on this confideration with all due dispatch, and with the diligence and attention which its tranfcendent importance demands.

3. Refolutions, as moved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and voted in the Committee of the whole Houfe, 14th Feb. 1799.

FIRST.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, in order to promote and fecure the effential interests of Great Britain and Ireland, and to confolidate the strength, power, and refources of the British empire, it will be advisable to concur in fuch measures as may best tend to unite the two kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland into one kingdom, in fuch manner, and on fuch terms and conditions, as may be established by Acts of the refpective Parliaments of his Majesty's faid kingdoms.

SECOND.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That it would be fit to propofe, as the first article, to serve as a bafis of the faid Union, that the faid kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland fhall, upon a day to be agreed upon, be united into one kingdom, by the name of The United Kingdom of Great • Britain and Ireland.'

THIRD.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpofe, it would be fit to propose, that the fucceffion to the monarchy and the imperial crown of the said United Kingdom fhall continue limited and fettled in the fame manner as the imperial crown of the faid kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland now ftands limited and fettled, according to the exifting laws, and to the terms of the Union between England and Scotland.

FOURTH.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpose, it would be fit to propofe, that the faid United Kingdom be reprefented in one and the fame Parliament, to be ftyled The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;' and that fuch a number of Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and fuch a number of Members in the House of Commons, as fhall be hereafter agreed upon by Acts of the refpective Parliaments as aforefaid, fhall fit and vote in the faid Parliament on the part of Ireland, and fhall be fummoned, chofen, and returned, in fuch manner as fhall be fixed

5

fixed by an Act of Parliament of Ireland, previous to the faid Union; and that every Member, hereafter to fit and vote in the faid Parliament of the United Kingdom, fhall, until the faid Parliament fhall otherwife provide, take and fubfcribe the fame oaths, and make the fame declarations, as are by law required to be taken, fubfcribed, and made, by the Members of the Parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland.

FIFTH.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpofe, it would be fit to propofe, that the churches of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government thereof, fhall be preferved as now by law established.

SIXTH.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpose, it would be fit to propofe, that his Majesty's fubjects in Ireland fhall, at all times hereafter, be entitled to the fame privileges, and be on the fame footing, in respect of trade and navigation, in all ports and places belonging to Great Britain, and in all cafes with refpect to which treaties shall be made by his Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, with any foreign power, as his Majefty's fubjects in Great Britain:-That no duty fhall be impofed on the import or export between Great Britain and Ireland of any articles now duty-free; and that on other articles there fhall be established, for a time to be limited, such a moderate rate of equal duties as fhall, previous to the Union, be agreed upon and approved by the respective Parliaments; fubject, after the expiration of fuch limited time, to be diminished equally with refpect to both kingdoms, but in no cafe to be increated:-That all articles, which may at any time hereafter be imported into Great Britain from foreign parts, fhall be importable through either kingdom into the other, fubject to the like duties and regulations as if the fame were imported directly from foreign parts:-That where any articles, the growth, produce, or manufacture of either kingdom, are fubject to any internal duty in one kingdom, fuch countervailing duties (over and above any duties on import to be fixed as aforefaid) fhall be impofed as fhall be neceffary to prevent any inequality in that refpect:-And that all other matters of trade and commerce, other than the foregoing, and than fuch others as may, before the Union, be specially agreed upon for the due encouragement of the agriculture and manu factures of the refpective kingdoms, fhail remain to be regulated from time to time by the United Parliament.

SEVENTH.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpose, it would be fit to propofe, that the charge arifing from the payment of the intereft, or finking fund for the reduction of the principal of the debt incurred in either kingdom before the Union, fall continue to be feparately defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland refpectively:-That, for a number of years to be limited, the future ordinary expenses of the United Kingdom, in peace or war, fhall be defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland jointly, according to fuch proportions as shall be established by the respective Parliaments previous to the Union; and that, after the expiration of the time to be fo limited, the proportion shall not be liable to be varied, except according to Juch rules and principles as fhall be in like manner agreed upon previous to the Union.

EIGHTH.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpofe, it would be fit to propofe, that all laws in force at the time of the Union, and all the courts of civil or ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, within the refpective kingdoms, fall remain, as now by law established, within the fame, subject only to fuch alterations or regulations, from time to time, as circumstances may appear, to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to require.

[Note. The first, fecond, third, fourth, fixth, and eighth, were agreed to by the Houfe without amendment.]

4. The Fifth and Seventh Refolutions, as amended in the

Houfe.

FIFTH.

