UNION. 



Catholics were led by the friends of that nobleman in Ire- 

 land to bring forward their demand for a full emancipation 

 with a profpeft of fuccefs ; and foon after, in confequence 

 either of the Englifh cabinet having changed their opinion, 

 or of his lordfhip having gone beyond his agreement with 

 them, he was recalled, and a confiderable irritation of the 

 Catholic body was the confequence. This was taken ad- 

 vantage of by thofe who had revolutionary feelings, and 

 who well knew how to avail themfelves of the popular 

 ferment. Inftigated by the fuccefs of the French, and 

 maintaining a fecret communication with the republican 

 government, an organization of the people took place ; a 

 direiJlory was formed, which confifted of leading members 

 of the fociety of united Irifhmen ; and in 1798, a rebellion 

 broke out, which, though foon fubdued, was attended by 

 circumflances that left the country in a very diftrafted 

 ftate. If the firft French expedition, in 1 796, had not been 

 difperfed by a ilorm ; and the fecond, in 1798, been too 

 late to aft in concert with the rebels, Ireland would, in all 

 probability, have felt the evils of feparation from England, 

 and of French conneftion, and the people would have learned 

 from bitter experience to value the privileges of Britifli 

 fubjefts ; but difappointed of foreign aid, the rebels were 

 fhortly reduced, and it became the arduous taflt of govern- 

 ment, by a combination of vigour and of mercy, to reftore 

 tranquillity. It has indeed been aflerted, that government 

 could have fupprefled the rebellion without any effort, or 

 rather have entirely prevented it ; but that they facilitated 

 its growth, and accelerated its explofion, with a view to 

 bring about their favourite meafure of union. The con- 

 felTion of the members of the Irifli direftory, and other 

 leaders, afford ample proof to every candid perfon that fuch 

 a charge is unfounded ; and that if minillers had afted in 

 the manner recommended by their parliamentary opponents, 

 all exertion to fave the country would have been in vain. 

 Such a charge is equally the refult of party virulence, as 

 that which attributed to Mr. Grattan and his Whig friends 

 a participation in the rebellion. But though it would be 

 uncandid to fuppofe that government excited or facilitated 

 the rebellion with a view of bringing about the union, it is 

 certain, that when this aufpicious conjunfture did occur, the 

 minifter loft no time in bringing it forward. The rebellion 

 took place in 1798, and in the fuccccding fclTion of parlia- 

 ment the union was difcuffed. 



Previous, however, to the meeting of parliament, a pam- 

 phlet pubhfhed in favour of the meafure, which was attri- 

 buted to Edward Cooke, efq. one of the under-fccretarics, 

 produced a controverfy, which was carried on with much 

 fpirit. The repugnance to the meafure was very great ; 

 lome of the principal officers of the crown declared their 

 determination to oppofe it, and loft their fituations in confe- 

 <}uence ; the majority of the gentlemen of the bar took the 

 fame fide, and feveral meetings of counties and large towns 

 were held for the purpofe of inftrufting their rcprefent- 

 atives to oppofe it. Some of thefe were mfluenced by the 

 utter incompatibility of the union with their private in- 

 tcrcfts, and otheiis by high notions of Irilh independence, as 

 fettled in 1782. 



On the 22d of January, 1799, the queftion of union was 

 regularly brought before parliament by the marquis Corn- 

 wallis, the lord lieutenant, who concluded his fjiccch from 

 the throne in thefe words ; " The more I have reflcftid on the 

 Jituation and circumftances of this kingdom, confidering on 

 the one hand the ftrength and ftability of Great Britain, and 

 on the other thofe divifions which have fliaken Ireland to 

 its foundation, the more anxious I am for fomc permanent 

 adjuftmcnt, which may extend the advantages enjoyed by our 



Vol. XXXVII. 



fifter kingdom to every part of this ifland. The unremitting 

 induftry with which our enemies perfevere in their avowed 

 defign of endeavouring to en"eft a feparation of this kingdom 

 from Great Britain, muft have engaged your particular at- 

 tention ; and his majefty commands me to exprefs his anxious 

 hope that this confidcration, joined to the fcntiment of mu- 

 tual aftcftion and common intereft, may difpofe the parlia- 

 ments in both kingdoms to provide the moft effeftual means 

 of maintaining and improving a conneftion, eftontial to their 

 common fecurity, and of confolidatir.g, as far as poffible, 

 into one firm and lafting fabric, the ftrength, the power, 

 and the refourccs of the Britifli empire." 



