PREVIOUS PROMISES 
 
 Inconfiftent with a 
 
 Free Parliament: 
 
 A N D A N 
 
 AMPLE VINDICATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LAST PARLIAMENT. 
 
 DUBLIN: 
 
 Printed for P. W ilson, in Dame-Jlreet. 
 M,dcc,lx. 
 
PREVIOUS PROMISES 
 
 Inconfiftent with a 
 
 Free Parliament, &c. 
 
 T HE wild notions of liberty, 
 that have feized fome people, 
 at this Gritieal feafon,- and the extra¬ 
 ordinary pains they take to imprint 
 them upon others^ call loudly for 
 fomebody to iriterpofe* and to prevent 
 the madiiefs from fpreading arid .'be¬ 
 coming epidemical. 
 
 - B ■ '. Tv 
 
It hath been ufual to found an 
 alarm, when a parliament was to be 
 elected, of fome great danger hanging 
 . over the people, that a particular 
 faction might prevail in the election; 
 or, that a few, who had no other 
 chance, might get in by popular ftir 
 and buftle. But then there was fome 
 matter to work upon; fome plaufible 
 occafion of complaining. 
 
 Now, we are at peace with one 
 another j united againft a common 
 enemy; enjoying our property, which 
 improves every moment, by an ex-- 
 tenfive and flourifhing trade; partak¬ 
 ing of the benefit of excellent - laws, 
 which defcribe our civil and religious 
 rights; and under the protection of 
 a Prince, who, in his fhort time of 
 reigning, hath given mofi affecting 
 caufes to believe, that he inherits the 
 eminent 
 
[ 3 J 
 
 eminent virtues of his royal aneeftors, 
 .and will continue to his fubje&s the 
 happinefs they enjoyed under them." 
 
 It could not be believed,- tha't^ at 
 fuch a feafon, there fhould be found 
 any,: much lefs learned : and grave, 
 perfons,;.to blow the trumpet of- dif- 
 •eontent. and diffention, if there were 
 not printed proofs thereof. 
 
 • The™ examples have- been 1 fol¬ 
 lowed.'by well-meaning, but deluded, 
 men ; who; have been long taught, 
 they: were able to judge of' the 
 mojft abftrufe points in politicks -, 1 and 
 to fleer , the date in the moft difficult 
 ■times;- - r 
 
 . The s e have publickly required all 
 candidates for feats in parliament, pre- 
 viouflycto publiffi declarations, under 
 their hands, a That they will, to the 
 B 2 “ utmoft 
 
I 4] 
 
 w utratoft of their power, oppofe every , 
 .money-hill of longer duration than 
 “.fx’months, until a law be obtained, 
 
 “ for limiting the length of parlia- 
 “ ftients, in,- this kingdom, to fix or 
 ■eight years at the moll :” and they 
 haye deqlared, that they will not vote 
 ftoy perfon, who doth not enter 
 Into ihifi Solemn; League and Gove* 
 
 NANT. ' v ;_■ ••;■■ . ; 
 
 “IciTgfSB Followeri ate moll unhappily 
 Ltj%Ui: be> my bufmefs,. to 
 endeavour to convince them of their 
 - error's fl I amhotoweak enough to fet 
 ^bou f t: cbiivincihg the Leddkrs. .1 
 •write for tbefake of the Eleffors, not 
 for thofe who are mean enoughto 
 deiire to be elected upon fuch terms. 
 
 I fly.ali not; controvert^ that frequent 
 ele§ipM are;.definable. If that is to 
 be ra? contmerfyj; it will be time 
 
[ s ] 
 
 enough to undertake it, when there 
 dial! be judges proper to determine 
 it. 
 
 Be that as it may, I muft hold it, 
 to le defriiBke of the conJHtution , as 
 it is fuhverftve of the freedom of par¬ 
 liament, to compel the elected, to 
 promife any' thing to the - eleBors , 
 which the law doth not oblige them 
 to promife, previoufly to their elec¬ 
 tions:- and) i;; ; ; 
 
 ■ That ' the partic-ukr promife now 
 required,-' -is highly difrefpe&ful of 
 their prefent and -late'.. Majefties; an 
 undeferved reproach- upon the laft par¬ 
 liament; and fo - big with abfurdity, 
 that no man of reflexion, or acquain-. 
 ted with 'the- proceeding in- parlia¬ 
 ment,-could make it with propriety, 
 if he- were- not reftrained upon any 
 other account. 
 
 That 
 
m 
 
 That it would be defruBive of 
 the conjlitution , if it fubverted the 
 freedom of parliament , will not be 
 difputed: and the latter, I think, is 
 not difficult to be proved. 
 
 By the Modus tenendi Parlia- 
 mentam, tranfmitted to this kingdom, 
 with great ceremony, by king Henry 
 II. under the regulations of which 
 parliaments have been fince held in 
 this kingdom, it is ordered, : That two 
 knights , &c.fufficiently honeft and wife , 
 Jhall he chofen for .every county , &c. to 
 do as every of their eleBors might do , 
 if he were prefent. And the Writ 
 of Summons, in confequence of this 
 Modus, requires, That they he of the 
 fitter and more difcreet perfons, and 
 Jhall have full power to aB and confent 
 in the arduous affairs of the kingdom , 
 about which they Jhall he called to 
 treat. Accordingly, the indenture 
 between 
 
C 7 ] 
 
 between the Returning Officer and 
 the Electors witnefleth, 'That the 
 defied have full and fujficient power 
 for themfelves and the whole body , to 
 do and to confent , as is required by 
 the writ. 
 
