support of the naval force of the empire, to be applied in such manner as the parliament of Ireland shall direct, by an act to be passed for that purpose, will be a satisfactory provision, proportioned to the growing prosperity of that kingdom, towards defraying, in time of peace the necessary expences of protecting the trade and general interests of the empire."

It will be seen that the chief objects of the additional propositions were to provide, 1st, That whatever navigation laws the British parliament should hereafter find it necessary to enact for the preservation of her marine, the same should be passed by the legislature of Ireland; 2ndly, Against the importing into Ireland, and from thence into Great Britain, of any other West Indian merchandizes, than such as were the produce of our own colonies; and 3dly, that Ireland should debar herself from any of the countries; beyond the Cape of Good Hope, to the streights of Magellan so long as it should be thought necessary to continue the charter of the English. East India Company.

After a discussion of several months in the British parliament, they were propounded to the Irish legislature on the 12th. Aug. 1785. An animated debate ensued which lasted till nine in the

morning, when upon the division there appeared, for leave to bring in the bill 127, against it 108. Such a majority in the very commencement of the measure was certainly equivalent to a defeat, and in that light the ministry considered it; for, Mr. Orde, having moved the first reading of the bill, declared his intention of not making any further progress in the measure during the rest of that session. Mr. Grattan distinguished himself on this occasion, delivering a speech which may rank with his happiest exertions in parliament. Mr. Curran also distinguished himself in the several stages of the discussion. He thus characteristically described the individuals, to whose exertions it had been chiefly owing, that the measure was finally abandoned.

"Nor let us," said he, "forget in our exultation, to whom we are indebted for the deliverance. Here stood the trusty mariner, (Mr. Conolly) on his old station the mast head, and gave the signal. Here (Mr. Flood) all the wisdom of the state was collected, exploring your weakness, and your strength, detecting every ambuscade and pointing to the hidden battery, that was brought to bear on the shrine of freedom. And there (Mr. Grattan) was exerting an eloquence more than human, inspiring, forming, directing, animating to the great purposes of your salvation."

The whole nation partook of the triumph of the senate. Public illuminations testified its joy.

The measure thus completely defeated was never afterwards resumed in either country.

In 1786, the patriotic members of the commons, whose numbers had now greatly increased, made a vigorous stand upon the pension list, a subject of real national grievance. Mr. Forbes, after an animated speech, moved," that the present application and amount of pensions on the civil establishment were a grievance to the nation, and demanded redress." The motion after an interesting debate was lost by a majority of 134 against 78. Mr. Grattan and Mr. Curran both supported it, the latter in a speech containing an admirable specimen of his sarcastic humour *; the former hurling forth the thunders of his eloquence in majesty and strength. "Should I affirm," said he, "that the pension list is not a grievance, I should affirm in the face of my country, an impudent, an insolent, and a public lie."

The year 1787, was distinguished by the ap pearance of fresh insurgents in Munster, under the denomination of Right Boys, so called from their leader Capt. Right, who appears, however, to have acted very wrong. The subject was submitted to parliament by the lord lieutenant in his speech. A committee was appointed to take the question into consideration, and the Attorney General (Fitzgibbon) detailed a series of curious facts, concerning these tumults. They arose from

the old cause, exorbitant rents and exorbitant tythe. The insurgents proceeded with much method. They went from parish to parish swearing in the inhabitants. Reformation of tythes was the first object they had in view; they bound themselves by oath not to pay more than a certain price per acre; not to take them from the minister at a greater price; nor to assist, or allow him to be assisted in drawing the tythe: also to permit no proctor. They next resolved to prevent the collection of parish cesses; then to nominate parish clerks, and, in some cases, curates. They declared what churches should or should not be repaired, and in one case they threatened to burn a new church, if the old one were not given for a mass house. These proceedings only paved the way for others of a more tumultuary and dangerous character: such as regulating the price of lands, raising the price of labour, and opposing the collection of hearth money and other taxes. The attorney general declared he was well acquainted with Munster, and he would assert upon the authority of that knowledge, that it was impossible for human wretchedness to exceed that of the miserable tenantry in that province. He knew that the unhappy tenantry were ground to powder by relentless landlords. Their miseries were intolerable, but they did not originate with the clergy, nor could the legislature stand by and see them take redress into their own hands. He therefore moved, that further provisions by statute

are indispensibly necessary to prevent tumultuous rising and assemblies, and for the more adequate and effectual punishment of persons guilty of outrage, riot, and illegal combination, and of administering, and taking unlawful oaths. A bill was accordingly brought in to this effect, but it was vehemently opposed by several of the patriots, as if intended to be followed up with a general police bill. It was also particularly objected to as deviating from the English riot act This was the last measure of any importance that occurred this session of parliament.

In October, 1787, died his Grace the Duke of Rutland. His demise was sudden, according to some reports: while, according to others, it was the necessary consequence of excessive dissipation of every kind. He was in the 32d year of his age. He was beloved for his social qualities; but his political proceedings did not excite much contentment. Never was the poet's phrase, Decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile, more fully verified than' in the effects produced by the excessive gaiety of this nobleman, and of his elegant and beautiful duchess. To assume an air of excessive sprightliness, or levity of deportment, not always unaccompanied with oaths, was for some time a fashion with ladies who affected a high style of manners. "If the duchess," says a contemporary writer, "indulged her natural flow of spirits to such a pitch as to give countenance to any fashions of this kind, her design might have been to try how far might