122] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



as fit to form the articles of 

 union between Great Britain and 

 Ireland. And if those alterations 

 and additions should be approved 

 of by the two houses of the par- 

 liament of Ireland, they were ready 

 to confirm and ratify these arti- 

 cles, in order that the same might 

 be established for ever, by the 

 mutual consent of both parlia- 

 ments. That they ofiered up to 

 his majesty their humble congra- 

 tulations on the near prospect of 

 the accomplishment of a work, 

 which his majesty, as the com- 

 mon father of his people, had 

 justly declared to be so near his 

 heart, concumng with his houses 

 of parliament in Ireland, on the 

 full conviction that, by incorpora- 

 ting the legislature, and consoli- 

 dating the resources of the two 

 kingdoms, we should increase the 

 power and stability of the British 

 empire, and, at the same time, 

 contribute, in the most eflectual 

 manner, to the improvement of 

 the commerce, and the preserva- 

 tion of the liberties of his ma- 

 jesty's subjects in Ireland." This 

 address, being voted, was commu- 

 nicated, in a conference, to the 

 lords (who, in a previous confer- 

 ence had made some small ad- 

 ditions and amendments to the 

 resolutions of the commons) on the 

 ninth of May, and a joint address, 

 of both houses, on the subject of 

 the union, agreed to, was carried 

 to his majesty : who, in his gra- 

 cious answer, on the twelfth of 

 May, expressed the greatest satis- 

 faction at their proceedings: and 

 engaged, without delay, to com- 

 municate to his parliament of Ire- 

 land the sentiments and decla- 

 rations contained in the address. 

 "The dispositions which had been 

 manifested by his parliaments, in 



both kingdoms, afforded his ma- 

 jesty the best pledge of the speedy 

 and prosperous conclusion of the 

 great measure of the union : an 

 event to which he looked forward 

 with the most anxious expectation, 

 as tending, above all others, to 

 secure and perpetuate the happi- 

 ness of all his subjects." 



The resolutions of the British 

 parliamentwere remitted to Ireland; 

 and, being approved by the Irish 

 parliament, after a few slight altera- 

 tions, were ratified by the parlia- 

 ments of both kingdoms, and passed 

 into a law, by the royal assent, on 

 the second of July. The opposition 

 to the union in Ireland had by this 

 time become faint: some of its ad- 

 versaries, by mature deliberation, 

 had brought their minds to a con- 

 viction of the utility of the measure; 

 while others, in whose minds no- 

 thing could counterbalance the loss 

 of independence, perceiving the 

 inefficacy of remonstrance and com- 

 plaint, began to fix their attention 

 on other objects. 



Having now given some account 

 of the proceedings of parliament, 

 with respe(S;t to finance, to foreign 

 nations, and to Ireland, which 

 seemed, before the union, to hold 

 a kind of middle place between a 

 foreign country and a portion of our 

 own, we come now to notice the 

 principal measures adopted by the 

 legislature, for the internal security 

 and quiet of the empire, and the 

 general improvement of the coun- 

 try, and condition of the people. 



On the thirteenth of February, 

 the attorney-general rose, in the 

 house of commons, pursuant to no- 

 tice, to move for the renewal of the 

 act, to enable his majesty to secure 

 and detain persons who should be 

 suspected of conspiring against his 

 person and government: which act 