 The idea we have of z full power, 
 doth certainly admit of no abridg¬ 
 ment. Every promife, to do or not 
 to do any thing in parliament, is un- 
 : doubtedly a reftraint upon that full 
 '{power- Why is it required, that the 
 elected fljall be honef or fit? —That 
 his integrity may keep him impartial 
 in his determination.—Why wife or 
 difcreet ? —That he may be able to 
 ; make a right judgment, and to chufe 
 ^the belt. 
 
 These provifions fhew, to a de- 
 monftration, that it was intended, 
 the elected ihould hear and determine : 
 
 for 
 
for he is incapable of treating, who 
 hath already determined. But a pre*- 
 vious promife puts fuch a reftraint 
 upon him, as totally difqualifies him 
 from confidering the matters before 
 him, however able or willing he may 
 be to do fo; fubverts the freedom 
 of parliament \ tends to deftfOy the 
 conftitution; and, therefore, Ihould 
 be moll carefully avoided by every 
 true lover of liberty. 
 
 The next point to be proved is, 
 ‘That the particular promife required 
 at this time to he made , is difrefpeffiftfl 
 to their prefent and late Majejiies. 
 
 The promife required is, “ That 
 w , he will, to the utmoft of his power, 
 w oppofe every money-bill of longer du- 
 ■ u ration than fix months , until a law 
 u be obtained, for limiting the length 
 w of parliaments , in this kingdom, 
 
[9 ] 
 
 “ to fix or eight years at moft 
 , than which, nothing can be imagined 
 more difrefpectful to his prefent Ma- 
 jefty, in the midft of our congratu¬ 
 lations and exultations, for having a 
 virtuous, patriot-briton for our King. 
 If the claim of this promife were 
 univerfal, (as it is yet far from being) 
 then might the nation be juftly 
 charged with the bafeft infmcerity. 
 
 Were the demand upon the ele6t- 
 ed only to promife, That they would,\ 
 to the utmoft of their power , endea¬ 
 vour to obtain a law , for limiting the 
 length of Parliament to fix or eight 
 years , though it would be very un- 
 conftitutional, and fimple enough; 
 yet, if the electors were willing to 
 ftigmatize themfelves in fuch a man¬ 
 ner, and the elected were content to 
 put their necks under the yokes, I 
 do not know that it would give any 
 C great 
 
[ 1 ° ]. ' 
 
 great offence to lookers-on. Other 
 branches of the legiflature would, 
 probably, protect the publick from 
 the mil chief of fuch a promife; if, 
 upon folemn debate, and due con- 
 fideration, it were apprehended, mif- 
 chief would grow out of it. 
 
 But it feems no interruption is to 
 be feared, but from the Crown: 
 therefore, it is added, That he /ball 
 promife , to oppofe every money-bill of 
 longer duration than fix months , until 
 fuch a bill be obtained. 
 
 Throughout the Englifh hiftory 
 it: will not be found, that friends to 
 the King, or thofe who had a confi¬ 
 dence in him, ever hung out this 
 power of the commons over money, 
 in a menacing way, to prevail in any 
 point. Whenever this threat has 
 been thrown out, it will be found, 
 to 
 
[ II ] 
 
 to have been preceded by fome breach 
 of promife, or fome egregious trifling 
 with the people, that irritated the 
 commons. 
 
 But, in this cafe, in the fame breath 
 with which they have exprefs’d the moil 
 fanguine hopes of their Prince, but 
 juft ftept into his throne, thefe won¬ 
 drous modern patriots, without any 
 trial, conlequently without any dis¬ 
 appointment, have uttered the moft 
 abuflve fufpicion of his not intending 
 to do right; and denounced their 
 fixed refolution, to compel him to do 
 that right; which they fuppofe he 
 will refufe. 
 
 Their manner of proceeding can 
 bear no better conftrudtion, let them 
 talk ever fo vehemently of their loy¬ 
 alty, or: their upright meaning. It 
 has not even the cloak of palri- 
 C 2 otifm; 
 
otifm; for it violates the. conftitu- 
 tion at firft fettingout: and,, indeed, 
 it would be fhameful, to call a wan¬ 
 ton, an unprovoked call to oppoft- 
 tion, patriotifm. 
 
 It Cannot be pretended,. that this 
 menace is meant to other than the 
 Crown: becaufe, though, in truth, all 
 grants of money are for the fupport 
 and prefervatipn of fociety; yet they 
 relate, immediately to. the executive 
 power, to which the care :of. fociety .is 
 intrufted; and which is enabled to do 
 its office, well or ill, according-to the 
 means it is fupplied with: fo that, I 
 cannot help, though very unwilling 
 I am to do fo, calling it an a£t of 
 great and inexeiifable difrefpedl to his 
 prefent Majefty. 
 
 One, move furious than, the reft, 
 hath hit upon a trite obfervation, “ It 
 u is 
 
[ *3 1 
 
 a is in the bell of reigns you mud 
 u provide againft the word.” I wifli 
 he had laid down fome rule to diftin- 
 guifh between the bell and word. I 
 am fure this lully'mg method of pro¬ 
 ceeding doth not make a difference. 
 It would, indeed, be a very guilty, 
 or a very timid government, that 
 would fubmit to it. Was it ever 
 heard of in times pad, that fuch 
 means were ufed in good reigns; or, 
 if they were, that they fucceeded ? 
 There has been, ufually, a difpofition 
 iii good times, on all fides, to do the 
 thing that was right; and, therefore, 
 it was eafily done; and this mark’d 
 good times. But it mull have been 
 ever a difrefpedt to good kings, to 
 put upon their actions an appearance 
 of force, which becometh tyrants 
 only. 
 
