156 
time the right of each ftate to proteft 
againtt the abufe of the powers granted by 
the compact ; and laments, that in feve- 
ral late inftances a defire has been mani- 
fefted by the federal government to en- 
large its powers by forced confiructions 
of the conftitutional charter which defines 
them, fo as to confolidate the ftates by 
degrees into one fovereignty, the obvicus 
tendency and inevitable refult of which 
would be to transform the prefent repub- 
lican fyitem of the untted ftates into an 
abfolute or at leaft a mixed monarchy. 
<¢ ‘That the general aflembly do parti- 
eularly proteft again# the palpable and 
alarming infraction of the conttitution in 
two late atts of the alien and fedition 
atts, paffed im the laft feffion of the con- 
srefs: the firit of which exercifes a power 
no where delegated to the federal govern- 
ment, and which, by uniting legiilative 
and judicial powers to thofe of executive, 
fubyert the general principles of free go- 
vernment, &c.” This declaration con- 
cludes with an appeal to the other ftates, 
that they will concur with the aflembly 
of Virginia in declaring that the afovefaid 
rags are unconilitutional, not Jaw, but 
utterly null and void. 
EAST INDIES. ; 
It appears by intelligence from the 
Ealt, that Tippoo Saib is afluming a 
’ warlike attitude, and it is fufpeéted that 
he holds a communication with General 
Buonaparte. Little apprehenfions of 
danger can, however, be entertained from 
that quarter, fince Government has taken 
the precaution to augment our military 
force in India. A detachment cf 2000 
men from the Cape embarked im the be- 
ginning ef November, for the different 
prefidencies, under convoy of the Sceptre 
and Raifonable men of war. 
IRELAND. 
The oppofition to tke propofed meafure 
of an union with Great Britain has been 
fo great as to call forth from Adminiittra- 
tion an open declaration of their difap- 
pomtment. 
The Lord Lieutenant opened the Sef- 
fion of the Irifh Parliament, on the 22d 
of January, by a fpeech to both houfes. 
The {mall part of it that related to the 
project of an union was couched in 
the fame general terms as his majeity’s 
mefiage to the Britifh parliament of the 
fame day. After a difcufficn the mot 
interefting, though not perhaps the mott 
eloquent,,-that occurred on any queftion 
in the Irifh parliament fince the year 
1782. and which occupied from four 
o'clock in the evening until one o'clock 
Staite of Public Affairs. 
-agamft it 106. 
[Feb, 
the next day, in which there were about 
eighty {peakers, the houfe divided on an 
amendment propofed by Mr. G. Pon- 
fonby, expreffing their abhorrence of ar 
union, which was loft only by awe. 
There were for the amendment 1065, 
A divifion alfo took 
place, on paffing the addrefs, ayes 107, 
noes 105. 
The houfe of commons having met, _ 
according to adjourement, on the 24th 
of January, and the report on the addrefs 
being brought up, Sw Lawrance Parfons 
rofe to comment on the part which echoed 
that celebrated pailage of the fpeech—- 
‘¢ Confolidating into one fabric. the 
ftrength of both countries.” He faid the 
conitruction of that affectedly ambiguous 
paragraph was no longer a myftery, and 
that it could not with confiftency be 
permitted to ftand as part of the addrefs, 
He then entered into various arguments 
to prove that the propofed Union would 
tend to a complete furrender of the in- 
eftimable conftitution of their country ; a 
furrender of that conftitution which the 
vigour, the loyalty, wifdom and fpirit of 
the nation in 782 obtained ; a conftitu- 
tion which an impotent effort of the 
Britith minifter, aided by his agents in 
Ireland, would now prefume to overturn, - 
for the purpofe of inveiting himfelf with 
fupreme dominion im the mock legifla- 
tion which he wickedly and arrogantly 
would prefume to fubftitute for it. He 
controverted the prcpofitions laid down 
by the attorney-general in the former 
night’s debate refpeéting the ancient de- 
pendance of the Irifh parliament upon 
the Britifh legiflature fo early as Edward 
the third. He proved by feveral quota- 
tions from the records of that and the fuc- 
ceeding reigns, that Irifh members, though 
fummoned to attend the Britifh parlia- 
ment, fill referved a power of {tating 
that they attended not in confequence of 
any conftitutional dependance or obliga- 
tion, but from a defire of cementing a - 
political amity with England, and were 
in every fucceeding reign fo jealous in 
the interference in the taxation of Ireland, 
that it would eafily appear that the high 
independent fpirit of the nation was by no 
means of fo recent a date as gentlemen 
would prefume. He concluded with mov- 
ing to this effet, ** That the paragraph 
in the addrefs fiating that the houle would 
take into confideration the principle of 
coniolidating, as far as poflible, into one. 
firm and lafting fabrick, the ftrength, the 
power, and the refources of the Britifh 
empire,’ be expunged. Lord Caftlereagh 
faid 
