LETTER 
 
 T 0 T H E 
 
 Tradefmen, Farmers, 
 
 And the reft of the Good People of 
 
 IRELAND. 
 
 Very proper to be read in all Families, 
 at this Critical Juncture. 
 
 God fave the King, and bkfs the Land, 
 
 In Plenty, Joy, and Peace, 
 
 And grant henceforth that foul Debates 
 Twixt Noblemen may ceafe. 
 
 Auncient and loyal Ballad of Chevy Chafe. 
 
 By L. B. Haberdalher and Citizen of Dublin. 
 
 DUBLIN : 
 
 Printed in the Year, MDCCLIV. 
 
A 
 
 LETTER 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 Tradefmen, Farmers, tfc. 
 
 Friends , Fellow-Citizens, and Countrypien, 
 
 HERE are Times, I have read 
 in fome of our Englijb Writers, 
 in which every Man is called 
 forth to the Public Service ; in 
 which it is inconfiftent, that any 
 Perfon, who loves his Country, and wifhes her 
 Profperity, fhou’d look on with Indifference. 
 When the National Happinefs is at Stake, Self- 
 A 3 regard, 
 
( « ) 
 
 regard, as well as eyery Social Feeling, urges 
 the Honefl Citizen to take part, and, tho’ with 
 the fmalleft Hopes of Succefs, to adventure 
 himfelf in behalf of the Common Weal. 
 
 This Principle it is, and this Principle alone, 
 that moves me to addrefs you. An obfeure 
 Man, verfed merely in Mercantile Affairs, and 
 boafling only a diflant and very imperfeft 
 Knowledge of the Operations of Government , on 
 many Accounts fhou’d I have waved an At¬ 
 tempt of this Nature. But the Sincerity of my 
 Heart encourages me. I love my Country : I 
 am bound to her by many flrong endearing 
 Ties: My Happinefs, and the Happinefs of 
 Mine, are intimately connefted with her Well¬ 
 being.-And yet at this Day, with deep Con¬ 
 
 cern I fay it, how precarious is that Well-be¬ 
 ing ? How many the Dangers, that threaten 
 our Peace ? How difficult the Application of 
 any Remedy, whilft Fadlion and Licentioufnefs, 
 whilfi: Divifions . and Animofities have Place 
 amongft us ?-Let me conjure you there¬ 
 
 fore, read this Letter with Attention; read it in 
 your Families; let your Journeymen and Ap¬ 
 prentices read it. It contains nothing but the 
 plain Words of a Man like Yourfelves, of a 
 Man, who deals not in fpecious Reprefentati- 
 ons, and infrdious Arguments, who has neither 
 Court-favour to confult, nor Party-intanglements 
 . to follow. 
 
 What 
 
What an unhappy Spirit prevails throughout 
 this whole Kingdom, I need not tell you; how 
 much Anger is abroad; what dark Sufpicions 
 have poffeffed almoft every Mind, the Minds 
 even of fome of the Honeftelt and Beft. And 
 really, under the Influence of the many Arts, 
 that have been put in Practice, when Reports 
 full of Terror are daily, nay hourly, propaga¬ 
 ted with repeated Induftry, who can wonder 
 that we have Fears ? One while. All the Money 
 in the Kingdom is to be fent out of it. Then, 
 our Trade is to be fettered? by fome new retraining 
 Laws. Again, A Land-Tax is in Agitation. 
 Another Time, The Public Council of the Nation 
 never is to be convened more. Thefe, and many 
 other Reports of the like Kind You have heard, 
 and no doubt You have believed them. You 
 have confidered the Clamour raifed againft the 
 Prefent Adminif ration , as the Voice of Liberty. 
 You have taken Pride in the Oppofition made to 
 the Meafures propofed, as being the Generous 
 Effort of a Free People againft the illegal En¬ 
 croachments of inflaving Power- -God for¬ 
 
 give thofe, who have in this Manner endea¬ 
 voured to work on the Affections of as Loyal 
 a People, as ever exifted, and have fent Dif- 
 tratling Rumour throughout the Land! 
 
 How feverely You mult, all of you, have fuf- 
 fered by this, I judge, from what my own Si¬ 
 tuation has been thefe five Months paft; I 
 A 4 judge 
 
judge, from what is the Situation of all around 
 me. Inftead of that open Chearfulnefs, which 
 generally lights up the Countenance of the 
 Man of Induftry, Dijlruft fits on every Brow, 
 The Circulation of Money is at a Stand. Trade 
 languifhes. Our Common People are advancing 
 in Turbulence and Idlenefs. Even the moft 
 diligent of our Journeymen are borne away by 
 the Pbrenzy of the Times , and forget that their 
 Families want Bread, whilft they are rioting and 
 Ihouting in our Streets. And tho’ many of the 
 more confiderable of the Citizens of this Me¬ 
 tropolis deplore the Infatuation, and begin to 
 fear that our -worjl Enemies are amongjl our- 
 Jelves, yet even of thefe are there feveral, who 
 are too timorous to avow themfelves, and ra¬ 
 ther feek to avoid the opprobrious Name , now 
 generoujly bellowed on all thofe, who wou’d 
 maintain a due reverence for Government, 
 that of Sons of Servitude , and Betrayers of 
 their Country. 
 
 But, whatever the Name, with which lam to 
 be honoured, determined I am to fpeak out, oft 
 as the Occafion offers. I have been milled, as 
 well as you. I now fee the Delufion, and do 
 moll fincerely own, that all my Fears are at 
 an End, provided we can be wife enough to 
 be at Peace one with the other.———-I come 
 therefore to lay before you the Reafons, that 
 have induced me to think as I now do. You 
 lhall have them, Ample and artlefs as they are. 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 But regard them net, according to the home¬ 
 ly Garb they wear: Regard them according 
 to their own intrinfic Value. Examine them 
 with Attention. .Examine them calmly, and 
 difpaffionately. And fuffer not yourfelves to be 
 hurried away, by the Example of a madded 
 Multitude, into that , which mull have at leaft 
 the Appearance of SEDITION. 
 
 Doubtless, you have all carefully informed 
 yourfelves, to what CAUSE our prefent Fears 
 owe their Beginning. However, as Some of You, 
 after the many Mazes you have been led through, 
 may have loft Sight of the main Queftion, give 
 me leave to fet before You what I take to be the 
 plain State of the Cafe. And, in my humble 
 Apprehenfion, the Fa& ftands thus. 
 
