land, there are eight Papifts to one Proteftant. From fuch a difproportion, the latter, ever fince the memorable 1641, have placed their fecurity in the military and a Proteftant militia.

The prefent inhabitants of Ireland may be divided into three different claffes; Firft, The original natives, who, from a fimilitude of language and cuftoms, are fuppofed to be defcended from the Britains and Caledonians; particularly the latter, who antiently inhabited the moft barren parts of Scotland, and being in all ages defirous of poffefling better countries than their own, it is natural to fuppofe that many of them might quit the bleak mountains of Argylefhire, for the more fertile plains of Ulfter, being within the view of thefe parts. This opinion, of being anciently the fame people, ftill prevails among the Highlanders and the Irifh; and it is faid, that, during the maffacre of English Proteftants in 1641, fome propofals were made to except the Scots from this dreadful butchery. The old Irish are generally reprefented as an ignorant, uncivilized people. We may, at leaft, with equal juftice represent them as the most oppreffed fubjects under the British government, and the only people who do not enjoy the benefits of our excellent conftitution. This, however, partly proceeds from their adherence to Popery, but more especially from the inhumanity and tyranny of their more immediate landlords er leafeholders.

Human invention could not contrive a more effectual method for the inftruction of thefe people in the real principles of Christianity, and for the inuring them to induftry, labour and obedience to their lovereign, than the inflitution of English Proteftant working-fchools over the whole kingdom.

The next class of people are the defcendants of the English, who, fince the conqueft, gradually extended themselves over the country, and to whofe arts and industry Ireland is infinitely indebted; of thefe afe most of the nobility, gentry, and merchants.

The third clafs are defcended from a colony of Scots, who were fent thither by king James I. and inhabit Belfast, Londonderry, and a great part of the province of Ulfter. These people first introduced the linen manufactory into Ireland, which has been fo very beneficial to that kingdom. They are the people who fo bravely defended Londonderry and Inniskillen against the Popish army under James II.

Notwithstanding thefe fupplies from Great Britain, Ireland is in general but thinly inhabited, and according to the lateft computations, does not contain above one million of people.

The inhabitants of Ireland are by no means deficient in genius and bravery. To the Irish brigades the French were indebted for their boafted victory at Fontenoy; and it cannot be yet forgot that generals of this nation led on the Auftrian troops and boldly faced the greatest warrior of modern times.

Ireland is ftill a diftinct, though a dependent, fubordinate kingdom. It was only entitled the dominion or lordihip of Ireland, and the king's ftile was no other than dominus Hilernia, lord of Ireland, till the 33d year of king Henry VIII. when he affumed the title of King, which is recognized by act of parliament, 35 Hen. VIII. But, as Scotland and England are now one and the fame kingdom, and yet differ in their municipal laws; fo England and Ireland are, on the other hand, diftinct kingdoms, and yet in general agree in their laws. After the conqueft of Ireland by king Henry II. the laws of England were received and fworn to by the Irish nation, affembled at the council of Lifmore. And as Ireland, thus conquered, planted, and governed, ftill continues in a ftate of dependence, it must neceffarily conform to, and be obliged by, fuch laws as the fuperior flate thinks proper to prefcribe.

But this ftate of dependence being almoft forgotten, and ready to be difputed by the Irish nation, it

became

became neceffary, fome years ago, to declare how that matter really stood: and therefore by statute 6 Geo. I. it is declared, that the kingdom of Ireland ought to be fubordinate to, and dependent upon, the imperial crown of Great Britain, as being infeparably united thereto; and that the king's majefty, with the confent of the lords and commons of Great Britain in parliament, hath power' to make laws to bind the people of Ireland.

The conftitution of the Irish government is nearly the fame with that of England. The power of the lord-lieutenant, who reprefents the king, is in fome measure restrained, and in others enlarged, according to the king's pleafure, or the exigencies of the times. On his entering upon this honourable office, his letters patent are publicly read in the council chamber, and having taken the ufual oath before the lord chancellor, the fword, which is to be carried before him, is delivered into his hands, and he is feated in the chair of state, attended by the lord chancellor, the members of the privy council, the peers and nobles, the king at arms, a ferjeant at mace, and other officers of ftate; and he never appears publicly without being attended by a body of horfe-guards. Hence, with respect to his authority, his train and fplendor, there is no viceroy in Chriftendom' that comes nearer the grandeur and majefty of a king. He has a council compofed of the great officers of the crown; namely the chancellor, treasurer, and fuch of the archbishops, earls, bifhops, barons, judges, and gentlemen, as his majefty is pleafed to appoint.

