UNION. 



places him far above the fufpicion of wilful mifreprefent- 

 ation. Mr. Ncwenham was in parliament when the meafure 

 was broug;ht forward and difcuffed, and from his conneiftions 

 liad the beft means of knowing the fentiments of many- 

 leading perfons at that time. " Of thofe who fupported 

 the union," fays he, " few appeared to be duly impreffed 

 with the real expediency of that meafure ; which confifted, 

 rather in precluding all poffible future colhfions of fuppofed 

 national interefts, efpecially with regard to commercial mat- 

 ters ; and in the admiflion of the Roman Cathohcs to an 

 equal participation with the Proteftants of all the political 

 benefits of the oonftitution, without endangering the poli- 

 tical power of the latter, or even affording them the fmalleft 

 ground for apprehenfion, than in any other confiderations. 

 And yet that a legiflative union of the two kingdoms, or 

 feme compaft, involving a limited and occafional acqui- 

 efcence of the legiflature of one in the decifions of that of 

 the other, was requifite to preclude the hoftile effefts which 

 might very poffibly refult from thofe accidental colhfions ; 

 and that an incorporation of the Britifti and Irifh legifla- 

 tures was neceffary to remove thofe groundlefs, but prevail- 

 ing apprehenfions which operated in excluding the Roman 

 Catholics from parhament, and confequently had the efftft 

 of keeping them in a perpetu.il and dangerous ftate of dif- 

 content and irritation, were truths by which, it might reafon- 

 ably have been expefted, every unbiaffed man, after due re- 

 lleftion, would be fufficiently governed. In oppofing or 

 fupportiiig fuch a meafure, a man who had the welfare of 

 his country, and alfo that of the empire at heart, would 

 naturally liave been governed entirely by his perception of 

 the benefit or inconvenience likely to accrue from the dif- 

 ferent articles propofed as conltituent parts thereof. If 

 thefe articles did not appear equally beneficial to both of the 

 contrafting countries ; if they were not flriftly fuited to 

 the refpe6tive circumilances of each ; if they were not fuf- 

 ceptible of fuch modifications as future variations of thefc 

 circumilances might require ; if they appeared calculated to 

 create or continue diffatisfaftion in either country ; if they 

 were not fuch as to cnfure the permanence of the contract, 

 the difTolution whereof might occaiion much more extenf-.ve 

 and ferious mifchiefs than thofe which the projeftors of it 

 aimed at precluding, — the duty of every true Irifh patriot, 

 and of every fmcere advocate for the welfare of the empire, 

 certainly required him to oppofe it. On the contrary, if 

 thefe articles were evidently calculated to diifufe future 

 general fatisfaflion, by fecuring, under all changes and emer- 

 gencies, an equitable participation of commercial and poli- 

 tical benefits to the people of both countries, true patriotifm 

 unqueftionably required the facrifice of that ridiculous na- 

 tional pride which was to be outraged by a furrender of le- 

 giflative independence. 



" Inflead of patiently and prudently difcufTing the pro- 

 pofed contraft, with reference to its conflituent flipulations, 

 which pofitively was the only method by which its real eligi- 

 bility could be afcertained, the Irifh houfe of commons pre- 

 pofleroufly entered, in the firft flage of the bufinefs, into 

 violent and declamatory debates on the meafure in the ab- 

 ftraft ; and fuffered themfelves to be governed more by na- 

 tional prJde, individual intereft, and fpeculative political 

 notions, than by confiderations of national benefit. Tlie 

 confequence of which was, that the miniller, having a ma- 

 jority in favour of the meafure in the abllraft, found it 

 eventually an eafy matter to fecure a fuflicient concurrence 

 in its feveral articles ; for thofe who had been fwayed to 

 fupport it at large, and had pledged themfelves to do fo, 

 would have been guilty of unufual tergiverfation by refill- 

 ing it in detail. Had the affent of parliament been fuf- 



pended, until the different articles of the contract were 

 thoroughly inveftigated, in all their bearings and effefts ; 

 had each article been made the fubjeft of a feparate debate ; 

 it is not unreafonable to fuppofe that the union might have 

 been rendered much more advantageous to Ireland ; and, 

 in the end, more beneficial to the empire. For, fooner than 

 have his long meditated and indeed expedient projeft de- 

 feated, the minifler of Britain would probably have conceded 

 much to the defires of the Irifh parliament, as he had before 

 done to the Britifh oppofition, in the cafe of the commercial 

 propofitions. To the impatience and precipitancy therefore 

 of the parhament of Ireland, which the minifler ought, in 

 prudence, rather to have reflraiued than encouraged, we 

 mufl impute the defefts of the aft of union, and the pro- 

 bable future diffatisfaftion of the Irifh, confequent thereon." 

 Thtfe defefts, in Mr. Newcnham's opinion, are, i . That Ire- 

 land fliould have had fome appropriate advantages in com- 

 penfation for the lofs of a local legiflature. 2. That the 

 commercial arrangement between the two countries ought 

 to have been regulated by the confideratioii that much of 

 the wealth acquired in Ireland would neceffarily flow into 

 Britain and remain there, while none of that acquired bv 

 the latter would finally be fixed in the former. 3. That 

 Ireland fliould have had fome indemnification for the in- 

 creafed preffure of taxes from the increafe of abfentees. 

 4. That there fhould have been the fame proteftion to other 

 manufaftures as to the cotton manufafture. 5. That the 

 Catholics fhould by an article of the union have acquired the 

 right of fitting in parhament ; and lallly. That the number 

 of reprefentatives was not as great as it ought, on fair prin- 

 ciples, to have been. It is a melancholy faft that domellic 

 tranquillity has not hitherto been produced by the union, but 

 it would be unfair to attribute the continuance of dif- 

 turbance to that meafure, and it would be perhaps too foon 

 to defpair of thofe advantages refulting which many un- 

 biaffed men expefted from it, and which in a great degree 

 reconciled them to the objeftionable manner in which it was 

 carried. One effeft it has produced ; we fee Irifhmen filling 

 the highell departments of the united kingdom ; and we 

 mull allow that government has fhewn a general difpofition 

 to promote the interells of Ireland. It is to be defired that 

 Englifh members may not be prevented by f.ilfe delicacy or 

 indifference, from taking a part in the internal regulations 

 of Ireland, as it was a benefit which many looked for from 

 the union, that it would take legiflation out of the hands of 

 an Irifh party. On the whole, it may be faid that the union 

 might have been and ftill may be rendered extremely bene- 

 ficial to Ireland, confiflently with the welfare of Britain, 

 but that hitherto it cannot be confidered, even by its mofl 

 fanguine advocates, as having afforded matter of congratula- 

 tion to the people of Ireland. Journals of the Lords and 

 Commons of Ireland. Various Pamphlets refpefting the 

 Union. Newenham's View of the Natural, Pohtical, and 

 Commercial Circumftances of Ireland. Annual Regiiler. 

 Wakefield's Account of Ireland, &c. &c. 



Union, in the Manege, denotes the aftion by which a 

 horfe draws together and affcmbles the parts of his body, 

 and his flrength, in diilributing it equally upon his fore- 

 legs, and in reuniting and drawing them together ; as we 

 ourfelves do when we are going to jump, or perform any 

 other aftion which demands flrength and agility. This pof- 

 ture alone is fufiicient to fettle and place the head of the 

 animal, to hghten and render his fhoulders and legs aftive, 

 which, from the ftrufture of his body, fupport and govern 

 the greatefl part of his weight. Being then, by thefe 

 means, made fleady, and his head well placed, you will 

 perceive in every motion which he makes a furprifing cor- 



refpondence 