 The Dangers, which threatened the Nation in 
 the Year 1715, called on the Government to 
 make Provifion for our Security ; and fifty 
 thoufand Pounds were borrowed, to put the 
 Kingdom into a Condition of Defence. This 
 Debt, by the Year 1729, grew toaverycon- 
 fiderable Sum : and a large Arrear upon the 
 Eftablifhment being thereby occafioned, the 
 Parliament thought it proper to provide a Fund, 
 fuch as might pay the Intereft of two hun¬ 
 dred thoufand Pounds, and produce a Surplus 
 for the Difcharge of the Principal. And, in 
 the Year 1731, another large Arrear growing 
 upon the Eftablilhment, it was refolved to borrow 
 one 
 
( 10 ) 
 
 one hundred thoufand Pounds more, and to 
 add this to the former Debt. The Duties, 
 eftabliffied for the Produce of this Fund, are 
 thofe known by the Name of the Loan-Duties. 
 -From the Year 1731, there was no re¬ 
 markable Encreafe of the Public Treafure until 
 the Years 1748 and 1749. About this time, 
 many private Perfons here having been enriched 
 by the late War, and a ProfpeiA of a flourifh- 
 ing Trade opening upon us, our Lands, for 
 thefe and other obvious Reafons, role in their 
 Value; and High Living, always in this wretch¬ 
 ed Kingdom, the fatal Confequence of an En¬ 
 creafe of Wealth, began generally to prevail: 
 So that, as ’tis confidently affirmed, where One 
 Tun of French Claret had been imported in 
 former Years, there were now more than Ten ; 
 together with many other Foreign Luxuries, of 
 which, I muft fay, fince I have known Ireland , 
 I never have known aught but Mifcbief to 
 come. Howbeit, this pouring in of Foreign 
 Wares fwelled the Public Revenue ; and hence 
 it was, that in the Year 1749, after anfwering 
 the Charges of Government, there remained, as 
 We are told, in the Treafury, the Sum of two 
 hundred and twenty thoufand two hundred and 
 forty one Pounds, four Shillings and fix Pence. 
 The Debt of the Nation at that Day is faid 
 to have been three hundred and eighty thou¬ 
 fand Pounds; for, befides other occafional Ad¬ 
 ditions, there had been one confiderable Addi¬ 
 tion of fifty thoufand Pounds, to provide the 
 Proteftants 
 
( 11 ) 
 
 Proteftants with Arms in the Rebellion of 
 1745.-The State of the Treafury being there¬ 
 
 fore taken into Consideration, a Bill was brought 
 into Parliament for the applying of one hun¬ 
 dred twenty eight thoufand five hundred Pounds 
 out of the faid Ballance, towards the Difcharge 
 
 of fo much of the National Debt.--Take 
 
 Notice, in Oblober 17495 the Public Accounts 
 were laid before the Houfe of Commons; and, 
 at Lady-Day preceding, there was in the Trea¬ 
 fury a Surplus of more than two hundred and 
 twenty thoufand Pounds : In October therefore, 
 there mud have been a much larger Surplus } 
 and yet only one hundred twenty eight thou¬ 
 fand five hundred Pounds were applied towards 
 the Debt of the Nation. 
 
 Who propofed this Payment, whether His 
 Majesty extraordinarily by any of his Ser¬ 
 vants, or whether it was moved for in the ufuaJ 
 manner of other Money Bills, is a Point of 
 fmall Concernment. But, worthy it is of your 
 Obfervation, that, in the Bill for this Purpofe, 
 this Application of Part of the Surplus is faid 
 to be, agreeably to His Majesty’.! mojl gra¬ 
 cious Intentions. Now, from this a plain Man 
 wou’d be apt to colleft, that thefe fame In¬ 
 tentions mud have been confidered as of 
 lome Weight, and that the Perfons, who 
 framed the Bill, muft have had Intimation a- 
 bout them in fome way or other: elfe, you 
 know, how, or for what Reafon, fliou’d men¬ 
 tion 
 
(I*) 
 
 tion be thus made of them ? And yet, he, it 
 feems, who wou’d infer this, woo’d be quite 
 out in his reckoning. For your fine-read. Gen¬ 
 tlemen will tell you, that this Exprefiion , whate¬ 
 ver Meaning We may think it has, means in 
 Truth juft nothing: they, who inferted it, nei¬ 
 ther knew, nor was it their Bufinefs to know, 
 what His Majesty intended about the Mat¬ 
 ter : but the Phrafe founded prettily, and fo in 
 
 it came by way of Ornament.-However, 
 
 of this one Word more in its proper place. 
 
 In the Year 1751, there remaining, as be¬ 
 fore, a very large Exceeding in the Treafury ; 
 the Duke of Dor/et, then appointed^ our Chief 
 Governour, had it in Commiflion from His 
 Majesty to acquaint the Commons of Ire¬ 
 land, that He confented and did recommend it to 
 them, to apply finch a Part of this Money , as 
 Jhoiid be thought confifient with the Publick 
 Service , towards the farther Reduction of the 
 National Debt. Accordingly, in the firft Speech 
 his Grace deliveredlfrom the Throne, he ac¬ 
 quainted them with this Inftance of the 
 King’s Fatherly Concern for our Eafe and 
 Happinefs. And, whether in Confequence of 
 this Declaration, or fome other Confideration 
 moving thereto, the Commons framed a Bill 
 for the Payment of one hundred and twenty 
 
 thoufand Pounds-the National Debt being at 
 
 that time two hundred thirty feven thoufand five 
 hundred Pounds; and the Surplus in the Treafu- 
 
( '3 ) 
 
 ry, at Lady-Day preceding, being Two hun¬ 
 dred forty eight thoufand three hundred and 
 fixty fix Pounds, feventeen Shillings and four 
 Pence. It appears, that in the framing of this 
 Bill there was not any mention of the King’s 
 Conjenting to this Application ; the Bill only 
 faid, that His Majesty had been gracioujly 
 p leafed to recommend it; and in this Form it 
 was fent over to Great-Britain : but there waS 
 the Word Confent inferted, and with this A- 
 mendment it was returned to the Commons, 
 and patted by them, without fo much as one 
 Voice againft it. 
 
