3. Extract from the Lord Lieutenant's Speech, on the Prorogation of the Parliament, ift June 1799.

I have his Majefty's particular commands to acquaint you that a joint Addrefs of the two Houses of Parliament of Great Britain has been laid before his Majefty, accompanied by Refolutions propofing and recommending a complete and entire Union between Great Britain and Ireland, to be established by the mutual confent of both Parliaments, founded on equal and liberal principles, on the fimilarity of laws, conftitution, and government, and on a sense of mutual interefts and affections. His Majesty will receive the greatest fatisfaction in witneffing the accomplishment of a fyftem, which, by allaying the unhappy diftractions too long prevalent in Ireland, and by promoting the fecurity, wealth, and commerce of his refpective kingdoms, muft afford them at all times, and especially in the prefent moment, the best means of jointly oppofing an effectual refiftance to the deftructive projects of foreign and domeftic enemies; and his Majefty, as the common father of his people, muft look forward with earnest anxiety to the moment when, in conformity to the fentiments, wifhes, and real interefts of his fubjects of Great Britain and Ireland, they may all be infeparably united in the full enjoyment of the bleffings of a free conftitution, in the fupport of the honour and dignity of his Majefty's Crown, and in the preservation and advancement of the welfare and profperity of the whole British empire.

I feel moft fenfibly the arduous fituation in which I am placed, and the weight of the truft which his Majefty has impofed upon me at this most important crifis; but if I fhould be fo fortunate as to contribute in the smalleft degree to the fuccefs of this great measure, I fhall think the labours and anxiety of a life devoted to the service of my country amply repaid, and shall retire with the conscious fatisfaction that I have had some share in averting from his Majefty's dominions thofe dangers and calamities which have overspread fo large a portion of Europe.

No.

No. III. Page 20.

3. Extract from the Records of the Privy Council of Scotland.

At Edinb. the eighth day of September, one thousand feven bundred and two years.

LETTER from the Queen to the Council for calling and indicting a new Parliament read and order'd to be recorded, whereof the tenor followes.

Sic fupra feribitur, Anne R.

Right truftie, &c. Wee greet yow well; Haveing upon 'weighty confiderationes thought fitt to call a Parliament of that our ancient kingdome to meet at Edinburgh the twelth day of November nixt enfueing the date hereof; Wee have now fent yow here inclosed a Proclamation to be ifhued for that purpofe; which yow are to take care to be timely published with all the folemnities ufuall upon the like occafiones, for doeing 'whereof this fhall be your warrant; and fo Wee bid yow heartily farewell. Given at our Court at Windfour Caftle, the 25th day of August 1702, and of our rigne the first year. By her Majeftie's command, fic fubfcribitur

• QUEENSBERRY.'

Proclamation under her Majeftie's royall hand calling & in dicting the faid new Parliament to meet at Edinburgh the twelth November nixt; and the famen being read in their prefence, the Councill ordained the faid Proclamation to be recorded, printed, and published, at the marcat crofs of Edinburgh, and at the marcat croffes of the remanent head burghs of the feverall fhyres & ftewartries of this kingdome. And appoints her Majeftie's Solicitors to tranfmit copies therof to the respective Shirriffs and Stewarts of this kingdome, to the effect they may conveen the free holders within ther refpective bounds, and the magiftrats of their respective burghs their toune councills, furth with to elect their refpective Commiffioners to the enfucing Parliament. Off the which Proclamation the tenor folloes.

Anne, by the grace of God, Queen of Great Brittaine, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. To all and 'fundrie our good fubjects whom these presents doe or may

concerne, greeting; Whereas the late Parliament of that our ⚫ ancient kingdome is by our authority diffolved; and confidering that Wee are ingadged at prefent in a moft just and neceffary warr; and that by acts paft in the Parliament both of Scotland and England Wee are impowered, & have accordingly nominat Commiffioners to treat of an Union betwixt thefe our kingdomes, & of other things, matters, & caufes ; relateing therto; conforme to the tenors of the faids acts, the conclufion of which Union to be established and ratified in both Parliaments, will undoubtedly conduce to the lafting peace & wellfare of both kingdoms; for which cauffes, and ⚫ that Wee judge it neceffary ther should be a Parliament in being to meett on fuch occafiones as may requyre it, Wee have ther'fore thought fitt to call a Parliament of that our kingdome to < meet at our city of Edinburgh upon the twelth day of Novem⚫ber nixt enfueing the date of these prefents: Wee doe therfore requyre & command all Dukes, Marqueffes, Earles, Viscounts, Lords, and Officers of State of our faid kingdome, to be prefent & attend at that dyet; and Wee doe also re6 quyre & command all our Shirriffs in the severall fhyres & their deputes furth with to call & conveen all the freeholders in the respective fhyres, to the end that according to the lawes * & acts of Parliament, electiones may be made of fitt perfones to be Commiffioners for this Parliament. And Wee doe lykways requyre & command our royal burrowes to make choife of Commiffioners accordingly; & them & all perfones haveing intreft to attend this our Parliament under the paines contained in our lawes made theranent; and to the effect all our good fubjects may have nottice of this our royal will & pleasure, Wee doe hereby command our Lyon King of Armes, & his ⚫ bretheren Heraulds, Macers, Purfevants and Meffengers at Armes, to make timeous proclamatione of thefe prefents at the marcat crofs of Edinburgh, & at the marcat croffes of the head burghes of the feverall fhyres of that our ancient kingdome. Given at our Court at Windfour Caftle, the 25th Auguft 1702, & of our reigne the first year. By her Majestie, fic < fubfcribitur