 Nor is this courfe lefs difrefpe&ful 
 to 
 
[ Hi- 
 
 to his late Majedy, whofe reign was 
 fpotlefs; never didurbed by com¬ 
 plaints, or even murmurs, for any 
 deviation from the minuted rules of 
 good government. He neither de¬ 
 nied or delayed judice. That his 
 immediate fuccefior, blamelefs as he 
 is, fhould be thus fiercely attack’d, 
 by the ftern brow of refinance, mud 
 imply fome arbitrary acts, or, at lead, 
 fome denial of judice, to the attack¬ 
 ers, in the predecefior, that warrant 
 fufpicion of, and fuch rough dealing 
 with, his fuccedor: yet this country 
 mud, upon retrofpe&ion, blefs his long 
 fun-diine reign; be thankful for the 
 many excellent laws he gave it; for 
 the uncommon encouragement of its 
 manufactures, by, which it was more 
 improved in his time, than in all the 
 red fince it became the feat of an 
 Englifh colony; for the noble and 
 firm foundation laid for further im¬ 
 provement ; 
 
C *s 3 
 
 provement; of all which I fhall be 
 hereafter more particular. If there 
 be gratitude in man, his, paternal 
 care of us calls it all up, to defend 
 his memory, againft every infinua- 
 tion to fully it. And occafion offers: 
 for this threatened force, this compul- 
 fory fchemc, mull; of neceffity im¬ 
 ply, that it was wanting in the laft 
 reign, as it cannot yet be neceffary 
 from any defed in this. 
 
 I am now to vindicate the laft par¬ 
 liament, againft the profufe afperfions 
 of the prefent renowned champions 
 for liberty. 
 
 Parliaments before the reign of 
 James I. and from io Henry VII. were 
 uncertainly held, but were never of 
 long duration. From the commence¬ 
 ment of parliamentary journals, it ap¬ 
 pears, that a parliament was called in 
 
[ i6 ] 
 
 1613, andlaftedto 1615; in 1634, 
 and lafted to 1635; in 1639, and 
 ended in 164^; in 1661, and ended 
 in 1666; in 1692, and ended in 
 1693; in 1695, and ended in 1699; 
 in 1703, and ended in 1713; in 
 in 1713, and ended in 1714; in 
 1715, and ended in 1727 ; in 1727, 
 and ended in 1760. 
 
 Hence it is clear, there was not a 
 parliament, from 01 Henry VII. that 
 could be reafonably called a long one, 
 before the Iaft. This outcry then 
 againll long parliaments, (for which 
 I declare I am no advocate) muft be 
 upon account of the laft; and cer¬ 
 tainly would not be, after its diffolu- 
 tion , if it were not thought, or were 
 pretended to be thought, to have a&ed 
 ill, and to have deviated, in many in- 
 ftances, from its duty. 
 
 Indeed, 
 
[ 17 ] 
 
 Indeed, a furious writer, who hath 
 exhibited his notable work, in Mr. 
 Faulkners journal, for its quicker and 
 eafier circulation, and is now adorning 
 other papers with it, brings a round 
 and home charge againft that parlia¬ 
 ment in the following words: “ An 
 w houfe of thirty-four years duration, 
 u grew worfe and worfe every feven 
 “ years—the laft feven years record- 
 • w ed in your hearts—your parliament, 
 il at the devotion of your V—e R-y j 
 a your King overflowing with bene- 
 ^ volence, aind dying a ftranger to 
 “ your diftrefles.” 
 
 It, is wonderful this writer was fo 
 t civil to 'the late King j for he cannot 
 fuppofe his Majefty was fo great a 
 “ftranger to his kingdom of Ireland,\ 
 as-not to know, he had the fame 
 ; parliament throughout his reign. If 
 D the 
 
the parliament was really worfe and 
 worfe even feven years , the electors 
 are to' account for it; who, in the 
 courfe of that parliament, chofe, at 
 leaft, three hundred and twenty new 
 members. A very fmall lhare of the 
 .cenfure falls upon the fir ft elected, 
 there being at the diiTolution, but 
 fifty-three original members in the 
 houfe of commons. The people had 
 .ufually an opportunity of. electing 
 twenty new members for every feffion. 
 
 ; Why did they not mend their hand ? 
 
 The accufatiori of the houfe grow¬ 
 ing worfe and worfe every feven years, 
 if it was true, would fall, with its 
 full weight, upon ; the eledtors, who 
 fent to parliament, every feven years, 
 fixty-five new members. If. the wick- 
 ednefs of this long parliament be the 
 objedlion to it, (and none other is 
 talked-of, fave that perfons very fit 
 
[ '9 1 
 
 and fujjicient in their own conceits, 
 had not frequent opportunities to of¬ 
 fer their fervice to the public) and, if 
 it be juftly charged, that the parlia- • 
 ment kept the King in thedark about 
 that matter, it cannot be expe&ed, ' 
 that things will be much mended, in 
 any new parliament, though it were 
 an octagon, or but an hexagon; for it : 
 cannot be expected, they will tell' 
 tales of themfelves. It would well 
 become this parliamentary cenfor, be¬ 
 fore he dogmatically decides, to look 
 into the journal of the commons: he 
 would find, if he can underftand, that 
 the parliament was not, in the laft 
 feven years, quite as fupple as he de- 
 fcribes it to be, or fome others wiflied 
 it fhould be. 
 
