march into toils-taking care to be too strong for him. But it was imfamous in a government against rebels."

Lord Castlereagh, in stating the precautions that had been taken, admitted that a week before the outbreak delegates from Kildare had come to Dublin to ascertain the state of his resources; and having been taken by Emmet to the Depot to let them see the preparations, they had returned with a bad report. "The conduct of the administration in Ireland, both at the time and since, was that of a wise, provident, and vigorous government."

Lord Temple said "It appeared in evidence on the State trials, also, that the whole weight of the government devolved on the Under-secretary, Mr. Marsden, who gave no information to the Lord Lieutenant of the important intelligence communicated to him by Mr. Clarke, a very great manufacturer, till Saturday, the fatal day on which the rebellion broke out."

And when General Fox was quitting the Lord Lieutenant on Saturday afternoon, he said "Whatever you do, be sure you do not cause any alarm. Ruat Calum-but no alarm. Do every thing in your power, but let it be with as little alarm as possible."

General Tarleton said he had been on the Staff in Ireland, and had made many inquiries amongst official and military men. The Colonel of the 62nd Regiment told him he had informed the Secretary of the existence of one of the Depots, but no notice was taken of the information, and it was not discovered till after the insurrection had broken out. He had been informed in Naas that Government had received intelligence from that place, but it was not attended to ; he was also aware that "the conspiracy had extended to the South, beyond Cork, where the conspirators learned by means of telegraphic fires the ill success of the insurrection in Dublin, before the King's officers knew it in Cork. It was by this information only that the insurrection was prevented from being general over the country."

Mr. Fox said, when the explosion took place in Patrickstreet (a week before the outbreak), the Commander-in-chief was then sent for to the Castle, and the bare fact was communicated to him, without any instructions or further information. "Why was he not made acquainted with all the circumstances which had come to the knowledge of the Government?" "The

Lord Lieutenant had an allowance of £60,000 a-year for secretservice money, in order to enable him to procure information of any conspiracy that might be carried on."

Lord de Blaquiere said the insurrection had occasioned a loss of thirty lives in the course of a quarter of an hour. The day after the explosion, some of the stores there had been removed by the conspirators to another Depot. Lord Castlereagh had said there were only between 2000 and 3000 pikes found in the Depot in Thomas-street. "He (Lord de Blaquiere) was one of the officers appointed to examine them, and he would declare there could not be less than 12,000 pikes."* The part taken by the gentleman on whom the whole weight of the government devolved," and the keeping back of information from the Lord Lieutenant, throws some light on this subject. In Spencer's "State of Ireland, written dialoguewise between Eudoxus and Ireneus, the former speaks of one very foul abuse which, by the way, he may not omit-and that is, in officers who, notwithstanding that they are specially employed to make peace, through strong execution of war, yet they do so dandle their doings and dally in the service to them committed, as if they would not have the enemy beaten down, for fear afterwards they should need employment, and so be discharged of pay."

After detailing at much length how the officers, for colour sake, send some heads eftsoons to the Governor for a commendation of their great endeavour, telling how weighty a service they performed by cutting off such and such dangerous rebels." Eudoxus asks, "Do you speak of under magistrates or principal governors ?" Ireneus replies "I do speak of no particulars, but the truth may be found out by trial and reasonable insight into some of their doings. And if I should say there is some blame thereof in the principal governors, I think I might also show some reasonable proofs of my speech."+

The plan of fomenting conspiracies outlived the days of the gentle author of the Faerie Queene. The following choice specimen of the iniquitous policy will show that it reached those of Lord Carhampton in 1798; and the speech of Lord Cas

Report of the Debate at full length. lin, 1804. Spencer's View of the State of Ireland.

Published by Mahon: Dub

18mo. Edit., p. 141.

tlereagh in March 1804, can leave no doubt that it had been in full operation in the last insurrection.

In a letter of the Earl of Carhampton to Lord Camden, cited in an Orange publication in 1798-" Considerations on the situation to which Ireland is reduced by the Government of Lord Camden "—we find the following exordium :—

"MY LORD-If it shall please your Excellency to permit them to go to war with us, and will permit us only to go to law with them, it will not require the second sight of a Scotchman to foretel the issue of the contest."

How little had the spirit of that dreadful policy varied from Spencer's time to that of Carhampton and Castlereagh! The first named worthy, recommending "a good plot," to inveigle (a troublesome Chief) one Feagh Mac Hugh, into its meshes, puts the following words into the mouth of Ireneus :-"Surely this seemeth a plot of great reason and small difficulty, which promiseth hope of a short end. But what special directions will you set down for the services and risings out of these garrisons?" To which Eudoxus replies-" none other than the present occasion shall minister unto them, and as by good Espials whereof there they cannot want store, they shall be drawn continually upon him, and sometimes all at one instant baiting him."*

This was poor Robert Emmet! Ministered to by good Espials drawn continually upon him, and baiting him at the ring of treason, till they brought their noble victim to the dust, and the plot of great reason and small difficulty came to a short end!

