Meffage from his Majefty to the Iloufe of Commons, 22d January.

G. R.

H'

IS majefty is perfuaded that the unremitting industry with which our enemies perfevere in their avowed defign of effecting the feparation of Ireland from this kingdom, cannot fail to engage the particular attention of parliament; and his majesty recommends it to this houfe to confider of the most effectual means of counteracting, and finally defeating, this defign; and he trufts that a review of all the circumftances which have recently occurred (joined to the fentiment of mutual affection and common intereft) will difpofe the parliaments of both kingdoms to provide in the manner which they fhall judge most expedient for fettling fuch a complete and final adjuftment as may beft tend to improve and perpetuate a connection effential for their common fecurity, and to

maintenance of his dearly beloved fons, Prince Edward and Prince Erneft Auguftus, which the money applicable to the purposes of his majefty's civil government would be infufficient to defray; and being alfo defirous of being enabled to extend to his beloved daughter, the Princess Amelia, the provifion which he has been enabled to make out of the hereditary revenue for the other branches of his royal family, defires the affiftance of parliament for this purpose: and his majefty relies on the affection of his faithful commons, that they will make fuch provifion as the circumstances of the cafe may appear to require.

Proteft entered on the Journals of the House of Lords, against the Address in Favour of an Union with Ireland, 11th April.

ECAUSE the measure of

power, and refources, of the British empire.

Great Britain and Ireland, the policy of which is highly questionable, and the importance of which demands the most calm, difpaffionate, and deliberate examination, is perfifted in and urged forward in compliment to his majefty's minifters, under circumftances which ought imperiously to have deterred from the prosecution of it.

us

The

The moment of civil disturbance and divifion, when the neceffity of military law is alleged by minifters, and acknowledged by parliament, feems ill calculated for enfuring the full and unequivocal confent of the Irish people, without which even the fupporters of the measure muft confefs it to be illufory, and dangerous in the extreme. And to commit the parliament of Great Britain to the wifdom of a project which the commons of Ireland have rejected, and to which the inhabitants of that kingdom are difinclined, appears to us a whimfical expedient for fecuring the connection of the two countries, and confolidating the ftrength of the empire.

2dly, Becaufe, as no jealoufy or divifion has exifted between the two legiflatures, the prefent dangers and difcontents in Ireland cannot be attributed to the independence of parliament, but muft rather be confidered as the bitter frutits of a

coercive fyftem of policy, fuggefted by his majesty's advifers, and enforced under the fanction of the executive power with unconstitutional and wanton feverity.

3dly, Because, though the poffibility of a different will, in the two feparate legislatures, cannot be controverted, yet poffible inconveniences in remote and extreme cafes from fuppofed legiflative measures, or poffible inftances of additional embarrailment to the executive government, are no arguments for the fubverfion of a fyftem in which no fuch inconveniences have been experienced, and no fuch difficulties encountered. For the confequences of fuch reafoning would lead us to confolidate into one the different branches of our own excellent con

ftitution; to remove all the checks which the jealoufy of our ancestors has impofed on the executive government; to condemn whatever theory might fuppofe difficult, though practice had fhown it to be ealy; and to fubftitute hypothefis and fpeculation for hiftory, fact, and experience.

4thly, Because the notion, that a legiflative union will either conciliate the affections of the difcontented in Ireland, or furnith more effectual means for defeating the defign of the enemy in that country, feems unfupported by reafoning, and in direct contradiction to analogy and experience. Were we to admit the beneficial confequences of an union, yet the benefits which, according to fuch hypothefis, are likely to refult to Ireland from the meafures, are, at leaft, progreffive and diftant, and can furnish, therefore, no reasonable hope of allaying immediate difcontent, fuppreffing actual rebellion, or defeating defigns already on foot. If, indeed, the enemies of the connection endeavoured to effectuate a feparation of the two kingdoms, by fowing jealoufies and diffentions between the two parliaments (as was the cafe in Scotland, immediately previous to the union), the micafure propofed would manifeftly be an effectual, it might be reprefented as the only, remedy for the evil: but if it be true that their object is to diffeminate jealoufy, and foment difcontent, not between the diftant legislatures and governments of England and Ireland, but between the people and parliament, between the governed and government of that country; and if, by reprefenting their legiflature as the corrupt agent of British minifters, and flavifh en

gine of Britifl tyranny, they have fucceeded in alienating a large portion of his majesty's fubjects; and if it be farther true, as ftated in the report of the committees of fecrecy of the Irish parliament, that the mifrepresentations of a few individuals have been found fufficient to feduce the allegiance of one whole province in Ireland; we are indeed at a lofs to conceive how the danger of fuch defigns is to be averted, or the force of fuch mifreprefentations diminished, by a measure, which reduces the number of reprefentatives of the Irish people, transfers the legal organ of their will out of the bosom of their own country, and annihilates all independent and exclufive authority in that kingdom.

