otes to 17. In the commons it
was moved by Lord Castlereagh, the chief secretary, and was strongly
opposed by Plunket, Ponsonby, and others. After a debate which lasted
from 4 P.M. to 1 P.M. the next day, the government had a majority of
only one, and in a subsequent division was in a minority of 5. On the
31st Pitt, in an eloquent speech, moved resolutions for a union in the
British house of commons. Sheridan, Grey, and Burke's friend, Laurence,
fought hard against them, but were in a minority which varied from 45 to
15. In the lords they were agreed to without a division, and in April
both houses adopted an address in favour of union.

The failure of the government in the Irish parliament was hailed with
delight and rioting in Dublin. The prospects of the union soon began to
brighten. The cabinet made it clear that the measure would not be
abandoned. As it seemed likely that the protestants would offer the
catholics emancipation in order to induce them to combine against union,
Cornwallis was authorised to declare that the government would resist to
the utmost any concession to the catholics so long as a separate
parliament existed. No definite promise was made to the catholics, but
their hopes were excited. In the autumn, Castlereagh, who came over for
the purpose, represented to the cabinet the importance of gaining their
support; he was told to inform Cornwallis that the cabinet was
favourable to emancipation, and that without giving the catholics "any
direct assurance," he might safely solicit their support. This he did
with general success; and the catholic bishops and many of their
clergy, allured by the prospect of a provision from government, were
active on the unionist side. The unionist party was further strengthened
by the state of the country. Many districts were infested by bands of
men, survivals of the rebel armies, who murdered, robbed, and
intimidated their neighbours, and mutilated cattle. A fresh outbreak of
rebellion seemed likely in the spring; the large British force already
in Ireland was augmented, and an act was passed giving the
lord-lieutenant power to authorise the capital or other punishment of
those convicted by court-martial of rebellion or attacks on the king's
subjects. The opinion that Ireland needed a new system of government
gained ground. Yet the feeling against union remained overwhelmingly
general, specially among the protestants.

[Sidenote: _A MAJORITY SECURED._]

A majority