been the practice of the garrison to direct some artillery officers to cause a few small guns to be fired, as some particular procession passes the platform.  And I know that certain officers of the artillery, or military, three of them, I believe, thought proper on military grounds, and not upon religious scruples, to refuse to fire, according to the usual order of their commandant—­for such refusal they were brought to a court-martial, and sentenced to be cashiered, not because they would not form a part of any religious procession to which they were hostile—­not because they would not conform to the rites of the natives, and worship any relic that was honoured by them; but for this plain and intelligible reason,—­that they had taken upon themselves to refuse obedience to the orders of the commander-in-chief on the spot.

April 8, 1829.

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The real meaning of Irish Agitation.

If you glance at the history of Ireland during the last ten years, you will find that agitation really means something just short of rebellion; that, and no other, is the exact meaning of the word.  It is to place the country in that state in which its government is utterly impracticable, except by means of an overawing military force.

May 4, 1829.

Theory of a Metallic Currency.

The restoration of the currency, my Lords, has, in truth, but little to do with the distress of the country.  Since the restoration of the currency, the revenue has risen to the amount which has been stated to your Lordships, notwithstanding the repeal of taxes to the amount of 27,000,000 l., since 1814.  The fact is, that at the present moment, the revenue produces, in real currency, much more than it produced when the war was terminated.  Is not that circumstance alone, I ask your Lordships, a proof of the increasing prosperity of the country?  But, my Lords, I did not rest my argument on that fact only.  Notwithstanding, there is, at present, much distress, still, in the last year, there was an increase of produce in every branch of manufacture, in every branch of industry, beyond what was apparent in the three preceding years.  Under these circumstances, your Lordships must ascribe the distress of the country to something else, rather than to the alteration of the currency.  My opinion is, that the people, during the lengthened war which existed previously to the peace of 1815—­during that period, when there was an enormous expenditure—­acquired habits which they cannot readily throw aside.  During that time, any man, of whatever description of credit, could obtain money, or the semblance of money, to carry on any speculation.  The people then employed a fictitious wealth; they proceeded on a system, which could not be continued, without mining and destroying the country; and that system having been destroyed, that fictitious wealth having been removed, they cannot immediately come down to