In a book printed in the fame year, entitled, Mif cellanea Aulica,' there is a fhort paper with this fuperfcription, A Propofal of feveral Officers, and other Gentlemen of English Extraction in Ireland, for a Union of that Kingdom with England.' There is no date to it; but it must have been originally drawn up either in the reign of Charles II. or of King William, as appears by this introductory paragraph:

His Majesty's good fubjects in Ireland, upon the hearing of a propofal made not long fince for the uniting England and Scotland' (there was, I believe, no fuch proposal in James the Second's time,) with all • obedience and fubmiffion humbly conceive it a means • conducible thereto, if the like Union of England and Ireland, under one legislative power affembled in one Parliament, might be refettled de jure, in something like the manner it was formerly de facto, to the facilitating his Majefty's gracious government of both kingdoms, diffolving of many intricate difficulties, taking away much of the root of difference and difcord between the now many parties in his Majesty's 'faid kingdoms, and strengthening his hands against all oppofition, both at home and abroad.'

It seems pretty clear, from the title and style of this propofal, that it was defigned to be laid before Governmet, and was the act of fome known and confiderable clafs of perfons; fo that it most probably was a matter of general notoriety.

I will mention one other publication of that time, which exprefsly purports to have been fubmitted to the confideration of Queen Anne and her Parliament. The

title, An Effay upon an Union of Ireland with England, most humbly offered to the Confideration of the • Queen's most excellent Majefty and both Houses of Parliament.' The date, in the copy I have feen, is Dublin, reprinted, 1704.'

This author ftates his opinion, that while Ireland continues a diftinct kingdom, the only precautions England can take to prevent any danger that may arise to it from that country, are, ift, to entrust the Government there entirely in the hands of Englishmen; or, 2dly, to check the growth of that kingdom in point of trade and wealth, fo that it may not be able to attempt any thing against the conftitution of England. He afterwards enters into a variety of arguments to fhew the equal injuftice and impolicy of either of those methods, and then comes to his propofal of a Union, which he fupports in a manner very clear and forcible, on confiderations refpecting the interefts and relative fituation of the two kingdoms, proving himfelf (whoever he was) to have been a person of more than ordinary information and abilities.

Thus, Sir, I think I have fhewn that this idea, now faid to be fo novel to Ireland, must have been in the general contemplation of all thinking people in that country from the days of Cromwell to the period of the Union of England and Scotland.

Upon that event the hopes of thofe true patriots in Ireland, as I must confider them, who wished for the bleffing of a like Union to their own country, feem to have revived, while the English Minifters of that day continued to feel the fame difinclination to it, which had

been manifefted by thofe in power at the beginning of the reign.

In the fpeech of the Earl of Pembroke, then Lord Lieutenant, at the opening of the feffion on the 7th of July 1707, fo memorable and important an occurrence as the Union with Scotland, was not even mentioned. But the Commons that very day resolved on an address of congratulation to her Majefty, on the accomplishment of the great work of uniting her Majesty's kingdoms of England and Scotland." Mr. Brodrick was chairman of the committee who prepared it, and it is drawn in fuch warm language of admiration as clearly evinces how great an impreffion the fubject had made: We crave

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leave to lay hold of the earliest opportunity humbly to • adddrefs your Majefty with our moft hearty and fincere congratulations, for the inward joy and fatisfaction you are bleffed with, and the glory you have acquired by accomplishing the Union of your Majefty's kingdoms of England and Scotland. This great and glorious work, ⚫ which your ancestors, with their utmost endeavours, la'boured to accomplish, lay above the reach and wisdom of former, times, and feems to have been referved by Heaven for your Majefty's reign, as one great reward of

an exemplary piety and heroic virtue, fignally demonftrated in what you have resolutely undertaken, and 'fuccefsfully carried on, to procure the general happiness, ⚫ and fecure the liberty of Europe. The difficulty of the attempt required the greateft genius to furmount it; and we cannot but highly honour and admire the wisdom of those councils that have by it given a further ' fecurity

'Journals of the Irish Lords, vol. ii. p. 153. Of the Houfe of Commons, vol. iii. p. 364.

2

Journals of Irish Commons, vol. iii. p. 365.

fecurity to the peace and fafety of your Majesty's government, the Proteftant fucceffion, and the church as by law established in England and Ireland. May God put it in your royal heart to add greater strength and luf.re to your crown, by a still more comprehensive Union.'

9.3

The Lords expreffed themselves to the fame effect, though not quite in fuch direct terms: We congratulate the glorious fuccefs of your Majesty's endeavours for fecuring, by your arms abroad, the liberties of Europe, and the welfare of your fubjects at home, by uniting Great Britain into one body under the same Proteftant fucceffion to the throne of all your dominions. • We are fenfible how effectual a means that will prove to prevent the attempts of Papifts from disturbing the quiet of your Majefty's empire, and particularly of this kingdom, that has been fo often endangered by them. May your Majefty go on and extend your favour to all your fubjects till none are excluded from fo great a bleffing, but fuch as by their own frowardness or difaffection to the public good bar themselves from the general advan*tages of your Majefty's reign.'

4

The Queen's answer to the Commons was in these very general and evafive terms: The Commons may be affured, that nothing shall be wanting on her part to make the Union of all her fubjects as extenfive as is 5 poffible. And although in their new addrefs of thanks for this anfwer they seem to have been defirous to give it an interpretation applicable to the meafure they had in contemplation, declaring that The affurance

3 Journals of the Irish Commons, vol. iii. p. 338.

* 15th July 1707, Journals of Irish Lords, vol. ii. p. 161.

• her

1 30th July 1707, Journals of Irish Commons, vol. iii. p. 420.

her Majesty had been pleased to give them, had inspired ⚫ them with hopes of an addition to the many bleffings they enjoyed under her most aufpicious reign;" yet no real encouragement being given to their overtures on the subject, the matter was profecuted no farther. The whole of the answer to the addrefs of the Lords was in these formal, cold, and difheartening words: Her Majesty returns their Lordships her hearty thanks for their address, and is very fenfible of their zeal for hers and the public fervice. Her Majefty is alfo very well pleafed with the fatisfaction their Lordships exprefs in her endeayours to unite all her fubjects.' 7

The English Government and the Irish Parliament had one very natural fentiment in common, the apprehenfion of danger from the great number of Catholics in Ireland, who continued attached to a dethroned monarch of. the fame religion with themfelves. But the Parliament feems to have looked to a legiflative Union as the fureft protection against this danger. The Ministers in England preferred the establishment of a fyftem of fevere penalties and difqualifications against Papifts, reftrictive of the rights, as well civil as political, which, till then, they had enjoyed in that country equally with their Proteftant fellow-fubjects. And the attempt to engage the Queen in the measure they had recommended having failed, the Parliament, feeing no third courfe, thought themselves compelled to co-operate with the Crown in adopting the other expedient. It has, accordingly, been truly remarked by a great authority in the fifter kingdom, That it was not till the propofition to unite the Le'giflatures

6 31st July 1707, Journals of Irish Commons, vol. iii. p. 421. 7 Journals of the Irish Houfe of Lords, 4th August 1707, vol. ii. p. 180.