prejudicer against the great majority of his countrymen. The Government of the day, knowing the narrowness of the base on which the Reformers built, easily anticipated the result of their efforts: it wisely conjectured, that they would be beaten by their own bigotry.

The kingdom was now much agitated. A provincial meeting had met at Cork on the 1st of March, 1783, and entered into various resolutions in favor of Reform. On the 24th of July, following, whilst Lord Charlemont was on a visit at Lurgan, to his friend Mr. Brownlow, he received the annexed letter from the Committee of Correspondence appoint ed by the delegates of forty-five corps, assembled at Lisa, burn, on the 1st of July, 1788, which committee met at Belfast on the 19th of the same month. It was this committee which corresponded with the Duke of Richmond, Mr. Pitt, and other promoters of Reform.

MY LORD,

Belfast, July 19. 1788.

THE very glorious and effectual part your Lordship has taken in the emancipation of this kingdom, naturally leads the Volunteers of the North of Ireland to up look to your Lord. ship, for a decided support in favour of reform, which your Lordship has already declared meets your warmest approbation, To a nobleman so well acquainted with the ruinous state of the representation of Ireland, in us to aim at conveying infor mation were superfluous and unnecessary. The day fixed for the Dungannon meeting being very near, viz. the 8th of September next, and our day of meeting, as a committee for arranging the information we shall receive, being the 20th of August, we humbly hope your Lordship will favor us before the latter date, with your sentiments at large on this subject, pointing out such a specific mode of reform, and the most eligible steps leading to it, as come up to your Lordship's ideas. We have yet another favor to request, viz. that your Lordship would

inform us, whether shortening the duration of Parliaments, exclusion of pensioners, limiting the number of placemen, and a tax on absentees, or any of them, be in your Lordship's opinion subjects in which the Volunteers of Ireland ought to interfere; and we more earnestly entreat, that your Lordship may favour us with a sketch of such resolutions, as your Lordship would think proper to be proposed at Dungannon. Your Lordship will be so geed to address your reply to our chairman, at Lisburn.

Signed by order, &c.

This letter made a deep impression on Lord Charlemont. It was to him a sufficient indication of what I have already stated, that there were some leaders of the Volunteers, determined not to limit their operations to a parliamentary reform, but to visit, regulate, perhaps control, every department in the state. The points alluded to in their letter met his ap probation, the tax on absentees excepted. The principal object, a parliamentary reform, would, he was afraid, be crushed to nothing, amid such a crowd of measures with which they proposed to accompany it. Altogether the busi ness did not seem to him to wear the most propitious aspect. Something however was to be done, and he immediately wrote the following letter. Perhaps few men had ever a more delicate and difficult part to act than Lord Charlemont, not only at the present juncture, but throughout the whole of this momentous business.

(GENTLEMEN,

Lurgan, July 24, 1783.

PLEASE to accept my most sincere acknowledgements for your kind, though I fear, too partial expressions, as well as for the honour you have done me, in applying to me for advice on a matter so justly interesting to you, and so very important to this nation. But while I thank you for your kindness towards me, I cannot avoid perceiving that your par tiality has induced you greatly to over-rate my abilities,

which are far unequal to the task you have assigned me. A reform in the representation of Ireland is a measure which most certainly meets with my warmest approbation, and you may be assured that I shall co-operate with every sincere lover of his country, towards the attainment of that desirable object; but to point out a specific mode, is a matter of so dif ficult a nature, that I should esteem myself presumptuous, if I should attempt it,-certain as I am, that it will require the united efforts, and the most deliberate consideration of the wisest men in this kingdom, to produce such a plan, as may be deemed unexceptionable. The pain, however, which I must at all times feel from being compelled to refuse my immediate compliance with any request of your's, is in the present instance somewhat alleviated, by my being clearly of opinion, that it is not now necessary that such mode should be pointed out to you; and since you have been pleased to ask my advice, permit me, as a sincere friend to the object of our mutual wishes, to advise, that at the Dungannon meeting, the measure alone should be recommended, without specifying any mode whatsoever; which last consideration ought, according to the best of my judgment, to be left entirely to the mature deliberation of your Parliament, and particularly of those representatives whom you are now about to chuse.

