a disregard of every
constitutional principle, were common to both." But Lord Cornwallis had
some compunctions; for he wrote to General Ross, describing his office
as "the most cursed of all situations," and expressing, in language more
forcible than gentlemanly, his ardent desire to "kick those whom his
public duty obliged him to court."

The immediate arrangements made for carrying out the Union were
extremely simple. A scale of "compensation" was arranged--a word which
could, by a slight perversion of the ordinary meaning of the English
language, be used as a new form of expressing what was formerly called
bribery. Every one was promised everything that he wished for, if he
would only consent to the measure. The Catholics were to have
emancipation, the Protestants ascendency, the bar promotion, the people
higher wages, the boroughmongers magnificent compensation. FitzGibbon,
who had been made Lord Clare, and was then Chancellor, bribed,
threatened, and cajoled the Upper House; Mr. Secretary Cooke employed
himself with equal ability in the Lower House. Grattan had left Ireland;
Flood was in retirement; the members of the bar who had voted against
the Union were dismissed from office, and the Prime Serjeant, Mr.
FitzGerald, was the first victim. The thirty-two who formed the minority
were at once removed. I have not space for the details of the various
attempts which were made to pass the unpopular measure. Barrington has
given a list of the members for the Union, and the rewards they
received. His description of the last night of the Irish Parliament is
too graphic to be omitted:--

"The Commons' House of Parliament, on the last evening, afforded
the most melancholy example of a fine, independent people,
betrayed, divided, sold, and, as a State, annihilated. British
clerks and officers were smuggled into her Parliament, to vote away
the constitution of a country to which they were strangers, and in
which they had neither interest nor connexion. They were employed
to cancel the royal charter of the Irish nation, guaranteed by the
British Government, sanctioned by the British Legislature, and
unequivocally confirmed by the words, the signature, and the Great
Seal of their monarch.

"The situation of the Speaker on that night was of the most
distressing nature. A sincere and ardent enemy of the measure, he
headed its opponents; he resisted with all the p