 In the Year 1753, his Grace the Lord Lieu¬ 
 tenant returned hither with the like gracious 
 Directions from his Royal Matter, that He 
 wou'd Confent, and did recommend it to His Faith¬ 
 ful Commons of Ireland, that fo much of the 
 Money in his Trealury, as they Jhoud think 
 ttecejfary , fhou’d be applied towards the Dif- 
 charge of the National Debt , or of fuch a Part 
 of it, as they Jhould think proper. And with 
 this he acquainted the Commons at the Open¬ 
 ing of the Sefiions; inviting them at the fame 
 time to devife the belt Means of advancing 
 the Domeftic Happinefs, by confulting the 
 Support of the Charter-Schools , and the Im¬ 
 provement of the Linen Manufacture ; and af- 
 furing them of his Concurrence in every thing, 
 which they might think neceifary for thefe ex¬ 
 cellent Purpofes. -Thefe affeftionate Declara- 
 
(>+) 
 
 tions met not with the Reception, which might 
 have been expeded. Doubts and Sufpicions 
 had by this time been inftilied into the Minds 
 of many ; and every fmootheft Word was 
 thought to conceal fome latent Deftmdion. 
 So that, in the framing of the Bill, for pay¬ 
 ing off the whole Arrear of the Natiopal Debt, 
 fpecial Caution was had to avoid all Mention 
 of the Confent, or even of the Recommendation of 
 His Majesty •, and when thefe Words were 
 inferted in Great Britain, in Affirmance, as they 
 affure us, of what was there apprehended to be 
 the Inherent Right of the Crown , the Bill fo a- 
 mended was thrown out by the Commons of 
 Ireland. 
 
 To this Tranfadion which I have here repre- 
 fented to you, I think, with the utmoft Fair- 
 riefs, do We owe all the Confufion, in which We 
 are at this Day involved. Ruin, we are told, 
 was determined againft us. Our Governors are 
 Infulted. Their Adminiftration reviled. And 
 We are encouraged to confider Them as the 
 fpecial Friends and Protectors of the Puhlick 
 Liberty , who have, by their Votes orlntereft, 
 rendered this formidable Amendment of none 
 Effed. 
 
 Now, my honeft Friends, I own to you, 
 our Manner of Proceeding in this Affair appears 
 to me very blameable oh feveral Accounts, but 
 chiefly on two Accounts, which I defire you to 
 confider 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 confider maturely, as You regard this poor 
 Country of ours, and love bet Peace. 
 
 And, in the Firft place, I think our Manner of 
 proceeding blameable, becaufe I doubt much, 
 whether this contefted Claufe has all the Mifchief 
 in it, which feme People would perfuade us. And 
 fecondly, admitting, that it is really of as mif- 
 chievous and ill-boding an Afpeft, as They 
 wou’d have us believe, yet is the Method of 
 Oppofition, which we have chofen, indecent, 
 and threatens the very worft of Confequences 
 to our Liberties and Civil Enjoyments. The 
 laft of thefe fliall be the Subject of the Letter, 
 1 am now writing to you; and not to leave 
 you the leaft Colour of Excufe, I lhall for the 
 prefent admit, that the Inferted Words really 
 were of fuch a dangerous Import, as to jufti- 
 
 fy the Commons in rejedling them.-And, 
 
 even in this Cafe, I tell you, we have not be¬ 
 haved, as became us. 
 
 Far be it from me, to intend the leaft Inti¬ 
 mation to the Dilhonour of any of our Noble 
 Reprefentatives. Their Condutt, unqueftiona- 
 bly, was,grave and regular. And, whatever 
 the Infatuation of the People may have been, 
 they neither gave the Encouragement , nor the 
 Example. 
 
 Tho’ indeed 1 cou’d wilh, if fuch a mean 
 Perfon, as an obfcure Trader, may prefume 
 to fpeak his Wilhes, when fo many eminent 
 Perfons, 
 
(>6 ) 
 
 Perfons, Wife, and Expert in the Laws, are id 
 queilion •, I cou’d wilh, that, upon throwing 
 out this Bill, they had thought it proper to 
 have addrefled His Majesty, and to have fee 
 forth the Motives, that induced them to rejeft 
 a Claufe, which had come over to them with 
 the Royal Sanftion, and in the Support of 
 ■which our Gracious Sovereign may have 
 thought himfelf particularly interefted. It 
 wou’d, I fay, have been a very becoming Ex- 
 preffion of Duty to a Prince, who has in fo 
 fignal a Manner approved himfelf .the Friend 
 and Father of Us the People of Ireland , to 
 have endeavoured to prevent any Opinion to 
 our Difadvantage, that might take place in His 
 Royal Mind ; And to have allured Him, that it 
 •was not from any Doubt of his Juftice, and Pa¬ 
 ternal Love toward bis Subjefts of this Kingdom •, 
 that bis faithful Commons had refufed the In¬ 
 ferred Claufe ; but only from the Apprehenfion 
 they had, that this Concejfion might convey a 
 Power to the Crown , which, though fafely to be 
 intrufied to a Prince, fuch as we now are blejfed 
 with, might neverthelefs. become dangerous in the 
 Hands of a weak and ill-advifed King , and prove 
 jubverjive of that very Conftitution, the happy 
 EJlabliJhment of which We owe to the Wifdom and 
 Labours of Him and His Illuftrious Father. 
 
 t I certainly am bold, thus to put Words of 
 mine in the ftead of theirs. But I fear not 
 their Anger. I ipeak their Sentiments: And 
 how 
 
( '7 ) 
 
 how poor foever my Exprefiions may be, in 
 companion of what wou’d have been the 
 Language of this mofl faithful and affection¬ 
 ately-loyal Houfe of Commons, yet to this Pur¬ 
 pose furely would they have fpoken, had not 
 their Seifions had an End, fooner than was 
 expected. I am juftified in faying this by the 
 Author of the beft Pamphlet publiihed on their 
 Behalf, The Proceedings of the Honourable Houfe 
 
 of Commons of Ireland- Vindicated, &c. He 
 
 tells, us, Page 4, that “ Had the Parliament 
 ‘f : b£en permitted to meet after the ordinary 
 “ RecefSj the Commons, who have ever been 
 “ t;ue and faithful Subjedls, to the left and 
 ‘f tiuft'bejoved King in the World, wou’d moil 
 
 furely have defended themfelve's before the 
 “ Throne, in a Manner becoming their Dig- 
 “ nity, and the Figure that Illujlrious Body 
 “ make in the State; and wou’d have juftified 
 “ their Aftions, with the Spirit and Senfe, they. 
 “ are (happily for thofe they reprefent) pof- 
 “ fefled of, in a moft eminent Degree.” 
 
