Englishry, the unhappy children of the soil, who had been
suffered to live, submissive and obscure, on their hereditary
fields, were threatened with a new and severe inquisition into
old offences.

Objectionable as many parts of the bill undoubtedly were, nobody
who knew the House of Commons believed it to be possible to carry
any amendment. The King flattered himself that a motion for
leaving at his disposal a third part of the forfeitures would be
favourably received. There can be little doubt that a compromise
would have been willingly accepted twelve months earlier. But the
report had made all compromise impossible. William, however, was
bent on trying the experiment; and Vernon consented to go on what
he considered as a forlorn hope. He made his speech and his
motion; but the reception which he met with was such that he did
not venture to demand a division. This feeble attempt at
obstruction only made the impetuous current chafe the more. Howe
immediately moved two resolutions; one attributing the load of
debts and taxes which lay on the nation to the Irish grants; the
other censuring all who had been concerned in advising or passing
those grants. Nobody was named; not because the majority was
inclined to show any tenderness to the Whig ministers, but
because some of the most objectionable grants had been sanctioned
by the Board of Treasury when Godolphin and Seymour, who had
great influence with the country party, sate at that board.

Howe's two resolutions were laid before the King by the Speaker,
in whose train all the leaders of the opposition appeared at
Kensington. Even Seymour, with characteristic effrontery, showed
himself there as one of the chief authors of a vote which