In 1756, the real sentiments of the aristocracy were dis played : A bill was brought into parliament, to vacate the seats of such members of the House of Commons as should accept any pension or place of profit from the crown. This bill was thrown out by a majority of 26. As the passing of this bill would have told against the patriotic party when they came into power, it was obnoxious to them ; but they gave their support to those measures which tended to support the privileges of parliament, or to benefit the country, without trenching on their own in terests.
It is not to be supposed, that a country such as Ireland was at that time—with the great majority of its population ignorant, bigoted, and idle ; with a government constantly inattentive to if not absolutely sacrificing its interests ; and with the spirit of enterprise and industry, wherever it started up in spite of these obstacles, crushed by the mean jealousy of Britain—could be rich : it was in fact poor ; and the national poverty was greatly increased by the fail ure of some of the principal banks, and an extreme scar city, and consequent high price of grain. In the midst of the discontent which arose from these causes, a report was spread that Ireland was to be united to England—to be deprived of its parliament—and to pay the same taxes as England. The mob of Dublin took the alarm, and broke out into the most riotous proceedings, which, however, were of very short continuance.
In 1759, Britain and Ireland were alarmed with the pre parations for invasion making in the French ports ; but no landing took place, except that of Thurot with 600 men at Carrickfergus, and he re-embarked in the course of a few days. The conduct of the Irish troops, as well as of the peasantry, on this occasion, proved that they were much more loyal and worthy of confidence than they were allow ed to be by those who calumniated them, for they were eager to rush to the defence of their country ; and such as were engaged behaved with surprising zeal and intrepi dity.
We now come to the time of the first appearance of 1110-3e associations of the peasantiT, and others of a higher class, for purposes of outrage, or of effecting political objects, by which the history of Ireland is henceforth so much distinguished. In 1762, the NVhiteboys first creat ed alarm. They took this name, which succeeded that of Levellers, from the circumstance of their covering their ordinary dress by a short or white frock. They consisted
of labourers in the woollen manufacture, who had been driven out of employment by its decline ; and of labourers in husbandry, who had been reduced to the same state, in consequence of the general conversion of arable into pas ture land. To add to their distress, at this time a spirit of enterprise and improvement had recently promoted the en closure of commons, on which these people had previously enjoyed the right of commonage. The outrages of the Whiteboys were dreadful ; and the alarm was greater than even they warranted, in consequence of a suspicion that they were instigated by,and connected with, the Catholics. The next year an insurrection arose in Ulster. In this only Protestants were concerned. The cause of this was the hardships under which, it was alleged, the poorer classes laboured with regard to keeping the roads in re pair. The insurgents called themselves Hearts of Oak, from wearing,oaken branches in their hats. They soon, however, carried their views beyond their original object ; and, on their proceeding to interfere violently with respect to this, and the rent of land, they were put down by an arm ed force.
The first circumstance, after the accession of George III., connected with the history of Ireland, that deserves our notice and record, was the passing of the octennial bill in 1768. The Parliament of Ireland, unlike that of Bri tain, continued in existence as long as the monarch lived, being dissolved only by his death taking place. In 1761, an attempt was made by Lucas and others of the patriotic party, to limit the duration of the Irish parliament, and to place it on the same footing in this respect as the British parliament; this however did not succeed, and it is even doubtful whether the British government intended that the measure should be carried in 1768 ; for the British privy council returned the heads of a bill transmitted to them tor limiting the duration of the Irish parliament to seven years, with an alteration which extended the duration to ,right years; probably expecting that, by this interference, the Irish, parliament would be induced to reject the bill al together ; but the Irish parliament, with great temper and good sense, passed the bill as returned to them.