WILLIAM THE TIIIKD.

43

tempted to speak truth which the Commons might not liketo hear.

Meanwhile the bill had been brought in, and was pro-ceeding easily. It provided that all the property whichhad belonged to the Crown at the time of the accessionof James the Second, or which had been forfeited to theCrown since that time, should be vested in trustees. Thesetrustees were named in the bill; and among them were thefour commissioners who had signed the report. All theIrish grants of William were annulled. The legal rightsof persons other than the grantees were saved. But ofthose rights the trustees were to be judges, and judgeswithout appeal. A claimant who gave them the troubleof attending to him, and could not make out his case, wasto be heavily fined. Bewards were offered to informerswho should discover any property which was liable to con-fiscation, and which had not yet been confiscated. Thougheight years had elapsed since an arm had been lifted upin the conquered island against the domination of theEnglishry, the unhappy children of the soil, who had beensuffered to live, submissive and obscure, on their heredi-tary fields, were threatened with a new and severe inqui-sition into old offences.

Objectionable as many parts of the bill undoubtedlywere, nobody who knew the House of Commons believedit to be possible to carry any amendment. The Kingflattered himself that a motion for leaving at his disposala third part of the forfeitures would be favourably re-

CIIAP.

XXV.

1701 ).