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previous to the faid Union; and that every Member, hereafter to it and vote in the faid Parliament of the United Kingdom, fhall, until the faid Parliament fhall otherwife provide, take and subfcribe the fame oaths, and make the fame declarations, as are by law required to be taken, fubscribed, 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 purpose, it would be fit to propofe, that the churches of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government thereof, fhall be.1 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 Majefty's fubjects in Ireland shall, 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 fhall be made by his Majesty, his heirs or fucceffors, with any foreign power, as his Majesty'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, fuch a moderate rate of equal duties as fhall, previous to the Union, be agreed upon and approved by the refpective Parliaments; fubject, after the expiration of fuch limited time, to be diminished equally with respect to both kingdoms, but in no cafe to be increased :-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 subject to any internal duty in one kingdom, such 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 fpecially agreed upon for the due encouragement of the agriculture and manufactures of the respective kingdoms, fhall remain to be regulated from time otime by the United Parliament.

SEVENTH.

SEVENTH.

That it is the opinion of this Committee, That, for the fame purpofe, 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, fhall continue to be feparately defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland respectively :— That, for a number of years to be limited, the future ordinary expenfes of the United Kingdom, in peace or war, fhall be defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland jointly, according to ich 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 fhall not be liable to be varied, except according to fuch rules and principles as shall bé in like manner ageeed 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, fhall remain, as now by law eftablifhed, within the fame, fubject only to fuch alterations or regulations, from time to time, as circumftances may appear, to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to require.

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

4. The Fifth and Seventh Resolutions, as amended in the Houfe.

FIFTH.

That for the fame purpose it would be fit to propofe, 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, worship, discipline, and government thereof, fhall be preferved as now by law eftablished.

SEVENTH.

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, fhall continue to be feparately 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 such proportions as fhall be eftablished by

the

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 expenfes fhall be regulated according to fuch rules and principles as shall be in like manner agreed upon previous to the Union, for the purpofe of eftablishing gradually an uniform system of taxation through every part of the United Kingdom.

5. Addrefs, voted by the House of Lords, and agreed to by the Com mons, 22d April 1799.

We, your Majefty's moft 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 importaut objects recommended to us in your Majefty'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 govern ment, and on a fenfe of mutual interefts and affections, by promoting the fecurity, wealth and commerce of the respective kingdoms, and by allaying the diftractions which have unhappily prevailed in Ireland, muft afford fresh means of oppofing at all times an effectual refiftance to the deftructive projects of our foreign and domestic enemies, and muft tend to confirm and augment the ftability, power, and resources of the empire.

Impreffed with these confiderations, we feel it our duty humbly to lay before your Majefty fuch propofitions as appear to us best calculated to form the basis of fuch a fettlement, leaving it to your Majefty's wisdom, at such time and in fuch manner as your Majefty, in your parental folicitude for the happiness of your people, shall judge fit, to communicate these propofitions to your Parliament of Ireland, with whom we shall 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, fuch a fettlement may be framed and established by the deliberative confent of the Parliaments of both kingdoms, as may be conformable to the fentiments, wishes, and real interefts 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. Extrac

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 must nearly extinguish even the precarious hope which the traitorous and difaffected have entertained of foreign affiftance.

But our great reliance for the immediate fafety of that country must still reft on the experienced zeal and bravery of my troops of all defcriptions, and on the unshaken loyalty and voluntary exertions of my faithful fubjects in both kingdoms.

Its ultimate fecurity can alone be enfured by its intimate and entire Union with Great Britain; and I am happy to obferve, that the sentiments manifefted by numerous and refpectable descriptions of my Irish subjects justify the hope, that the accomplishment of this great and falutary work will be proved to be as much the joint wish, as it unquestionably is the common intereft, of both my kingdoms.

No. II. Page 1.

I. Extract from the Speech of the Marquis Cornwallis, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on the opening of the Seffion of the Irish Parliament, 2d 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 ftability 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 inland.

The unremitting industry with which our enemies persevere 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 to express his anxious

hope,

hope that this confideration, joined to the fentiment of mutual affection and common intéreft, may difpofe the Parliaments in both kingdoms to provide the moft effectual means of maintaining and improving a connexion effential to their common fecurity, and of confolidating, as far as poffible, into one firm and lafting fabric, the ftrength, the power, and the refources of the British empire.

2. Paragraph in a Motion made the fame Day, in the House of Commons, for an Address to the Crown.

The unremitting activity with which our enemies perfevere in their avowed defign of endeavouring to effect a feparation of this kingdom from Great Britain, muft conftantly engage our most earneft attention; and as your Majefty has condefcended to exprefs an anxious hope that this circumftance, joined to the fentiment of mutual affection and common intereft, may difpofe the Parliament in both kingdoms to provide the most effectual means of maintaniing and improving a connexion effential to their common fecurity, and of confolidating, as far as poffible, into one firm and lafting fabric, the ftrength, the power, and the refources of the British empire, we fhall not fail to give the fulleft confideration to a communication of fuch momentous importance.

2

3. Amendment thereto, propofed by Mr. Ponsonby, but rejected.

A motion was made, and the question being put, that an amendment be made in the foregoing motion by inserting after the word importance, the following words, viz. but maintaining the undoubted birth-right of the people of Ireland to have a free and independent Legislature, refident within this kingdom, as it was afferted by the Parliament of this kingdom in 1782, and acknowledged and ratified by his Majefty and the Parliament of Great • Britain upon the final adjustment of the discontents and jealoufies then prevailing among his Majesty's loyal subjects of this country:'

6

It paffed in the negative. Ayes 105.-Noes 106.

And then the queftion being put on the original motion,
It was carried in the affirmative.

4. Amendment thereto, adopted, 24th January 1799.

The Addrefs having been prepared, and reported 24th January 1799, the above (2) forming the tenth paragraph,

The queftion being put, that the said paragraph stand part of the faid Addrefs,

It paffed in the negative. Noes 109.-Ayes 104.

5. Extrac

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