Robert Emmet died in the 26th year of his age. In stature, he was about five feet eight inches; slight in his person, active, and capable of enduring great fatigue; he walked fast, and was quick in his movements. His features were regular, his forehead high and finely formed; his eyes were small, bright, and full of expression; his nose sharp, remarkably thin, and straight; the lower part of his face was slightly pock-pitted, and his complexion sallow. There was nothing remarkable in his appearance, except when excited in conversation, and when he spoke in public on any subject that deeply interested him; his countenance then beamed with animation-he no longer seemed the same person-every feature became expressive of *Spencer's View of the State of Ireland, p. 170.

Lord Lieutenant had an allowance of £60,000 a-year for secretservice money, in order to enable him to procure information of any conspiracy that might be carried on."

Lord de Blaquiere said the insurrection had occasioned a loss of thirty lives in the course of a quarter of an hour. The day after the explosion, some of the stores there had been removed by the conspirators to another Depot. Lord Castlereagh had said there were only between 2000 and 3000 pikes found in the Depot in Thomas-street. "He (Lord de Blaquiere) was one of the officers appointed to examine them, and he would declare there could not be less than 12,000 pikes."* The part taken by the gentleman "on whom the whole weight of the government devolved," and the keeping back of information from the Lord Lieutenant, throws some light on this subject. In Spencer's "State of Ireland, written dialoguewise between Eudoxus and Ireneus, the former speaks of "one very foul abuse which, by the way, he may not omit—and that is, in officers who, notwithstanding that they are specially employed to make peace, through strong execution of war, yet they do so dandle their doings and dally in the service to them committed, as if they would not have the enemy beaten down, for fear afterwards they should need employment, and so be discharged of pay."

After detailing at much length how the officers, for colour sake, send some heads eftsoons to the Governor for a commendation of their great endeavour, telling how weighty a service they performed by cutting off such and such dangerous rebels." Eudoxus asks, "Do you speak of under magistrates or principal governors ?" Ireneus replies "I do speak of no particulars, but the truth may be found out by trial and reasonable insight into some of their doings. And if I should say there is some blame thereof in the principal governors, I think I might also show some reasonable proofs of my speech."+

The plan of fomenting conspiracies outlived the days of the gentle author of the Faerie Queene. The following choice specimen of the iniquitous policy will show that it reached those of Lord Carhampton in 1798; and the speech of Lord Cas

Report of the Debate at full length. lin, 1804. Spencer's View of the State of Ireland.

Published by Mahon: Dub

18mo. Edit., p. 141.

tlereagh in March 1804, can leave no doubt that it had been in full operation in the last insurrection.

In a letter of the Earl of Carhampton to Lord Camden, cited in an Orange publication in 1798-" Considerations on the situation to which Ireland is reduced by the Government of Lord Camden "—we find the following exordium :—

"MY LORD-If it shall please your Excellency to permit them to go to war with us, and will permit us only to go to law with them, it will not require the second sight of a Scotchman to foretel the issue of the contest."

How little had the spirit of that dreadful policy varied from Spencer's time to that of Carhampton and Castlereagh! The first named worthy, recommending "a good plot," to inveigle (a troublesome Chief) one Feagh Mac Hugh, into its meshes, puts the following words into the mouth of Ireneus :— -"Surely this seemeth a plot of great reason and small difficulty, which promiseth hope of a short end. But what special directions will you set down for the services and risings out of these garrisons?" To which Eudoxus replies-" none other than the present occasion shall minister unto them, and as by good Espials whereof there they cannot want store, they shall be drawn continually upon him, and sometimes all at one instant baiting him."*

This was poor Robert Emmet! Ministered to by good Espials drawn continually upon him, and baiting him at the ring of treason, till they brought their noble victim to the dust, and the plot of great reason and small difficulty came to a short end !

Robert Emmet died in the 26th year of his age. In stature, he was about five feet eight inches; slight in his person, active, and capable of enduring great fatigue; he walked fast, and was quick in his movements. His features were regular, his forehead high and finely formed; his eyes were small, bright, and full of expression; his nose sharp, remarkably thin, and straight; the lower part of his face was slightly pock-pitted, and his complexion sallow. There was nothing remarkable in his appearance, except when excited in conversation, and when he spoke in public on any subject that deeply interested him; his countenance then beamed with animation-he no longer seemed the same person-every feature became expressive of *Spencer's View of the State of Ireland, p. 170.