Be it knowen to all men by thir prefent letters, Wee the barrons & freeholders of the fhereffdome of Edinburgh principall, being mett & conveened within the Parliament "Howfe thereof, to the effect underwritten, be vertue of inti' matione and advertisement from the fhireff principall and his deputy; and wee takeing to our confideratioune that the laft "Parliament is diffolved, and that ther is ane new Parliament in

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6

dicted by her Majefty Queen Ann, to meet att Edinburgh on the twelth day of November nixt to come; and that it is 'neceffar wee have four commiffioners elected to reprefent this fhyre in the faid Parliament, and feverall meetings and feffiones therof; and wee being firft qualified by fwearing the ⚫ oath of aledganes to her Majefty Queen Ann, and fubfcryveing the fame with the affurance; and haveing knawledge of the fidelitie, fittnefs, and abilitie of the perfones underwritten, to the effect aftermentionat: Wee have therfore nominated, elected, and chofen, and heirby nominats, electis, & choifes, 'Sir Robert Dundafs of Arnefton, ane of the Senators of the 'Colledge of Justice; Sir James Primrofe of Caringtoun, Sir 'Robert Dickfone of Inverefk, and George Lockhart of Carnwath, to be our four Commiffioners to represent the said shyre ' in the next enfewing Parliament and feverall meetings and feffiones therof, to whom wee heirby give full power, warrand, and commiffione, to compear for the faid fhyre in the faid nixt 'Parliament and severall meetings and feffiones therof; and ther < to meet, confult, and affemble with the noblemen and others • Commiffioners for the fhyres and royall burghes of this kingdome, and to fitt in the faids meetings and feffiones of Parliament; and conferr, treate, vott, consult, and determine in all · poynts, acts, and effaires, that hall happen to be debated, proponed, and concluded in the faids meetings and feffiones of Parliament; and all and everie thing to doe therin, ficklyk and as freelie in all respects, and to all intentis and purposes, · as any other Commiffioner for this fhyre, or any other Commiffioner within this kingdome hes done or may doe in the lyke 'caices. And for the mair fecuritie, we consent thir prefents be infert & regiftrat in the bookes of Parliament, &c.' Dated 30th September 1702.

3. Commiffion by the Burgh of Edinburgh.

"Be it knowen to all men be thir prefents, Us the Lord Provoft, Baillies, Council and Deacons of crafts ordinar and.extraordinar of the burgh of Edinburgh; forafmuchas it having pleased the Queen's Majefty to call a Parliament of this king'dom to meet at Edinburgh upon the twelth day of November ⚫ nixt enfueing the dait of thir prefents; therefor wit ye us to have, nominate, conftitut, and ordained, likeas we be thir prefents nominate, conftitut, and ordaine Sir Patrick Johnston 'prefent Lord Frovoft of Edinburgh, and Robert Inglis, goldfmith, and prefent Deacon Conveener of the incorporations thereof, to represent us as our Commiffioners in the faid Parliament, giving, granting, and committing to them our very full, free, plain power, exprefs bidding, mandament and charge, for us in our names and upon our behalf, to meet and conveen with the remanent Commiffioners of the free royall bur" rows

rows of this Kingdom in the faid enfueing Parliament, to be holden at Edinburgh the faid twelth day of November nixt, ' with continuation of dayes, and there in our names and upon our behalf to fitt, treat, reafon, vote, and conclude upon all and whatsomever maitters that fhall happen to be proponed and treated upon in the faid Parliament; firm and stable holding, and for to hold all & whatfomever our faids Commiffioners does in the premises, in fo far as may concerne the glory of God, the Queen's honour, the wellfare of the kingdom, this church, and estate of burrowes. Attour we teftifye our_said ⚫ Commiffioners to be men fearing God, of the true Proteftant religion prefently profeffed and authorized be the laws of this · kingdom without fufpicion in the contrare; the one a merchant, the other a tradsman, inhabitants within this burgh, bearing all portable charges with their neighbours, and are fuch as may tyne and win in all our affaires. In witnefs wherof, &c. &c.* Dated 11th September 1702.

No. IV. Pages 24, 57.

1. Refolutions of a Meeting of the Freeholders of the County of Louth.

AT a numerous and refpectable meeting of the Freeholders of the county of Louth, held at Dundalk, Monday, January 14, 1799, the following Resolutions were unanimously agreed to :—

John M'Clintock, jun. Efq. High Sheriff, in the chair:

Refolved, That it is the duty, as well as the right of the freeholders and burgeffes of Ireland, to exprefs their fentiments on the fubject of a Union.

That our Reprefentatives were not empowered at their election to furrender the conftitutional privileges of their constituents.

That the rapid improvement of this kingdom fince the date of her legislative independence clearly evinces, that an independent Irifh Legislature is as neceffary as British connexion to the prof perity of Ireland.

That a Union would not only deprive us of many of our dearest rights, but render the enjoyment of the remainder precarious and uncertain, and would for ever deftroy the security that Ireland now poffeffes for their continuance.

That it is impolitic and unwife to agitate at this time a queftion that may lead to a recurrence to first principles.

That,