It appears to your Committee, that early in the prefent year other advices were received by the Irish Executive from France, ftating, that fuccours might be expected to be sent to Ireland in April; but notwithstanding the temptation held out by the rebellion, which commenced on the 23d of May following, the French government have not yet thought it prudent to fulfil their promife.

The Committee truft they have laid fufficient grounds before the Houfe to fatisfy them of the long-entertained and fixed pur pofe of the United Irithmen to introduce the enemy into this kingdom, and through their affiftance to feize upon the government and property of the country; and that in their negotiations with the French Directory they have had no other referve but what their own treasonable ambition pointed out. The particu lars of the statement refting for the most part upon the admiffion of the parties themfelves, there can be no pollible room to doubt the truth of what has been fubmitted.

Your Committee think it material to obferve, that, notwithftanding the wildnefs of the hope that they could ever fucceed in overturning the government without powerful aid from abroad, yet, on more than one occafion, the eagerness of the more violent partifans fo far prevailed over their reafon, as to induce them to meditate an infurrection. To this they were excited by the apprehenfion that the zeal of their followers would fubfide if they were not called into action, as well as by a dread that a refort to ftronger measures on the part of Governinent might at length deprive them of the means of exertion. It had been their invariable policy to announce an effort as at hand, merely to keep up the fpirits of the people, when no attempt of the kind was really in contemplation; however, in the fpring of 1797, a plan was feriously difcuffed among the leaders then affembled in Dublin, for commencing a general rifing without waiting for foreign affittance; but as this fcheme did not meet with the approbation of the Dublin part of the committee, it was laid afide; and it appears that at this period a coolnefs took place between the Ulter and, Leinster delegates, in confequence of which the progrefs of the confpiracy feems to have been for a time much impeded.

The northerns then in Dublin, difgufted with the cowardice (as they termed it) of the Leintter delegates, proceeded to act without their approbation, to feize upon the Castle, ordnance ftores, magazine, &c. and to trust to the mob of Dublin for af fiftance; but from fome additional military precautions at that time adopted by the garrifon, this plan was abandoned.

Shortly after the proclamation of the 17th of May 1797, above stated, notwithstanding the ftrong opinion entertained by the Leinster Executive, of the impolicy of fuch an attempt, the more fo, as affurances had been recently received of the pre

parations

parations going forward both at Breft and in the Texel, for the invafion of Ireland; yet an active effort was made to produce a general infurrection throughout Ulfter, the orders for which were given out the latter end of May, in conformity to a plan previoufly prepared. A flight movement did take place, as before ftated; however, the main defign of the party was fruftrated by the active military measures then taken by Lieutenant-general Lake, and many of their principal leaders were obliged to fly, feveral of whom paffed into France, having received letters to Remhart, French minifter at Hamburgh, from perfons then refident in this country, in confequence of which introduction, the neceffary paffports were granted, to enable them to proceed to Paris, where they arrived early in Auguft, and had frequent communications with the French Directory on Irish affairs.

Your Committee do not find that the difaffected entertained at any other periods than thofe alluded to, until the middle of March 1798, any ferious intention of hazarding an effort independent of foreign affistance. Indeed the opinion of the moft cautious of their body was always adverfe to a premature exertion. Their policy was to rifk nothing fo long as the party was gaining ftrength. Their principle was to extend their organization, to add to their flock of arms, and to wait for events: and it appears, from a variety of evidence laid before your Committee, that the rebellion would not have broken out fo foon as it did, had it not been for the well-timed meafures adopted by Government, fubfequent to the proclamation of the Lord Lieutenant and Council, bearing date the 30th of March 1798, as it is notorious that in many counties the effect of those measures was fuch in diffolving the Union, and in obliging the people to furrender their arms, that it became evident to the generality of their leaders they had no other alternative but to rife at once, or 'to abandon their purpose.

It appears to your Committee, that, with the double view of being prepared either to co-operate with the enemy in cafe of at defcent, or of directing an infurrection upon fyftem, fhould they find it neceffary to have recourfe to fuch a measure before affiftance might arrive from France, a military committee was appointed by the Executive in the month of February laft. About this time detailed military inftructions were iffued to the adjutantgenerals of the Union, by which they were required to inform themselves, and report on the ftate of the rebel regiments within their diftricts, of the number of mills, the roads, rivers, bridges, and fords, the military pofitions, the-capacity of the towns and villages to receive troops, to communicate to the Executive every movement of the enemy (meaning the King's troops), to announce the first appearance of their allies (meaning the French),

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and

and immediately to collect their force, with feveral other military regulations.

Inftructions were alfo given to the feveral rebel regiments, as to the arms and appointments with which they were to be furnifhed, fo as to be ready to take the field on the fhorteft notice.

At a meeting held on the 26th of February, thanks are voted to the feveral colonels for their effectual exertions in embodying and arming their refpective regiments-the people are requested to bear the fhackles of tyranny a little longer, till the whole kingdom fhall be in fuch a ftate of organization as will, by their joint co-operation, effect, without lofs, that defirable object which they stated as hourly drawing to a crisis.

Whilft thefe extenfive military arrangements were making by the Executive, to act against the ftate as foon as a favourable opportunity should prefent itself, the fame system of outrage which had been fo fuccefsfully made ufe of by the party the year before in Ulfter, to establish their own authority in oppofition to that of the laws, and to compel the people to look to the Union for protection rather than to the State, was very generally prevalent throughout the fouthern and midland counties. The enormities committed on the well-affected were marked with the most disgufting cruelty.

