Among the many who felt strongly the injury done to our civil rights, by the Parliament of England, Mr. Molyneaux, one of the representatives for the city of Dublin, particular ly distinguished himself by his patriotism and ability.

In his endeavours to promote the improvement of our manufactures, he found himself continually opposed by the spirit of British monopoly; and perceiving, that neither our manufactures, our commerce, nor any exertion on which national prosperity depends, could succeed, so long as our natural and constitutional rights were opposed by the unjust interference of the British legislature ;-determined to vindicate the cause of his country, and to diffuse throughout the nation a just sense of its constitutional rights, he, in 1698, published a book, styled, "The Case of Ireland being bound by Acts of Parliament in England, staled;" for the purpose of proving, from historical facts, That the kingdom of Ireland was as independent of the kingdom of England, as the latter was of the former. This book was written in a strain of independent discussion and spirited assertion, to which Ireland had long been a stranger. It taught the people of Ireland to consider, more justly and more attentively, the nature of their connection with England; and obtained for its author that applause, his patriotism and talents so well merited.

Very different were the opinions entertained by the Eng lish House of Commons; they appointed a committee to examine the book, and on the report of this committee, the Commond unanimously resolved, "That the book published by Mr. Molyneaux, was of dangerous tendency to the Crown and People of England, by denying the authority of the King and Parliament of England to bind the kingdom and people of Ireland; and the subordination and dependence Ireland had, and ought to have upon England." They also, in a body, presented an Address to his Majesty, enlarging, in terms of great indignation, on the book, and its pernicious.

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assertions; and beseeching him to take care that the laws which directed and restrained the Parliament of Ireland, should not be evaded. In answer to which, they received a promise from his Majesty, of his acting according to their wish.

The book was also burned by the hands of the common hangman, by order of Government.

The English Parliament continued to exercise over Ireland an authority as unjustifiable as it was oppressive; and our manufactures were almost in every instance sacrificed to the illiberal and selfish views of the English trader. In England, the woollen manufacture had become a staple commodity; with us likewise it was a profitable branch of commerce. Before the time of Charles I. we indraped our wool, and exported the overplus to foreign markets. Of this privilege, the English, jealous of a competition, endeavoured to deprive us by several Acts of Parliament, more especially by one, enacted in the reign of Charles II. which was deeply marked by the most unjust severity. Previous to the publication of Molyneaux, the Irish Parliament had been required by the King, to pass laws for the encouragement of the hempen and linen manufactures in this country, and the discouragement of the woollen, in consequence of representations made by English traders, who apprehended a competition of the Irish in the latter. The preference thus promised to the hempen and linen manufactures, so as exclusively to supply the English trade in fabrics of this kind, and to amount to a compensation, for the loss of the woollen, was not given for six years after; and in the mean time, the growing and manufacturing of hemp and flax was so favored by Government in Scotland and England, that these countries became rivals. in this branch of industry to Ireland, where the trade of hemp entirely failed. Thus was Ireland unjustly compelled to lay restrictions on a profitable branch of industry; cheated out of the promised compensation; and when even the

most fostering indulgence to the Irish, for profiting by these materials, could never have compensated for the loss of their woollen manufacture...

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Not contented with these restrictions, the English Parliament, in the year 1699, appointed a committee, to inquire, into the state of the woollen manufactures in Ireland, who reported, that as both wool and labor were cheaper in Ireland, than with them, we were enabled to undersell them in foreign markets; that this branch of business was increasing with us; and that they neither could nor would suffer the woollen- manufaclures of this country, to rise into competition with theirs. In consequence, they passed a law, prohibiting the exportation from Ireland of all cloths made of wool, or containing any mixture of it.--The prohibitory laws of this class, enacted in England, were accompanied with enforcements, as inconsistent with the political distinctness of Ireland, as with the free principles of the British constitution. By one act, the accused were liable to the penalties of confiscation and imprisonment; by another, to transportation.-By the former of these statutes, no acquittal, in Ireland, of any of fence against it would be allowed, in bar or delay of any indictment, or prosecution, within the kingdom of England.

Thus, a person, for using his liberty, as a freeman, in exporting any of these prohibited articles, might be tried in this country, and acquitted, under all the forms of law in Ireland, and yet might be still dragged to England, to be tried for the same offence, by a foreign jury, in a strange land, where he could not have his witnesses; far from his friends, and perhaps without money or resources.

. The immediate effects of these prohibitory laws, were poverty and distress to Ireland; insurmountable by the fertility of her soil, and the ingenuity of her inhabitants. Deprived of the means of subsistence át home, thousands of Irish manufacturers emigrated to France, and other countries, and

carried their industry and knowledge from the place of their nativity, which crushed their exertions, and waged an unnatural war against their prosperity, to improve and augmentthe manufactures of foreign lands. Thus, the French were enabled not only to supply their own demands, but even to undersell the English, in the markets of other nations. Thus, England suffered, in a tenfold proportion, for every injury she inflicted upon Ireland. By depriving that country of the resources of her industry, she deprived herself of the fruits, which would have ultimately reverted to her; and she banished a hardy, an intelligent, and industrious population, to swell the resources, and improve the manufactures of a powerful and rival nation.

The destruction of the woollen manufacture, was not the only evil Ireland sustained, from the unjust and illiberal prohibition of the English Legislature. Among a variety of other restrictions, embargoes were frequently laid on the exportation of provisions, ruinous to agriculture, and other species of industry; and the spirit of monopoly had so completely pervaded England, that if the Parliament had been influenced, to the full extent, by the applications which were made to them, Ireland must have been in a great degree de populated. The spirit, respecting Ireland, which prevailed in England, appears, if possible, more strongly, from the following circumstance, than even from the particulars already adduced.

Two petitions were presented in 1698, by the people of Folkstone in Kent, and Aldborough in Suffolk, stating a grievance which they sustained from Ireland, "by the Irish: catching herrings, at Waterford and Wexford, and sending them to the Streights, thereby forestalling and ruining Petitioners' markets.”

The reign of Queen Anne, who succeeded on the death of William, in 1701, we find distinguished only by the com

plaints of national poverty, the violence of party spirit, and a rigorous augmentation of penal statutes against Catholics. The Parliament convened, 1708, by the Duke of Onnond, after voting the necessary supplies, presented a representation to the Lord Lieutenant, to be delivered to Her Majesty ; in which they complain, "that the constitution of the kingdom had been injured, and the lives, liberties, and estates of the people, had been called in question, in a manner únknown to their ancestors; that the current cash of the king dom was not equal to the extraordinary expences incurred. They then proceed to complain of the invasion of their con stitutional rights by a foreign judicature; the corrupt and oppressive conduct of the trustees of the forfeited estates; and of the misery arising from the restrictions of commerce. That her subjects have felt deeply their loss of trade; that they could not earn their livelihood, or support their own ma nufactures; that their foreign commerce labored under such restrictions, as to have become, in a great measure, unprofit able; and that the infrequent meeting of Parliament, was principal cause of the national misfortunes.

To this representation Her Majesty returned the following cold reply: "The first part of it seems to relate to matters passed in Parliament; and the other part only consisting of things in general, Her Majesty can give no particular answer to at present, but will take it into her consideration.”—The same Parliament, after having voted the necessary supplies, pro ceeded, with laudable spirit, to rectify several public abuses, particularly, to their distinguished honor, they abolished use. less pensions, to the amount of 16,000l. a year.

This just punishment of the worthless, and attention to the interests of their country, is in the highest degree worthy of praise, but has unfortunately seldom been imitated. How many scandalous prostitutes to the Government, who rise as their country descends, and whose merit is their profligacy,

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