LETTER TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR JOHN NEWPORT, BART. ON THE EMBARRASSING SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF THE PRESENT MINISTRY: WITH PARTICULAR REFLECTIONS ON THE DISTRESSED STATE OF IRELAND. BY AN IRISHMAN. O miferas Hominum mentes! O pectora cæca! LUCRETIUS. FRINTED BY JOHN KING, No. 2, WESTMORLAND-STREET. 1806. 2293. Flet SIR JOHN NEWPORT, BART. &c. &c. &c. SIR, THE attention you have paid to the credit of the Church in general, though not perhaps to the interests of its dignitaries in particular, and the compaffionate regard you have fhewn to the fituation of the poor of this country, have made me very much your friend. You voted for the Union, it is true; it was a measure which I, with the generality of unprejudiced Irishmen, deprecated; but the general tenour of your character inclines me to give you credit for your good intentions,. and to believe, that, at the time you voted for the Union, you did fo from principle. Having fome idle. time, and an opportunity of making many obfervations on the ftate of this country, I think I cannot addrefs them to a more fit perfon than to you. I have been led by the duties of my station to converfe much with the poorer fort of people; indeed I converfe with them almoft exclufively, for I, myself, am poor. I know well it would be useful for you to know their views and temper, their hopes, fears and expectations. The Miniftry, to which you now appertain, is compofed of the moft diftinguished men in the British Empire; but, among all the great and shining qualities which eminently adorn them, there is none which fhines more confpicuous than their political courage.-Courage! it is too mean, too cold a term, for the heroifm A of |