It is unneceffary for your Committee to detail individual inftances of outrage, which are freth in the recollection of the Houfe: it will be fufficient to ftate, that in the months of Febru ary and March many parts of the provinces of Leinster and Munfter were actually in the poffeffion of a murderous banditti. If they did not appear in arms by day, it only rendered their rebellion more difficult to be met and crushed by the King's troops and yeomanry not a night paffed without numerous murders; feveral diftricts in the provinces of Leinfter and Munster had been proclaimed under the powers given to the Lord Lieutenant and Council by the act for preventing infurrections: but thefe meafures proved ineffectual; very many of the loyal inhabitants of the counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, King's county, Queen's county, Kildare, and Wicklow, were, in the courfe of one month, ftripped of their arms, and, in many places, obliged to fly for fhelter into the garrifon towns; and, as one inftance among many, of the daring lengths to which the confpirators at this time had proceeded, your Committee think it neceffary to ftate, that, in open day, 800 infurgents, principally mounted, invefted the town of Cahir, in the county of Tipperary; held poffeffion of it until they had made a regular fearch through every houfe, and carried off in triumph all the arms and ammunition they could find.

Under these circumftances, the Lord Lieutenant and Council

iffued

iffued the proclamation before spoken of, bearing date the 30th of March, ftating, that the traitorous confpiracy long existing within this kingdom had broken out into acts of open rebellion; and giving notice, that the most direct and pofitive orders were issued to the officers commanding his Majefty's forces, to employ them with the utmoft vigour and decifion for the immediate fuppreffion thereof; and also for the recovery of fuch arms as had been traitorously taken from the King's peaceable and loyal subjects. It was alfo enjoined, that they thould difarm the rebels, and all perfons difaffected to his Majefty's government, by the most fummary and effectual measures.

This proclamation was tranfmitted by his Excellency's commands, to Sir Ralph Abercrombie, then commander in chief, who was directed to proceed into the disturbed counties, being invested by the Lord Lieutenant with full powers.

Your Committee annex to this Report a notice to the inhabitants of the disturbed counties, as iffued by the faid commander in chief; and think it incumbent on them to obferve, that on this, and, indeed, on every occafion in which the Government, or the officers acting under its orders, have been driven to the neceflity of adopting extraordinary measures for the fafety of the state, full notice and time have uniformly been given before they were acted upon, and the people have been exhorted to prevent the neceffity of rigorous measures, by a cellation from outrage and a furrender of their arms.

It appears to your Committee, that the fteps then taken, as mentioned in the proclamation, had an almoft immediate effect in repreffing the audacity of the rebels, and in reftoring tranquil lity; the loyal inhabitants were enabled in many places to return in fafety to their houfes; murders became less frequent; in many counties, particularly in Kildare and Tipperary, the people, fenble of the madnefs and wickednefs of their conduct, began openly to acknowledge their crimes, furrender their arms, and point out their leaders and feducers; a fubmiflion which inva riably obtained for them pardon and protection.

In April and the beginning of May, the delufion of the people was fo fast and fo widely yielding to the measures of Government, which, while they treated with severity the obftinately guilty, in all cafes held forth mercy to the repentant, that the leaders of the treafon both in Dublin and in the provinces began to perceive that their caufe was lofing ground, and that they had no alternative left but to hazard an infurrection or to relinquish their hopes. The arreft of the Leinster provincial committee on the 12th of March, and of feveral other leading members of the Union on the fame day, tended fo much to difclofe the guilt of the party and to weaken their organization, that the confpirators. felt themselves ftill more compelled to a defperate effort: a plan

was

was accordingly digefted by the military committee for a general rifing, the outline of which was to furprife Dublin, the camp at Loughlinstown, and the artillery ftation at Chapelizod on the fame night, in which attack the counties of Dublin, Wicklow, and Kildare, were to co-operate: the infurrection being commenced in the neighbourhood of the metropolis (the fignal for announcing which was to be the detention of the mail-coaches), it was expected that the north and fouth would alfo rife.

The Houfe will find the plan of infurrection detailed and fully proved in the evidence adduced on the trial of Henry and John Sheares, lately convicted of high treafon; the bloody intentions of the party may beft be collected from a manifefto in the handwriting of the faid John Sheares (one of the new Executive, elected after the arrefts made on the 12th of March laft, as your Committee have reafon to believe), which was to have been iffued in the event of fuccefs. Were any additional proofs neceffary to eftablish the authenticity of the plan as above ftated, it may be found in the proceedings of the provincial committee of Ulfter, which met at Armagh on the 12th of May, where the fame plan was announced as decided on, and the neceffary orders given for fecuring, as far as poffible, the co-operation of the north.

The government, perfectly informed of the intentions of the confpirators, caufed feveral of the leaders to be apprehended on the 19th and 21st of May, and the approaching infurrection was announced to the Lord Mayor, late in the evening of the 21ft, in a letter from the Lord Lieutenant's fecretary; and on the following day a meffage, to the fame effect, was fent by his Excellency to both Houses of Parliament. Notwithstanding the military precautions adopted to counteract the intended rifing, it took place in the neighbourhood of Dublin on the night appointed, namely, the 23d of May; and every poffible effort was made by the difaffected within the town, to co-operate with those withIn conformity to the plan laid down, the mail-coaches were destroyed on the northern and fouthern roads, and every exertion made by the party in the provinces to bring the people into an action.

Your Committee do not think it neceffary to record the events of the bloody and deftructive rebellion that enfued, which are still but too fresh in the memory of the Houfe; they need only ftate, that as foon as the rebels had actually taken the field in force, and commenced their operations, by feveral daring attacks upon the towns garrifoned by the King's troops; the Lord Lieutenant and Council published a proclamation, bearing date the 24th of May, announcing, that he had authorized the fummary punishment by martial law of all rebels found in arms, or of perfons in any wife aiding or affifting in the rebellion; to which feasonable interpofition of the powers of the ftate, the prefervation of the conftitution