 There are not now many in being, 
 that were capable of making due ob- 
 fervations upon things, at the time 
 Da of 
 
[ ] 
 
 of the late parliament’s fitting down. 
 To the few I appeal, whether Pri¬ 
 vilege of parliament was not then 
 a nufance:—whether property was 
 not often laid hold of unjuftly, and 
 withheld violently from the right 
 owners, by power of privilege:— : 
 whether ele&ions of members depended 
 mot, in a great meafure, upon the 
 arbitrary wills of returning officers; 
 who appointed, top often, times for 
 holding elections, to furprize and di- 
 ftrefs thofe they did not favour; who 
 frequently received votes not duly 
 qualified, and made partial returns, 
 founded on their own iniquitous pro¬ 
 ceedings whether occafional votes 
 did not often difappoint the hopes of 
 the moll popular perfons, and fru- 
 ftrate the endeavours of people of the 
 bell property, to fend the fitted: to 
 parliament:—whether property was 
 not very precarious, in many infiances, 
 
[»] 
 
 and hard to be come at, through in¬ 
 tricacies and other difficulties of pro¬ 
 ceedings at lawwhether the coun¬ 
 try was not one huge, dreary wafle,, 
 hardly producing, a comfortable habi¬ 
 tation :—even about the capital, whe¬ 
 ther there was a villa better, compa¬ 
 ratively, than an hog-fly; and, whe- 
 ther the land to its fuburbs, did not 
 retain its natural barrennefs, and ill 
 face:—-whether much of the country, 
 efpecially of the mountainous parts, 
 was not unoccupied, through want of 
 people and flock; unimproved, for 
 want of .money; or unclaimed, being 
 not worth the quit-rent:—whether all 
 markets, were not ill fupplied, inland 
 commerce rendered impracticable, and 
 a communication between diflant parts 
 almofl cut off, for want of paflable 
 roads, free from rocks or quagmires: 
 —whether tenants were not eternally 
 breaking or defrauding their landlords, 
 or 
 
or landlords oppreffing tenants:— 
 whether the police of the kingdom 
 was not every where bad:—whether 
 the. exports of the kingdom were not 
 in a low ftate; yet the imports high, 
 much too high, to hold a proportion 
 with the exports, by which the cafh 
 
 was continually draining away:- 
 
 whether the poor had any relief, in 
 ficknefs or in health; and whether 
 the loweft clafs of people were not 
 all miferably poor:—whether, to fum 
 up all, every aflizes did not produce 
 a new carnage, for want of employ¬ 
 ment, inftru&ion, or good example, 
 for the people. 
 
 I call upon the few, who remem¬ 
 ber, to fay,—were not thefe things 
 fo? 
 
 I call upon the many, of this day, 
 to fav.—are they fo now ? 
 
r 2 3 ] 
 
 The moft unwilling, the leaft inge¬ 
 nuous will, anfwer,— ; For the moft part, 
 they are not fo.—-But, they will add,— 
 What merit'had the parliament in the 
 reformation? 
 
 They abridg’d their own privileges, 
 and gave ail the world liberty to fue 
 them, fourteen days after any proro¬ 
 gation or diflolution, till fourteen 
 days before,a.new parliment, or the 
 re-aflembling of the old,; . and pro¬ 
 vided,, that no perfon prevented from 
 fuing by privilege, fhall be.barr’d by 
 limitation, benonfuited, difmifs’d, or 
 
 • his fuit- difeontinued;; that, the king’s 
 debtor, fhall; be always, accountable; 
 that, at any time of privilege, an ori- 
 
 . ginal writ, may be filed, or any origi- 
 . nal writ fried out, to. bar limitation; 
 
 • that, no privilege ftiall be allowed.in 
 any fuit or motion for an injun&ion, 
 to be reftored to the pofteftion of 
 
[H] 
 
 lands, &c. taken by force, or obtained 
 fraudulently, &c. by tenants holding 
 over, or betraying the poffeffion of 
 landlords or leflors; and-that reple¬ 
 vins may be executed and profecuted a- 
 gainft any perfon intitled to privilege. 
 
 Thus did the laft parliament fet 
 every perfon loofe, 'to recover his 
 rights, whatever they-may-be, from 
 -members of parliament; and removed 
 that fcreen of injuftice, of which 
 -many complained bitterly,and differed 
 ■iby forely. - T 
 
 ■ ; Elections are no longer at the 
 .mercy of returning officers. Salutary 
 daws have; interven’d. They muft 
 now give due notice of time and place, 
 ; and make returns infeafon; the qua- 
 ; lifications of; voters are : afcertained; 
 und the proteftaht intereft effectually 
 fecured, that the medling of papifts 
 at elections may not ffiake it. 
 
 CIVIL 
 
[ 25 ] 
 
 CIVIL BILLS ,, the foundation of 
 credit and commerce amongft ninety 
 nine in an hundred of the people, are 
 extended to debts of twenty pounds; 
 and are eftablilh’d in Dublin , the only 
 place in the kingdom that had not 
 the benefit of them before. The re¬ 
 covery of rents is made eafier and 
 more certain, which hath added much 
 to the value of land; and tenants are 
 better fecured from oppreffion, which 
 encourages them to toil and labour. 
 Ijthes and fmall dues are recoverable 
 at fmall expence, without the vexation 
 of fpiritual courts. Difabilities are, 
 in many inftances, removed, that were 
 heretofore bars to juftice. Proceed¬ 
 ings at law are in the Englijh language; 
 are no longer myfteries, but open to 
 every man’s infpe&ion. In fhort, the 
 law;s provided by this parliament, for 
 fettling and fecuring property, for 
 lengthening and inlarging credit, 
 E are 
 
[26] 
 
 'are, too'numerous, to be mentioned 
 ■particularly, in a work of this fort. 
 
