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CAULFIELD. 443 sure of moderate reform which the impartial of all parties admitted to be decessary. But the government, on this occasion, opposed the measure, on the ground that it would look like a concession to the seditious clamours then prevalent, and Mr. Grattan, who sapported this bill, deprecated, with great eloquence, the system of reform proposed by the United Irishmen of Belfast and Dublin, as leading to the subversion of all liberty, property, and governiment. But Mr. Ponsonby's motion was superseded by the amendment, and some of the ministerialists, and their partisans out of doors, did not scruple to blend Lord Charlémont and his friends in common estimation with the United Irishmen, and to impute to their parliamentary speeches part of the growing sedition of the country, for no other reason than that they opposed the obnoxious measures of the government; while, on the other hand, the United Irishmen publicly declared, that the speeches and debates of the opposition, and all whom they could influence, were regarded by them with indifferehee: they, in fact, regarded Mr. Ponsonby's bill merely as a tempo rary half-measure to privilege their own plans ; and there- fore they rejoiced in its failure. Happy, perhaps, would it have been for the traiquillity of Ireland, had this bill sacceeded; because it would bave amply satisfied all the moderate reformists, and if they did not go far enough to meet the views of others, it would at least have shewn that the government and parliament were not decidedly opposed to reform in all shapes, but would bave given an earnest of disposition to gratify the reasonable wishes of thel country, which might be farthet extended in a future session, and thus even the most clamorous for total reform would bave been, at least, divided; but the rejéction of this moderate measure strengthened the cause of the United Irishmen, and furnished their leaders with an irrefragible argument, thát they imust never hence look to the government or the parliament for any further redress of political grievances, but seek it from their owrn numbers and revolutionary movements. An awful crisis