The parliament here as well as in England, is the fupream court, which is convened by the king's writ; but the reprefentatives of the people enjoy their feat in the house during life, or till the death of the king. The laws are made in Ireland by the houfe of lords and commons, after which they are fent to England for the royal approbation; when, if approved by his

majefty

majefty and council, they pafs the great feal of England, and are returned. Thus the two houfes of parliament make laws which bind the kingdom, raise taxes for the fupport of government, and for the maintenance of an army of 16,000 men, who are placed in barracks in feveral parts of the kingdom.

For the regular diftribution of justice, there are alfo in Ireland, as well as in England, four terms held annually for the decifion of caufes; and four courts of jultice, the chancery, king's-bench, common-pleas, and exchequer.

With respect to the trade of Ireland, the discouragements laid upon it by the act of navigation, and other laws made in England, are fo numerous, that it cannot be expected it fhould flourish to fuch a degree as its natural fituation, extended coafts, commodious harbours, bays and rivers feem to promise. The chief exports of Ireland confift of linen cloth and yarn, lawns and cambricks, which are manufactured to great perfection, and exported to confiderable advantage; the English laws giving great encouragements to this branch of trade, which, with a few exceptions, may be faid to be the fource of all the wealth in Ireland. To thefe may be added, wool and woollen yarn exported to England only; beef, pork, green hides, fome tanned leather, calf-fkins dried, great quantities of butter, tallow, candles, ox and cow horns, cx hair, a fmall quantity of lead, copper-ore, herrings, dried fifh, rabbit-kins, and fur; otter-fkins, goat-fkins, falmon, and a few other particulars. Wool and yarn are allowed to be exported only to England; but from the thirft of gain, many hip-loads are fent by flealth to France, to the great detriment of the woollen trade; and perhaps the beft method of preventing it for the future, would be to restore the woollen manufacture to Ireland, at leaft in the coarfe branches of it, and to make it the intereft of the Ih to employ their wool at home.

The

The Irifh, however, enjoy many advantages unknown to Britons. If they are denied fome privileges in trade, they are not faddled with our taxes and heavy duties. The productions of their country are cheap; in the metropolis of the kingdom beef fells at two-pence per pound, turkies at one fhilling and fix-pence, and a variety of fifh, at a trifling French claret is landed at little more than one fhilling per bottle, and all other foreign commodities (that have not been bleffed with a British excise) may be had in the fame proportion.

With regard to the other adjacent islands which are fubject to the crown of Great Britain, fome of them (as the isle of Wight, of Portland, of Thanet, &c.) are comprized within fome neighbouring county, and are therefore to be looked upon as annexed to the mother ifland, and part of the kingdom of England. Likewife the Orkneys, and many more that belong to Scotland. But there are others which require a more particular confideration.

And, first, the Ifle of Man is a diftinct territory from England, and is not governed by our laws; neither doth any act of parliament extend to it, un lefs it be particularly named therein; and then an. act of parliament is binding there. It was formerly a fubordinate feudatory kingdom, fubject to the kings of Norway; then to king John and Henry III. of England; afterward to the kings of Scotland; and after various grants, it fell at laft into the. hands of the duke of Athol. But the diftina jurifdiction of this little fubordinate royalty being found. inconvenient for the purposes of public juftice, and for the revenue (it affording a commodious alylum for debtors, outlaws, and fimugglers) authority was given to the treafury by flatute 12 Geo. I. c. 28. to purchase the intereft of the then proprietors for the ufe of the crown: which purchafe was at length compleated in the year 1765, and confirmed by ftatute 5 Geo. III. c. 26 and 39. whereby the whole iiland and all its dependencies, fo granted as afore