CAULFIELD temptatioh bf office and emolument. The octeunial bill was the only measure as yet conceded by the British cabinet to the wishes of the Irish nation; but the com- plaints of the country were now directed to other griev- ances, whieh, so long is they continued, were considered as insurmiduntable impediments to the honour, indepen- dence, and prosperity of the nation. These grievances were,--1st, the claims of the British parliament to the right of passing laws to bind Ireland; thus superseding the authority of het own legislature. édly, The ruinou restraints upón her commerce, which debarred her from all direct trade with the British colonies, and all share in the privileges of British subjects únder the navigation act, and reduced lier population to misery. And, Srdly, the necessity of transinitting all bills passed by the two. houses of the Irish parliament through the medium of the lord-lieutenant and privy council, in whom was vested the power of cushioning such bills (as the phrase was) i. e. stifling them in transitu; änd, if they survived that ordeal, they were afterwards subject to mutilation, and even death, in the privy council öf England. It was utterly in vain for Ireland to hope for any measure of amelio- ration, political or commercial, onder such control, whiclh was supposed in any degree to interfere with British in- These were the proninent features of political evils, which the patriots of that day considered as the sole source of degradation and debasement to their country The removal of which might lead to the future miti- gation of minor mischiefs; but, practically, those very minor mischief's were the heáviest grievances under which the country internally suffered; namely, the divisions of the people into sectarious classes, cherishing mutual ran cour and höstility to each other; and the intolerable yoke of thé penal laws against catholics, which weighed down four-fifths of the population to a state of debasement and vassalage little better than that of the boors of Russia, or of other despotic governments of the north. This system,