Respecting the other points upon which you desire my judgment, they are all of them important, and of nice discussion; but I will abstain from entering into them for this plain reason, that I would heartily recommend it to you, to confine yourselves to the one great measure only, which when once carried into execution, will infallibly secure all benefits of inferior magnitude.

I have the honour to be,

GENTLEMEN,

Your most obedt, and most faithful Servt.

CHARLEMONT.

The meeting at Dungannon was held on the day appointed, consisting of Delegates from 269 military corps.Mr. James Stewart, member for the county of Tyrone, Lord Charlemont's particular and valued friend, was called to the chair. Lord Bristol, (Bishop of Derry), was also present. Many resolutions were entered into; but the principal one was, "That a committee of five persons from each county be chosen by ballot, to represent this province (Ulster) in a grand national convention, to be held at noon, in the Royal Exchange of Dublin, on the 10th of November next, to which we trust each of the other provinces will send delegates to digest, and publish a plan of parliamentary reform, to pursue such measures as may appear to them most likely to render it effectual, to adjourn from time to time, and convene provincial meetings, if found necessary.

An address to the Volunteers of Munster, Connaught, and Leinster, accompanied this resolution, fraught with the loftiest sentiments in favor of liberty, alluding to the events of last year, merely as an incitement to go further, and pouring itself forth in that diffuse and impassioned eloquence, always imposing on men of warm tempers, on subjects with which they are little conversant, and exactly adapted to the ardent and precipitant master-spirits of that agitated period. Several subordinate resolutions were entered into. A proposition relative to the concession of the elective franchise to the Roman Catholics was brought forward; well intentioned, perhaps, but indiscreet, for though that measure was most wisely (as I shall ever think) adopted by Parliament ten years afterwards, it not only would not have met support from the Protestant part of the community in 1783, but any warm efforts in its favour must have only added to that flame, which already began to blaze with too much violence. Lord Charlemont's friends took the lead in the rejection of this proposition. It clearly indicates the limited space in which the convention moved. But more of this hereafter,

On this it is

Ireland is an

An extract from a letter of Mr. Burke to Lord Charlemont, though it does not allude to the convention, shows in some respect the sentiments of the ministers with whom he was con nected, towards Ireland just at this time." I see with concern that there are some remains of ferment in Ireland, though, I think, we have poured in to assuage it, almost all the oil in our stores. To my astonishment, I hear, that the very throwing out of a bill, in a common parliamentary form, because the renewal of it, by the carelessness of the bringer in, militated with the late ample grants to you in the colony trade, has been matter of offence to some people. impossible to say any thing. I am sorry for it. independent kingdom to all intents and purposes. But there are circumstances in the situation of all countries, that no claims made, or allowed, can alter. We cannot reclaim, and I really believe,, no creature here wishes to reclaim, one iota of the concessions made. But you are too near us, not to be affected, more or less, with the state of things here. If you quarrel with the present ministry, it will embarrass them undoubtedly; but then you may have those who do not wish so sincerely for making the prosperity of Ireland a very principal part of the bond of union between us. Instead of treaty, to begin with quarrel, about what may be thought fit to ask, is hardly the usage, even of those who are supposed in a sort of natural state of enmity. But I go beyond my mark. A little anxiety for the public in a very critical state, has induced me to exceed the limits prescribed to one who has little natural weight, and no official duty, that calls him to this parti cular affair, unless it becomes matter of parliamentary discus sion."

As the time for the meeting of the convention now drew near, the Lord Lieutenant and the Government were, and with reason, not at all at their ease, but most wisely forbore any hostility. Indeed, any thing of that sort would then have