 gux—with due E|eference to this able Apo- 
 logift —■—. unhappy it was, that this was not 
 dope immediately, ere any finifter Impreflions 
 cou’d take place. And if an Addrefs of the 
 Spirit and Senfe, which muft have animated 
 ap Addrefs framed by them, had been fent 
 over, even before their Recefs, and prefented 
 to His Majesty by Members of their own Au- 
 guft Body, by Gentlemen, whofe Abilities, whofe 
 B known 
 
known Integrity, might have added Weigh? 
 to the Reprefentation, and ceil a proper Light 
 on their whole Procedure; mult not this have 
 had an excellent Effeft, both with refpeft to 
 the King, to whom, we may venture to pro¬ 
 nounce, fuch a Tender of Duty wou’d have 
 been moft welcome, and with regard to the 
 People, who being informed of the Opinion of 
 their Reprefentatives, and inftrudted by their 
 Example, cou’d not fo eafily have liftened to 
 the Artifices of wicked and difloyal Incendia¬ 
 ries ?-But, this they have not done; and 
 
 their own Reafons, no doubt, they had for not 
 doing it. And fuch Reafons alfo, I queftion 
 not, as will abundantly juftify them, whenever 
 they are pleafed to make them public. They 
 were confcious to themfelves of the Purity of 
 their own Intentions ; and had it not in their 
 Thoughts, that the People cou’d take up Noti¬ 
 ons fo oppofite to the Views and Sentiments of 
 a Senate of Loyalty diftinguifhed. 
 
 On the People, ther, reft the Blame. And 
 to the Body of the People therefore, to You, my 
 Fellow-Citizens and Countrymen, the Traders 
 and Farmers of Ireland, Ihall I now confine my- 
 felf. You, who have thus grofslv mifapprehend- 
 ed the Motives of this Honourable Houfe, and, 
 by your indecent Warmth have greatly endan¬ 
 gered the Peace and Happinefs of this whole 
 Nation. 
 
And Firft, my Countrymen, confider, whe¬ 
 ther the exceffwe Freedoms, in which We have, 
 many of us, indulged ourfelves, with relation 
 to Government, and the poyfonous Influence, this 
 has had on the Minds of the more ignorant 
 of our Fellow-Subjedts, be not an imprudent 
 and hazardous Jbufe of Liberty. When a 
 Prince invades the Laws, and leaves to his Sub¬ 
 jects no Choice, but that of Ruin or Refiftance, 
 Refiftance wiil naturally be the Choice; he for¬ 
 ces them on it; and the Confequences he alone 
 is chargeable with. But what ,has this Cafe in 
 common with the Government of a Prince, one 
 df the moft righteous, that ever ruled a Peo¬ 
 ple ?——He has propofed a Claufe to our Com¬ 
 mons of Ireland, which, he thought, his Pre¬ 
 rogative and the Dignity of his Crown, and the 
 Regularity to be preferved in the Proceedings of the 
 Parliament of Ireland, required. The Commons 
 have taken this Claufe into Confideration •, they 
 have difapproved of it; they have rejected it. 
 
 Is our Conftitution in Danger--Are our 
 
 Rights infringed-- becaufe a Propofal from 
 
 the Crown has been fubjected to the Confidera¬ 
 tion of the Commons, who not only were permit¬ 
 ted all Freedom of Debate, but alfo, by their 
 rejecting the Propofed Claufe, have proved, that 
 
 this Freedom was fully enjoy’d by it ?-And 
 
 is this a Caufe, why Doubts and dark Surmifes 
 Ihould be railed in the Minds of every 'one 
 
And chiefly is this Abufe of Liberty become 
 terrible, on account of the extraordinary ASs, 
 avowedly made ufe of, to inflame the lower 
 Multitude, and fitch , as never fail to produce 
 the fatal Effeft. Now, every Man of You, 
 who has the lead Share of Property, is imme¬ 
 diately concerned in this. Negled of Induftry 
 and Contempt of Government are Mifchiefs, to 
 which, for many Reafons at prefent not necefia- 
 ry to be told you, our Commonalty are ol 
 themfelves but • too prone. And if they are 
 fuffered, if they are encouraged to affemble in 
 Tumult; if they are permited to think, that 
 they have the Countenance and DireRions of 
 Great Personages, who certainly mud be ig¬ 
 norant of the feditious Purpofes, for which their 
 Names are employed; if this Populace have 
 Bonfires lighted up for them, and Plenty of in¬ 
 toxicating Liquor furnifhed out to them ; if 
 they are inftru&ed to look upon the Adminijlra- 
 tion as oppreflive, and their. Country as in Dan¬ 
 ger ; and are made to believe that Riot and 
 Outrage are fit Means for the Defence of Liber¬ 
 ty ; I will not afk you, what an Infult is this to 
 Government; but let me only afk you, how 
 much Caufe have We to fear fpr Ourfelves ?— 
 Who can tell, in what A£t of Violence this 
 Temped of Popular Fury, thus excited, and 
 high raifed, may. fpend itfelf? Prepojfejfm 
 reigns Monarch of tht; Million- And, when once 
 angered and let loofe, they are fufceptible of the 
 mod 
 
moft dangerous Impreffions, they may be im¬ 
 pelled to any Ill. 
 
