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fcourge of the farmer! that they had done this, it appeared from the decrees, frequently in the cafe of poor people, who should have been, to a good chriftian, objects of fuccour in a year of fcarcity, rather than objects of exaction-He concluded this part with the obfervation, that it did not appear, from thefe inftances, that there was any principle of equity or moderation in favour of the tiller of the foil, and that, though these decrees, for aught that appeared, might have been perfectly legal, yet, until further explained, they feemed to be prejudicial to hufbandry, and cruel to the poor that with respect to wheat, the idea feemed to be the full tenth in many cafes-that with respect to potatoes the tythe ought not, in juftice, to be measured by the quantum of produce, but by the very poor condition of the peafant, and should have in confideration the low price of labour; that in the part of the fouth where the exaction was fo high labour was remarkably low, barely a fuftenance for the peafant's family; that when a gentleman of the church of England came to a peafant to circumftanced, with a de mand of 12 or 15 and fometimes 20 fhil'ings the acre for his potatoes, he took a child's provifion! he exacted alms from a beggar! he ground the poor and that when he produced his proctor's valuation, the peafant might produce the Gof pel, and in point of divinity, though not in law, the peafant would have the advantage of the parfun, the peafant would ftate his fpiritual profeffions against his temporal exaction, and might urge him too with his own religion, which triumphs over every other divifion of chriftianity, by the excess of piety and contempt of riches. With respect to fuch articles as are the rudiments of manufactures, the tythe should have in confi. deration the interefts of those manufactures which cannot afford to pay 12s. an acre for tythe of flax, and four pounds an acre for tythe of rape, although it has been demanded and paid--the rudiments of manufacture thould be tythe free and the clergy compenfated in England they don't pay for high a tythe for flax as you do-though it is not her aple; in England they have eftablished five fhillings the acre for tythe of flax and hemp.

The allegations which Mr. Grattan made were fix-and which were to be verified on oath by refpe&able witneffes at the bar of the Houfe :they were to the following purport:

ift, That in certain parithes in the fouth, tythe has been demanded and paid for articles not tytheable by law or custom; and this they are ready to verify on oath at the bar of the Houle of Com

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rateages for tythe have of late years greasy and rapidly increased, in so much, that certain livings in the courfe of a few years have increased three, four or five fold, and this they are ready to verify on oath at the bar of the House of Commons.

5th, That in certain parishes in the fouth, the parishioners have duly and legally fet out their tythe and given due notice, but that no perfon has attended on the part of the proctor or minister, under the expectation they fuppofe of getting fome other mode of recovery, tending to deprive the parish of its legal right of fetting out the tythe.. and this they are ready to verify on oath at the bar of the Houfe of Commons.

6th, That the tythe farmers in certain parishes of the fouth, have oppreffed and do opprefs his Majefty's fubjects by various ways of extortion, affuming to themselves arbitrarily and cruelly powers which the law don't give! and by mak ing a barbarous use of such powers as the law has put into their hands, and this they are ready to verify on oath at the bar of the House of Commons.

So far the fpeech of Mr. Grattan was confined to that argumentative detail which the nature of the subject rendered indispensable-but when he came to realon on it like a statesman-a philofopher-a chriftian-a man-he house were amazed with a blaze of eloquence-an irresistible flow of elocution, which carried along with it-the paffions-the judgment-and every feelings of the members below, and the auditors above.-He inveighed against the prevalent opinion, that gentlemen should fupport the clergy in their prefent fyftem-it would bear the complexion of an intereffed and criminal partiality.-Was it becaufe that at prefent they did not bear an equal part of the burden-and because its great weight fell upon the poor ?-Was it because they fent from their delightful improvements, their parks and their palaces-the ominous tytheproctor to raile his contributions in the potatoegarden of the cottager? thus fending the eftablished clergy to look for fupport from poverty and popery !-He compared tythe-proctors to wolves appointed by the paltor to protect the flock-but who unmercifully devoured the flock, and fleeced the paftor. Rack-rents were mentioned as the original caufe of the diftreffes of the fouth-andwhat were tyther, he asked, but a tax upon these rack-rents the poor wretches, in the fouth, were husbandmen from neceffity, and were obliged to clamber rocks in order to cultivate them. In England these grounds would for 7 years be free from taxes of every denomination-but here the demand of tythe was enforced with merciless rigour, and these mountaineers were even charg ed pol-tax and fmoke-money! He combated the doctrine of a divine right of tythes-chat House was not an affembly of Jews-and were tyther, he afked, fanctioned or demanded under the Chriftian-doctrine-what were the words of the Apoftles? "Beware of covetousness"-and fenfuality" Lay n ́t up for yourfelves, treasures upon earth"--this did not look like pride or dignity.-This contention for the right of unbounded affluence in the church, was not only unjust but blafphemous What! could not Christ walk over the land without being accompanied by Mam

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mon ?—He entered into a learned investigation of the tenets held by the fathers of the church, and quoted feveral of them to prove that divine right of tythes was an idea unknown to them.

