e sanction of both houses.

The national convention assembled on the day appointed; and the Earl of
Charlemont, generalissimo of the volunteer corps throughout the kingdom,
was elected president. At this meeting the Bishop of Deny moved that a
committee should be appointed to digest a plan of reform. This motion
was adopted; and in a short time the committee thus reported their
opinion:--'"That every protestant freeholder or leaseholder, possessing
a freehold or leasehold for a certain term of years, of forty shillings
value, resident in any city or borough, should be entitled to vote in
the election of member for the same that decayed boroughs should be
enabled to return representatives by an extension of franchise to the
neighbouring parishes; that the suffrages of the electors should be
taken by the sheriff or his deputies on the same day, at the respective
places of election; that pensioners of the crown, receiving their
pensions during pleasure, should be incapacitated from sitting in
parliament; that every member of parliament accepting a pension for
life, or any place under the crown, should vacate his seat; that each
member should subscribe an oath that he had, neither directly nor
indirectly, given any pecuniary or other consideration, with a view
of obtaining the suffrage of any elector; and that the duration of
parliament should not exceed the term of three years." This report
was received with applause, and resolutions to the effect were passed
unanimously.

On the next day Mr. Flood moved, in the Irish house of commons, for
leave to bring in a bill for the more equal representation of the people
in parliament; a motion which was rejected by a large majority, as the
proposal was made at the point of the bayonet. After this an address
to the king was voted in both houses, expressive of the sense of the
blessings they enjoyed under his auspices, and assuring him that they
were determined to support inviolate the present constitution with their
lives and their fortunes.

The conduct of the Irish parliament was reported to the national
convention by Mr. Flood on the 1st of December, when a resolution was
simply passed to the effect, that they would individually carry on
such investigations as might be necessary to complete the plan of
parliamentary reform. The convention seems to have thought that they
were going too far, and that it would be better somewhat to retrace
their steps, for on the next day an addr