An examination of the immediate confequences which the union formerly produced in Scotland, and a contemplation of the recent effects of its difcuffion in Ireland, fuggeft yet ftronger reasons for doubting its efficacy either in healing difcontents, or furnishing the means of resistance to any attempt of the enemy. We learn, from the moft authentic documents of those times, that in Scotland its agitation produced diforder and tumult; that, fix years after it paffed, nearly all the Scotch peers voted for its diffolution, and founded that vote on the difcontents it had occafioned; that it remained for a long period a fubject of fullen difcontent; that a promife of its diffolution was confidered, by the agents of the Pretender, as advantageous to his caufe in Scotland; and that two rebellions broke out in that kingdom, fubfequent to its accomplishment.

Furthermore, from what information we have been able to procure, we obferve, with the deepest concern

and alarm, that its difcuffion in Ire-; land has already been attended with the moft fearful fymptoms. From the increafed powers with which it has recently been deemed neceffary to arm the executive power, we cannot but infer, that the profpect of an incorporating union has failed to conciliate the minds of the disaffected; and, from the ferment occafioned by its difcuffion, it is evident that all other parties in Ireland are alienated or divided, and the means of refiftance in case of infurrection or foreign invafion thereby materially weakened.

We thought it therefore. more prudent, in this moment of alarm, to defift from the profecution of a measure, which might become a fresh fubject of complaint, and a new fource of difcontent and division. And we were more difpofed to seek for the re-establishment of mutual confidence, in the adoption of conciliatory laws, in the removal of odious difabilities, in the redress of grievances, and the operation of a milder fyftem of policy on the affections of the Irish people, than in any experiment of theory and nominal union of governments.

5thly, Because, at a time when the danger of innovation has been deemed a fufficient pretext for the continuation of abufes, the fuípenfion of improvement, and the prefervation of a defective reprefentation of the people, we cannot regard without jealoufy and alarm an innovation of direct contrary tendency, viz. the introduction of a number of members into the British parliament, from a legislature, one branch of which has acknowledged the imperfection of its own conftitution; and against the other branch of which the fale of peerages has been

publicly

publicly alleged, and as publicly offered to be proved.

And, however invidious it might be to cite any example in confirmation of fuch opinion, we are not fo blind to matters of notoriety, or fo deaf to the leffons of experience, as not to apprehend, from a measure of this nature, an enormous increase of the influence of the crown; neither could we perceive, either in the prefent temper of the Irish people, inflamed by civil animofity, and exafperated by recent rebellion, or in the general moderation of his majesty's present advisers, any thing to allay our apprehenfions or remove our jealoufies; and we were unwilling to give our confent, at a period when new burdens are every day impofed, and new facrifices every day required of the people, to a meafure which muft fupply additional reafons for doubting the adequacy of their reprefentation, and fufpecting the independence of parJiament.

(Signed)

Holland.

Thanet.
King.

ferent application of that force more defirable, his majefty has recently had the fatisfaction to learn that the views of the Emperor of Ruffia in that refpect are entirely conformable to his own. But his majefty has not yet received any account that the formal engagements to that effect have been regularly concluded. He has, however, the fatisfaction of knowing that the fame promptitude and zeal, in fupport of the common caufe, which his ally has already manifefted in a manner fo honourable to himself, and fo fignally beneficial to Europe,, have induced him already to put this army in motion towards the place of its destination, as now fettled by mutual confent. His majefty therefore thinks it right to acquaint the houfe of commons, that the pecuniary conditions of this treaty will oblige his majesty to pay the fum of two hundred and twentyfive thousand pounds in stipulated inftalments, as preparation-money; and to pay a monthly fubfidy of feventy-five thousand pounds, as well as to engage for a farther payment, at the rate of thirty-feven thoufand five hundred pounds per month; which payment is not to take place till after the conclufion of a peace made by common confent.

His majefty relies on the zeal and public fpirit of his faithful commons, to enable him to make good these engagements.

And his majefty being defirous of continuing to afford the neceffary fuccours to his ally, the queen of Portugal, as well as to give timely and effectual affiftance at this important conjuncture to the Swifs Cantons, for the recovery of their ancient liberty and independence, and to make every other exertion for improving to the utmost the fignal ad

vantages