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an infult which the offered to a great and independent nation. With that feeling the House very naturally refused to entertain it for a moment. With a just and becoming fpirit they rejected the difcuffion at once; though by a measure so precipitate and unufual, they doubtlefs incurred fome imputation of disrespect to the crown, and of ingratitude to the parent-country.

It is neceffary that this point should be clearly and diftinctly understood; and neceffary to ascertain whether the feelings of the House of Commons were as juft and proper as their conduct undoubtedly was while they were governed by them. For it would be ungenerous to fufpect of that Affembly, that they would have rejected with scorn, and refused to discuss altogether, a great national measure recommended by their fovereign, unless they had thought it on the one hand to imply fome infult and degradation to the

nation they reprefent, and on the other to be fo evidently advantageous to it, in an interested point of view, as to expofe the people to the temptation and danger of overlooking the affront in the utility of the offer. Upon any other fuppofition it is impoffible to account for fo wide a departure from the established rules and practice of a deliberating Affembly as the moving a previous queftion upon a meffage from the throne, and fhutting the difcuffion in limine upon a subject of the very highest moment that ever came before them. For to take it the other way if the offer was fupposed to be disadvantageous to Ireland, or unpopular to a great extent in the country, then it would have come certainly to be rejected upon disclosure and difcuffion; and that, with the double infamy and stigma deserved both by the affront and and the injury; and the House of Commons of Ireland could have had no motive for depriving the British minister of the full mafs of mortification that awaited him.

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In that manner the fame Affembly had acted in 1785 upon the occasion of the commercial propofitions. They faid that England fold them commerce for conftitution, and bartered her trade for their independence. This measure, therefore, after full and long debates, and minute investigation and publicity, they refused with scorn, to the confufion and disappointment of its projector. But upon the préfent propofition they were not so sure of the sense and high spirit of the public. They were fearful left the benefits proposed by the union should extinguish all sense of the affront, and they wifely and honestly withheld the temptation from the people.-I cannot but applaud the spirit and prudence of the House as one who would never expofe the people to fuch a danger and temptation; as one who would not put it in their power to decide amifs, nor comply with them if they did as one who thinks the obfequiousness of a government towards their fugitive and miftaken

taken will, a fpecies of the very. worft cowardice and treason, and the will of the people no excufe for the compliance of a government in any disastrous, or dishonourable, or dangerous measure.

But while I applaud the conduct of the Irish House of Commons under the impreffion which governed them, I entertain very confiderable doubts whether thofe impreffions were natural and juft; and I think it very important to ascertain that point, because it is from that alone, that it is poffible to combine or foresee the fate of the propofal. If these impreffions were founded in right reason, there is no doubt but that that Affembly will persevere in the course they have taken ; but if they were the momentary effects of warmth and national irritability, we may expect from their good fenfe and their virtue, fuch a temperament, as will at least admit

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the difcuffion, and collect the public fentiment with regard to it.

It seems to me in the first place, that some of the prejudices which exist in Ireland against the incorporation, are real and honeft prejudices; and that we may have contributed to create them ourselves by fatal gifts, and flattering appellations. Whoever has attended to the course of public affairs and public opinion, must have found occafion to remark the influence of a word or a phrafe upon the minds of men; and if we had from mistaken tenderness to Ireland permitted lofty or endearing founds to charm her ear from the true knowledge of her ftate, we should doubtless partake whatever blame were due to the delufion. If we had granted independence to the most wretched, ill-governed, and dependent colony upon the furface of the globe; if we had dignified with the name of Sifterkingdom a fettlement of English who had neither