ftate of Ireland. at the period defcribed, is exhibited, than could well be expected from the pen of any individual journalist. And we have not neglected to record that variety of curious and interefting facts which came out in the parliamentary proceedings of the prefent year, as a valuable fupplement to our former narratives of the affairs of Ireland. The report of the committee of lords, of which the fubftance has been just given, appears extremely curious on two accounts. 1. We find a number of political projectors and leaders, whole grand aim is to overthrow the ftate by overthrowing fentiments of morality and religion, binding themfelves to fecrecy and mutual fidelity by the folemnity of an oath. 2. The moft prominent feature, the moft ftriking and uniform characteristic in the hiftory of confpiracies, of all ages and countries, is their failure of fuccefs. Though the confpirators be but few in number, known to each other, confident in mutual attachment, men of honour, and who have given proofs of honour and the moft determined courage: yet, fome change or other in circumftances, health, humour, hope, or fear, is almost always fure to derange the beft concerted plans of confpiration, of great and eventful iffue, even where they are neither watched nor fufpected. That multitudes of the loweft orders of the people, unknown to one another, under no reftraints of honour or a regard to character, but fubject to all the weakneffes and apprehenfions of human nature in its bafeft condition, fhould count with confidence on mutual fidelity and prompt and timely co-operation in the moment of danger, is a pitch of folly to which the blindness and precipitation of the vulgar never before arrived, and to which they would. never have reached, unlefs they had been mingled with a mass of pretenfions to fuperior wifdom. * Though fuch a confpiracy could never have been crowned with ultimate fuccefs, yet its explofions, here and there, and at different times, would have involved, together with the ruin of the confpirators themfelves, that of thoufands of others. Therefore the vigilance and precaution of government was wife and merciful. On the other hand, the inquiries and the ftrong protefts that were made, in both houses of parliament, against any fufpenfion of habeas corpus, or extenfion of military law, on grounds either light or uncertain, merit equal praife: and are alfo matter of congratulation to British fubjects. On the order of the day, for the third reading of the fedition bill, April 28, it was objected to by the duke of Bedford, as an unneceffary violation of the British conftitution. It was fupported by the earl of Weftmoreland as both falutary and indifpenfable; read the third time; and paffed without a divifion. The Irish martial law bill, on the fame principles, and evidence brought forward by the fecret committees, was continued to the 25th of March, 1802. A bill was alfo paffed for indemnifying all perfons concerned in fecuring, imprifoning, and detaining individuals under the ful penfion of the habeas corpus ne * For the copious reports of the commons, on this fubject, fee State volume. fince the 1ft of February, 1793. This bill met with great oppofition in both houses, as calculated to for en misconduct, by an expoft facto law. And very warm altercations took place about an alleged juggle between the late and prefent minifters. Various petitions were prefented against the bill, in the courfe of its progrefs, from perfons complaining of injuries and cruelties. On a motion, by the duke of Bedford, June 12, a lift was pro duced of all the perfons who had been taken into cuftody on a charge of fedition or treafon, together with the length of time, and the names of the places in which they had been confined. A bill of indemnity was alfo pafled for Ireland. This bill was not confined to the apprehending, and detaining of perfons on the charge of treasonable practices, but extended to all acts done for the prefervation of the public peace. [N2] CHAP. CHA P. X. Bounties on the Importation of Grain.—Improvement of Commons-And Wafle Lands.-Cultivation of Potatoes.-Inquiry into the Salt-Duties, and the Means for remedying the Inconveniences arifing from thence.-Repeat of Brown Bread A&t.-Relief of Infolvent Debtors.-Law for preventing* the Arrest of Aliens in Great Britain for Debts contracted in France prerious to the Revolution.-Clergymen declared incapable of being Members of the House of Commons.- Poor Housekeepers relieved from Poors Rate.— Cenforial Functions of Parliament.-Rewards.-Motions for Inquiries tending to Difgrace and Punishment.-India Budgets for two Years preceding the 25th of March, 1801.—Mr. Dundas's Plan for the Government of India. ROM measures relating to the internal fecurity and tranquil Tity of the kingdom, we proceed, according to our plan, to thofe of general economy, whether for the correction of abufes and errors, or the improvement of advantages. Bounties were continued on the A bill was importation of corn. brought into parliament, and pafled into a law, for extending the powers of a former act, of the 13th of his prefent majefty, for the improvement of commons, and cultivation Mr. Charles Dunof wafte lands. das, who introduced the bill, recommended to the attention of the house, a letter from fir Jofeph Banks to lord Carrington. It was formerly believed that land under cultivation would not continue to produce crops, unless allowed to reft occafion ally: and the correfponding fyftem As to the difcovery, it was a discovery to few only but philofophers. Neverthelefs, to call it up to