He at length proved the claim to have once originated in murder, and the king of Mercia compelled the people to make an atonement for this horrid offence to the Divinity, by offering up a tenth of their foil's produce. He was equally 1evere upon the argument advanced of innovation. What was the glorious conftitution they poffelfed, but an innovation on a monarchy in the hands of a defpetic prince? What was the Proteftant religion which they profeffed, but an innovation -but Christianity rescued from the hands of an ambitious and avaricious priesthood? When He rod heard that the fore-runners of the Redeemer of mankind, were preaching the virtues of humility and true religion, he confidered it an innovation, and committed indifcriminate maffacre toxtirpate the approaching innovator-the Revolution itlelf which introduced arts, fciences, and learning, was, an innovation. What was the riot-act? What the compenfation-act of last ses, fions? innovation !-Unfriendly innovation he faid was tobe dreaded-but thefe falutary draughts that amend the conftitution, should be confidered restoratives, and not innovations. He ably retuted the idea of impracticability-octennial Par laments the modification of Poyning's lawthe independence of the Irish Legislature, were all pronounced impracticable, but experience had proved the contrary. He obferved that there was no animal in nature fo fierce as not to be tamed, lave a tiger; but the way to tame them, was to keep them well fed; and he advised them to try the experiment with the peasantry of the South, which they could only do by alleviating their burden of tythes. He concluded, by appealing to their juftice their humanity, and their honour-but above all to that spark which he knew to be in their compofition, and which he had often known to blaze forth, and leave the abashed fervants of the Crown in an eclipfed degradation, to fuffer the bufinefs to go into committee, and there establish peace and profperity throughout the kingdom.

Mr. Grattan was on his legs for three hours, during which he made the most aftonishing exertions.

The Attorney General faid, that he was aware he arofe to speak under great disadvantage, after the most fplendid difplay of elocution that the Houle had ever heard; he warned gentlemen to awake from the delufion, and weigh only the fubstantial merits of the cafe. That the pealantry in the South were diftreffed, he believed no one doubted, and he was fee to acknowledge that oppreffion was exercited over them-but he utterly and totally denied, that any part of the imputation could be laid at the door of the clergy. As to what the right bon. Gentleman had mentioned of the illegal demands of tythe-proctors, he thought the laws as they ftoed were fficient to correct the evil. With refpe&t to tythe of turf having been demanded, HE HAD NOT THE SMALLEST DOUBT OF ITS BEING CLEARLY ILLEGAL—and if the right hon. Gentleman, WOULD BRING IN A BILL to PUNISH the ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS

which entertain them, he should have ALL THE ASSISTANCE in his POWER.-While he admitted the poorer claffes in the South to be diftreffed, he mentioned that they muft ever continue in the fame fituation, while kept in ignorance and depreffion by thofe whofe duty it was to protect bem-their landlords, and all the exeitions of the Legislature to relieve them, would be in vain.

The right hon. Gentleman, he faid, wished to render the clergy refpected-he did not think that a diminution of their incomes would raise ther in the estimation of the vulgar, and if this propofed enquiry was to take place, he was certain that of fufferers, 99 out of 100, would be found to be clergymen, in the South of Ireland.

He appealed to the Right Hon. Gentleman, whether all the difturbances complained of, had not originated in an election party?-If it was unknown to him, he could affure him it was the fact. The people were taught to believe that all their diftreffes originated with the clergy-and to revenge their fufferings upon that body of men, that Parliament might interfere, and do away all tythes. The gentleman feemed fhocked at the demand of one-tenth-he affured him, that the clergymen often received no more than one-half of that IF HE WOULD EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO DEMAND A TENTH, HE WOULD MOST ASSUREDLY RECEIVE NONE AT ALL. He

mentioned the circumstances of a clergyman, in the county of Tipperary, who had been examined on oath-and who came forward and depofed that, he had never made a demand that was noc strictly legal and moderate—and after having challenged the public to contradi&t him in open court, no accufer appeared to controul him. He affured the Right Hon. Gentleman, that the redrefs he wished to maintain will never fatisfy them-it was not a commutation-but a total abolition of tyther, that they looked for he had even heard it laid in the fouth, that the Whiteboys had gone fo far as to affect the Right Hon. Gentleman would procure for them ad exemption from the Hearth-tax.

