The Irish standard., 1897-09-04
LAND OF WALLACE AND BRUCE
Its independence Annihilated by
Its Trait0r0us Sons.
TEMPTED BY BRITISH GOLD
The Corrupt Nobility Sold Their
Country's Birthright.

One of the favorite arguments of Eng
land to the world at large, to refute any
reason for Irish discomfort is, look at
Scotland! See how happy she is and
how beneficial is the act of Union unit
ing that country with the British en-
pire!" says the Ohio Pilot. But the his
tory of the Act of Union between Scot
Land and England shows that the aver
sion of the Scotch people to this union
was as strong and as bitter as that man
ifested by the masses of the Irish people
to the act which robbed Ireland of it's
liberty.
''The aversion of the Scotch people, :"
says the historian, was SO general to
their union, which, in addition to its
having been a notorious matter of sale
by the aristocracy for about $4,000,
imposed upon Scotland an unprecedent-
ed weight of taxation, that in 1871, or
but six years after the passing of the
act, a motion for repeal was made in
the British house of lords"
The equivalent" to the Scotch par
hamentary commissioners deputed to
treat of the terms of a union, was $780,
600. For this they sacrificed the rights
OF their country, particularly in reduc-
ing her representatives from 1856 to 45,
though, on the score of revenue, Scot
land should have gotten so, and on that
OF population, 66 members. To redress
an analogous injury done to Ireland at
her union was one of the objects of
O'Connell. The additional sum of s2O,-
OOO given to the party of Scotch mem
bers called the Squadron Volante COM
pleted the sale of Scottish independence
Never, perhaps, were such instances OF
meanness and corruption displayed.
'One noble lord Nord Banff) accepted .
says Scott, "of SO low a sum as eleven
guineas; and he threw his reli-
glon into the bargain, and from Catholic
turned Protestant to make his vote a
good one!" 1t was in reference to such
baseness that the English Secretary
Harley afterwards said, in reply to
some Scotch Union members, Have we
not bought the Scots, and did we no,
acquire right to tax them? or-fol
What other purpose did we give the
equivalent" On the other hand. in the
last Irish parliament of 27S sitting mem.
bers, the union was only gained by 4:
votes, chiefly consisting Of rotten-bor.
ough members many of whom were Eng.
Hsh ana Scotch officers-while, in spite
OF br1bes amounting in money to G3..
OOO,O00, exclusive of e1,275,OOO comDen.
satlon for boroughs, there was, without
counting the speakers vote, that would
IN case OF necessity have been giver
against the union, glorious minorit,
of III.
Inc Scotch motion for repeal was pu
In the house of lords by the Earl O.
Flndlater, who at the time of the ualor
was earl of Seafield and chancellor o.
scotland, one of the principal promoter.
OF the union (but now repentanl anf
VINO was SO heartless as to exclaim O,
witnessing the dissolution of the las
scotch parliament, There is an end o
an old song" His motion for repea
was defeated only by four votes! L
would have carried if guarantees woul,
nave been offered that the English legis
lature alone should be entitled to an
point the sovereign of the British ma
ton!
The same year as the earl of Findla
ter's motion occurred, a petition for +;
repeal of the union" was signed b,
great numbers in Edinburgh; afte
which the populace proceeded to 1h,
Parllament Close, and, under the statu
or Charles H., drank Queen Anne
health, that OF all true Scotchmen. an,
the dissolution Of the union!" The,
then did the same, amidst great cheer
1ngs, at the Market Cross. These cir
cumstances may be compared with tn
repeal procession of the trades of Dubli,
round the statue of King William, /,
front Of the once parliament house o
ireland in College Green, when tha
body went attended by immense crowd
10 present a repeal address to MI
oConnell in Merrion square, In tn
year of Lord Angleseys rather person
ally inconsistent proclamations. Ad
dresses in favor of repeal were gotte
up 10 the next year, 1714, in Scotland
and 1T was also proposed" says Tinda1
that none should be elected members O
parliament but such as would promts
TO use their endeavors for that pur
pose!" Thus, the idea of returnin
none but pledged repealers" is olde
han is generally supposed! Again, Il