That for the fame purpose it would be fit to propose, that the churches of that part of Great Britain called England, and of that part of Great Britain called Scotland, and of Ireland, and the doctrine, worthip, difcipline, and government thereof, fhall be preferved as now by law established.

SEVENTH,

That for the fame purpose it would be fit to propose, that the charge arifing from the payment of the intereft, or finking fund for the reduction of the principal of the debt incurred in either kingdom before the Union, fhall continue to be separately paid by Great Britain and Ireland refpectively :—' :-That for a number of years to be limited, the future expenses of the United Kingdom, in peace or war, fhall be defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland jointly, according to fuch proportions as

fhall

f

fhall be established by the refpective Parliaments previous to the Union; and that after the expiration of the time to be fo limited, the mode of jointly defraying fuch expenses shall be regulated according to fuch rules and principles as fhall be in like manner agreed upon previous to the Union, for the purpofe of establishing gradually an uniform fyftem of taxation through every part of the United Kingdom.

5. Address, voted by the House of Lords, and agreed to by the Commons, 22d April 1799.

We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament affembled, humbly beg leave to affure your Majefty, that we have proceeded with the utmost attention to the confideration of the important objects recommended to us in your Majesty's Meffage refpecting the connexion between this country and Ireland.

We entertain a firm perfuafion that a complete and entire Union between Great Britain and Ireland, founded on equal and liberal principles, on the fimilarity of laws, conftitution,. and government, and on a fenfe of mutual interefts and affections, by promoting the fecurity, wealth, and commerce of the refpective kingdoms, and by allaying the diffractions which have unhappily prevailed in Ireland, must afford fresh means of oppofing at all times an effectual refiftance to the deftructive projects of our foreign and domestic enemies, and must tend to confirm and augment the ftability, power, and refources of the empire.

Impreffed with thefe confiderations, we feel it our duty. humbly to lay before your Majesty fuch propofitions as appear to us beft calculated to form the bafis of fuch a fettlement, leaving it to your Majefty's wifdom, at fuch time and in fuch manner as your Majefty, in your parental folicitude for the happiness of your people, fhall judge fit, to communicate these propofitions to your Parliament of Ireland, with whom we fhall be at all times ready to concur in all fuch measures as may be found moft conducive to the accomplishment of this great and falutary work. And we trust that, after full and mature confideration, such a settlement may be framed and eftablished by the deliberative confent of the Parliaments of both kingdoms, as may be conformable to the fentiments, wishes, and real interests of your Majefty's faithful fubjects of Great Britain and Ireland, and may unite them infeparably in the full enjoyment of the bleffings of our free and invaluable conftitution, in the fupport of the honour and dignity of your Majefty's Crown, and in the prefervation and advancement of the welfare and profperity of the whole British empire.

6. Extract

6. Extract from his Majefty's Speech, on the Prorogation of the Parliament, 12th July 1799.

I have the fatisfaction of feeing that internal tranquillity is in fome degree restored in my kingdom of Ireland.

The removal of the only remaining naval force of the enemy to a diftant quarter muft nearly extinguifh even the precarious hope which the traitorous and difaffected have entertained of foreign afliftance.

But our great reliance for the immediate fafety of that country muft ftill reft on the experienced zeal and bravery of my troops of all defcriptions, and on the unfhaken loyalty and voluntary exertions of my faithful subjects in both kingdoms.

Its ultimate fecurity can alone be ensured by its intimate and entire Union with Great Britain; and I am happy to obferve, that the fentiments manifested by numerous and refpectable defcriptions of my Irifh fubjects justify the hope, that the accomplishment of this great and falutary work will be proved to be as much the joint wifh, as it unquestionably is the common intereft, of both my kingdoms.

No. II. Page 1.

1. Extract from the Speech of the Marquis Cornwallis, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on the opening of the Seffion of the Irish Parliament, 22d January 1799.

THE zeal of his Majefty's regular and militia forces, the gallantry of the yeomanry, the honourable co-operation of the British fencibles and militia, and the activity, skill, and valour of his Majesty's fleets, will, I doubt not, defeat every future effort of the enemy; but the more I have reflected on the fituation and circumftances of this kingdom, confidering on the one hand the ftrength and stability of Great Britain, and on the other thofe divifions which have fhaken Ireland to its foundations, the more anxious I am for fome permanent adjustment which may extend the advantages enjoyed by our fifter kingdom to every part of this island.

The unremitting induftry with which our enemies perfevere in their avowed defign of endeavouring to effect a feparation of this kingdom from Great Britain must have engaged your particular attention, and his Majefty commands

me