kingdoms, fhall remain to be regulated from time to time by the united parliament.

Seventh, That, for the like 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 refpectively. That, for a number of years to be limited, the future ordinary expenfes of the united kingdom, in peace or war, thall be defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland jointly, according to fuch proportions as fhall be eftablifhed by the refpective parliaments previous to the union; and that, after the expiration of the time to be fo limited, the proportions fhall not be liable to be varied, except according to fuch rates and principles as fhall be in like manner agreed upon, previous to the union, "Eighth, That, for the like purpofe, it would be fit to propole, that all laws in force at the time of the union, and that 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.

"That the foregoing refolutions be laid before his majetty, with a humble addrefs, afluring his majefty that we have proceeded with the utmost attention to the confideration of the important objects recommended to us in his majesty's gra. cious message:

"That we entertain a firm perfuafion, that a complete and entire

.

Impreffed with thefe confiderations, we feel it our duty humbly to lay before his majefty fuch propofitions as appear to us beft calculated to form the bafis of fuch a settlement, leaving it to his majefty's wildom, at fuch time and in fuch manner as his majefty, in his parental folicitule, for the happiness of his people, fhall judge fit, to com municate thefe propofitions to his parliament of Ireland, with whom we fhall be at all times ready to con cur in all fuch measures as may be found moft conducive to the accomplishment of this great and falutary work. And we truft, 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 he conformable to the fentiments, wishes, and real interefts of his majefty's faithful fubje&is of Great Britain and Ireland, and may unite them infeparably in the fail enjoyment of the bleflings of our free and invaluable conftitution, in the fupport of the honour and dignity of his majesty's crown, and in the prefervation and advancement

of

enemy to his majesty and the conftitution."

Lord Hawkesbury remarked certain inconfiftencies in the parliamentary conduct of Mr. Sheridan; but, as thefe, though fufficiently authenticated, could not be urged with propriety against his prefent propofitions, and as our limits confine us very much to points of importance, we forbear to enter into any details on that fubject. Mr. Sheridan, lord Hawkesbury obferved, had fomewhat more than infinuated, that the people of Ireland were against an union. The people of Cork, and the people of Limmerick, had exprefled themselves in favour of it: and when it once came to be duly confidered, the whole people would view it in the fame light. His lordship, by the fame arguments that had been ufed by Mr. Pitt, juftified the vote he fhould give for the prefent propofitions being fubmitted to a committee of the whole houfe, by way of recording what they were willing to do for promoting the interefts of Ireland.

Dr. Lawrence confidered the propofed union in the light of a marriage: which was a matter of that delicate nature, that if the parties contracting it were not agreeable to each other, the clofer they were drawn together by the bond, the farther, in fact, they were put afunder as to every beneficial and happy effect which might be expected to refult from lo tender and intimate a connection. As the number of members proposed to be introduced from Ireland was really very great, he could not help thinking that it might produce a very confiderable degree of embarrallment in the bufinefs and debates of the houfe. How, indeed, they were to difpofe

of them, he was at a lofs to guefs. The laft debate in Ireland, on the prefent queftion, had lafted for twenty-two hours. If a majority of the Irith members fhould bring over their inclination for public fpeaking, and their speeches came to be added to those of their countrymen and others who were in the habits of making frequent and long fpeeches already, he could not avoid foreseeing many embarraffments which would neceffarily attend fo very confiderable an addition to the numbers already poffeffed of feats in that houfe. He dreaded that, in the prefent feeming temper of Ireland, the propofitions would add inflammation to a difpofition already teeming with far too much irritability. On a divifion of the houfe, there appeared for the fpeakers leaving the chair, ayes, 1; noes, 15. The refolutions having been read in the committee, the houfe was refumed, and the committee was appointed to fit again on Thursday next.

On that day, the feventh of February, Mr. Sheridan, obferved, in the committee, that, according to the rules and ordinary proceedings of the houfe, Mr. Pitt could, undoubtedly, claim the privilege of moving the order of the day before he (Mr. Sheridan) could attempt to move the resolutions, of which he had thrown out an idea and an intention of moving them, on a former occafion. If, therefore, that motion was infifted on, he muft poftpone his motion for the prefent. Mr. Pitt waved his privilege, and gave precedence to Mr. Sheridan, who promised to the house to take up as little time as poffible now; and only to urge a few of the many reafons which might be advanced in

