B.'s previous concurrence; and though he at length reluctantly fupported them, they mifcarried, as he had very fagaciously prefaged. On the contrary, the grand meafure of an union, which he warmly fupported, has been carried into effect.

Although Mr. Beresford, and his family, have fo much influence in the Irish administration, he docs not, perfonally, exert himself in the Houfe, in defending or fupporting the measures which he advifes. He never fpeaks but on fubjects relating to revenue, or the bufinefs of the commiffioners during the debates on widening the firects of the capital. When repelling the infinuations of improper or corrupt conduct, with which he has been fometimes haraffed, he fhews great anxiety to convince, but his declamation is unimpaffioned. His voice is very clear, and fufficiently firong, but it wants variety, and has no harmony in its tones. His diction is, indeed, fimple, but not correct, and never rifes above the level of colloquial converfation.

Even his political enemies allow Mr. Beresford to poffefs a very amiable private character; for he must be confefled to be a good friend, father, and husband, In his perfon, he is tall, and though now an old man, he is yet florid, erect, and handfome.

RIGHT HON. JOHN FOSTER,

LATE SPEAKER OF THE IRISH HOUSE OF COMMONS.

IF the poffeffion of a strong and correct underftanding, much general knowledge, and a profound acquaintance

acquaintance with the commercial, manfacturing, and agricultural interefts of his native country, conftitute a juft ground to refpect, it is due to Mr. Fofier; for undoubtedly one more able, in point of intellect, or better informed in the very important infiances we have mentioned, is not to be found among the public men of Ireland.

John Fofier is the fon of the late Anthony, Lord Chief Baron Fofter. He received his education at the university of Dublin, where he was contemporary with the prefent Chancellor, and Mr. Grattan. In Michaelmas term, 1766, he was called to the Irish bar, while his father, the Chief Baron, was yet on the bench. To Mr. Fofter, law was but a nominal profeffion; he applied himself to other ftudies, and no doubt had higher game in view, than the humble fituation of a practifing barrifier, or even the more dignified one of a puifné judge. He accordingly turned his thoughts towards ftatistical enquiries; and in the most dry and difficult occupations, perhaps, in which the human mind can be employed, he made a proficiency to which he now owes his elevation to the most honourable office which a commoner can fill.

Shortly after his call to the bar, Mr. Fofter was returned to ferve in Parliament for the county of Louth, and foon became as confpicuous for talents as for knowledge. At that time, indeed, it was lefs difficult to become eminent in an Irith Houfe of Commons than at prefent, because the field for exertion being narrow, much ability, comparatively speaking, Bb 4

was

was not called forth; but in any affembly of legiflators, he was qualified to fhine; and in that of Ireland, the manly wisdom of his fyftem of corn-laws, a system which he began to form fhortly after his coming into Parliament, will give immortality to his name. From being unable to fupply two-thirds of her people with bread, in 1770, in confequence of the operation of Mr. Fofter's plan, his native country has not only become equal to feed her inhabitants without lying at the mercy of other nations, but actually to export grain to the amount of 200,000l. annually.*

After the agriculture of Ireland, Mr. Fofter's next great object was the linen manufacture, and this has derived, from his zeal and intelligence, nearly equal benefit with agriculture itself. His attention to it has been unremitted; and the regulations, from time to time, introduced by his advice, have not only greatly increafed the quantity made and exported, but fecured to Irifh linens, in foreign countries, a character which muft, for many years, operate powerfully in their favour.

During the very period in which Mr. Foster was rendering to Ireland benefits fo important, his name was not merely odious, but even execrated among the populace, at least the populace of the metropolis. This is not much to the credit of popular feeling; but there are fome circumftances which may account for the fact, notwithstanding that they certainly cannot justify it.

The fcarcity that occurred throughout Ireland in the winter of 1800-1, appears rather to militate against this statement.—Ed.

Although

Although Mr. Forster was thus laudably employed in advancing the agriculture and manufactures of the country, he was, at the fame time, known to be adverfe to every attempt toward eftablishing the independence of the legislature, and abrogating the unjust restrictions, by which Great Britain had fettered the commerce of Ireland. At that time, too, the manufacturers of the capital were cither ftarving for want of employment, or kept alive by eleemofynary contributions. Protecting dutics for these famished artifans were called for, and Mr. Fofier oppofed them with all his powers. It was natural that the hungry fhould hate the man who thus declared his hoftility to measures which, it was hoped, would give them bread. The remote operation of laws, however wife, the bulk of the nation could not forefee; and even if they could forefee, it would not relieve the preffure of present want, or enable the famifhing workman to fatisfy the calls of nature.

Whatever Mr. Fofter's merits, therefore, might be,' the populace, reafoning from what was obvious, inftead of what was remote, looked on him with detestation; his having declared an opinion against the utility of promoting the filk manufacture, was another caufe which raifed him a hoft of enemies. This prejudice continued for feveral years, and at one time, fuch was the general deteftation, that it was thought neceffary to give him a guard for his protec

tion.

In 1785, Mr. Fofter was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer; an office for which his comprehen

five and methodical mind, added to his extenfive knowledge of the refources of the country, admirably fitted him. In 1786, he, however, refigned the Chancellorship, on being chofen Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, in which dignified fituation he continued for feveral years. At the commencement of the late Parliament, the friends of Mr. W. B. Ponfonby made a powerful effort in fupport of his pretenfions to the chair; but they were unable to counteract that influence which the experience, talents, and information of Mr. Fofter defervedly gave him. He was accordingly chofen then by a large majority; and on a fubfequent occafion, he was elected without oppofition, moft of the popular members having feceded.

The dutics of this high office were discharged by him with great ability. Deeply read in the law and privileges of parliament, no incident occurred in which he was not able to guide the conduct of the houfe, while his punctuality, love of order, and good tafte, gave facility to bufinefs, and a decorous elegance to legislative arrangements.

As a politician, Mr. Fofter seems formerly to have acted fleadily upon one principle, that of promoting, to the utmost of his power, the interefts of Ireland, so far as thofe interefts did not interfere with any of the interefts of Great Britain. Where a competition could exift, until the agitation of the queftion concerning the Union, he has uniformly been swayed by the latter. There is another firong feature in his political character; he has always profeffed himself ad