 Judge then, my Fellow-Citizens and Coun¬ 
 trymen, what a deep Wound is offered to our 
 domeftic Peace, by inch an Encouragement of 
 this Clals of Men, The Laws, the Magiftra- 
 cies, the Regal Power itfelf, were all eftabiifhed 
 for Your Sakes, for Your Well-being, for the 
 Confervation of Your Lives and Properties. 
 And if You wantonly fport with thefe Pledges 
 of your Security; if You take away from the 
 Veneration, in which they ought to be held 
 by every Individual; are You not levelling the 
 Inclofures, by which Your own Enjoyments are 
 fenced around, and laying them open to the In¬ 
 road of every Ravager ?—They, whofe Bufinefs 
 it is to enadt Laws, and to fettle the quejlion - 
 able Boundaries of Prerogative and Privilege , 
 may canvafs thefe important Matters. It be¬ 
 longs to them. But an Appeal to the People on¬ 
 ly lieth-and even then a dreadful Appeal it 
 
 is-when Attempt is made to eftablifh Law- 
 
 lefs Power on the Ruins of the Public Happi- 
 nefs. And if any one tells you, that fuch an 
 Attempt has now been made, he is a defigning 
 traiterous leader ; he means to defpoil you 
 of your Loyalty; he means to pluck up by 
 the Roots every thing that is moft dear to you; 
 and to fend Mifrule and Confufion into the Midft 
 of Us. 
 
(*») 
 
 But, His Majesty, they will tell you, has 
 not Concern in the IJfue of this Contention. He is 
 honoured, as much as Prince ever was , by a du¬ 
 tiful and affectionate People. His Minifters alone, 
 th-y . who have abufed his Power , are thofe, 
 who are the Objects of this National Indignation. 
 Beware of this Deceit, my Countrymen. Be 
 allured, it is hardly poflible that the Sovereign 
 fhould have the Fealty to him preferved in¬ 
 violate, and Infults be daily offered to the Mi - 
 nifters of his Government. And a dale Trick it 
 is, the forry Contrivance of Dabblers in Sedi¬ 
 tion, to pretend, that they only mean the One , 
 •when in truth the Blow is aimed at the Other. 
 
 -In the prefent Cafe alfo, unluckily for Us,. 
 
 His Majesty is the Perfon concerned princi¬ 
 pally. It is his Prerogative is in Debate. And 
 if ever Difpute affedted the Prince directly, this 
 mult, A Difpute therefore it is, which for the 
 Honour of Government, from a Senfe of what 
 we owe to the beji of Kings, ought to have been 
 managed with the utmoft Decency and Mode¬ 
 ration. ' r 
 
 Admit however, that the Perfon, to whofe 
 Mniniftration the Affairs of this Kingdom are 
 now intrufted, interfered in' Support of this 
 Claim of prerogative, and laboured to eftablilh 
 it; is he therefore to be criminal in our Eyes ? 
 
 _;Where is the Violation of Law he has been 
 
 guilty of?- They, who. have eredted them- 
 
 felves into Afferters of your invaded Rights, will 
 
( 2 3 ) 
 
 tell You indeed many a gladdening Tale, of 
 Wicked Minijlers, who, by the Virtue of Patriots 
 of old, have received the Reward jufliy due to 
 their Oppreflions. They will tell You, that 
 Minijlers are accountable for the Power delegated 
 to them ; and that whenever they mifapply this 
 Power, and endeavour to deftroy that Com¬ 
 mon-Weal, which they were bound to cultivate ; 
 it is from that Moment our Duty to oppofe 
 their perfidious Defigns, and to bring to con¬ 
 dign Punilhment thofe Enemies of the Peace 
 and Happinefs of our Country,' ■■ -— This is 
 
 all very fine, no doubt-Pray, may I aik, 
 
 what is the Purport of it ?-Was not all this 
 
 well known, long before we had this kind In¬ 
 formation ? And have not the Proteftants of Ire¬ 
 land, in more than one Inftance, given Proof 
 that they can make their Complaints reach the 
 Throne, when They,who are fet over them, mif¬ 
 apply their Power to tyrannical lawlefs Pur- 
 pofes ? 
 
 But then, this Mifapplication of Power muft 
 not be imaginary. It muft not be from Party- 
 Views —'from Seljijh narrow Motives —from a 
 Scheme of forcing the Sovereign to comply with 
 the Deflates of a prevailing Faflion —that thefe 
 Complaints muft have their rife. They muft arife, 
 from a Senfe of Duty to the Prince, from a 
 Regard for the Public Profperity, from a Zeal 
 for the Prefervation. of that glorious Conftitu- 
 fion, which our Fathers, at the Expence of their 
 own Blood, have acquired to Us. 
 
( *4 ) 
 
 Drive not therefore blindly on, my Country¬ 
 men. Allow yourfelves ferioufly to confider, who 
 this MINISTER is, to whofe Meafures you are 
 thus encouraged to form Oppoiition. Enquire, 
 examine, what his Conduct has been in the 
 Courfe of his Adminiftration. Aik, what He 
 has done. Indraft yourfelves, what He has en¬ 
 deavoured to do. And if, after an impartial 
 Perquifition, it appears to you, that his Miniftry 
 Hands dear of all Imputations, but what Cla¬ 
 mour void of Proof, or lurking whifpering En¬ 
 vy, may fpread abroad; if there is not aught 
 done by him, which every faithful Servant of 
 the Crown, circumftanced efpecially as He is, 
 would not have done; nay. farther, if, with re- 
 fpeft to the afferling of the liberties of thefe Na¬ 
 tions, with refpeft to the Happinefs of this King¬ 
 dom in particular, He has done as milch, to the 
 full as much, as the worthied of our boafted Pa¬ 
 triots may have atchieved; what Ihall We fay to 
 Ourfelves, in our cooler Hours, for the unkind 
 Sufpicions which we have fuffered to take root 
 
 in our Breads ?-What Ihall We fay to the in- 
 
 jurious Charges, which an infatuated Multitude 
 has been taught to utter againd him ? 
 
 I mean not his Panegyric. He wants not fuch 
 Praife, as mine. But, for Your own Sakes, my 
 Countrymen, for the fake of Our Fellow Subjects 
 of Ireland, whom it is the higheft Cruelty to 
 prepoffefs with groundlefs Fears, for the fake of 
 over 
 
our Country , which Hands but too much in need . 
 of hterpof.tion and Patronage in ’the Great 
 Council of the Britijh Nation ; allow y'ourfelves 
 to make the Inquiry.-— 
 
 In his own Country, you will find, his Fealty 
 to his Sovereign, his Zeal for the Laws, were 
 never yet called in Quell ion. Early, in the Worji 
 of ■Times , he flood firm againfl the Attempts of 
 Arbitrary Power : And was one of the Firfl, 
 who was honoured with th‘e Smiles of his Royal 
 Mailer, when the Happy Acceffion of the late 
 King George allured the Liberties of thefe 
 Realms. 
 
