In the early 1750s the lord lieutenant, the duke of Dorset, found himself in the awkward position of his Undertakers being unable to deliver and indeed in active opposition. The issue was the Irish parliament's claim that it controlled the disposal of a revenue surplus that had accumulated. The government insisted that the Crown had the power to use it to reduce public debt. The Speaker, Henry Boyle, joined by Anthony Malone, the prime sergeant, and by the Earl of Kildare, led the opposition to the government. This "Undertaker" patriotism was short-lived, however, as all three were won over to the government side with titles and pensions, Boyle becoming the earl of Shannon, Malone becoming the chancellor of the exchequer, and Kildare becoming the duke of Leinster. But the seeds were set for future parliamentary "Patriotism." Within a decade outspoken champions of Irish constitutional liberties were elected to parliament. They included Henry Flood and Charles Lucas. The latter had a long career of agitation against public abuses and was elected for the city of Dublin. The specific objectives of these new patriots included security of tenure for judges, a habeas corpus act, a national militia, and a limit to the life of a parliament, objectives in existence in England.
There had been an election upon the death of George II in 1760. His grandson and successor, George III, desirous of more effective government, sought to have the lord lieutenant directly lead the Irish parliament, rather than rely on the patronage mongering Undertakers. To that end, approval was given to an Octennial Act in 1768. This concession to patriot sentiment would hopefully make independent members more amenable to the wishes of the new lord lieutenant, George Townsend, who hoped to directly manage the parliament, control patronage, and bypass the Undertakers. He would also be a continuous rather than occasional resident in Ireland and make the viceregal court a center of social attention.
World History
