eft untouched, an
alien Church was allowed to continue its unjust exactions; and though
Ireland was delivered, her chains were not all broken; and those which
were, still hung loosely round her, ready for the hand of traitor or of
foe. Though nominally freed from English control, the Irish Parliament
was not less enslaved by English influence. Perhaps there had never been
a period in the history of that nation when bribery was more freely
used, when corruption was more predominant. A considerable number of the
peers in the Irish House were English by interest and by education; a
majority of the members of the Lower House were their creatures. A man
who ambitioned a place in Parliament, should conform to the opinions of
his patron; the patron was willing to receive a "compensation" for
making his opinions, if he had any, coincide with those of the
Government. Many of the members were anxious for preferment for
themselves or their friends; the price of preferment was a vote for
ministers. The solemn fact of individual responsibility for each
individual act, had yet to be understood. Perhaps the lesson has yet to
be learned.

One of the first acts of the Irish independent Parliament, was to order
the appointment of a committee to inquire into the state of the
manufactures of the kingdom, and to ascertain what might be necessary
for their improvement. The hearts of the poor, always praying for
employment, which had been so long and so cruelly withheld from them,
bounded with joy. Petitions poured in on every side. David Bosquet had
erected mills in Dublin for the manufacture of metals; he prayed for
help. John and Henry Allen had woollen manufactories in the county
Dublin; they prayed for help. Thomas Reilly, iron merchant, of the town
of Wicklow, wished to introduce improvements in iron works. James Smith,
an Englishman, had cotton manufactories at Balbriggan; he wished to
extend them. Anthony Dawson, of Dundrum, near Dublin, had water mills
for making tools for all kinds of artisans; this, above all, should be
encouraged, now that there was some chance of men having some use for
tools. Then there were requests for aid to establish carpet
manufactories, linen manufactories, glass manufactories, &c.; and Robert
Burke, Esq., of the county Kildare, prayed for the loan of L40,000 for
seven years, that he might establish manufactories at Prosperous. These
few samples of petitions, taken at random from many others, will enable