 In this Kingdom, from the Year 1730, to the 
 Year 1736, he was intruded with the Admini- 
 ftration ; and, during his whole Government, 
 a friendly affectionate Governor he was ; guilt- 
 lels, whatever the Voice of Faftion may report; 
 of every kind of Projeft, that might tend to 
 abridge you of your Rights ; and cherilhing 
 every Plan, which might contribute to your 
 Profperity. Through his Hands, the Incorpora¬ 
 ted Society for Protejlant Schools received the firfl 
 Marks of the Royal Favour. And under his 
 Influence, was the Inftitution Of the Dublin So¬ 
 ciety. Two Eftablifhments, which, beyond any 
 ever yet devifed amongfl US, have added to the 
 Peace and Culture of this Land——Our Uni- 
 verftty alfo he diftiflguiflied in a fpecial Marnier, 
 by placing his Son there; a Pdbljc Service this,- 
 both 
 
( *6 ) 
 
 both as to the Example , and as to the Confi¬ 
 dence, lhewn by it.-Do any of thefe argue 
 
 him, our Enemy ?-And what has he done 
 
 fince, to cancel all the Debt of Gratitude we owe 
 to him ? 
 
 When he ceafed to be our Governor, he ceafed 
 not to be our Friend. He recommended us to 
 Hrs Majesty, as a People, Loyal, and zea- 
 loufly Attached to his Government: A Recom* 
 mendation, the happy Effects of which We 
 have experienced in more than one Inftance, 
 And whenever our Concerns were in the Con* 
 fideration of the Britifij Parliamentalways 
 was he one of the Foremoft and Bed regarded, 
 who flood up in our Behalf, and fupported our 
 Interefts. 
 
 In the Year 1751, he again became our Go¬ 
 vernor ; and with the fame Affectionate Regard 
 for our Profperity he returned amongft Us. 
 And the fame Affectionate Regard, there are 
 the ftrongeft Reafons to believe, he ftill retains, 
 would we fuffer Ourfelves to enjoy the Benefits 
 of it. But, whilft mad Prepoffeffion thus rages 
 around, what fhall avail all his Endeavours for 
 our Good.? Even his Duteous Demeanor , towards 
 
 his Royal Matter--is conftrued into a Crime/ 
 
 Nay, the very inferting of. the tremendous Word 
 Confent, which, ’tis well known, was the Work 
 of His Majesty’s Council in Great Britain, is 
 urged againft him, There are thofe, who are 
 hardy 
 
hardy enough to tell you, that this was a new 
 hjinmerit of Tyranny, contrived by the Lord 
 Lieutenant , or perhaps by his Secretary , by a 
 tranfient Minifiefs tranfienl Secretary, according 
 to the elegant energical Style of one of your 
 Pamphleteers * And had this Confent received 
 the Ratification of our two Houfes of Parli¬ 
 ament ; then, the Plundering of. our Wealth , the 
 total Overthrow of our Liberties, th t final Deftruc- 
 tion of cur Trade, were inevitably to follow. 
 They were every one of them, Parts of the fame 
 Plan, which were all to be carried into Execu¬ 
 tion, in their due Order, foon as the Firft had 
 taken Effedt. 
 
 And, can Yon then, my Countrymen, be led 
 to believe, that this one fingle Word fliould have 
 the Power, to bring on fo many dire Confe- 
 quences, and to Ihed all this baneful Influence 
 over the whole National Happinefs ?-Or, ad¬ 
 mitting this to be poflible-Can You be led 
 
 to believe, that our Gracious Sovereign would 
 ever enjoin, and that a Gentleman of fuch Amiable 
 Manners, as the Governor We now have,- 
 would ever fubmit to be the Executor of, a 
 
 Defign, fo oppreffive, fo barbarous ?-Both 
 
 your Allegiance and Common Senfe are full againfl 
 the Belief of it. And wonderful as it is, that 
 any fliould be found, who would adventure to 
 avouch thefe improbable Tales : Yet more won¬ 
 derful is itj that there fliould.be fo many, weak 
 enough to believe them implicitly. 
 
 1 Thus. 
 
 * See Supplement to the Remarks, Sec. p. 17. 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 Thus traduced, oppofed, infulted, how lias 
 this Enemy of our Country , this Perfon, fet over 
 us, to be the Minifter of Vengeance, behaved 
 himfelf?—Whilft all has been Violence and In¬ 
 flammation on the fide of thole, who have ftood 
 againft him ; Lenity and Calmnefs have prefid- 
 ed in his Councils. Under thefevereft Provoca¬ 
 tions from Popular Infolence, he has had the 
 Temper, he has had the Humanity, to confider 
 Us, as an ill-informed mifguided People. Even 
 but fome few Days fince, what a Proof of his 
 Attention to our Welfare did this Kingdom re¬ 
 ceive-the Public Credit fupported by his in- 
 
 terpofmg Hand ?-And, had he not thus fea- 
 
 lbnably interpofed, who can fay, how far the 
 
 growing Confufion might have reached ?- - - 
 
 Is it to be conceived, that a Man, fuch as this, 
 one of thebeft Benefactors this Country has had, 
 and whofe Name, when the Ferment of Parties 
 fhall have fubfided, mud obtain univerfal Reve¬ 
 rence, ihou’d, at this Day, by a licentious Mul¬ 
 titude be numbered among tbofe, from whom we 
 have caufe to fear our Ruin ? 
 
