Right Hon. Mr. Brownlow faid, the Right Hon. Gentleman who fpoke laft had only done his duty--his conduct on every occafion was truly refpectable. He had certainly now acted in a candid and manly manner, but he did his duty as an officer of the crown. They ought to act as the representatives of the people. He then moved an amendment, "That next Wednesday be fubftituted for Wednesday fen'night."

Sir Lucius O'Brien (who this day took his feat) faid, that he faw no reason for any adjournment, on account of a squabble for power among a few in England, efpecially at a time when the fituation of this country required fo much of the attention of the Houfe of Commons. The diftreffes of our poor, the scarcity of grain, rendered every day greater by the distillers, who turn bread to poifon; our commerce, not however that phantom called protecting duties, which he was convinced, if carried into execution, would injure what they meant to ferve; our contefted elections, and many other matters with which the Lord Lieutenant or his frinds in England had nothing to do.

Mr. Jones (of Lisburn) faid, it should be no concern of Irishmen, whether Mr. Pitt or Mr. Fox were to be at the helm of power. Their own internal intereft fhould employ the attention of that Houfe, without becoming party men.

Mr. Browne (of the College) demonftrated the abfurdity of the parliament of Ireland fufpending the bufinefs of the kingdom, because truly the grand vifir is out of humour; and faid that all who refpected his Majefty fhould vote against an adjournment propofed by Lord Northington, who was actually in oppofition to the King.

Major Doyle.-I rife with great diffidence to exprefs my approbation of the amendment offered by the Right Honourable Gentleman near me, and my confequent diffent to the question of adjournment propofed by his Majefty's minifter; and indeed it would feem, that the reafons adduced by that gentleman, to convince the Houfe of the neceflity of adjourning are fo many arguments against its expediency-His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant fends to the Houfe defiring it to adjourn, and the reafon given by his minifter, is, that he has refigned his office, and is in fact no longer Viceroy.-Now, Sir, it appears to me, that he either is, or is not Lord Lieutenant; if he is, the teafon given for adjourning falls to the ground-If he is not, he cannot fend to us as Lord Lieutenant to adjourn. If there is anarchy and confufion in the councils of England, thank Heaven there is tranquility and temper in this country; to preferve which, the deliberative wifdom of parliament fhould be as little interrupted as poffible. The violence of faction in that kingdom. may render it neceffary to adjourn or diffolve their parliament; but fortunately no fuch neceflity exifts here; on the contrary,

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there is every demand for the deliberation of the House at this critical juncture. The arrangement of a complete commercial fyftem with the States of America, not only requires your ful-、 left invefligation, but that you fhould not lofe a moment, in feizing it while the predilection of America is ftrong in your favour, for you have many powerful and infidious rivals for her commerce, who (having conferred recent obligations on her) will carry her off from us, if we feize not the critical moment of her partiality. There are alfo feveral petitions depending for the difcuffion of the Houfe; by deferring to enter into their merits, you will do injuftice to many of the parties and entail a confiderable expence upon them all. But if none of these reafons have any weight, let me call your attention to the crying neceflities of our ftarving manufacturers; and I do it with a greater confidence, from a conviction that thefe unfortunate men will find a warm advocate in the breaft of every man whom I have now the honour to addrefs.

The fubject, Sir, belongs not to party, it is a fubject of humanity, and as fuch comes home to every breaft. I would not, Sir, wound your feelings, by dwelling upon the fad detail of complicated woe, the difmal portion of these unhappy men. The melancholy picture, alas! requires not the high colouring of pathetic defcription; every corner of your capital gives proofs of its exiftence'; and there is nothing but complaining in your ftreets.

It is not long fince a groupe of famifhed figures (impelled by hunger) fought thefe gates for fuccour. They were feen flitting like fpectres through your avenues-They were moving fhadows of their former felves. They clung about your porticos, imploring bread; but they fought not the bread of idlenefs, they fought by honeft labour, to earn the bread of industry for their wretched women and craving infants. For this have I heard thefe very people ftiled licentious, but where are the marks of their licentioufnefs? I will tell you that hunger which forces through ftone walls, was here arrested at your threshold, through refpect to you. Was this licentious? What did they demand? They afked you as a boon, for what if they had been licentious, thould have been their punishment. They afked you for hard labour. Did this in these men feem licentious? Yet there are thofe who fay they were licentious, and they are all honourable men. I am fure there is no man here who is indifferent to the diftreffes of a fellow creature: Shall we then pity the forrows of an individual; and shall that soft affection lofe its force when the object of its operations are multiplied? Shall we feel the fufferings of one man, and shall we be indifferent to thofe of one thoufand? That we may remove these diftreffes, as far as lies in our power, and that

we may carry through the bufinefs of the nation, at prefent impeded by faction, I fhall vote for the amendment.

Captain Burgh ipoke for the adjournment.

Sir Hercules Langrifbe faid, that the words of the meffage proved that his Excellency did not mean any breach of parliamentary privilege. He faid, that parliament, confifting of King, Lords and Commons, could not act if any of these branches was defective. That in the prefent cafe the regal branch might be confidered as abfent, his Excellency not chufing to act, and therefore it would be highly improper to proceed without his concurrence. He had fat, he faid, twenty-five years in parlia-` ment, and never had known the Lord Lieutenant's request to adjourn refufed.

