114] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



playing the general principle of the 

 measure, proposed eight articles, 

 as the foundations on which it 

 might he established, to the mutual 

 benefit of both kingdoms. 



The first imported, that, on the 

 first day of January, 1801, the 

 kingdoms of Great Britain and Ire- 

 land should, for ever after, he united 

 into one kingdom, by the name 

 of the united kingdom of Great 

 Britain and Ireland. The second, 

 that the succession to the imj)erial 

 crown of the said united kingdom, 

 and of the dominions thereunto 

 belonging, should continue limited 

 and settled in the same manner as 

 it now stands limited and settled, ac- 

 cording to the union between Eng- 

 land and Scotland. The third, that 

 the same united kingdom be united 

 in one and the same parliament. 

 The fourth, that four lords spiritual 

 of Ireland, by rotation of sessions, 

 and twenty-eight lords temporal of 

 Ireland, elected for life by the peers 

 of Ireland, should be the number to 

 sit and vote, on the part of Ireland, 

 in the house of lords, in the parlia- 

 ment of the united kingdom. The 

 fifth, that the churches of England 

 and Ireland should be united into 

 one protestant episcopal church, to 

 be called, " The united church of 

 England and Ireland," and that the 

 doctrine, worship, and discipline, of 

 the said church, should remain in 

 full force for ever; and that the con- 

 tinuance and preservation of the said 

 united church should be, for ever, 

 held as a fundamental article of 

 the union. — It appears singular, at 

 first sight, bu t thereason will quickly 

 occur to every reader of history, that 

 the legislatures of the two coun- 

 tries, on this occasion, should recog- 

 nise particularly, the laws already 

 made for the continuance and pre- 



servation of the church of Scotland, 

 by the union of England and Scot- 

 land. The sixth article provided 

 for a fair participation in commer- 

 cial privileges; for which end, how- 

 ever, it was thought necessary to im- 

 pose certain countervailing duties. 

 The seventh left to each kingdom 

 the separate discharge of its public 

 debt already incurred, and ordain- 

 ed, that, from twenty years from 

 the union, the national expense 

 should be defrayed in the proportion 

 of fifteen parts for Great Britain, 

 and two for Ireland. The eighth 

 ordained that the laws and courts of 

 both kingdoms, civil and ecclesias- 

 tical, should remain as they were 

 now established, subject, however, 

 to such alterations, as the united le- 

 gislatures might hereafter deem ex- 

 pedient. — All laws, at present in 

 force in either kingdom, which 

 should be contrary to any of the 

 provisions that might be enacted 

 by any act for carrying the above 

 articles into effect, from and after 

 the union, to be repealed. 



In support of these propositions, 

 the secretary displayed great ability, 

 sound sense, comprehensive views, 

 clear arrangement, and an easy flow 

 of eloquence. One of the most im- 

 portant and interesting points in 

 question was the parliamentary re- 

 presentation of Ireland. On this 

 head, his lordship contended that 

 the proposed number of Irish legis- 

 lators ought to satisfy every reason- 

 able man, as it might be deemed a 

 just proportion, under the combined 

 view of the respective population, 

 and future contributions of Great 

 Britain and Ireland. As many bo- 

 roughs would be disfranchised, by 

 the new regulations, it would be 

 proper, he said, to make compen- 

 sation to such individuals as might 



