1802. ing from scenes, which he neither directed nor controuled. He had determined to return to his official situation in Ireland: but by the Union the Irish Seal had been shorn of its lustre and all political consequence. His departure from England was retarded by a severe injury, which he suffered by a fall from his horse. The disappointment of an ambitious and rancorous mind co-operating with the encrease of his disorder, hastened his dissolu * A report was generally current in Dublin, which, however, the Author is under the necessity of admitting, he has not had any opportunity of verifying, that soon after Lord Clare's return to Ireland, he went to Mr. Abbot's apartments in the Castle, and in the old stile of his habitual dictation in that quarter, required a warrant to be instantly made out for the appointment of one of his creatures to a certain vacancy. Mr. Abbott was more tenacious of his newly acquired consequence, than Lord Clare was sensible of his declining influence. The Secretary's Hesitation threw the Chancellor into a paroxism of rage: it was followed up by a direct negative, with a firm intimation, that if any measure of Government should in it tendency in any manner affect the rights of the Court of Chancéry, or break in upon the powers of the Keeper of the Great Seal, his Lordship would certainly be advised with in the first instance. But in the management and controul of the government patronage and other business of the Castle, it was not their future intention to trouble his Lordship. Lord Clare in that moment of humiliation felt himself, for the first time, practically reduced from an absolute monarch to an official subaltern in the very seat of his former power. He retired indignantly deprecating the Union, of which, had he anticipated these effects, he would have cut off, rather than have lent his arm to support, tion, which happened in January 1802*. His remains were interred with great pomp in St. Peter's church-yard, in Dublin.† Some of the populace attempted at the funeral to express their horror of the deceased by offering indignities to his corpse. 1802, arrange The long precarious state of Lord Clare's health Political Had opened a wide scene of political intrigue for ments of * A very just and high-coloured portrait of the Earl of Clare is given to the public by Sir Jonah Barrington in the first number of his interesting and eloquent History of the Union. He was a cotemporary, and for many years in the habits of profesfional intimacy, and political connexion with that Nobleman. He was therefore supereminently entitled to know, as he has proved himself qualified to represent to the life his political conduct. "His political conduct, (says he) has been ac de counted uniform: but in detail it will be found to have been miserably inconsistent. In 1781 he took up arms to obtain “✯ declaration of Frish independence. In 1800 he recom “mended the introduction of a military force, to assist in its « extinguishment. He proclaimed Ireland a free nation in * 1789, and argued, that it should be a province in 1799: and * 1782 he called the acts of the British Legislature towards « Ireland, a daring usurpation on the rights of a free people, fi. &. in his answer to the gddress of the Dublin University " off the 14th April, 1782). And in 1800 he transferred Ire. " land to the Usurper. On all occasions his ambition as dess « potically governed his politics, as his reason invariably sunk * Before his prejudice.' 46° † After Lord Clare understood (as his friends reported of Him) that his case was helpless, he gave his mind to devotion; and three times on the samẽ đáy partook of the holy sacrament from the Hand of his brother-in-law, the Archbishop of Tuam, In the latter part of his Mness he is said to have expressed 1wish to be attended by a Catholic Priest; which was not cons plied with Ld. Clare's death. 1802. keeping up the system in Ireland, which he had been Mr. Pitt's chief instrument in establishing.* The vast and uncontrouled power delegated by Mr. Pitt to Lord Clare, for the successive purposes of goading, exhausting, and drepressing Ireland, was frequently used as an engine of personal revenge by his Lordship. It was a leading feature in his character to be implacable to those, who had offended, or even displeased him. And a cardinal vice of the system was to give facility, sanction and impunity to the most abandoned depravity. The Author's avowed intention in writing this history, is to expose to view enough of the secret machanism, with which it is worked, to convince the impartinl publie of the necessity of its utter abolition. For effecting this purpose he conceives, that the exhibition of one instance in detail, will produce more conviction, than the most authentic assertion of five hundred instances of general oppression, cruelty and injustice. With this particular view, the Author selected the case of Mr. Francis Arthur, a respectable merchant of Limerick, in that part of the south of Ireland, in which his Lordship's principal estate and residence lay: and he detailed it in a note in the 2d volume of his History of Ireland, from the invasion under Henry II. up to the union (p. 446) with as much brevity and precision, as the complex variety of incident and the nature of that work would admit of. With that gentleman Lord Clare was personally acquainted, and no man better knew the extent and weight of Mr. Arthur's property and influence in the country. His Lordship's interests had felt the power of their opposition: and his pride had been galled by the counteraction of his arbitrary despotism, from the liberal and constitutional principles of a man of independence. Thenceforth he was a marked object of proscription and persecution. He had morcover given private displeasure to his Lordship, and was a Roman Catholic. The Ministers of public terror were let loose upon him, and by their ingenuity of torturing, have exhited in their native colors, the spirit and tactics of the sys Mr. Abbott, the Secretary, had by some very laud-laud- 1802. able enquiries into the abuses of the Custom-house and some other departments rendered himself unpopular with the officers and clerks interested in them. Yet so deeply had their influence taken root at the Castle, that his situation had for some time been rendered rather unpleasant; and he had long had it in his views to change it for a better. Mr. Abbott, who from his official situation commanded a priority of intelligence, kept a minute diary of the progress of Lord Clare's disorder, and having been informed, that he had become insensible, and that his case was hopeless, he immediately started for England, and thus arrived in Downing-street several hours before those, who had similar views, tem. The simple narrative in abstract has appeared so romantic and unaccountable to several readers, that the Author has been charged with more than censurable assurance, for submitting to the public the incredible tale without vouchers or evidence to support it. There indeed he said, that every incident of it had been or could be verified upon oath. In deference, however, to those, who have certainly a right to withhold belief, till proof, in justice to the people interested in the abolition of the system, from which the oppression and cruelties emanated, in sympathy with the feelings of the friends and relatives of the respectable victim himself, and in support of the Author's accuracy of research and veracity of assertion, the whole of the case, trial,. and proceedings, with proofs, documents and vouchers, will be given by way of appendix at the end of this volume. That, it is hoped, will remove scepticism, and gratify the reader, without drawing off his attention to the thread of the history, by the interruption of a long, though a most affecting and important episode. 1809. Case of Mr. but who deferred their departure until his actual dissolution. The race was to the swift; and Mr. Abbott's proposed arrangements took place accordingly. Sir John Mitford, the Speaker of the House of Commons, succeeded Lord Clare, and with the Great Seal of Ireland received the dignity of Peerage, by the title of Baron Redesdale. By a letter of the 9th of February, the Speaker informed Mr. Leigh, the senior clerk of the House of Commons, that his Majesty having appointed him Lord Chancellor of Ireland, it had become necessary, that he should resign the Chair of the House of Commons. When this letter had been read, Mr. Addington in formed the House, his Majesty permitted them to proceed to the choice of a new speaker, and the following day being appointed, Mr. Abott was proposed by Sir William Grant and elected without a division." Mr. Wickham succeeded Mr. Abott, as the new Irish Secretary. If the happiness and confidence of the people be Tandy. worthy of the attainment of Government, it is evident, that every system of deception and du plicity must counteract that object. Hence the impervious vell of office, behind which all those * Mr. Sheridan proposed Mr. C. Dundas, who was seconded by Lord George Cavendish. He had proposed that Gentleman, when Sir John Mitford was chosen speaker. The same reasons, which influenced his conduct on that occasion, still operated. He disapproved of the late usage of the house, in always chusing Lawyers to fill the chair. Formerly it was the laudable practice to look for persons not holding offices dependant upon the will of the crown, |