 ■ 'The noble roads made from end 
 -to end of the kingdom, and, in many 
 places,, athwart the kingdom, have in¬ 
 vited the inhabitants to repair, in like 
 manner, many privater roads; and 
 all, together they have opened a com¬ 
 munication, and created a commerce, 
 .that have fupplied old markets, and 
 begot new ones,'to the mutual con¬ 
 venience and. accommodation of buy¬ 
 ers and fellers. And, the inland na¬ 
 vigation, undertaken and carried oil 
 with great fpirit and liberality, by 
 this parliament, in all quarters of the 
 kingdom, efpecially that monument 
 of their wifdom, generality and pa- 
 triotifm, the canal carrying on from 
 Dublin to the river Shannon , when 
 compleated, will quickly raife towns; 
 increafe manufactures; turn villages 
 into cities, and barren mountains into 
 meadows 
 
[ 2 7 ] 
 
 meadows and corn-fields; fupply all 
 the great cities upon the fea-coaft with 
 neceflaries, which heretofore they had 
 from abroad ; and, what is a natural 
 confequence of the whole, and worth 
 all, will correft and improve the 
 manners of the people, by having 
 traffick and intercourse with ftrangers. 
 
 Markets have been better regu¬ 
 lated ; meafures and weights reformed 
 and afcertained; combinations of ma¬ 
 nufacturers and others, detrimental 
 to the public, forbidden and made 
 penal; perjury and forgery more fe- 
 verely puniflied; idlenefs ftigmatized 
 and made more penal; efpecially 
 gaming ,, and horfe-racing for finali 
 fums, (which ufually draws together 
 more of the low people, and has not 
 the advantages of horfe-racing.) 
 Every power given to magiftrates, that 
 was defired, for fuppreffing vice, and 
 preferving fociety, and for amending 
 E 2 the 
 
[ *8] 
 
 the police. It lies upon others, to 
 compel magiftrates to do their duty: 
 The parliament difcharged its part, 
 in providing fo many good laws. 
 
 \ 
 
 When I am upon this fubjeft, I 
 fhould take particular notice of the 
 law, for new modeling the corpora¬ 
 tion of Dublin , which affords full 
 evidence of the true regard this par¬ 
 liament had for liberty, and of their 
 extenfive love of mankind; and ought 
 to fecure to them the mofl: honourable 
 and grateful remembrance of thofe, 
 who, long and eagerly, fought for 
 that relief, which they now enjoy, 
 and, it is hoped, will make a good 
 ufe of. 
 
 Tillage has been a principal care 
 of this parliament. Every feafible 
 method has been applied to the en¬ 
 couragement thereof. Rewards have 
 been propofed for improving barren 
 ground, 
 
[ 2 9 ] 
 
 ground, which would occafion an in- 
 creafe of tillage. But the chief en¬ 
 couragement it hath received is from 
 that fenfible prsemium, for bringing 
 corn to Dublin , which anfwers the 
 great purpofes, of fupplying this great- 
 city at home; of keeping a large 
 fum of money in the kingdom every 
 year; of improving and enriching 
 the interior parts of the country; and 
 of carrying back, at an eafy rate, 
 commodities much wanted in the parts 
 from which the corn comes. 
 
 Every good fcheme for the {length¬ 
 ening the pro'teftant intereft; for in¬ 
 troducing and improving arts and 
 manufa&ures; for comforting and re¬ 
 lieving the poor, were adopted by the 
 late parliament. 
 
 The incorporated Society for Englijh 
 Protefant Schools , the charitable ef¬ 
 fects of which the Papifts dread, and 
 • refill 
 
[ 3 °] 
 
 refill more than all other efforts to re¬ 
 form them, fubfifts chiefly by the 
 bounty of that parliament: the Dub¬ 
 lin Society , that fouree of induftry, 
 improvement, wealth and happinefs, 
 hath alfo tailed of their liberality: 
 their charity and munificence have 
 been unbounded. Every corner of 
 the kingdom, that revealed its ne- 
 celfity, received relief. The'hofpitals 
 and work-houfe, the ornamental and 
 ufeful ftru£tures of this city, more 
 efpecially publifli the patriot zeal of 
 that parliament, to promote learning 
 and trade, to beautify their country, 
 to make it an inviting refidence for 
 ftrangers; and to allure the natives, 
 to be .content with their natale fblum , 
 which would fave many of them from 
 wandering and ruin. 
 
 What are the fruits of all this la¬ 
 bour? walk round this capital and be¬ 
 hold. See the difference between the 
 old 
 
C 3* 3 
 
 old and new houfes. Examine the 
 increafe. Obferve the nobility and 
 rich gentry, that are content to refide 
 in their own capital; that find win¬ 
 ter entertainment fiufficient at home. 
 Then mix with the traders; inftead of 
 being poor importers, as formerly they 
 were, you will find them numerous, 
 and wealthy exporters; fending out 
 the produce of your country for lux¬ 
 ury, inftead of the cafti. Behold the 
 country around; a delicious garden; 
 with a beautiful temple, at the end of 
 every vifta, and a well-contrived fum- 
 mer-houfe at every angle. Recoiled the 
 expanded, fhallow, fandy, dangerous 
 fea; fee it inclofed, deepened, made a 
 lovely, capacious bafon, pleafing to 
 the eye, and a fafe haven for number- 
 lefs flips, that carry out what you can 
 fpare; and quickly return with what 
 you need, or will not he without. 
 
 Thank 
 
Thank God! the good effefts are 
 not confined to this capital; induf- 
 try rears its head everywhere, manu¬ 
 factures fpread, and the condition of 
 the people fliews it. There were in 
 remembrance of many of us, but two 
 forts of people in this kingdom. 
 There is now a middling people, 
 grown out of trade and manufac¬ 
 tures, that feeds and warms the low- 
 eft fpecies. Every body knows, that 
 the price of land is, to a tenant, 
 rifen, within the time I write about, 
 every where double, in many places 
 more. The tafte for building, plant¬ 
 ing, and laying down ground, dif- 
 fufes itfelf furprizingly. 
 
