160 
On the 24th of Februry, the houfe of 
commons were informed by Lord Stop- 
ford, that their addrefs had been prefenied 
to his majefty and gracioufly received. A 
Committee of thirteen members was then 
appointed to inveftigate the papers pre- 
ferted by Mr. Secretary Dundas, refpeét- 
ing certain perfons, whofe cbjeét was to 
feparate Ireland from Great Britain, and 
to make their report upon them to the 
Houle.’ 
Mr. Pitt, on the 3rft of January, 
moved the order of the day for taking 
into confideration his majeity’s meilage ; 
which having been read, he openly con- 
feffed his dijappointment at the manner 
mn which the meafure had been treated in 
the parliament of Ireland; but was con- 
vinced, from reflecting on the bufinefs 
fince heifirft mentioned it, that it would 
be for the advantage of Ireland to be le- 
giflatively confolidated with this king- 
dom, and that it would add to the hap- 
pinefs and ilability of the Britith empire. 
In difcuifing the queftion, however, he 
allowed it as an indifputable point that 
the Irifh parliament was fully competent 
to reject any propefition from this coun- 
try to unite the parliaments, nor could 
it be done without the acquiefcence of the 
Trifn houfe of commons. He hoped that, 
upon a more deliberate difcuflion of the 
fubjeGt, the fitter kingdom would at 
-length fee the advantages which would 
attend the adopticn of the propofed mea- 
fure. He contended, that as ireland was 
the moft affailable part oi the britifh em- 
pire, parliament ought to profit by the 
defigns of the enemy, and, ‘by conlolidat- 
ing the two countries, render it fecure 
againft future attack. e next adverted 
to the adjuftment of 1782, which, he in- 
fitted, fo far from being a final fettlement, 
Jett the kingdom expoled to confiderable 
peril; and he quoted the words of Mr. 
Fofter, the fpeaker of the Irifh houfe of 
commons, to prove that {uch was his 
opinion. He then fpoke of the jarring in- 
terelts of the various religious fects in 
Ireland. As to the difparity of numbers 
between the Roman Catholics and Pro- 
teftants, he faid, that it was the only 
kingdom where the majority were not en- 
entitled to the fame privileges as the 
minority. He thowght that much of the 
apprehenfion and inqutetude entertained 
by the Proteitants, with refpeét to the 
Catholics, would be obviated by a legifla- 
tive uaion. He next calculated the ad- 
vantages which would arife in a com- 
mercial point of view, and again quoted 
the language of Mr. Fofter on the Irith 
State of Public Affairs. 
[Febe 
propofitions, to prove it. He denied that 
the country, would be ruined and the ca- 
pital Gepopulated by the adoption of the 
meafure. Perhaps fome of the members, 
who now live in the metropolis of Ire- 
dand, would refide in this country, but. 
Dublin would fill retain its courts of 
law, with which it was not intended to 
meddle, and the feat of learning. That 
city would, befides, be benefited in trade,. 
which would more than compenfate for 
other lofles. He,then called the attention 
of thé houfe to the union with Scotland, 
and concluded with reading a feries of 
propotitions, fetting forth at great length 
the numerous advantages which would 
attend the adoption of the propofed mea- 
fure; and moved, ¢ that. his majefty’s 
meflage be referred to a committee of the 
whole houfe.” 
Mr, Sheridan rofe and combated the ar- 
guments ot the Chancellor of the Exche- 
quer. He dwelt particularly on the un- 
favourable reception which the meafure 
met with in the Irifh parliament, and cau- 
tioned the right honourable gentleman to 
beware how he preffed his plan againft the 
fente of the nation. He concluded by 
faying, that no meafure can have a ten- 
dency to improve and perpetuate the ties 
of amity and conneétion now exifting be- 
tween Great Britain and Treland, which 
has not for the bafis the maniieit, fair, 
nd free confent and approbation of .the 
parliaments of the two countries; that 
whofoever fhall endeavour to obtain the 
appearance of fuch confent and approba- 
tion in either country, by employing the 
influence of Governinent for the purpofes 
of corruption or intimidation, is an ene- 
my to his majefty and to the conftitution. 
Lord Hawkefbury and Dr. Lawrence 
{poke in reply; atter which the houfe 
divided—Ayes 140, noes 15. | 
On the i7th of February, Mr. Pitt 
moved the order of the day for the houfe 
to refolve itfelf into a cominittee, to con- 
fider of the propofition refpeéting an ami- 
cable adjuftment between Great Britain 
and Ireiand. 
Mr. Sheridan objected to the order be- 
ing read. The houfe of commons, he 
faid, had not pledged itfelf to purfue the 
meaiure farther, though the right ho- 
nourable, gentleman had declared, that he 
would not abandon it during his political 
life. The houfe had not gone farther, he ob- 
ferved, than to vote that the propofitions 
fhould be referred to a committee, but that 
did not oblige them to record them on the 
journals. He could not think that parlia- 
ment conceived itfelf bound by the pledge 
of 