 We may neverthelefs eafily perceive, that 
 the very Method, in which They, who have rifen 
 up againft him, have carried on their oppofiti- 
 on, by Revilings and the hwejl Scurrility, fully 
 acquits the Adminiftration of this excellent No¬ 
 bleman. It is the ftrongeft Proof, of the Fair- 
 fiefs and Equality of it. For, be allured, had 
 our 
 
our Conftitution and Common Welfare been 
 really in danger from Him, they, who have thus 
 caught at every Opportunity of diftreffing bis 
 Government, wou’d have taken up another man¬ 
 ner and other inflruments of Offence. Their 
 Caufe wou’d then have been the Caufe of Li¬ 
 berty and their Country; and Reafon and Truth 
 wou’d have been fufficient for its Support. But, 
 inftead of employing thefe manly Means, which 
 indeed the Caufe they had wou’d not admit of, 
 they have had recourfe to the meanefl. They 
 have fought to prepoffefs and deceive. They have 
 dealt in Calumny and foul Abufe. Perfonal Re¬ 
 flexions, black Mifreprefentations, Lies — fuch as, 
 at another time, muft have died away the inftant 
 they had Birth, have been their Weapons. And 
 'Thefe directed,not only againft our Governor; but 
 alfo againft All Thofe in Connexion with him, 
 againft All Thofe, who have endeavoured to main¬ 
 tain Public Order and the Honour of Govern- 
 ment.—Witnefs the many infamous Writings, 
 which daily make their Appearance amongft us; 
 and which, with an induftry well worthy of fuch 
 very fpirited Performances, are difperfed through¬ 
 out this whole Kingdom, for the Improvement of 
 our Principles, and the Advancement of the 
 National Peace. 
 
 Perhaps you already cenfure me, for intro¬ 
 ducing the mention of Writings, fuch as thefe. 
 And I acknowledge, had the doughty Authors of 
 them meddled only in Politics, I fliou’d have 
 thought 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 thought it barbarous to notice them. Advocate's 
 of this damp cannot injure any Cauie, hut that 
 they attempt to vindicate. And all their clumfy 
 Wit, and every uncouth auitward Tale, their 
 drained Invention daily brings forth, never 
 fhou’d have moved me, beyond a little innoceht 
 Mirth. 
 
 But, my Countrymen, their Attempt means 
 the Subverjion of our Manners , as well as the Dif- 
 honouring of Government. The kind of Abufe they 
 throw out is of that Nature, as mud in every ho¬ 
 ned Bread, provoke the mod ferious Indignati¬ 
 on. It is' injurious, not only to thofe, at whom 
 it is aimed — to them indeed it is lead inju¬ 
 rious, becaufe it is not poilible they fhou’d be 
 wounded by it—the Injury is to Us, to Our Fa¬ 
 milies. It is a reproach to this whole Nation, 
 and of the mod pernicious Confequence to it, 
 that the Ignorant and Corruptible, that our 
 Journeymen, our Apprentices, our Children, 
 fhou’d be permitted to infeCt their minds with 
 
 the filthy poyfonous Ribaldry. -And that the 
 
 Press, the Liberty of which We have all an in- 
 tered in protecting, fhou’d, by this licentious 
 Encouragement of thegrofled Immoralities, ren¬ 
 der its Privileges peftilential and accurfed, is an 
 Evil, which, my Countrymen, cannot enough 
 be lamented, and which may have a fatal Ten¬ 
 dency to the redraining of that very Liberty, 
 which is thus abufed. 
 
 Nor 
 
Nor, let me tell You, is this the only Eflential 
 Privilege, which You are rendering precarious, 
 by Your wanton Petulancy. Even th eFreedom 
 of Parliament You have daringly invaded ; the 
 very Corner-Jlone of the EJlablijhment You are 
 endeavouring to remove.—What elfe mean the 
 Affe&ed Negle&s, the Cruel Infults, which They 
 are made to bear, who on the late occafion 
 thought it their Duty to vote in Maintenance of 
 the Prerogative ?—What elfe mean the Oppro¬ 
 brious Imputations, to which They find them- 
 felves expofed, of Venality mi. Servile Adula¬ 
 tion ? 
 
 One Hundred and Seventeen, on the one 
 Side ; and One Hundred and Twenty Three, 
 on the other———Small, You fee, was the; 
 
 Difference-But, fmall as it is, Truth and 
 
 Juftice, We all know, are always with the Great¬ 
 er Number.-This however being confef- 
 
 fed, that the Majority were certainly in the 
 right; does it follow, that the Minority knew 
 
 themfelves to be in the wrong ?-And, if 
 
 They did not, wou’d they not have been Tray- 
 tors to their Truft, had they not voted, as they 
 
 did ?-Men — moft of them, of extenfive' 
 
 Property—and whofe Integrity, until this fatal 
 
 Rage of Parties, was not even fufpedted.- 
 
 Is it not more becoming to fuppofe, that they 
 were convinced of the Truth of what they afler- 
 ted; and that their Suffrages were the refult of 
 Confiderati- 
 
(r-) 
 
 Confideration and Inquiry ? Is it not more con- 
 fiftent to lay, that Perfons, who have in this 
 very Kingdom a Stake as confiderable as Moft 
 in it, and who therefore mull be, immediately , 
 Severely, affected by any National Calamity, 
 coud not,, for the Smiles of a Court , for the 
 fake of empty nominal Honours, be willing to de¬ 
 prive themfelves, and their Pofterity for ever, 
 pf that Protection of Laips , We now enjoy, and 
 to give up thfs whole Land to Rapine, Beggary, 
 and Devaftation ? It is utterly impoflible any 
 Man in his Senfes (hou’d believe, that they wou’d 
 lend their Ailiftance to a Scheme, which, they 
 faw, pointed to this melancholy ruinous ProfpeCh 
 
 Bur, not-to infill on a Juftifjcatipn, of which, 
 
 to lay the Truth, they ftand not in need- ; 
 
 with relation to Ourfelves, conlider well, what 
 prull be Our Condition, if we eftablilh this dan¬ 
 gerous Precedent.—If the Populace have a 
 right to decide and eenfure, in this Cafe ; why 
 not, in every Cafe ?—r— And if fo, what mufl; 
 follow ."i In Matters of Public Concern, 
 
 I have heard, Reafons of . Expediency often lie 
 deep, and remote from common Obfervation; 
 and much Accuracy and fpber Judgment it re¬ 
 quires, effeCtuajly to attain the Ends of Govern¬ 
 ment. If therefore Clamour is, to he fubllituted to 
 coolljebate, If the Applaufe pf the giddy People 
 Ihatl become the Teft of the Wifdom and the 
 Upngbtnefs.pf our Legillators ; and Reproach 
 Und Revilings are to purfuethem, whenever they 
 dare to deviate from the Injunctions of this lord- 
 
ly Multitude ; are We not loofening the firm 
 Anchoring of the Conftitution, and plunging 
 ourfelves into the wildeft Anarchy l 
 
 Who are they, who have led on all this Com¬ 
 motion and Outrage, this Licentioulneis and 
 Invafion of Public Order; or by What En¬ 
 gines they have thus far fucceeded ; it wou’d 
 neither be Matter of Utility to You, my Coun¬ 
 trymen, not Matter of Delight to me, to make 
 Inquiry. Poor indeed were the Entertainment, 
 to tread in the miry ways of thefe Sons of Fac¬ 
 tion, to trace their fubtil Windings, and pry in¬ 
 to their gloomy Councils. 
 
