The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-09-22 00:00:00

Wheo, .after some the Chair Man of the
Committee. read a Petitiiia 'to his MAJESTY, and
:mother to the Hansa of Commons, which were
k substance as follow :

. .

THE STATESMAN.

During the seven years war, from 1793 to NOG, the National
Debt, ;Hider ad Irish Parliament, increased bat Twenty Mil-
lions.

During the se►rn years war, from 1800 to 1810, the National
Debt, under an Imperial Parliament, has increased Forty Mil-
lions.
During the year 1798, a year of foreign invasion and do-
mestic rebelling, the expenditure el Ire/and, nodei an Irish
Parliament, was but Four Millions.

During the yenr 1865, a year in which the army were unem-
ployed, as to leave Ireland tinder an apprehension of either ill-
vasioo or Rebellion, her expenditure, by an Imperial Parlia-
ment, was Ten Million Five linutired Thousand Pounds.

The debt of Ireland, in 1793, was to the debt of Great Bri-
tain, as Ode to One Hundred, and is now as doe to Seven ;
and.siore the Union bas increased in•proportion lo the Debt of
Great Britain as One to Two—whereas, had the relative re-
sources of the two Countries been justly estimated at the enect-
meet of that measure, the proportion should have been as Two
to Seventeen. ,
And your Petitianers cannot bat twelve this statement the
more irresistibly conclusive io favour of a repeal of the Union.
inasmuch as the warmest advocates of that measure, ever main-
tained the avowed and notorious ertrrunticiii of the Irish Par-
liament as the strongest argument against. its enactment. Yotir
'Petitioners, therefore, submit to the good seam of this Hon.
House, whether a still more economical management of Irish
resources, and a still more enlarged understanding of Irish in-
terests, are not to he expected from a reforeaed Legislature,
such as must exist in Ireland on a repeal of the ;Union, all the,
Irish objectionable boroughs being now e s duct My purchase.
Because the Imperial Parliament is composed of Members,
Ove-sixlhs of whom never have visited Ireland, or acepliresi
any personal knowledge of the genius and character of iM
habitants—of their wants and grievances—because one-sixth
of even the Irish Representatives are neither datives of that
country, nor have ever set foot on Irish ground, and because
by coadequeuce the affairs of Ireland are neglected and :mil-
-1
managed, or her interests disregarded.
Because the promises officially annonoired to this country by
the British Minister, as the grounds upon which be ventured
to impose the Union, and which,. though, not inserted among
its articles, were considered by the Irish People• as equally
binding, were forgotten by him, disowned by his successors,
and disregarded by the Iniperial Parliament. -
Became the dangers arid. ist rases g Inland have evet taken
their chief rise from Ile following, among other evils: from
the inattention of IN ialldlords to the welfare and comforts of
their tenantry; from the foreign expenditure of the country,
caused by' its -Absentees, awl Its Foray Manumit Debts from
its consequent want of capital, of trade, and maniptillity—be-
cause all these sources of poverty Rudd iscoatent have been and
ever must be increased and multiplied; by a Legislative Union
between the two countries—and because upon a removal or an
alleviation of these evils, and upon a fulb'asent of the promises
made to the nation; depend the safety of Ireland—its future
attachment to the Crown of Great Britain, and the ultimate
security of the Empire.
That your Petitioners in conclusion, beg to state to this Hon.
House, that having from 1782 to 1800 experienced the bene-
ficial effects resulting from a resident and independent Parlia-
ment, and having now for ten years felt the operative iolluence
of British Legislation, are impelled from the recollection of
the past, and sad experience of the present, to express their
conviction to this Honourable House, that the very serious dis-
tresses of the Irish People, and the dangers to which t!.e coup-
try is consequently espeted, are principally to be attributed to
the want of a resident Legislature; as your Petitioners, in ex. 11
pressing thkvonvietion, are cm:ldeal, that if admitted to the!
Bar of the House of Commons, they ihell be able to prove lei
its fall satisfaction that such is the • reel source of the animal
distress, and that to the Repeal of the Legislative Union can
the people of this country look as the only efficient means of
procuring its prereat relief, of securing it future prosperity, and
securing its penitential comet-don with Orem Minato.

Mr. O'CONNELL secontied the motion, in a
speech replete with sound argument and impressive
eloquence. He trusted that the importance of the
question before the Meeting would be a sufficient
apology for his addressing the Assembly, though
from his own personal feelings tic was disqualified
from delivering his sentiments as ho could wish on
the occasion. He then adverted . to, the present
situation of the country', to its suffering and stare.
ing manufacturers, with a national bankruptcy,
labouring with misfortunes crushing.the people to
the earth—threatened with a hostile invasion of
an unrelenting foe, the enemy of the liberties
of the world, threatening to over-run and en-
slave the country. With all those accumula.
Lion of horrors, we are told of the '6 growing
prosperity" of Ireland. What has been the con-
sequence of the Mien ? Since that Act passed,
which carried him irish!nen their liberty, we have
had two special commissions and one rebellion.
That •is one. find of the history of. that meriattre,‘
which was to hate produced all possible blessings.
The consequences of the Union had been foreseen :
they had seen stated. lie would take it from Ili
statement of JOHN Fos*Ett himself,, who had fore-
told those consequences ; who had lived to see those
consequences realized; and who had himself
been instrumental in the realization of them.—
What right had the Parliament of Ireland, Mr.
Sheriff, to transmit us to a foreign. Legislature'
for ever. They were only our delegated represed.
tatives—delegated for the preservation of the Mgr-
ty of Ireland. It was their:dutyto do our biol.
tiess..tirey liiiiiio—p-Ower on earthto Tate is &Avail
they were to look to the interest *f the country—
they had no iuthority—tbey had no right to vote
us and.Ourchildren to perpetual servitude. [4
planter.] Do net tety on what I say-=I dti'*4l
. wish you to take the description of the effecfslOf
the Union. front me.-4 have a higher atithorit, fur.
you ; I appeal to what his Majesty's present.
torney.General, Mr, sintini; said- on..t?td!..ao.
; liject.,
and what felt, w her,- tbik Veil 'lroise'
Conimoni tlatlnacle a donation . of us and Odrli.:
berty to another country, he hesitated whetla
the measure should not be resieted by; force. Cie."
plausei.] I will appeal to the language of .thne
lqarned character—l will appeal to thelanguage of
the late Lord chancellor, Ponsonby.-to the pre-
sent Sulicitor-Getteeral, Mr. liushe—and to that cx.
cellent patriot, Mr. Musket. Did not that soundlawl:
ycr and excellent man say, the measure was 'mesons.;
pled—was a wrong measure—was a flagratitinjes.
Lice to Ireland ? If such is measure was ,at that

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