7

it is poffible for two feparate independent powers to differ in action, that difference might prove deftructive to their mutual intereft, Union will prevent this poffibility, and therefore Union is politically neceffary for the fecurity of the connexion. In our Union with Scotland fhe was content with a reprefentation of fixteen Peers and forty-five Commoners; we propofe that fhall be repreyou fented in the united Parliament by thirty-two Peers and one hundred Commoners; but this has been oppofed upon the ground that the numbers bear no juft proportion to the numbers conftituting the two fimilar branches of British legiflature; numerically this is true, "but reprefentation conftitutionally looks to property, and on that principle we calculate; we fhall presently fhew that your proportion of taxation cannot be effected by your proportion of reprefentatives. We propose to unite the churches of Great Britain and Ireland for ever into one, by which means the Proteftant Afcendancy in Ireland will be fixed upon a rock. We propose to make the two people one in point of trade and navigation in their refpective ports and dependencies, and that their privileges fhall be the fame in all foreign ftates. We propofe that prohibitions and bounties on export between the two countries fhall ceafe, and that all goods, (fome few articles excepted) the produce and manufacture

manufacture of either country fhall be imported into the other duty-free. There are lefs points which now lie on the table of your Parliament for confideration-we pafs them, and come to the great point of taxation, to the system of which we beg your candid and impartial attention: but first it may be proper to ftate our idea of the difpofition of our mutual debts; we therefore propofe that each country fhall pay the principal or intereft of her own exifting debt feparately, and that all loans hereafter raised by the united Parliament fhall be a joint debt, and the intereft paid by each country in proportion to their refpective rate of taxation.We propofe that for twenty years the taxes fhall be proportioned as 151. for Great Britain and 21. for Ireland; after the expiration of that period the proportion of taxation for each country fhall be ftruck from a juft average of the value of their refpective exports and imports; or upon a comparison of the value of their refpective confumption of beer, fpirits, fugar, wine, tea, tobacco, malt, falt, and leather; or upon a comparison of income, if fuch tax shall previously take place in Ireland; and that fucceeding taxes fhall be regulated in like manner at periods not more diftant than twenty, or lefs than seven years from each other. We alfo fix that no article in Ireland can be taxed higher than the fame

article

article fhall be taxed in England; and when thé debts of each country thall be liquidated, or when the amount fhall be to each other in proportion to her refpective contributions, we propofe that the united Parliament may then enact equality of taxation.-Of this fyftem we take leave to obferve, that fuppofing it to become law no augmented number of reprefentatives from Ireland could reduce the amount of her proportional taxation :—it is clear that this fyftem of future contribution is juft and equitable, and muft remove all the fears of the Irish people on, perhaps, the moft momentous branch of this imperial arrangement for it fixes the proportion of their taxation for the first twenty years of the Union fo low as one to feven-one-half, after that period it taxes them according to their ability, and that ability afcertained by irrefragable proof, i. e. the proof of their own trade or actual confumption; and lastly it fecures the continuance of taxation according to ability, till that ability has enabled you to liquidate your debt, and by confequence till your general profperity gives you strength and power to fland with Great Britain, in profortion to your population and profperity, on equality of taxation These are the leading terms on which we offer to unite for ever our political exiflence with you; a part of you urge we are already united, but where

Union

Union is theoretical feparation may be real. We acknowledge with candour that you are neceffary to our fafety, and we conclude from proof that we are neceffary to your commercial profperity and to your conftitutional being. We again mention your grand staple, your Linen; we call upon you to fecure for ever the poffeffion of our market and our colonies for its confumption; we wish not to act on the ruinous policy of prohibition; we wish to deftroy the very poffibility of fuch policy by destroying the poffibility of commercial jealoufy and conftitutional feparation ;-we have nurfed this your noble manufacture from its infancy to its actual ftrength and vigour; to boast of our liberality would be ungenerous, but we may with a modeft and becoming pride record the fact, in order that it may operate upon the cool and honeft Irishman who wishes the profperity of his country and the infeparability of the connexion. We therefore fay, that to Britain and to Britain alone you are indebted for your linen manufacture; through her ports and by her bounty the increase of its confumption is folely attributable. She receives it duty-free;-in its favour fhe lays a duty of thirty-three per cent. on foreign linens; and thus the confumes, or rather the buys from you 7-8ths of your total export.

A CRISIS

A CRISIS is paft; we are floating upon the bofom of another ;-we clearly fee, we are deeply impreffed with the political neceffity of our entire incorporation; we propose certain terms of Union; we think them juft, we think them liberal;-if there fhould in your judgment appear parts incomplete, we are open to conviction, and willing to reconfider and improve ;-our Union is for life, and it is our duty and our intereft to give you a just participation in our power, in our trade, in our establishments, and in our capital you, too, must make some facrifice-like a virgin that refigns her maiden honours for the legitimate embrace and neceffary protection of her natural fuperior. You fhall enter the firm upon the most honourable footing; you are confeffedly deficient in point of capital; you cannot therefore expect an equal fhare, we offer you an equitable proportion -while you trade on your own bottom you lie open to combination and ruin; our incorporation will give your industry its full fpring, by producing interior tranquillityand never lofe fight of this great political truth, that OUR UNION WILL BE THE BEST

SECURITY TO YOUR PROPERTY.

D

So