of the sessions he had given notices of
two motions: one that the house should take the act of union into
consideration, with a view to its repeal; the other for the appointment
of a "select committee to inquire and report on the means by which the
dissolution of parliament was effected--on the effects of that measure
upon Ireland, and upon the labourers in husbandry, and the manufacturers
in England--and on the probable consequences of continuing the
legislative union between both countries." He proceeded only with the
last of the two motions, and he brought that forward on the 22nd of
April. He commenced by declaring that there had never existed a greater
mistake than to suppose that England possessed any right of dominion
over the former country. He then entered at great length into the
incompetency of parliament to pass the act of union; and having detailed
the means by which it was accomplished, he proceeded to prove that the
financial and legislative terms on which the great question had been
settled were in their very nature fraudulent and unjust. Looking at
these circumstances, he said, he dreaded the probable consequences of a
continuance of the union. Ireland felt strongly on the subject; and he
demanded that the bitter recollection of the past should be for ever
effaced by the restoration of her people to their inalienable rights.
Mr. O'Connell was answered at great length by Mr. Spring Rice, who
enumerated the manifold advantages gained by Ireland from the union.
He moved, therefore, that an address be presented to his majesty,
expressive of the fixed and steady determination of the commons to
maintain inviolate the legislative union between Great Britain and
Ireland--a determination to be justified, not only on general grounds,
but by reasons of special application to Ireland itself; declaring also,
that while the house endeavoured to remove all just causes of complaint
alleged by the Irish people, it would promote every well-considered
measure of rational liberty. The debate on the subject was continued by
adjournment for several days. The members who took part in it were--for
the original motion, Messrs. O'Connor, Barron, Ruthven, Shiel, and
others; and for the amendment, Messrs. Tennent, Littleton, Sandford,
Lambert, and Sir Robert Peel, and others. Perhaps the most effective
speech was that which was delivered by Sir Robert Peel, who said, he
believed that no array of official documents, and no force of