 A state of the moll material ex¬ 
 ports, in the years 1727 and 1759, 
 will beft illuftrate the whole matter, 
 and Ihew the beneficial change in this 
 ifland. 
 
[ 33 ] 
 
 
 1727. 
 
 1 759 * 
 
 Beef, barrels, i 
 
 27753 
 
 164902 
 
 Butter, hundreds, i 
 
 537°3 
 
 229227 
 
 Hydes, tanned, 
 
 60895 
 
 67756 
 
 Hydes, untanned, 
 
 57373 - 
 
 65068 
 
 Linen-cloth,yds. 46927 64 
 
 I 337545 6 
 
 Linen-yarn, hund. 
 
 11450 
 
 31042 
 
 Pork, barrels, 
 
 10822 
 
 54400 
 
 Shoes, pairs, 
 
 4343 
 
 1I 7°3 
 
 Woollen and bay-' 
 yarn, ftones, ; 
 
 £76238 
 
 93481 
 
 Tallow, hund. 
 
 38391 
 
 42348 
 
 Nothing can more clearly evince 
 the improvement of the country, than 
 the increafe of the exportation of 
 . beef and butter: for by the flourifh- 
 ing ftate of the manufactures, there 
 can be no doubt, but people increafe 
 and live better: and, therefore, the 
 confumption of beef and butter muft 
 grow at a great rate at home. The 
 fupply for that, and for the increa¬ 
 sing exportation, muft proceed from 
 F additional. 
 
C 34 7 
 
 additional Hock of cattle, which is 
 molt certainly occafioned, by divid¬ 
 ing, incloiing, and cultivating the 
 ground, which is all clear gain, and a 
 new yearly fund of wealth. The 
 large, exportation of pork alfo (hews, 
 a proportionable increafe of tillage. 
 
 I might proceed to make many 
 ufeful remarks upon the nature, and 
 prefent Hate of our exports; but they 
 will require a feparate work. They 
 would be too bulky for this occafional 
 paper. ‘ . 
 
 Beside the beneficial increafe of 
 exports, it mull not be forgotten, to 
 put the reader in mind of the gra¬ 
 dual abatement of manufa&ured im¬ 
 ports, by the encouragement admi- 
 niftered to .undertakers of manufac¬ 
 tures in this kingdom; fuch as paper, 
 ' hardware, filk, glafs, printed linen; by 
 which very large fums have been faved. 
 
 It 
 
[ 35 ] 
 
 It will not be amifs to make an ob-*- 
 fervation or two here, by the by; per¬ 
 haps, they may roufe people, to a 
 fufpicion, that they may not be al- ' 
 waysthought worthy of public taxes, 
 if the public receives no benefit by 
 them. The obfervations I think fit 
 to make are, firft, that coals have, 
 ever fince laft feffion of parliament, 
 been at an extravagant price; and we 
 have no relief from our Irifh collieries, 
 notwithftanding the prodigious fums 
 laid out in harbours, canals, and 
 waggon-ways. Next, that of cam- 
 brick , there were imported in 17 2 6 
 but 37813 yards; in 1759, 111067 
 yards; though that particular branch 
 of the linen manufa6lure hath been 
 indulged for years, with a particular 
 tax to eftablifh it. 
 
 Having thus difpatched this part 
 of the vindication of ‘the late parlia¬ 
 ment, I proceed to (hew their care of 
 F 2 the 
 
[36 1 - ' 
 
 the public treafure; which will illuf- 
 trioufly appear, by comparing the 
 condition, with refpect to money- 
 matters, in which they found the king¬ 
 dom, with that in which they left it. 
 
 They found the kingdom in debt, 
 in 172-, 127371/. but on the 25th 
 of March , 1759, the nation was in 
 credit 65774/. though in that time 
 there had been a long war with France 
 and Spain united; and another, for 
 fome years, with France alone. 
 
 And, in that time, they had grant¬ 
 ed, for promoting arts and manufac¬ 
 tures ; for' opening collieries; for mak¬ 
 ing harbours and piers; for ere&ing 
 fchools, churches, bridges, and other 
 publick edifices; and for the inland 
 navigation, 413950 /. over and a- 
 bove 38823 /. laid out on the caftle 
 . of Dullin ; 30000/. on the parliament- 
 houfe, and 12000 1 in printing jour¬ 
 nals. Yet 
 
[ 37 ] 
 
 Yet the encreafe of the ordinary- 
 revenue, from 1727 to 1759, was 
 but from 500879/. to 577100/. per 
 anti. and the military eftablilhment 
 grew from 365442/. to ^.loooolper 
 ami. 
 
 It will be objected, that, in the laft 
 feffrn , there were votes of credit for 
 450000 /. of which 250000 /. have 
 beenraifed, and the.reft may; fothat 
 the parliament hath left the kingdom 
 in fo much worfe a condition than 
 they found it. 
 
 The votes of credit are granted; 
 but muft, from the circumftances of 
 the times, be exculed; nay, not only 
 exculed, but applauded: unlefs men 
 will be felfilh'enough, to expert the 
 great benefits of a fuccefsful war, with¬ 
 out contributing any thing to the 
 charge of it. Every Britijh. acquifi- 
 tion in Afia , ' Africa , or America , 
 turns 
 
[ 3 « } 
 
 turn's to our account, in the Tale of 
 linen and provifions, and in apply¬ 
 ing England with woollen yarn, ad¬ 
 vancing in value with the woollen 
 cloths, for new conquefts.. Happy 
 it is for us, that we are called upon 
 for our aid, in men and money; it 
 entitles us to a continuation of thofe 
 advantages we enjoy, and to an in- 
 creafe of them. 
 
