adversaries of Great Britain, by the provisional treaty and preliminary articles were greater, than they were entitled to, either from the actual situation of their respective possessions, or from their comparative strength.” In consequence of this defeat, the Secretary of State moved, that the house should adjourn to a near day, in order to afford time for completing the new ministerial arrangements. This Lord Nugent . opposed on account of the Irish bill then pending. He should lament, if his countrymen were not convinced, that the people of England had with one voice agreed to its passing without prejudice or bias from ministerial influence. In the house of peers, Lord Thurlow avowed, that he had advised the noble lord, who had moved the first reading of the bill, not to move the second, but to let it remain till his majesty's ministers should choose to take it up: observing, that the bill had been concerted with the advice of the lord-lieutenant of Ireland ; a man of great abilities, wisdom, and integrity : and considering what a stake he had in both countries, too in the house, that he only held his place till a successor should be appointed to fill it. A ministerial interregnum ensued, which lasted till the beginning of April ; during wbich time the kingdom remained in a state of great disorder, without any responsible government at home, the finances neglected, the military establish. ments unreduced, and the negotiations with foreign powers, which the critical conjuncture of attairs rendered peculiarly important, entirely at a stand. Various causes were assigned for the extraordinary du:lay in the appointment of a new administration. They may be seen in my Historical Review, vol. II. p. 11. tion of dress the much attention could not be paid to his sugges- 1783. tions. For these reasons, he anxiously hoped the noble lord would remain, where he had conducted himself in his high capacity, so much to his own honor, and to the interests of both kingdoms. After a very heated debate, and personal reflections from the Duke of Chiandos and Lord Radnor upon the new ministers having seized on the reins of government by force, and outraged royalty by peremptory conditions, the bill was committed without a dissenting voice. Although this bill produced many debates, it never went to one division. Whilst the British senate was employed in securing Corporafreedom to Ireland, and during the ministerial inter- Dublin adregnum, Ireland was not wholly inactive. The cor- lord-lieuteporation of the City of Dublin presented an affec- Knights of tionate address to the lord-lieutenant; which was as instituted. affectionately answered. In order to gratify the public feeling, by giving additional lustre to the national consequence, letters-patent were passed for creating a society, or brotherhood, to be called, Knights of the Illustrious Order of St. Patrick, of which his majesty, his heirs, and successors, were appointed to be sovereigns; and the lord-lieutenant for the time being to officiate as grand master. Fifteen of the prime nobility were appointed knights companions of the order: and on the 11th of March, (the festival of St. Patrick), they were installed with great order and magnificence. Disputes and dissentions had for some time sub- Intended sisted between the aristocratic and democratic parties of New Geneva, St. Patrick settlement 1753. in the republic of Geneva, which had finally terml. nated in favor of the former, through the interference of the kings of France and Sardinia, and the cantons of Zuric and Berne. In consequence of which, many of the democratic party resolved to quit a country, in the government of which their weight and authority had been extinguished. They turned their eyes upon Ireland, and sent commissioners to Dublin, to consult and treat with that government in relation to their reception into the kingdom. The commissioners received marked attention from the people, (then alive to every sympathy for civil liberty), and more especially from the volunteers in the province of Leinster, into several corps of which they were admitted. Government manifested an avidity to receive these democratic emigrants little consistent with policy or foresight. They fixed upon a place for their residence at Passage, near to the confluence of the rivers Barrow and Suir, in the county of Waterford, in which a very considerable tract of land was shortly to revert to government; and this it was re. solved should be appropriated and granted in fee to these Genevese settlers, and the place named New Geneva. The fundamental terms insisted upon by the Genevese, were, that they should be represented in parliament, and be governed by their own laws. These conditions having been rejected, and some material disagreements having happened between the parties on leading points, all further procedure in the business was stopped. Some of the Genevese however transported themselves into Ireland. This measure of government fortunately proved abortive. It never could have been advantageous to levy the sum of 50,000%. * upon a distressed country, to purchase the probable introduction of turbulence and discontent, with a thousand self-exiled martyrs to democracy, from the Antibazilican school of Geneva. Although the coalition administration had taken place from the beginning of April, yet. Lord Temple did not quit the government till the 3d of June, 1788, when he was succeeded by the Earl of Northington. This was the sum voted. 1783. CHAPTER II. Administration of the Earl of Northington. 1783. The reports of an immediate dissolution of parliament, which in fact took place on the 15th of July, 1783, had thrown the whole nation into a new political fever. The volunteers assumed to themselves the whole merit, without allowing any to their representatives, of having acquired the constitution of Great Britain. They considered it a disgrace to quit their arms, whilst any benefit to their country could be obtained by them. They bent their thoughts to the improvement of the state of the representation of the people in parliament, as the only remaining object wanted to complete their civil liberty. They “iere en. couraged in this pursuit by the addresses of the county of York and some other counties to the commons in England, as well as by the persevering efforts of the Duke of Richmond, Mr. Pitt, and other then popular members, to bring about a reform in the representation of the people of Great Eritain. Committees of correspondence were instituted with the most forward and zealous advocates for reform in England, and the letters received from them were circulated with avidity throughout Ireland *. Dissolution of parlia ment, and it's consequences. * These letters were from the Duke of Richmond, Dr. Price, Mr. Wyvil, Dr. John Jebb, Lord Effingbam, Mr. Cartwright, and others, |