THE SPEECH OF THE LATE...LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND; DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF PEERS ON THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL FOR THE RELIEF OF HIS MAJESTY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SUBJECTS, IN IRELAND, MARCH 13, 1793 (FIRST PRINTED IN DUBLIN 1798) TO WHICH IS NOW ADDED A PREFACE
1813 · London
by Fitzgibbon, John, Earl of Clare
London: Printed for J. and J. Stockdale, 1813. iv,[1],41,[1]pp. Octavo (signed in 4s). Extracted from bound volume. Faint stamps of a defunct mercantile library, a bit dusty, else very good. A London reprinting of this speech "reviewing at great length the history of the Roman catholic church in Ireland, and the claims of the catholic church in general...[Clare] urged vehemently the impolicy and danger of entrusting catholics with power in the state, but agreed that after the promises which had been made it might be essential to the momentary peace of the country that the bill should pass. His peculiar bitterness on this occasion was partly due to the fact that only a few months before he had vainly sought to dissuade the viceroy and the English government from any conciliatory language towards the catholics" - DNB. The author of the unsigned preface describes it as "the ablest epitome of Irish history, and Irish politics ever publicly delivered..." The banner headline on the ad- leaf, "No Popery," betrays the publisher's stance. BRADSHAW 5582. (Inventory #: WRCLIT51894)