The Irish standard., 1886-05-22
THE OLD IRISH PARLIAMENT.
How Ireland was Robbed of the Legisla-
lature Grattan and the Volun-
teers Won Her.
OPPOSITION OF Mr.. SHERIDAN.
The Measure Carried Through by the Po-
litic ProAigacy Of Pitt and
Lord Castlereagh.

In consideration of the discussion to
which the PREMIER Irish legislation has
been subjected in the British Parlia-
ment, it may not he amiss to reproduce
the opinions that were originally Ell
tertained respecting the union by lead
ing Liberals Of past generation. The
incorporation OF the Irish with the
English Parliament was catered upon
originally for the purpose of counter
acting French principles Maynooth
College being established for the same
purpose. French principles proved a
convenient phrase to conjure with, be-
Ing admirably fitted to awaken appre-
hension and arouse antipathy. What
William Pitt meant by French princi~
pies is explained in a speech which is q
vital portion of the history of the ull-
ion. In that speech we are told that
the s;false and dangerous mockery of
the sovereignty OF the people is one Of
the chief elements of Jacobinism, one
of the fsvorite impostures calculated to
mislead the understanding and to fiat
ter and inhame thepassions of the mass
of mankind 1t has been frequently
said that the idea Of the union was sug-
gested to Pitt by Smiths Wealth Of
Nations" Pitt had doubtless read the
work in question and protested himself
a convert to it's principles. But the al
lance which Adam Smith advocated
was not exactly the union effected at
the beginning of the present century.
Smiths was an essentially practical in
tellect, although he doubtless possessed
high speculative power. His mind was,
moreover, in the best sense of the tern,
democratic. TO him the chief value of
Scotland's connection with England
lay in the fact that it had delivered the
Scottish people from an aristocracy
which had always oppressed them.
The union of Ireland with England he
expected to work a kindred deliverance.
The Irish aristocracy had its basis, ae-
cording to Smith, in the most odious OF
all distinctions, ''those Of religious and
political prejudices-distinctions which,
more than any other, animate both the
insolence OF the oppressors and the
hatred and INDIGNATION of the oppress-
ed, and which commonly render the in
habitants of the same country more
hostile to one another than those of diS-
ferent countries ever are" Had the
Irish union achieved these objects it
might have given permanent tranquil
lity to Erin. But the scheme which
Pitt carried through Parliament could
not do that. 1t was essentially COM
promise between political justice and
political prejudices. When the project
of an incorporating union between
Great Britain and Ireland had fairly
taken form, an official pamphlet, writ
ten by the under-secretary for the civil
department., was published in Dublin.
This pamphlet put a specious but by no
means conclusive statement Of the case
before the country. Among the first
in Ireland to move against the projected
measure were the gentlemen of the bar.
On the 9th of December, 1875, they met
at Dublin, Mr.. Saurin taking the lead
as speaker, In the course Of his ad-
dress he argued that no country ever
had greater occasion than Ireland for
the indulgent care and watchful zeal of
resident Parliament. This thesis was
elaborated in a speech of surprising
power, and the orator concluded by
moving s'that a legislative union with
Britain should be declared to be an in
novation which it would be highly dam
gerous and improper to propose at the
present juncture." This measure was
adopted by great majority of the bar
listers. The attorneys afterwards met
and unanimously passed a similar res
olution. The magistrates and common
council of Dublin exhibited an equal
disinclination to the measure, while the
bankers and merchants declared their
a1ohorrence of all attempts to deprive
the Irish of the power of self-legisla-
tion. The fellows of Trinity College
instructed the representatives of the
university to oppose with frmness the
ministerial project. The gentry and
freeholders of Dublin had assumed a
similar attitude. Everywhere the
same sentiments prevailed. At Galway
the power of the representatives of the
people to vote away national independ-
ence was denied. With the country
thus excited the Irish Parliament met,
and. as might have been anticipated,
the union came under the consideration
of both houses. When an address OF
thanks was moved in the House Of
Commons, Sir j ohm Parnen rose, and,
while expressing his s.unWill lllngness to.
object in ordinary circu cumstances to
E1s