proportional weight and importance, under the fecurity of equal laws, reciprocal affection, and infeparable interefts; and which wanted nothing but that indiffoluble connexion to render both invincible?

Nec Teucris Italos parere jubebo,

Nec nova regna peto: paribus fe legibus amba

Invicta gentes æterna in fœdera mittant.

The objection drawn from the injury, which Ireland might fuffer by the abfence of her chief nobility and gentry, who would flock to the Imperial metropolis, was obviated by remarking, that, though this effect would take place during a part of the year, the disadvantage would be more than counterbalanced by the operation of the system in other refpects. To prove the affertion, Mr. Pitt entered into a very close chain of reasoning from prefumption, analogy, and experience as to Scotland.

As the adverfaries of the Union had propagated an idea, that the main principle of the measure was to subject Ireland to a load of debt and an increase of taxes, he again looked to Scotland. Was there any inftance where, with forty-five members on her part, and five hundred and thirteen on ours, that part of the United kingdom had paid more than its due proportion to the general burthens? Could it then be apprehended that we should tax Ireland more heavily when the became affociated with ourfelves? To tax in its due proportion the whole of the empire, to the utter exclufion of the idea of the predominance of one part of fociety over another, was the great characteristic of British finance, as equality of laws was of the British constitution.

When they should come to the details of that propofition, it would be in their power to fix, for any number of years that fhould be thought fit, the proportion, by which the contribution of Ireland to the expences of the state should be regulated, and to determine that these proportions should not be such as would make a contribution greater, than the amount of its present neceffary expences, as a separate kingdom. Even after that limited period, the proportion of the whole contribution, from time to time, might be made to depend on the comparative produce in each country, of fuch general taxes as might be thought to afford the best criterion of wealth; or the fyftem of internal taxation might gradually be fo equalifed and affimilated, on the leading articles, as to make all rules of fpecific proportion unneceffary, and to fecure Ireland from being ever taxed but in proportion as we fhould tax ourselves. The application of these principles would form matter of future difcuffion;

he

he mentioned them only as ftrongly fhewing, from the mifrepresentation, which had taken place on that part of the subject, how incumbent it was upon the house to receive these propofitions, and to adopt, after due deliberation, fuch refolutions as might record to Ireland the terms, upon which we were ready to meet her. And in the mean time wait, not without impatience, but without diffatisfaction, for that moment, when the effect of reafon and difcuffion would reconcile the minds of men in that kingdom to a measure, which he was fure would be found as necessary for their peace and happiness, as it would be conducive to the general fecurity and advantage of the British empire.

Mr. Pitt then presented to the houfe eight refolutions, which he had prepared, embracing the general plan of the Union.

"I. In order to promote and fecure the effential interefts of Great Britain “and Ireland, and to confolidate the ftrength, power, and refources of the "British empire, it will be adviseable to concur in fuch measures as may best "tend to unite the two kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland into one kingdom, in fuch manner, and on fuch terms and conditions, as may be "established by acts of the refpective parliaments of his majesty's faid king

"doms.

" II. It would be fit to propofe as the first article, to serve as a basis of the "faid Union, that the faid kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland fhall, on a "day to be agreed upon, be united into one kingdom, by the name of the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

"III. For the fame purpose it would be fit to propose, that the fucceffion "to the monarchy and the imperial crown of the faid united kingdom, shall "continue limited and fettled, in the fame manner as the imperial crown of "the faid kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland now ftands limited and "fettled, according to the exifting laws, and to the terms of the Union be"tween England and Scotland.

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"IV. For the fame purpose it would be fit to propose, that the said united kingdom be reprefented in one and the fame parliament, to be ftiled the "Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; and "that fuch a number of lords fpiritual and temporal, and fuch a number of "members of the Houfe of Commons, as fhall be hereafter agreed upon by acts of the respective parliaments as aforefaid, fhall fit and vote in the "faid parliament on the part of Ireland, and fhall be fummoned, chofen,

" and

" and returned, in fuch manner as fhall be fixed by an act of the parliament "of Ireland previous to the faid Union; and that every member hereafter to "fit and vote in the faid parliament of the united kingdom fhall, until the "faid parliament fhall otherwife provide, take, and fubfcribe the faid oaths, "and make the fame declarations, as are by law required to be taken, fub"fcribed, and made, by the members of the parliaments of Great Britain "and Ireland.

"V. For the fame purpose it would be fit to propose, that the churches "of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, fhall be preferved as now by law eftablished.