Mr. O'Hara thought an adjournment of two or three days fufficiently long. At a time when the petitions of the different counties required attention, and feveral things remained to be done to refcue from famine the poor of the kingdom, they would not discharge their duty to their conftituents by poftponing their interefts to thofe contending faction in the fifter kingdom; for this was the real, let what would be the pretended caufe, of the Right Hon. Gentleman's motion.

The Right Hon. Attorney General faid, he never adopted any measure whofe motive he would be afhamed to avow. In the prefent unfettled fituation of affairs, his Excellency had thought proper to fend his refignation, he therefore did not imagine it delicate in him to act, till a fucceffor fhould be appointed. The conduct in his Excellency was open and noble-it had no retrofpect to contending parties in England-he was therefore happy to co-operate in it.

Sir Henry Cavendish quoted the journals of the House, to prove that the adjournment moved for was an infringement of parliamentary order.

Prime Serjeant Scott.-I own this debate has taken a very different turn from what I expected; but let us examine the matter fairly, and I am convinced gentlemen will not think their oppofition to his Excellency's request well founded: A Lord Lieutenant who, while in power, does his utmost for the public good, relinquishes that power, and confonant to that act, requests to be excufed from proceeding to business of importance. Had his Excellency intended any thing to the injury of this country, he would have concealed his refignation; but he has acted like a man of honour towards us, and we are bound to act as men of honour towards him. The first adjournment did not originate with him, but from the royal meffage; this is a continuation of that measure. There are now four packets due, perhaps they may bring new inftructions to his Excellency, perhaps a fucceffor; in either cafe it would be highly imprudent in the Houfe to oppose this meffage. If

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a fucceffor comes, he will bring his inftructions and his meafures along with him; but if his prefent Excellency is to continue, may he not fay hereafter, how changeable are the Irish? When first I had power, how complaifant were they to my withes-when I laid down that power for a time, how foon did they turn their backs upon me; and now that I have reaffumed it but I will not anticipate, I thall only fay, that fuch conduct would be unworthy the Irish nation, fo unlike the character of men that effect great purposes by conciliatory means, that I am convinced will never find fupport in this House. The queftion on the amendment being put, there appeared Ayes,

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The Right Hon. Mr. Speaker reported that he had, pursuant to order, communicated, by letter, to the Right Hon. Sir George Auguftus Eliott, Governor of Gibraltar, the refolution of this Houfe of the 16th October, 1783, to which he was pleased, by letter, to return the following answer:

SIR,

Gibraltar, December 16th, 1783.

I intreat you to accept my beft thanks for your very obliging letter of the 18th October, (received this day) conveying the refolution of the Houfe of Commons 16th October, 1783, an honour far exceeding the moft fanguine expectations which could be formed on the prefumption of fuch feeble endeavours for the publick fervice, although now they will appear in a most advantageous light, being dignified by the approbation of that honourable Houfe.

I humbly request, Sir, you will please to offer my moft refpectful acknowledgments for this very diftinguished mark of their favour. I am, Sir,

with respect,

your most obedient,
and moft humble fervant,

The Houfe adjourned to the 18th of February.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1783.

As foon as the Speaker had taken the chair, a committee was ballotted for to try the Ennifcorthy petition, and ordered to fit on Monday.

Afterwards Sir Boyle Roche, and three other members, were fworn.

On the motion of Mr. Chatterton, a claufe in favour of fugitives was ordered to be inferted in the infolvent bill.

The petition complaining of an undue election for the city of Clogher, was withdrawn, in confequence of a motion for that purpofe, made on behalf of the petitioners. Mr. St. George, however, (one of the fitting members) faid, that he came down to the Houfe fully determined to oppofe that motion; but as his worth colleague had given his confent to it, he would not act in oppofition to him in a matter wherein they were equally concerned.

He

Right Hon. J. Ponfonby entreated the interpofition of the Houle in favour of the numerous poor now out of employment, and whom a timely relief only could enable to fubuft. would not attempt to take up the time of the Houfe in expatiating on the miferies of thete poor people; every gentleman's fentes and feelings had anticipated him, and fpoke more forcibly than any language he was mafter of. He felt, but could not paint the degree of calamity the miferable people had to struggle with, and would, therefore, without farther preface, move, that the Houfe come to the following refolution :

Refolved, That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, requesting that his Excellency will be pleafed to lay before his Majefty the humble defire of this Houfe, that his Majefty will be graciously pealed to give directions that a fum, not exceeding the fum of 3000l. be iffued from his Majefty's treatury, in fuch portions and to fuch perfons as his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant fhall appoint, to be diftributed for the relief of the poor in the city of Dublin, and that this Houfe will make' good the fame.

Mr. Conolly feconded the motion, and faid he was fo convinced of its propriety and neceflity, that he thought the fum too little: his countrymen were diltreffed, and deferved to have more done to relieve their difficulties.

The Right Hon. the Provet and Mr. R. Longfield rifing together, and each infifting he was up firft, there was an interruption of bufinefs for fome little time. The Provoft, at last, obferving with much good humour, that he knew his colleague was going, himself, to fay fomething in favour of Corke, and on Mr. Longfield's anfwering yes, faid, he was happy they were both fo fanguine in the fame caufe, and was fitting down, when he was called on by the chair.

He then faid, that the attention of the Houfe was equally due to the kingdom in general; that the city he reprefented,