Some days ago I had the honor of transmitting the Volunteer Resolutions to his Excellency, & on the 10th., I had the pleasure of sending you our Leinster resolutions in manuscript; Since that Period Government, dreading the resentment of the Nation, disbanded the 6 Regiments of Fensibles; the officers have lost considerably by the raising of them; some Colonels have lost from 12 to 1200 pound by them, and three Colonels have lost their Seats for Counties by accepting of the Command;—

Yesterday our Parliament met; our Vice roys attendance & Equipage was the poorest in Figure & attendance I ever remember; the Speech is long & contains nothing remarkable, but the Surrender of the Admiralty Court & Post office into our hands, & hints that we ought not to Expect any more; and he warmly recommends the Genevans to our Care—with acconomy—

I intended to have moved an amendment but have been confined to my Chamber these some days past with a dangerous disorder in my bowels, which at present rages very much in this Kingdom & has Carried off a great many Persons; it is imputed to the incessant rains we have had for 2 months; My amendment would have fully tried the Temper of the new Parliament, of whose Virtue and Integrity I have great doubt; Many of the Members are poor & Needy, & have laid out their 2200 pound, to obtain good Interest; the Number of Lawyers are nearly doubled to what they were in the late Parliament, & the attornies are Equaly increased; Mr. Flood begins to be Suspected, as he has not attended any Meetings & is gone to England; Mr. Gratton has declared for the more Equal Representation of the People, but will not attend any of the Conventions, alledging that he can be more usefull in Parliament, where he sees the General opinion; I have seen many plans of reform, but not one to my mind; I fear the Diversity of opinions will injure the main point—

This age has not produced better writings, Pro & Con, upon any political Subject, that the present month has produced in regard to the reform & Protecting Duties; the Authors are, as yet, unknown and probably will continue so, as some are as violent, as any discourse ever held at Fanuel Hall or Liberty Tree; all the Regiments that left this during the late war, are replacing with speed; mostly Scotch;—to the Number of 12000 Effective Men—

The Grand National Committee is to meet on the 10th. of November, at which I expect almost Every County in Ireland will send 5 Delegates, besides two for Each Capital City, & 5 for Dublin; it will be composed of the first men of Property & Interest, and I believe the Majority of them are Men of Virtue; if we obtain a proper Reform, we shall have the Compleatest form of Government in the World, as a bill for the Exclusion of Placeman & Pensioners will then take place & Corruption be for Ever shut out of the House of Commons;

My Plan, that I intend to offer, is, to have County Elect five Members, the free Cities three, & Dublin City four; that will make 100 members, & I would deduct one member Each from the 100 Venal Burroughs; still leaving 300, the Present Number of Members; other plans are to annihilate & purchase all the Burroughs & throw them open to the Counties; others to add 100 Members & leave the Burroughs as they are; another plan is to let Every Inhabitant have a Vote, if a householder;—

I am not unmindfull of getting you a proper horse, & have looked at several; as to a Groom going from this, I could Scarsely find one, that I would send you, as they are, in General, Drunkards; English Grooms are in general Sober, for which reason they are preferred;—

Was you to be in the same Kingdom with Lady N, I Should be Jealous of you, as she has a sincere regard for you, & Speaks of you with the highest regards in all Companies; She wishes if any Print is done of the Virtuous Secretary, it may be enclosed to her;—we are not conscious of having offended Mr.& Mrs. Jay, for whom we have the greatest personal respect; but from the day I left Paris, I wrote him four Letters, & never received any answer; I request if you see him, you will inform him of this; a Line from himself would give me real Satisfaction; this day the Enquires begun about our Exports, & administration did not oppose the Calling for the Necessary Papers; from whence it is inferred, that they will not oppose some Protecting Duties; your Patience & my paper both demand a conclusion, but not with-out a friendly Demand of an answer; my Better part desires her most respectable and affectionate Respects to his Excellency; she ardently longs to Grace our new Study with his Bust; I have the place prepared for it, & ships are Constantly trading from Bourdeaux to Dublin—and to order it to be Kept in the Cabin & I will pay Any Gratuity to the Captain for his Care—when you see the Marquiss le Fayettee; I request my respects to him—My Son joins me in due respects to his Excellency— I Have the Honor, to be, with Esteem, affection & regard Dr. Sir most sincerely yours