 Difficult, however, and Ungrateful as it 
 might be, to fay, Who have been the Authors of 
 all this Ill: yet eafy and proper may it be, to 
 tell You, Who they cannot have been, And hold 
 it for your Rule, my Countrymen, they cannot 
 have been Any, High in Station, and Great in 
 Character. They cannot have been Any, 
 whofe Rank, whole Worth fhou’d command 
 your Reverence. Defigning Men may employ 
 Refpeftable Names, to advance their wicked 
 Purpofes. And becaufe an House of Com¬ 
 mons, Wise and Loyal, have thought it pro¬ 
 per, not from any narrow Party Views , but from 
 a Generous Zeal for what they accounted the 
 Good of their Country, to refufe their Concurrence 
 to a Msafure propofed by the Crown ; therefore 
 is this Seditious Reviling of the Adminiftration 
 audacioufly fet off with the fpecious Covering of 
 C their 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 their Authority. And They, are You told, have 
 encouraged, and gladly avail themfelves of, the 
 Accellion and Acclaim of a tumultuous Popu¬ 
 lace. 
 
 The flimfy Artifice of feme mean Incendiary ! 
 —It were Infult, to fuppofe, that They iliou’d 
 ever lend their Influence to thele Attempts. 
 Their avowed Loyalty forbids the Sufpicion. It 
 is, I fay, impoflible, that Gentlemen— of their 
 dillinguillred Figure in the State, Whofe Hearts 
 are overflowing with Affedion to the Beft of 
 Kings, and Who, in the Places of the greatefl: 
 Frequency and in their molt Joyous Hours, if 
 our Public Papers may be credited, are every 
 Day pouring forth their Vows for his Confervation 
 and Profperity—Ihou’d harbour one Thought 
 the leaft injurious to the Quiet of his People, 
 and the Eafe and Support of his Government. 
 And well They know, without having recourfe to 
 what my fpiritlefs Words can tell, that it is neither 
 in Warmth of Expreffion, nor in High-founding 
 Declarations, to Denote the Faithful Sub¬ 
 ject : A far more fignificant Proof of our Fe¬ 
 alty is there to be had : It is, our Maintaining 
 of the Confutation in its full Vigor — the Honour 
 paid to Legal Authority —the Improving of the 
 Public Manners —the Advancing of Sobriety and 
 Induftrious Labour among the People —that, (hall 
 Denote this. Thefe are the only Means , that can 
 effectually eftablifh the King’s Throne , and fe- 
 cure our Common Happinefs. And every thing, 
 that contributes to impair Thefe,muft, naturally, 
 tend to Difloyalty , Confuflon , and Violence. It 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 It now therefore matters little to afk, Who 
 firft lighted the Fatal Firebrand. The Inquiry 
 wou’d only give Continuance to Wrath and Ha¬ 
 tred.. But much it concerns Us to obferve, 
 Who fhall henceforth dare to foment the deftruc- 
 tive Flame. And whoever does, mark him for 
 your Enemy —the Enemy of his KiNG-r-the 
 Enemy of his Country. 
 
 And take Notice, my Fellow-Subjects, the Ar¬ 
 guments I have here made ufe of to You will 
 ftand in all their Strength; whatever be the 
 Iffue of the depending Conteft: Whether They, 
 who have oppofed the courtly Claufe, fhall ftill 
 retain the much rejpecled Names of Patriots, 
 and Defenders of the Liberties of their 
 Country —or Whether, as Time, that Great 
 i fryer of Human Things and Human Counfels, 
 rolls on, it fhall appear, that a different Deter¬ 
 mination wou’d have been more conducive to 
 Our Profperity —Whatever, I fay, be the Iffue, 
 ftillr—in either Cafe—it is not poffible your pre- 
 fent Behaviour lhou’d admit of Juflification. 
 
 Indeed, were a different View of Things, 
 
 • when We are become more Cool and Atten¬ 
 tive, to offer itfelf to Us •, and fhou’d our Ad¬ 
 mired Patriots, however hard they may Strug¬ 
 gle before they lofe that fo much refpetted Name, 
 yet lhou’d they, after all their various Toils, 
 find themfelves diverted of the Glomus Title; in 
 that Cafe, infinitely more deplorable will be our 
 Situation. 
 
(V ) 
 
 Situation. We fhall not only have been guilty 
 of a Conduit extremely improper : but alfo, even 
 a Pretence for. this improper Conduit will not 
 then be found. And how poffible This is, the 
 leaft Knowledge of our own Hiftory may abun¬ 
 dantly inform Us. Men have flood forth, and 
 Measures have been fupported, which, in their 
 Day , have borne away the Praife of Patriotifm 
 and Public Spirit: And neverthelefs, how often, 
 after the Revolution of fome few Years, have 
 thefe very Men and thefe very Measures funk 
 under the Charge of Interefted Views , or Miftaken 
 Policy ? 
 
 And, on this Occafion, who can fay but the 
 fame may happen, when we fhall have returned 
 to our Calmer Selves ? Exceptions certainly re¬ 
 main to this Applauded Procedure, even after 
 the laboured Vindication, We have been favoured 
 with. And Some of them even I, an obfcure 
 Ihort-fighted Man, co'u’d point out to You. If I 
 am miftaken—-be it fo-—I am open to Conviction. 
 But, Whether I am, or not, You fhall be the 
 Judges. I am putting them together with all the 
 Expedition I am capable of; and, foon as they 
 are in a decent Form, You fhall have them, with 
 the fame Honeft Intentions, that You have this. 
 For beaffured, I truly am, both from Principle, 
 and from Intereft, 
 
 Your affedionate'Well-wither 
 ■ And Loving Countryman, L. B. 
 
 From my Houfe at the Sign of the Harp and 
 Crown, Dublin March 19th 1754. 
 
 FINIS .