fuppert

tended to move. The queftion now before the house was, whether they were willing to fecond the pledge of devoting his life to this favourite project. That pledge would produce much irritation, and inflame all those discontents, which had already occafioned fo much mifery in Ireland. If the houfe fanctioned the prefent project, the two houfes of commons of Great Britain and Ireland would be placed in oppofition to each other, and the fituation of thefe nations would be more alarming and frightful than that in which any two countries profeffing amity to each other. If Mr. Pitt did not fucceed in his measure, on the prefent occafion, the people of Ireland would be convinced that he only waited for a more favourable opportunity, when Ireland fhould be more weak, to carry his favourite project, and that the engines he intended to use were intimidation and corruption. There was much to be done in the way of reform and improvement in Ireland: but, in order to do this, it was not neceffary to pull down the credit and authority of parliament. He denied what had been fo pofitively afferted, that we had no alternative but feparation or union. The real alternative was, the Irish government hould no longer continue to be a corrupt English job. Was it meant to be afferted that there is fome in nate depravity in the character of Irishmen which rendered them unfit to have a parliament of their own? No! the caufe of the corruption that had been complained of lay not in the character of the worthy people of Ireland. But the government of Ireland had been made a job of, for the advantage of English

this the will that had pervaded it from firft to laft. But, before Ireland fhould be required to furrender, her independence, it was fit that a trial fhould be made of what could be done by an honeft parliament; a parliament uninfluenced by a Britifh minifter, having the intereft and happiness of Ireland for its object, and looking to Irish profperity and gratitude for its reward. Mr. Sheridan having moved the two refolutions, already specified,

Mr. Pitt obferved that his only difcuffion had been upon general principles not now before the house, and already amply debated and decided upon. As to his particular motions, the firft, as Mr. Sheridan himself had stated, was a truifm. But that argument, which the honourable gentleman had adduced in favour of his motion, was a decifive argument against it. If a thing was true, there required no declaration to give it effect, and all fuch attempts were ufelcfs and nugatory. With regard to his fecond motion, "that whoever fhould, by corruption or intimidation, attempt to carry the queftion, was an enemy to his country," it evidently infinu ated that fuch a conduct had been purfued. It undoubtedly alluded to the cafe of a high officer in the fifter kingdom (fir John Parnel, late chancellor of the exchequer in Ireland) who had quitted his fituation on account of his difagreement with his colleagues in an important fundamental measure of government. If many gentlemen were connected together with the honourable intention of acting for the fervice of their country, it was neceffary, in order to preferve a unity of action, that they fhould agree in their fyftem; and it [P4]

was

was an error to fuppofe that either the refignment, or even the difmiffal of any one, was a fyftem of corruption. Mr. Grey admitted that a dif ference of opinion, among perfons acting together on fundamental points of policy, muft arreft the progrefs of public bufinefs: yet this principle did not juftify the difmiffal of a member of parliament from an office in the ftate, on account of his vote on a particular queftion, while he agreed, perhaps, with his colleagues in all other points. Was Mr. Pitt's doctrine, refpecting difmiffals from office, now maintained, the uniform and unvaried opinion which ruled his public conduct? Was there not a time, when a queftion, as important as the union with Ireland, and as effential in the opinion of the right honourable gentleman at that time, to the interefts and well-being of good government, he meant parliamentary reform, which he brought forward, and which, he folemnly promifed to exert all his influence, as a man and a minifter, ultimately to bring into effect? Where, then, are his fair and honourable intentions? Has he manifefted them in the removal of those who oppofed that measure? or of those who oppofed another meafure, to which he had profeffed himfelf to be a warm friend, the abolition of the flave-tratle? Mr. She ridan admitted that his fit refolution was a truifm. But was it not allo true that the parliament of Ireland could not give a free and fair confent when he held out, that thofe who voted against the measure would be turned out of their places? There were, in the Irifn houfe of commons, one hundred and fixteen placemen. Two great examples being made, in the difmiflal of the

1

chancellor of the exchequer, and the prime ferjeant, the others would remain ftaunch and true out of fear. Mr. Sheridan faid that he fhould certainly divide the houfe on the queftion before them. But the previcus queftion, moved by Mr. Pitt, was carried by 141 against 25. A motion for the fpeaker's now leaving the chair, and for the houfe going immediately into a committee, for the farther confideration of the king's meflage, was oppofed by Mr. H. A. St. John. Many comparifons, he obferved had been made, between the probable effect of this, and the certain effect of another union, he meant the union with Scotland. The union between England and Scotland, it was flated, had produced mutual ftrength. But it did not appear, nor had any body attempted to fhew that Scotland might not have improved, if the union had not taken place.

But this was a point he was not called on to difcufs. The queftion before the houfe was fimply this, whether, in the prefent fituation of affairs, the houfe of commons, in Ireland, having declared its fenfe against confidering the measure at all, any good could refult from the agitation of it at this moment, in this country. To do this, in his opinion, might irritate the houfe of commons of Ireland, and induce them to adopt fome meafure for manifefting their refentment at fuch a mcafure as this. It would be better to let the whole queftion fo rest for the prefent calmly, and, the parties being left to cool on the fubject, and to bring it forward hereafter, if it should appear to be neceflary at a proper fcafon.

Mr. Grey, in the courfe of a fpeech on this fubject, in which he

confidered