kingdom of Ireland, and fupplies, not general measures of policy, feeming to have been confidered as the material bufinefs of the feffion, one is not surprised to discover in Mr. Southwell's first dispatches on its opening, confiderable impatience as a minifter, whatever his private opinion as to a Union might be, at finding the House of Commons more willing to deliberate on matters of that fort, than ready to fatisfy the pecuniary exigencies of the Government. On the 25th, in a letter to Lord Nottingham, he fays, It is a miferable fatigue we are under. We are forced to use a great deal of claret, and a great many arguments, and all little enough. There is a moft ftrange mixture of Scotch and fanatical principles, which fours the mafs. They are jealous of every thing; and were it not that my Lord Lieutenant has a great perfonal intereft, nothing at all • would be done.' This he means in regard to the fupplies, which the Lord Lieutenant endeavoured to obtain for three years, but which attempt, after every effort, he was obliged to abandon, a grant even for two having paffed with difficulty.

In a fhort time, both Houfes formed themfelves into Committees on the state of the nation. Two days before that of the House of Commons fat, Mr. Southwell writes to Lord Nottingham† his conjectures about the event, as follows: Next Monday is appointed to confider of the state of the nation; and I believe it will end in this, after .confidering fome difficulties they lie under, to make some representation, full of temper and moderation, ❝ for gaining fome relief in those points; and many even ' talk of a Union?

† Oct. 2, 1703.

When

When the Committee took place, it appears that the wish for that measure was ftill more general than he had foreseen.

This day,' fays he, in a letter written at night to the fame Nobleman ‡, the Houfe of Commons had <appointed to go into the state of the nation; and after. ⚫ fome hours fitting, and confidering the many misfortunes the country lay under, in point of trade and • other circumstances, all the Speakers concluded, that they did, in the most earnest manner, defire a Union with England, and they have appointed Friday next to confider that matter, and how to represent the fame to the • Lord Lieutenant, to lay it before her Majesty, that her Majesty may interpose with the Parliament of England in that affair. I muft needs own, that the great temper and good difpofition of the debate furprised most people; and thofe things which feemed to be the loud⚫eft grievances were touched with all the true fenfe, but • at the same time with the true difpofition, as if they

defired nothing more, which I hope will incline the ❝ next feffion §, by her Majesty's mediation, to cultivate this good difpofition.'

It is from the tenour of this letter, and fome others in the fame fpirit, that I infer both that the fober with and opinion of the leading men was ftrongly in favour of a Union, and that Mr. Southwell himself was inclined to it.

1 pct. 4.

Si. e. Of the English Parliament, which met in the beginning of the following month, Nov. 1703.

The Houfe fat in the Committee on feveral different

days; and it appears that the Speaker, Mr. Brodrick, took an active part in framing certain refolutions, which were reported by Mr. Molefworth, the Chairman, on the 11th; and the last of which was, that her Majesty be moft humbly moved, that through her princely goodnefs, and wisdom, and favourable interpofition, her fubjects of this kingdom may be relieved from the calamities they now lie under, by a full enjoyment of ⚫ their constitution, or a more firm and ftri&t Union with. England.'

These refolutions were afterwards formed into a Reprefentation addreffed to the Queen, which concluded: nearly to the fame effect. The Representation was voted on the 20th of October.

On the 25th the Houfe of Lords refolved, Upon due • confideration of the prefent conftitution of this kingdom, that fuch an humble reprefentation be made to the Queen, of the state and condition thereof, as may best incline her Majefty, by fuch proper means as to her Majefty fhall feem fit, for promoting fuch an • Union with England as may qualify the states of this ‹ kingdom to be represented in the Parliament there .

I do not find that any farther ftep was taken by that House in confequence of this refolution. The Queen's answer to their addrefs was couched in obliging terms, but

Mr. South-well's Letter to Lord Nottingham, 9th Oct. 1703. + Journals of the Irish Houfe of Commons, vol. iii. p. 45. Journals of the Irish House of Lords, vol. ii. p. 29.

took

ook to notice whatever of the fuggestion relative to Union §.

That to the Reprefentation of the Commons was in lefs gracious language: Her Majesty having confidered of the Reprefentation made by the Houfe of Commons in Ireland, has commanded this answer to be returned: That the first part seems to relate to matters past in Parliament, and the other part' (in which a Union was mentioned) confifting only of things in general, her Majesty can give no particular answer at present, • but will take them into her confideration."

It was not received till the 11th of February |, at an interval of near four months from the delivery of the Representation to the Lord Lieutenant ¶.

It is difficult to conceive what good reafons could have been stated by the Administration of England at that time for rejecting, in fo harth and difdainful a manner, advances towards a measure which, as the Irish Commons juitly obferved in their Representation, would unquestionably have been to the advantage of that kingdom, Whatever ratio juftificativa they might have been able to plead, it is probable the ratio fuaforia was, that the business was chiefly promoted in Ireland by the party they fuppofed hoftile to themselves. To fhow how little difficulty the carrying of it into execution was likely to have encountered there, in addition to what I have already stated, I will read the concluding paragraph of a

It was dated Windsor, 12th Oct. 1703, and communicated to the Lords in Ireland on the 19th of that month. Journals of the Irish House of Lords, vol. ii. p. 24.

Journals of the Irish House of Commons, vol. iii. p. 168.

Oct. 22. Ibid. p. 70. 74.

letter

letter from Sir Richard Cox, the Chancellor, to Lord Nottingham, dated Feb. 13, 1703-4:

There is no remedy fo proper for both kingdoms as fome fort of Union, which would conduce to enrich and ftrengthen England, and establish the English interest here, and make it profper; for in that cafe all the British would be good Englishmen; and fince we do not capitulate, and you may be your own carvers, it seems worthy your ferious thoughts to promote fo good a work.'

And let not Gentlemen fuppofe that the Union was then confidered merely as a refuge from the abject condition of a fubordinate Legislature. Whatever topics the warmth of oppofition may have introduced into the Representation of the Irish Commons, the tranfactions of both Houfes during that feffion completely prove how fully they acted as the uncontrolled branches of a Parliament perfectly fui juris. The Commons with difficulty granted fupplies for two years, instead of the three which had been demanded; and this, after calculating the establishment on the lowest scale, and debiting the Treasury with the outstanding arrears of revenue, contrary to former practice. The other Houfe, without regard to any offence which might be taken in England, by a folemn refolution afferted their fupreme and exclufive right of appeal, and actually exercised it by iffuing an order under which the Earl of Meath was put in poffeffion of an estate, directly in the teeth of a decree of the House of Lords in England *.

Journals of the Irish House of Lords, vol. ii. p. 24. 28, 30, 34, 35, 36. 41, 42. 44. 52, 53. 62.

The