202 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



governments are to continue, which 

 must add to the influence of the 

 minister over the conduct of par- 

 liament, and advert to his power 

 in the return of Irish members to 

 parliament, we conceive that such 

 portion is more likely to overturn 

 the constitution of Great Britain 

 than to preserve our own. 



9thly. Because we consider the 

 intended union a direct breach of 

 trust, not only by the parliament 

 with the people, but by the parlia- 

 ment of Great Britain with that of 

 Ireland, inasmuch as the tenour 

 and purport of the settlement of 

 1782 did intentionally and expressly 

 exclude the re-agitation of consti- 

 tutional questions between the two 

 countries, and did establish the ex- 

 clusive legislative authority of the 

 Irish parliament, without the in- 

 terference of any other. That the 

 breach of such a solemn contract, 

 founded on the internal weakness 

 of the country, and its inability at 

 this time to withstand the destruc- 

 tive design of the minister, must 

 tend to destroy the future harmony 

 of both by forming a precedent, 

 and generating a principal of mu- 

 tual encroachment, in times of mu- 

 tual difficulties. 



lOthly. Because, that wlien we 

 consider the weakness of this king- 

 dom at the time that the measure 

 was brought forward, and her in- 

 ability to withstand the destructive 

 designs of the minister, and couple 

 to the act itself the means that have 

 been employed to accomplish it, 

 such as the abuse of the place bill, 

 for the purpose of modelling the 

 parliament — the appointment of 

 sheriffs to prevent county meetings, 

 — the dismissal of the old stedfast 

 friends of constitutional government 

 for their adherence to the consti- 



tution, and the return of persons inter 

 parliament who had neither connec- 

 tion nor stake in this country, and 

 were therefore selected to decide 

 upon her fate — when we consider 

 the armed force of the minister, 

 added to his powers and practices 

 of corruption, when we couple these 

 things together, we are warranted 

 to say, that the basest means have 

 been used to accomplish this great 

 innovation, and that the measure of 

 union tends to dishonour the ancient 

 peerage for ever, to disqualify both 

 houses of parliament, and subjugate 

 the people of Ireland for ever- 

 Such circumstances, we apprehend, 

 will be recollected with abhorrence, 

 and will create jealousy between 

 the two nations, in the place of 

 harmony, which for so many cen- 

 turies has been the cement of their 

 union. 



llthly. Because the argument 

 made use of in favour of the union 

 namely, that the sense of the people 

 of Ireland is in its favour, we know 

 to be untrue ; and as the ministers 

 have declared, that they would not 

 press the measure against the sense 

 of the people, and as the people 

 have pronounced, and under all 

 difficulties, their judgement against 

 it, we have, together with the sense 

 of the country, the authority of the 

 minister to enter ourprotest against 

 the project of union, against the 

 yoke which it imposes, the dishonour 

 which itinfficts, the disqualification 

 passed upon the peerage, the stigma 

 thereby branded on the realm, the 

 disproportionate principle of expense 

 it introduces, the means employed 

 to effect it, the discontents it has 

 excited, and must continue to ex- 

 cite ; against all these, and the fatal 

 consequences they may produce, we 

 have endeavoured to interpose our 



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