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"VI. For the fame purpose it would be fit to propose, that his majesty's fubjects in Ireland shall at all times hereafter be entitled to the fame privileges, and be on the fame footing in refpect 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 majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, "with any foreign power, as his majefty'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 respective parliaments, fubject, after the expiration of fuch limited time, to be diminished equally with refpect 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 fubject to any internal duty in one kingdom, fuch countervailing duties (over "and above any duties on import to be fixed as aforefaid) fhall be impofed "as thall be neceflary to prevent any inequality in that refpect; and that all "matters of trade and commerce other than the foregoing, and than fuch "others as may before the Union be specially agreed upon for the due encouragement of the agriculture and manufactures of the respective kingdoms, "thall remain to be regulated from time to time by the united parliament. "VII. For the like purpofe it would be fit to propose, that the charge arifing from the payment of the intereft, or finking fund for the reduction "of VOL. II.

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"of the principal of the debt incurred in either kingdom before the Union, "fhall continue to be feparately defrayed by Great Britain and Ireland re

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fpectively; that, for a number of years to be limited, the future ordinary expences of the united kingdom, in peace or war, shall be defrayed by “Great Britain and Ireland jointly, according to fuch 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 shall 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.

"VIII. For the like purpose 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 "eftablished 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."

Mr. Pitt at the fame time moved an addrefs to accompany the refolutions, ftating, that the commons had proceeded with the utmost attention to the confideration of the important objects recommended in the royal message ; that they entertained a firm perfuafion of the probable benefits of a complete and entire Union between Great Britain and Ireland, founded on equal and liberal principles; and that they were therefore induced to lay before his majesty fuch propofitions, as appeared to them to be best calculated to form the basis of such a settlement, leaving it to his wisdom, in due time and in a proper manner, to communicate them to the lords and commons of Ireland, with whom they would be at all times ready to concur in all fuch measures as might be found moft conducive to the accomplishment of that great and falutary work.

Mr. Sheridan cautioned the house against the feductive force of the minifter's oratory, which might mislead fome into an affent or concurrence, that their cooler reafon would condemn. He contended, that in the alarming state of Ireland, it was unfafe to drive a spirited nation into an experiment of fo delicate and fo important a nature. The fate of the question, when it was lately agitated in Ireland, might reasonably induce him to defift from the profecution of the scheme; but, as he had folemnly pledged himself for the exertion of his moft ftrenuous efforts to produce an Union of the two kingdoms, it might be apprehended, that he would purfue his course in defiance

of

of every obstacle, would make use of artifice to gain his point, flatter and delude the Irish, and, by feeming to refpect their declared opinion, lull them into inactivity, the more completely to fubjugate them to flavery. The House, Mr. Sheridan hoped, would not be fo inconfiderate as to adopt a system, which would cherish animofity and discord, where affection ought to be conciliated, and harmony established, which would fow diffenfion between the commons and the peers of Ireland, irritate the whole parliament by holding it up to view as a feeble and inefficient body, duped by English factions, and array the British Houfe of Commons against that of another realm governed by the fame fovereign.

If the condition of Ireland were really as deplorable as it was ftated to be, the house ought to be informed from what misconduct fuch evils had arifen, amidst the advantages which God and nature had beftowed upon her. It might be concluded, indeed, that her poverty was chiefly occafioned by the narrow unwife policy of Britain, a policy which, he was glad to find, the minifter now disapproved. Her weakness, perhaps, was not fo great as it was fuppofed to be; and, if it were, it was ungenerous to infult her. Such an infult would not have been offered to her while her volunteers were in arms. He reproved Mr. Canning for pleading the caufe of bold and barefaced corruption, and thus clouding and contaminating with its foul fog and baneful breath the pure morning of his political life; and cenfured, as wanton and unneceffary, Mr. Pitt's pledge for the profecution of his favorite measure. He animadverted on the conduct of the court in the difpute refpecting the Catholics. A lord lieutenant had been sent to that kingdom to allay animofities, and gratify the great bulk of the nation. The cup of conceffion was prefented to their lips, but, when they were on the point of tafting, it was dafhed in their faces, and the new viceroy was recalled. Was that a proper prelude to an union?

In reply to the obfervations of Mr. Pitt on the adjustment of the year 1782, he maintained that it was intended to be final with regard to the conftitution of Ireland; but he admitted that fome regulations, chiefly commercial, were to have been propofed for the improvement of the connexion between the kingdoms.

The affertions respecting the number of Irish who wished for an Union were not well founded. A confiderable majority of the peers, indeed, were inclined to promote it; but in the Houfe of Commons the court had little reafon to boaft

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