R.

ly defcended from the Byrne's of the county Wicklow; and if an anceftry eminently confpicuous in the field and in the cabinet, could add refpectability to the character of man, few individuals can boast a more honourable train. Though his early days did not promife that height of affluence to which he has fince fo happily arrived, his father, nevertheless, fpared no expence on his education; and at a proper age he was apprenticed to an eminent merchant, a Mr. Toole. Before he had completed the term of his apprenticefhip, his mafter, who had been a zealous roman catholic, read his recantation, and endeavoured to influence Mr. Byrne to follow his example; but from principle attached to the church of Rome, and confidering the desertion of a fuffering caufe in a difhonourable point of view, he ventured to expoftulate in the nervous language of a man. His obfervations wounded Mr. Toole's pride, beyond his ideas of forgivenefs, and he immediately refolved to preclude any intercourfe between him and his family. Mr. Byrne however, apprehending it was Mr. Toole's intention to force his family to conform, addreffed a letter to Mifs Toole, ftating, that her father could not compel her to abandon her creed, in which he fpiritedly Hib. Mag. Nov. 1792.

fome means, Mr. Toole poffeffed himfelf of, and commenced a fuit at law against the author, who, young though he was, fupported himself through the fiery ordeal, with that manly compofure which forms the moft prominent feature of his character. However it fhould be remembered, to the honour of the late lord chancellor, that it was in a great measure owing to his liberality, in days lefs tolerant than the prefent, that Mr. Byrne was indebted for the termination of this vexatious fuit in his favour. Mr. Byrne fhortly afterwards commenced bufinefs in the mercantile line, and we may venture to affert that in the purfuit of fortune, no man has ever been fo remarkably fuccefsful in this country. Some idea may be formed of the extent of his commercial dealings, from the circumftance of his having paid duty at our customhoufe for fome years paft to the amount of from eighty to one hundred thousand pounds fterling annually.

The circumftance that has brought this gentleman forward in the political conteft of the day, and which has induced us to lay these sketches before our readers, forms a molt interefting queflion, the termination of which will in its confequences be of the greatest importance to this country, and form a Ссе

remarkable

remarkable epoch in its hiftory.-The roman catholics availing themselves of the liberal complexion of the times, refolved on foliciting the legiflature for a redrefs of certain grievances, Mr. Byrne was naturally called on to lead the mercantile intereft of that body. The fate of the petition, with his fignature, prefented to parliament laft feffion, is recent, we prefume, in the memory of our readers. Confidered as the petition of a party, it was treated with contempt; particularly as petitions of an oppofite nature were received at the fame time from certain roman catholics in Munfter and Leinfter. To do away any objections that might be ftarted next feffion on that head, as well, we fuppofe, as to afcertain to parliament the general fenfe of the roman catholics of Ireland, Mr. Byrne as chairman of the catholic committee, addreffed circular letters to every parifh in the kingdom, recommending the election of delegates who might be inftructed to deliver their fentiments at a general meeting of fuch delegates in the metropolis.

In private life Mr. Byrne is univerfally refpected and efteemed. At his table the antient hofpitality of Ireland is daily realized in modern fplendour. His charity is as unbounded as his information of mifery will allow and utterly deftitute of that alloy-oftentation., His character, talents, and property, conftitute him a moft eligible perfon to lay the grievances of the roman catholics before government; and we confider the great take he has in the country, demonftration that he would not become the leader of that body, were they intent on any other appeal for their rights than that of a peaceable and loyal petition to the legiflature.

as a

WE the Catholics of the City of

Dublin, have read with extreme concern, the refolutions of different bo dies of our proteftant fellow-fubjects in which they exprefs their disapprobation of the conduct of our committee, and their averfion to our claims of the elec tive franchife, and an equal participation in the benefit of the trial by Jury. But the addrefs of the corporation of this city to the Proteftants of Ireland, has filled us moft peculiarly with mortification and furprife; as Irifhmen we are aftonifhed and grieved, that the firft corporation of this kingdom fhould have put forth a publication, teeming with falfe principles of government, and falfe ftatements of hiftoric facts; a catholics we lament that the fame body fhould have mifconceived and miftated our conduct and our objects.

fo

We have read of what is called the right of conqueft; it has also been called the right of robbery: but we did not imagine that a doctrine fo fubverfive of the peace and fettlement of fociety, and of the immutable rules of juftice; that a doctrine, which in its confequences completely warrants, and in its language fo wantonly provokes refiftance, would be made the foundation of the Proteftant claims to the government of this country. We did not expect that a doctrine exploded in this ifland by the Revolution of 1782, would be revived to our oppreffion. If conqueft and the right of the fword could justify the ftronger in retaining dominion, why did Great-Britain abdicate her legiflative fupremacy over Ireland, or why we all, Proteftants and Catholics, actu ated as one Man to refift fo legitimate an authority? Is that monftrous and exploded principle ftill to be retained for our peculiar fubjection, which was felt to be falfe by every honeft man, when applied to the fubjection of his

native land?

were

We are defired in that addrefs to 66 reft