The Irish standard., 1893-01-07
THE aRArrAN PARLIAMENT.

Towards the close of the middle ages
council OF feudal barons used to meet II
Dublin to levy taxes, define county linn
it's, and other matters Of detail. Its OK
istence was generally Of precarious ma
| ture. sometimes, disbanded for an entire
decade of years, again endowed with OK
traordinary powers, but it finally sank to
the level Of q mere COMMITTEES for the
Parliament in London. A series OF bit
Ter discussions arose on it's relations to-
wards England during the fifteenth cen.
fury, when the "Poyning's Act" arbitra.
rily ended the struggle. The infamous
measure provided that no law should be
passed in Dabln, until the leading points
or "heads" had been sanctioned in the
British Parliament. This bound the
Irish assembly hand and foot, deprived
it of every vestige of authority, and re-
duced it to abject servility. The mem
bers we're mostly English or of English
extraction, who could not resist with
consistency, and hence, found it more
convenient to submit to circumstances,
At times, however, q patriot, like
Molyneux, Swift, or Lucas, would rise
and denounoe the tyranny, but individual
effort was useless-sometimes danger
GUS, as Lucas learned when exiled, ALI
hope seemed to have fled the populace;
they had scarcely voice in political
life, owing to the barbarous enactments
of those penal days. It was not until
the American colonists had driven the
British army into extremities, that Ire
land beetirred herself? Some unscrupu-
lous statesman advocated a transfer OF
the Dublin legislature to London, upon
which the citizens arose zen nasse" and
forced from the authorities q solemn as
surance that no such alliance would be
permitted. The incident was deemed q
success; lively spirit of patriotism at-
fected the classes. the "seditlous" agita-
tors in exile returned, and mingling the
memories of "Fontenoy" with the more
recent inspirations from Bunker Hip
restored the long-lost courage of the ma
ton.
Representation in College Green was
a proverbially corrupt system. Members
enjoyed lifelong periods in Office, whilst
most of the constituencies went to the
highest bidder. The patriotic party saw
that little could be done whilst the peo-
pie were barred from the legislature,
hence, they resolved to reform the cleo
torate. With this end in view, the "heads
of bill'' were sent to London Tor sane
ton. The '.heads" were read, but like
other Irish petitions found their way to
the imperial waste-basket. The same
fate awaited second set Of "heads. !"
The land felt the insult deeply The
populace gave vent to their feelings in
various ways, but especially by monster
meetings, where unanimous calls were
made on Lucas to beard the British Par
lament third time. The third went
the way Of its predecessors, and elected
nothing more than growl from the
cabinet. All classes, Catholics and Prot
eetants, plebians and aristocrats, relin-
pushed their petty differences, and
united in one universal voice Of resen-
ment at such injustice. Amidst ominous
threats, the thrice-rejected "heads" were
sent across the channel. The country
was seeth1ng with discomfort, passion
was inhamed; 80, England true to her
old fractions, conceded the demand,
only on compulsion. Such concessions,
far from being received with gratitude
served only to encourage further agita
ton.
This second victory occurred at q time
when the public mind Of Europe was be-
ing transformed by the French Revolu-
ton. England was involved in war with
France and Spain; her finances we're dis
ordered, and home affairs were generally
neglected. French and American priva-
TERRA roamed the seas the British Chan
mel itsaH WIS often the scene Of their
depped ations. Tho Iriish coastt was wholly
unuprol net which cansed .
s. pans 81 towns md suggested