If the Houfe would go into a committee, they would get into a state of fermentation, and if disappointed, resort to their old barbaritics. He thought the plan for commutation impracticable -he thought any measure of the kind would injure the cause of religion in the South, which if once effected, would be of dangerous confequence,as there would then be no hold of the common people-at prefent we had none but that of their fuperftitious veneration; this opinion he fupported, by saying, the measure would imply a contempt of the Minifters of the Gofpel, which would induce a contempt of religion itself. As to the divine right of tythes, he never gave himfelf the trouble to enquire into their origin-he only knew that from the English law books, they were granted time immemorial. He was again:t indifcriminate abufe of the clergy. The proctors, he faid, might defe ve much cenfure-but the landlords more. He was decidedly of opinion, that the fyftems propofed were impracticableand that the utmost injuries must result from an adoption of them. However, if they were reduced to a bill, he would examine them. If

they

they were fuch as he approved, he should support if not he should reject them.

Mr. Parfons. Though there may have been extortions by fome individuals of the clergy, I will never confent to have the established church of this kingdom dragged like a delinquent to your bar, and arraigned, and evidences brought to afperfe, perhaps to defame and to calumniate the Minilters of the Gofpel. This would be an unfeemly thing. I allo object to a committee of enquiry, becaufe for a fubject to extenfive as the conduct of all the vicars of the South, the whole length of the feffion would be infufficient; and as a partial enquiry would be impracticable, I mult oppofe the mode in which this business is brought forward.

Mr. Curran faid he rofe to say only a few wards, merely to juftify his prefent conduct in voting for the motion, and at the fame time to explain his conduct on a former occafion. He had then voted against the penal laws propofed, because he thought that fevere laws against a part of the country ought not to be enacted without evidence or enquiry. He now Tupported the motion, in order that knowledge of the fubject might follow the enquiry. Thofe gentlemen who declared their ignorance of that very important fubject, could icarcely refift the opportunity of information. He wished for it, he said, as a friend to the church. That venetable body had been afperied; he wished an enquiry for their juftification, which he was perfuaded must be the retult. He wished it for the intereft of religion; while the paftor and the flock were in a state of war, the one could not be expected to teach, nor the other to learn.The latter were to be converted, as well as infructed; the great ends, therefore, of Chriftianity as well as the diffusion of the Proteftant faith, must be fruftrated by these unfortunate diffentions. He wished for reconciliation for the cafe, the honour, and fecurity of the church. He laid he confidered Parliament as pledged to enquire into the complaints of their fellow fubjects, when the public ditturbances fhould fubfide. All was now calm. It was therefore the promised as well as the proper fealon of enquiry. He thought the people had a conftitutional right from the outy of Parliament, as an honorary claim upon its promife. I it be now refuted, it may teach hem the dangerou: lesson that humility and fubmiffion are not the best means of getting either hearing or redrefs. If they fee that pains and penalties are denounced and inflicted without any enquiry-and that enquiry is refused because it may pedibly lead to redref, it must make the people desperate. He was lurprized, he laid,

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at the strange objection relied on by an honours. bie member (Mr. Parfons) that it would expose the clergy to afperfion. Such an objection, were it founded in fact, would be, indeed, an afperfion, and a fevere one upon them; to object to an enquiry into the poffible grievances in the collection of ythes, upon that ground was a libel on the church. It was a fort of defence that held out the clergy to the public as guilty men that could not ftand the test of fair enquiry, and it was holding out this House as capable of meanly conniving at that guilt; it was therefore branding the clergy and the Parliament with an unmerited imputation. As for his part he respected highly the Church He confidered it an essential part of the conftitution. He would never content to any abridgment or reduction of their rights, which the law gave them. It would be at once impolitic and unjult. He confefled he had never yet heard of any plan of commutation that was not liable to many objections; but ftill he thought the subject deserved investigati on; even though nothing specific fhould imme. diately follow the enquiry. One falutary effect at least would not fail to refult: by fhewing a difpofition to examine into oppreffion or abule, the oppreffors, if fuch there be among those who tranfact the business of the clergy, will be alarmed, and the abuse will be discontinued.

He thought the character of the present Adminiftration fhould be an additional inducement with the Houfe. He could not conceive how thofe gentlemen that boasted so highly the spirit of economy and reformation, could refift the motion. Unless they thought thofe great qualifications ought to be exerted only on petty subjects

or unless they thought every duty of good Government ought to be the objects only of lazy applaule, not of active imitation to be pleated in their governors, and neglected by themselves. But he said he was infenfibly forgetting his intention and his promife not to abule the indulgence of the Houfe. He had no intention of entering at large into the question. The extraordinary talents of the hon. mover, had left nothing for any one to add. He found himself as unable to add to his arguments, as the other fide did to answer them. He felt, he faid, the aukwardness of rifing at all in fuch circumftances, but the object was too near his heart, to give merely a fent affent to the motion.

The question was now called for, and on its being put, the Houfe divided,

For agreeing to Mr. Grattan's motion, 49
Against it,

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121

74

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