The addrefs, which was moved by the earl of Tyrone, 

 eldeft fon of the marquis of Waterford, the head of the 

 Beresford family, and feconded by colonel Uniacke Fitz- 

 gerald, one of the members for the county of Cork, only 

 intimated a readinefs to difcufs any meafure hkely to cement 

 and ftrengthen the conneftion, but the oppofcrs of it would 

 not allow even of this. An amendment was accordingly 

 moved by Mr. George Ponfonby, an eminent barriftcr, who 

 fince filled the high office of lord chancellar of Ireland during 

 the lieutenancy of the duke of Bedford, and on retiring from 

 it, became leader of the oppofition in the Brililh parliament, 

 a man of great talents united with great moderation and 

 judgment, and feconded by fir Laurence Parfons, now earl 

 of Rofs, and one of the poftmafters-gcneral. The amend- 

 ment was, that after the paffage which declares the willing- 

 nefs of the houfe to enter on a confideration of what mea- 

 fures may beft tend to confirm the common ftrength of the 

 empire, ftiould be inferted, " maintaining, however, the un- 

 doubted birth-right of the people of Ireland to have a refi- 

 dent and independent legiflature, fuch as it was recognifcd 

 by the Britifti legiflature in 1782, and was finally fettled at 

 the adjuftment of all differences between the two countries." 

 This amendment was fupported by fir John Parnell and 

 Mr. J. Fitzgerald, who had been juft removed from the 

 offices of chancellor of the exchequer and prime ferjeant, by 

 the friends of Mr. Fofter, the fpeaker, by Mr. Plunkct, 

 and many others, diftinguifhed for their talents, or their 

 influence in the country. A legiflative union was however 

 approved by feveral who could not be juftly fufpeftcd of 

 improper motives, and araongft others by the right ho- 

 nourable Thomas Conolly, who ufed the ftrong expreffion, 

 " that the conftitution of 1782 could not work, two inde- 

 pendent Icgiflatures in one empire being as abfurd and mon- 

 ftrous as two heads on one pair of fhoulders." This was 

 indeed a ftriking reafon for a union of Icgiflatures, or fome 

 other expedient, if any other could be devifed, which would 

 preclude all poffible future coUifions of fuppofed national 

 intercfts, efpecially with regard to commercial matters. In 

 this debate, however, the advocates for a union chiefly con- 

 fined themfelves to urging the propriety of difcuffing the 

 meafure coolly and impartially, when it had been recom- 

 mended by the crown. Tlie oppofcrs of it took a wider 

 range. Almoft all the lawyers who fpokc denied the 

 competence of parliament to entertain the queftion. In 

 1785, Mr. Grattan had maintained " th.it parliament w.is 

 not omnipotent to accomplifli their own deftruftion, and 

 propagate death to their fucceffiirs ; that they, the limited 

 truftees of delegated powers, born for a particular pur- 

 pod-, confined to a particular time, and bearing an invio- 

 lable relationfliip to the people who fcnt them to parliament, 

 could not break that rclationfhip, counteradl that purpofe, 

 or derogate from thofe privileges they lived but to prefervc." 

 This opinion was maintained by feveral, and Mr. Plunkct, one 

 of the moft eloquent fpeakers, as well as one of the ablcft 

 Jawycrs the country has produced, in exprefs terms denied 

 3 C the 



