Above : Painting Of Fitzgibbon

From the first, considerable misunderstanding seems to have existed between Fitzwilliam and the members of the Cabinet. It does not appear to have been clearly explained to the Viceroy-Elect what the extent of his powers were to be, especially in regard to the appointment and dismissal of high officials, or, if such an explanation was given, it was not understood. Fitzwilliam afterwards declared that he believed himself authorised to make what changes he pleased, except that Baron Fitzgibbon, the Lord Chancellor, was not to be removed. These, and other matters, were discussed at personal interviews of which no note was taken at the time, and the recollections of the several persons present as to what was actually said were found afterwards to differ in many material points. Regarding the attitude which he was to take up in the important matter of the Catholic claims, Fitzwilliam would appear to have received sufficiently explicit directions. He was to endeavour to procure a postponement of the whole matter, if possible, but if that could not be done he was to support it. Yet even as regards this, some misunderstandings arose.

The new Viceroy reached Ireland early in January (1795), and> before he had beeQ many days m the country, he saw that any attempt to postpone the discussion of the Catholic Question in Parliament would be quite futile, and only productive of intense irritation. He wrote to this effect to Portland, the British Home Secretary, his official chief, and asked directions as to what he should do. This letter, and some others which followed it, Portland left long unanswered, so that the Lord Lieutenant was placed in the very unpleasant position of seeing the day of the opening of the Parliamentary Session arrive, while he remained without directions as to what course he should pursue in regard to a question which would be certain to be almost immediately raised. He had himself strongly urged that the best policy would be for the Government to yield, cheerfully and with apparent willingness, to the demands of the Catholics. He certainly, in the absence of any intimation to the contrary, had some grounds for supposing himself entitled to act in accordance with his own views ; indeed, in a letter written to Portland on January 15th, he distinctly said he would do so.

Previous to this, however, Fitzwilliam had ventured on an assertion of his authority which ultimately proved quite as instrumental in bringing his Irish administration to a speedy and abrupt end as did his attitude in respect of the Catholic Question. A few days only after his own arrival in Ireland, he had dismissed Sackville Hamilton the Undersecretary, Cooke the Secretary for War, and John Claudius Beresford, the Commissioner of Revenue. All three were, he knew, hostile to the Catholic claims. Beresford’s case was by far the most important. The immense influence of his family rendered it highly dangerous to interfere in any way with one of its members. It was said that one-fourth of the public offices in Ireland were filled by a Beresford, or on the recommendation of a Beresford.

It is true that the dispossessed Commissioner was not to suffer pecuniary loss ; his full salary was to be paid him as a pension—none the less the insult was keenly felt by the whole connection, and bitterly complained of to the English authorities. Pitt was highly indignant that the new Lord Lieutenant should have, by his high-handed proceedings, further complicated a situation already sufficiently difficult and stirred up a needless amount of hostility against his administration. This hostility spread to the other officials, and Fitzwilliam found himself to a great degree isolated.