Mr. Cooke to Lord Castlereagh. Dublin, December 29, 1800. My dear Lord-I understand from your letter to his Excellency that there is a hitch as to the War Office. I think the objection goes to the extent of not paying the troops in Ireland from the Irish but the British Treasury, and to the abolition of Irish army agents and of Irish army clothiers; which, if done (supposing great embarrassment in business were not to arise), there would accrue great losses by exchange, a great discouragement to the woollens of Ireland, and an unfair transfer of profit from the Irish to the British army agent; and the consequence would be much just complaint and unpopularity. I cannot conceive the policy of carrying every possible source of wealth and profit to London and London alone; and the less number of losers by the Union the more palatable will be that measure. If the Irish army is to be paid by the Irish Treasury—and I conceive that to be necessary-the Irish Treasury will want proper persons to control the military demands upon it. What can be so proper as the Irish War Office, which performs the duty of the English Comptroller of Army Accounts, which checks demands before issue?-and, in these checks, the War Office here may be, as it is in fact now, subject to the regulations of the British War Office. I trust you will enforce the policy of keeping up all the Irish local advantages and profits, and preserve the sources of general as well as of individual benefit from being carried over to London and I am assured there will be much sinister manœuvre for the purpose. Martin told me, the other day, that Sir Thomas French and some other Catholics wanted to petition the United Parliament. I said, "Surely they might, in the first instance, think of consulting the Government, from whom all their indulgences have been received." He said he had so advised. This may be truth or not. The system of attacking mail-coaches continues-roici, the enclosed. Some symptoms tending to insurrection have appeared at Gort and at Clara-I mean a design of that kind among the lower orders: and I hear of a new pass-word in Wexford; but I have nothing defined to write. The dearness of provisions continues, and increases in some parts: possibly this snow will make the farmers thrash out. To-morrow malting will be discontinued. I submit that it would be right for us to be furnished with powers to make coarse bread and bread mixed with barley or oats. Will you be kind enough to order some copies of all the Provision Reports to be sent over? Most truly and faithfully, E. COOKE. Dr. Robert Black to Lord Castlereagh. Londonderry, December 30, 1800. My Lord-After bestowing on the subject every attention of which I was capable, I enclose, for your Lordship's consideration, with very great diffidence indeed, a sketch of a plan for regulating the future connection between Government and the Synod. On the formation of the Commission in particular, I have the most serious doubts, but these may arise from the novelty of such an institution in our Church, which, notwithstanding my fears, may prove of great utility. I hope soon to be able to send a more correct list of the Congregations than your Lordship has yet received; but I think the arrangement will be nearly as on the margin of the first page, and will require about £16,000 gross annually for every purpose mentioned. If your Lordship should think that my waiting on your Lordship in the course of February or March, in my private capacity, would be of any use in explaining any point, I would like exceedingly to make the journey: it would, on many accounts, be very pleasant to me. I have not been able to suggest any practicable mode of uniting the provision for the Seceding or Southern Ministers with that of the Synod. The sentiments, habits, and feelings of these bodies differ too much to permit their uniting in any manner; and yet the Seceders require regulation still more than the Synod, and I believe the Southern Ministers do not require it less. The Seceding Congregations, both in number of families and in rank, are far from respectable; and, if the bounty to their clergy be left on its present footing without regulation, their cause will acquire popularity, and possessing, as they do, (in common with all new sects) great zeal and activity in making proselytes, they may become very troublesome to the Ministers of the Synod living in their neighbourhood. Perhaps the plan for referring the character of Ministers directly from the Synod to the Lord-Lieutenant and Council would apply with equal effect to the Seceders, who have also their Synod on the Presbyterian model. The Southern Association has not, so far as I know, any supreme Church indicatory,. to which the Presbyteries, of which it is composed, are responsible; but here, too, the character of the Ministers might be referred from the Presbyteries (I believe there are but two of these) to the Lord-Lieutenant and Council, and thus these three Protestant Dissenting Churches would stand on the same footing in their connexion with the State, only the funds for their several uses would be distinct. I would not be supposed, however, to interfere in any manner with the concerns of these bodies. It may save your Lordship the trouble of an immediate inquiry elsewhere, if I state here the amount of the allowances to non-conforming ministers on the Irish Establish ment: The Ministers of the Synod and Presbytery of Antrim .... The Seceding Ministers The Southern Association The non-conforming Ministers of St. Peter's, Dublin Total........ £ s. d. 5,929 16 10 1,427 8 5 322 11 7 20 3 2 7,700 0 0 I believe, my Lord, that the ferment in the Synod is subsiding. Your Lordship's answer to Mr. Bankhead on the subject of the distribution is generally known, and nothing is spoken of but acquiescence. In writing to your Lordship, for the first time since my return from Mount Stewart, I cannot restrain the expression, however feeble, of my gratitude for your Lordship's goodness. My son is delighted with the prospects which are opened to him, through your Lordship's favour. I trust he will be sensible of its value, and endeavour to deserve it by a correct and proper conduct. Believe me to be, my Lord, with every feeling of grateful and respectful attachment, &c. ROBERT BLACK. On looking over my letter, I find I have omitted to mention my anxiety about a charter for the Widows' Fund. The security and prosperity of that institution would greatly tend to the future respectability of the clergy, by facilitating their marrying into families of repute and influence. Mr. Cooke to Lord Castlereagh. Dublin Castle, December 31, 1800. My dear Lord-I hope all the needful to be done before tomorrow has been done. The authority for the use of the Irish Privy Seal is arrived, as also for the continuance of the Irish Privy Council; but there has been an error in the King's Letter on the latter sub ject; for those Privy Councillors only who have taken the oaths are continued, by which five or six, who are appointed but not sworn, are excluded. I have prepared a letter for having the mistake rectified. The world are angry that they are to pay through the nose for carrying their plate to London, although English plate. My Lord-Lieutenant told me this morning that your Lordship conceived the officers of the Irish Ordnance might be compensated under the Compensation Act, if they were superseded by uniting the British and the Irish Ordnance. Surely this measure is not a necessary consequence of the Union, for, if they were united now, the King might disunite them. It is a mere prerogative, voluntary act. Captain Blighe has finished his survey of the harbour, and will give in his ideas in a few days. I think it would be of great consequence, could your Lordship procure an Admiralty Order for him to survey Holyhead harbour on his return. It would take him a very little time, and I understand a complete deep water harbour would be there formed at small expense, by which the packets could be ever afloat, and could sail at any moment. It would be of great importance. How far would your Lordship wish that the expence should be paid by the public in furnishing the Canal House for Gregory? I give you enough for one post. Ever, most truly, &c., E. COOKE. |