 So much being premifed, it re¬ 
 mains only to fliew, that thofe votes 
 of credit were neceffary. 
 
 The credit to. the nation at Lady- 
 day 1757, was a fum of 249422/. 
 But the extraordinary charges were fo 
 great, of which was a fum of 105621/. 
 granted by parliament, for promoting 
 arts and manufactures, &c. that by 
 March 25, 1759, the credit fell to 
 65774/. 
 
 It 
 
[ 39 1 
 
 It being neceffary to raife a bon- 
 fiderable number of troops, for the 
 defence of this kingdom, againft 
 threatened invafions; and to enable 
 us to affift the mother-country, in the 
 offenfive and defenfive war die was 
 obliged to carry on, in every quarter 
 of the world; the eflimated charge of 
 them, (now in a£fual fervice} to De¬ 
 cember 1761, was a fum of 241592/. 
 to which if we add the extraordinary 
 expence of the laft two years, which 
 could not' be reafonably expe&ed to 
 be reduced in the fucceeding two 
 years, being the fum of 183648/. 
 then the neceffary fum to be credited 
 for the government was of 425241/. 
 The new and confiderable grants of 
 parliament for purpofes of improve¬ 
 ment, the old demands upon that 
 account unfatisfied, the articles of 
 the Hated ballance, that will never 
 .be recovered, and the unforefeen oc- 
 . calions of government, in a war de- 
 fperately 
 
[ 4 ° 1 
 
 Iperately carried on, by an obftinate 
 and fpiteful enemy, will overballance 
 the difference between 450000/. and 
 425241/. with the old ballance of 
 65774/. added thereto. 
 
 If the whole were to be raifed, it 
 cannot be imputed to the parliament, 
 as a fault, that they provided, in a 
 raging war, where all lay at ftake, 
 the means to defend all. Thofe 
 no w loudeft in talking, of their giving 
 the public money by thoufands , and 
 hundreds of thoufands , when danger 
 feems to be far off, would have been 
 moft forward in impeaching, if any 
 difafter had happened through an 
 unfeafonable and ill-judged parfimony. 
 But part only is raifed; the vifible 
 caution of perfons in power, notto 
 raife more, till there be need, jufti- 
 fies the parliament in placing their 
 confidence where it is: hitherto, no¬ 
 thing has appeared, to draw juft cen- 
 
[ 4 r ] 
 
 fure upon them; we ought to wait 
 with patience for the final event. If 
 the war lafts, we mull go to greater 
 expence; an honourable peace will 
 foon refund the principal, with large 
 intereft; if that fhould foon happen, 
 there can be no doubt, but there will 
 be a proportionable faving on the 
 votes of credit . 
 
 So far, I hope, I have maintained 
 my tenets: I am now to .fhew the 
 abfurdity of this project. 
 
 And here I muft fuppofe the pro- 
 : jeftors to be fuccefsful: that they 
 , have prevailed upon the majority of 
 the elefted, “ to promife, to oppofe 
 “ any money-bill, for more than . fix 
 u months, until a law be obtained, 
 “ for limiting parliaments to fix or 
 li eight yearsand that they all keep 
 their promifes faithfully, whether they 
 change their opinions or not, about 
 G the 
 
[ 4 2 ] 
 
 the propriety of the proceeding; and 
 that the money-bill for fix months, 
 that is from Chrijimas to Midfummer , 
 and the fexennial or o&ennial bill for 
 parliaments go pari pajfu, which is as 
 much as they can defire, and return 
 before Chrijhnas ; but the money-bill 
 palling, the lords reject the other.— 
 
 Where are they now ?-The lords 
 
 have a right to agree or not, and 
 they have, exercifed it, and mull not 
 be quarrelled with upon this account. 
 The king has got the additional duties 
 for fix months; and cannot be in any 
 fort anfwerable for the lords difre- 
 fpedtful treatment of the commons. 
 Then the covenanters begin again, 
 and fend another money-bill forward, 
 for fix months, from Midfummer to 
 Chrijhnas, and the parliament bill in 
 company. If they come back, and 
 the parliament bill meets the fame 
 fate; what help ? Will the moft hearty 
 favourer qf this, wife fcheme, be con¬ 
 tent 
 
tent to be called together every fix 
 months, to pafs a money-bill; or 
 would they take a Ihorter cut, • and 
 vote the lords useless ?—In my hum¬ 
 ble opinion, the firft would be too 
 troublefome and expenfive a method; 
 the latter very difficult for even thofe 
 heroes to compafs. Under fuch circum- 
 ftances, I can think but of one me¬ 
 thod, of extricating them out of the 
 labyrinth: “ that they would be gra- 
 u cioufly pleafed, to tranfmit a com- 
 mijfion , to the King and Britijh 
 u council , authorizing them, if they 
 “ fhall think fit, to fend back the 
 u limiting bill; to infert in the money- 
 u bill, two years inftead of fix months 
 By this time, the v .neceffity of yielding 
 may be difcovered, by the flowed: or 
 moft fa&ious underftandings, and 
 things may jog on in the old way. But 
 fuppofe, the council of Great Britain , 
 fome of whom, I am told, read Faulk¬ 
 ners journal, (where this deep-laid 
 G 2 fcheme 
 
[ 44 ] 
 
 fcheme has been, in my apprehenfion 1 , 
 very incautioufly inferted) fliould take 
 it in their heads, as is not unlikely, be¬ 
 ing upon their oaths, and properly jea¬ 
 lous of the honour of the crown, to 
 advife the young King, not to fubmit 
 to fuch Demagogues, in the beginning 
 of his reign, but to put their favourite 
 bill under the cufhion. If they con¬ 
 tinue to blufter, and to embarrafs all 
 public bufinefs, and to wafte their time 
 in idle remonftrances, I may venture 
 to prognofticate, that .they will thereby 
 gain more, than in their hearts they 
 will defire; for their duration will be 
 very fliort. , . 
 