recollection, and to make the proper inference, was well timed and Jaudable pier pier as well as the public. A bill was introduced by fir William Pultney, for encouraging the growth of potatoes This bill did not interfere with the other bill for encouraging the growth of potatoes in common fields. The object of fir William's bill was, the improvement of a great deal of unproductive land, by raifing potatoes in autumn: which article would prove of particular fervice, at a time before the new corn could be threfhed out, and brought to market. Reports were made, from time to time, from committees of both honfes for confidering, and making reports on the high price of provifions, and refolutions formed thereon for inclofure, and other bills. In confequence of a report from that com mittee, founded on another from the board of agriculture, a bill was brought into the house of commons, by Mr. Ryder, March 2, for granting 28,000l. to be laid out in premiums for encouraging the cultivafion of potatoes The wifdom or expediency of this nieafure was much questioned. Mr. Buxton contended that the prefent high price of potatoes was a fufficient bounty of itfelf. All bounties were, in his opinion, injurious. It was beft to allow that crop to be cultivated, which would prove most profitable. It was unwife to propofe a bounty on one particular article of food, to the prejudice of the growth of corn in general. Mr. Horne Tooke, after apologizing for talking on agricultural fubjects, made fome obfervations, to which we here give a place, as they appear to merit, and loudly demand the public attention. The remium now propofed, he said, could do nothing but mischief. Belandholder pay the premium out of fides the injuftice of making the his own eftate, mifery muft extend whole fcheme of keeping down the to the whole country, unless the price of provifions fhould be changed. It was in vain to ftruggle againft neceffity. The legislature could not keep down the price of provifions, unless it kept down the national debt. Prices had rifen, and would inevitably continue to rife. 'been asked, how the cottager might It had be made happy? The cottager would be made happy by railing price of provifions: his labour a every thing in proportion to the mong the rett. Labour had rifen, "The gen and it muft rife higher. That may be, 1 would be better for the country, if the manufacturing of bread from fine flour was repeale !. no man would lend them a groat. Let them take three-fourths of a man's intereft on property, and take off the taxes. If you do not reduce the national debt, the public creditor, inflead of one hundred and twenty loaves for his 1007. will, by and by, have only two or three." A bill was brought in, providing for the inclofure and improvement of certain uncultivated lands in England and Wales, particularly bogs and marthy grounds, without fpecial application to parliament. A committee was appointed, for inquiring into the law relating to the duty on falt, and into the means of remedying the inconveniences arifing therefrom. This meafure met with univerfal applaufe. By the brown-bread bill, paffed at the end of the laft feffion of parliament, it had been conceived that a confiderable faving would have been made in the use of wheat; but owing to the general partiality of the people of this country for the fine fort of bread, it was found that the fine fort of wheat could not be manufactured according to provifions of the act; and, likewife, that the inferior forts of wheat of this country's growth, were in danger of being thrown out of the market, while the finer fort proportionally rofe in price. It allo appeared, that the price of the coarser wheat was diminished but little, while that of the quatern loaf was not more reduced than fix or leven farthings. It had also been fuppofed, that a much larger quantity of bread could have been manufactured from a fack of coarse than of fine flour; but, in this, the committee was difappointed. For these reasons, the act made in the laft feffion of parliament, to prevent This feffion, a bill, which had been for many years in contemplation, and under difcuffion, was passed, for the relief of infolvent, not fraudulent, debtors, on the condition of the ceffio bonorum, as in Scotland and Holland, and other countries. The humanity and juftice of the country were alfo difplayed in a bill, which was carried without op. pofition into a law, for preventing the arreft of aliens in Great Britain for debts contracted in France previous to the revolution. Many of the refpectable emigrants from France were unable to pay the debts they had contracted, on account of having loft all their property by the revolution; and what rendered the juftice, as well as the neceflity of protecting fuch persons, the bonds belonging to the original creditors had been bought up at a very final price, and many of them obtained in a fraudulent manner. In this protecting bill were comprehended perfons, who, though they had been born in any part of his majefty's dominions, had passed over before the age of fifteen years, and conftantly refided in the dominions of his most Christian majesty. The great patron and promoter of this bill, as of the English infolvent debtors bill, was the earl of Moira. In confequence of the enforcement of an act of Henry VIII. for commanding the refidence of the clergy in their respective parishes, that body of men were subjected to innumerable vexations. The profecutions and perfonal hardships to which they were exposed, proceeded folely from purposes of extortion. All actions, which were, or might |