HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



71 



Lad been driycn out of the peace, 

 ■which ministers had made, and did 

 not know how to keep; into a Mar, 

 they did not know how to conduct. 



Sir J. Newport opposed the pre- 

 sent bill, ahhoua;h he had approved 

 of the accepting the offer of the Irish 

 militia : he had hapcd that the for- 

 mer might have produced an inter- 

 change of militia between the two 

 countries, which Avould give some 

 practical advantage from the union 

 between the two countries ; his 

 hopes, however, Avere much dimi- 

 uished, from resolutions which he 

 saw in the papers, signed by many 

 officers iioldiilg commissions in the 

 English militia.* 



General jNIaitland defended, at 

 considerable length, the measures 

 taken by ministers for the general 

 defence of the empire. 



Mr. Fox denied, that the resolu- 

 tions entered into at the Thatched 

 House Tavern, by several militia co- 

 lonels, &c. were at all founded on 

 views of personal inconvenience ; but 

 merely on the conviction, that such 

 an interchange of militia w as contra- 

 ry to the constitution of the militia 

 system, and to the spirit, as w ell as 

 the express letter of the act of union. 

 As to the adlof union itself, he ne- 

 ver had been a friend to it, and he 

 did not know any benefit that Ire- 

 land had yet derived therefrom, un- 

 lesg it could be considered a benefit, 



F 



to get rid of its legislature ; which 

 indeed, from some of the afls which 

 it had passed, might, perhaps, be 

 considered as such. All that he 

 should, however, say at present, of 

 the union, was, that it had not met 

 with a fair trial, as it had not been 

 followed up by any measures for 

 improving the situation of Ireland. 

 He had always found that the union 

 could not be attended with any ad- 

 vantage, as he did not think it pos- 

 ble that Ireland should be ever fairly 

 represented in that house. Whil« 

 there remained a lord chancellor in 

 Ireland, who told the people of that 

 country, that it was impossible for 

 them to be good or loyal subjects, 

 as long as they remained faithful to 

 the religion of their ancestors ; so 

 long should he consider it impossi- 

 ble, that Ireland could be governed 

 in any other way than it was at pre- 

 sent ; namely, by force ; by tha 

 suspension of the habeas corpm ; 

 ami by martial law. He w ould not 

 allow (as had been contended by 

 ministers) that more had been dona 

 in the present year than in the first 

 year of other wars; and yet wa 

 must recoiled, that other wars, 

 such as the American and Dutclt 

 wars, which began with equal suc- 

 cess, were concluded by a bad 

 peace. As to the suspension of 

 " the army of reserve act," which 

 had been mentioned, all he should 

 4 sajr 



* On the tenth day of April, pending the discussion of the " Irish militia 

 offer," and " the Irish niiiiiiii augmentation" bills, in pyrliament, a ineetinir was 

 held at the Thatched llouse Tavern, composed of lords-lieutenants of couiities, 

 and members of parliatncnt, holding comniissicjns in the militia of Gicut li;itaui, 

 who agreed to, and published, strong resolutions, hostile to the prin(:i;il'^ ot boih 

 those bills. Their resolutions conclude with tlic following passage : — " Thcvi, even 

 " if it were wise and expedient to decide, at this moment, the question ot reCi- 

 " procal service between the militias of Great Britain and Ireland, the magnitude 

 " and importance of the question demanded a separate and dislmct consideration^ 

 " und ought not to be introduced into discussion, collaterally and indirectly." 



