814 GRATTAN. sists upon your accounts; I am not the mendicant patriot who was bought by my country for a sum of money, and then sold my country for prompt payment; I am not the man who in this House loudly complained of an infringe ment made by England, in including Ireland in a bill, and then sent a certificate to Dungannon that Ireland was not included. I never was bought by the people, nor ever sold them: the gentleman says, he never apostatised, but I say I never changed my principles: l e t every man say the same, and l e t the people believe them i f they can. But i f i t b e s o bad a thing t o take a n office i n the state, how comes the gentleman connected with persons i n office They, I hope, are men o f virtue; or, how comes the gentleman s o closely connected with Colonel Fitzpa trick? I object t o n o man f o r being i n office; a patriot i n office i s the more a patriot f o r being there. There was a time when the glories o f the great Duke o f Marlborough shrunk and withered before those o f the right honourable gentleman; when palaces superior t o Blenheim were t o b e built for his reception; when pyramids and pillars were t o b e raised, and adorned with emblems and inscrip tions sacred t o his virtue: but the pillars and pyramids are now sunk, though then the great Earl o f Chatham was held inferior t o him; however, h e i s still s o great, that the Queen o f France, I dare say, will have a song made o n the name o f Grattan. “Lord Harcourt practised economy—but what was the economy o f the Duke o f Portland? 100,000l. was voted t o raise twenty thousand seamen, though i t was well known, that one-third o f that number could not b e raised; and what was the application o f the money? I t was applied t o the raising o f the execrated fencibles. “It i s said, I supported Lord Harcourt's administration. I t i s true; but I never deserted my principles, but carried them into the cabinet with me. A gentleman, who now hears me, knows that I proposed t o the privy council a w Irish mutiny bill, and that not with a view o f any parlia mentary grant. I supported a n absentee tax; and while