 In truth, the attempt is ridiculous; 
 but the wealth of the country beings 
 at a moderate computation, double 
 what it was at the fitting down of 
 the laft parliament, has produced 
 double the number of enterprizing 
 lawyers, of eftated country gentlemen, 
 
and of weighty traders. There are 
 but the lame counties, cities and bo¬ 
 roughs, to be reprefented, and dou¬ 
 ble the number of candidates; fo that 
 a body may fay, there are about two 
 thoufand, who think themfelves duly 
 qualified to be legiflators. Old con¬ 
 nexions and interefts Hand in the way 
 of new pretenders, which cannot be 
 mattered, but by fome bold ftroke, 
 that may raife an enthufiaftic fermen¬ 
 tation, to jumble all things, and to 
 throw fomewhat upon the furface, 
 conducive to their purpofes. 
 
 Ambition is not to be cured; vir¬ 
 tuous ambition needs it not; and cri¬ 
 minal ambition will not admit of it. 
 Even difappointraent, repeated dis¬ 
 appointments, will not, we fee, keep 
 the latter down. It will difturb the 
 world,throw every thing into confufion, 
 until it tires, or otherwife conquer its 
 opponents. But great mifchiefs mutt 
 ^ enfue, 
 
[ 4 « ] 
 
 enfue, before they can accompliffi 
 what they defire; therefore I wiffi 
 they could be diverted from their pur- 
 fuit, and employ their bufy minds, in 
 fomewhat truly ufeful to their country, 
 which they pretend to be their foie 
 care. 
 
 If they be Lawyers ; we ffiould 
 be thankful, if, inftead of furniffiing 
 us with Utopian , political creeds , they 
 would inftrudl us, to get rid of Com¬ 
 mon Recoveries, the greateft re¬ 
 proach of their profeffion, a difgrace 
 to common fenfe, and frequently the 
 ruin of property, which it is pretend¬ 
 ed they fecure:-to abridge fuits in 
 
 equity , where all begin or end; and to 
 leffen the expence of officers, advo¬ 
 cates, &c. that men of the belt con- 
 ftitutions, may reafonably expedt, to 
 fee an end to them; and men of 
 middling fortunes may hope, to itranf- 
 mit fomething to their families, with 
 abfolute 
 
[ 47 ] 
 
 abfolute decrees in their favour—to 
 reftore the credit of juries , that their 
 verdidts may, as they ought to be, 
 the end of ftrife; that the eftablifli- 
 ing of'a verdidt may not be as con- 
 troverfial and expenfive, as all the 
 reft of a fuit; ■ and that, the common 
 law , that hath more of certainty in it 
 than the law called equity, may be 
 more refpedted, and reforted to. 
 
 If they be Country-Gentlemen; 
 let them fet themfelves againft arbi¬ 
 trary acts of jfheriffs, juftices of the 
 peace, and grand-jurors; make thofe 
 offices of little profit, confequently 
 
 the obtaining them, no favour:- 
 
 let them look into that dangerous 
 innovation, pradtifed by fome hajly 
 judges, of forbidding grandjuries, to 
 examine extra bills , which, if it be- 
 '■ comes anuniverfal.pradtice, will, up¬ 
 on the return of peace, quickly ftock 
 the 
 
[ 48 ] 
 
 ,the country, with forks, rollers and 
 rapparies , as plentifully as ever:—let 
 them contrive more effedtual methods 
 of maintaining the real poor, and of 
 
 punching vagabonds:-let them 
 
 teach, how owners of land lhall 'be 
 forced, to copfe wood lands, not 
 worth above three fhillings the Englijh 
 acre per annum , and to preferve them 
 from cattle, for fmall houfe and plow 
 timber; and to fupply bark, the dear- 
 nels or want of which obliges us to ex¬ 
 port fo many untanned hides. 
 
 If they be Traders and Citizens ; 
 the publick will expedt from them 
 inftrudtion, how to prevent fmuggling, 
 
 that deadly enemy to fair trade:- 
 
 how to remove all obftacles to equality 
 in trade:-all monopolies and com¬ 
 
 binations ; more effectually to prevent 
 foreftalling, regrating, and ingroffing: 
 —-how to detedt and exemplarily to 
 punifh 
 
[ 49 ] 
 
 punifh ufury, that devoureth the profit 
 of every fmall trader and manufacturer; 
 or keeps the manufactures at an un- 
 
 faleable price:-laftly, that he will 
 
 apply his whole ftrength to prevail 
 on the legiflature, to eafe all per¬ 
 fect manufactures of this kingdom, 
 from duties upon exportation; and 
 to permit every commodity, necefiary 
 for carrying on thofe manufactures, to 
 be imported free from any duty. 
 
 Here is work for every head, by 
 which to prove his patriot heart.' He 
 will be thus better, and more ufe- 
 fully employ’d, than in putting hard 
 words into people’s mouths, • and 
 turning their heads with political 
 maxims, which he neither expeCts or 
 withes to fee eftablifh’d; for, indeed, 
 he, who takes extraordinary pains 
 to get into parliament, doth not 
 hope it fliall be a fhort one; and 
 
[ 5 ° ] ' 
 
 > fohe will prove when he. gets there, 
 as well as the truth of that notable 
 faying of Do&or South , That pro- 
 mifes are like prophecies \ never un~ 
 derjlood\ ’till fulfilled. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 u 
 
 /j