Thomas Davis, Selections from his Prose and Poetry - novelonlinefull.com
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An Act for taking off all Incapacities on the Natives of this Kingdom.
CHAPTER VII.
An Act for taking away the Benefits of the Clergy in certain Cases of Felony in this Kingdom for two Years.
CHAPTER VIII.
An Act to continue two Acts made to prevent Delays in Execution; and to prevent Arrests of Judgments and Superseding Executions.
CHAPTER IX.
An Act for Repealing a Statute, Ent.i.tuled, An Act for Provision of Ministers in Cities and Corporate Towns, and making the Church of St.
Andrews in the Suburbs of [the city of] Dublin Presentative for ever.
CHAPTER X.
An Act of Supply for his Majesty for the Support of his Army.
[The Act of Supply begins by giving good reasons for the making of it; namely, that the army cost far more than the king's revenue, and that that army was rendered necessary from the invasion of Ireland by the English rebels. It next grants the king 20,000 a month, to be raised by a land-tax, and this sum it distributes on the different counties and counties of towns, according to their abilities. The rebellious counties of Fermanagh and Derry are taxed just as lightly as if they were loyal. The names of the commissioners are, beyond doubt, those of the first men in their respective counties. The rank of the country was as palpably on James's side as was the populace.
The clauses regarding the tenants are remarkably clear and liberal: "For as much," it says, "as it would be hard that the tenants should bear _any_ proportion of the said sum, considering that it is very difficult for the tenant to pay his rent in these distracted times," it goes on to provide that the tax shall, in the first instance, be paid by the occupier, but that, where land is let at its value, he shall be ALLOWED THE WHOLE OF THE TAX OUT OF HIS RENT, notwithstanding any contract to the contrary; and that where the land was let at _half_ its value _or less_, then, and then only, should the tenant pay a share (half) of the tax. Thus not only rack-rented farms, but all let at any rent, no matter how little, over half the value, were free of this tax.
Where, in distracted or quiet times, since, has a parliament of landlords in England or Ireland acted with equal liberality?
The 20,000 a month hereby granted was altogether insufficient for the war; and James, urged by the military exigency, which did not tolerate the delay of calling a parliament when Schomberg threatened the capital, issued a commission on the 10th April, 1690, to raise 20,000 a month additional; yet so far was even this from meeting his wants, that we find by one of Tyrconnell's letters to the queen (quoted in Thorpe's catalogue for 1836), that in the spring of 1689, James's expenses were 100,000 a month. Those who have censured this additional levy and the bra.s.s coinage were jealous of what was done towards fighting the battle of Ireland, or forgot that levies by the crown and alterations of the coin had been practised by every government in Europe.]
CHAPTER XI.
An Act for Repealing the Act for keeping and celebrating the 23rd of _October_ as an Anniversary Thanksgiving in this Kingdom.
CHAPTER XII.
An Act for Liberty of Conscience, and Repealing such Acts or Clauses in any Act of Parliament which are inconsistent with the same.
An Act concerning Tythes and other Ecclesiastical Duties.
_Acts XIII. and XV. provide for the payment of t.i.thes by Protestants to the Protestant Church and by Catholics to the Catholic Church._
CHAPTER XIV.
An Act regulating Tythes, and other Ecclesiastical Duties in the Province of _Ulster_.
CHAPTER XVI.
An Act for Repealing the Act for real Union and Division of Parishes, and concerning Churches, Free-Schools and Exchanges.
CHAPTER XVII.
An Act for Relief and Release of poor distressed Prisoners for Debts.
CHAPTER XVIII.
An Act for the Repealing an Act, Ent.i.tuled, An Act for Confirmation of Letters Patent Granted to his Grace James Duke of Ormond.
[The list of estates granted to Ormond, under the settlement at the restoration, occupies a page and a half of c.o.x's Magazine. To reduce him to his hereditary princ.i.p.alities (for they were no less) which he held in 1641, was no great grievance, and that was the object of this Act.]
CHAPTER XIX.
An Act for Encouragement of Strangers and others to inhabit and plant in the Kingdom of _Ireland_.
CHAPTER XX.
An Act for Prevention of Frauds and Perjuries.
CHAPTER XXI.
An Act for Prohibiting the Importation of English, Scotch, or Welch Coals into this Kingdom.
CHAPTER XXII.
An Act for ratifying and confirming Deeds and Settlements and last Wills and Testaments of Persons out of Possession.
CHAPTER XXIII.
An Act for the speedy Recovering of Servants' Wages.
CHAPTER XXIV.
An Act for Forfeiting and Vesting in His Majesty the Goods of Absentees.
CHAPTER XXV.
