1800.

CHAP. contrary to known fact; and that the assertion that I. he was exciting the people to future treason and rebellion was a direct and manifest untruth, if the expression of prophetic treason was in the slightest degree imputed to what he had delivered;" "Lord Castlereagh rose with great coolness," says Lord Cornwallis, "in reply. He said that he never should enter into personal altercation in that House; that he despised that parade of parliamentary spirit which led to nothing, and which denied in offensive terms what had been never uttered; that if any personal incivility were used to him it was not in Parliament he should answer it, and that he should carefully avoid making himself an object for the interference of the House. Lord Castlereagh's reply gave very general satisfaction, and was considered as a signal proof of his ready judgment as well as of his abilities." "It raised him much in the estimation of the House, and the general feeling was that he had completely shaken off the attack upon his adversary. He felt, however, that all was not quite settled and explained as he could wish, and 1 Lord Corn- rather wanted to send Grattan a message, and his friends Duke of have with great difficulty dissuaded him. The fact is, that the whole House was completely satisfied: he rose Esq. May in their opinion. There was no rumour that it was exCornwallis pected he should go further. further. We thought he would let 240-242. himself down by doing so, and that it would be quitting the high ground on which he stood."1

wallis to

Portland

aud J. King,

27, 1800;

Corresp. iii.

99.

difficulties

Notwithstanding all these efforts, however, it became Increasing a very doubtful matter whether the measure would be attending carried. The majority fell off in an alarming manner on sure, which several occasions; twelve of those who had voted with is at length Government at first deserted them afterwards.

the mea

passed. June 7.

Both

parties made the utmost use of influence; but on the side of Ministers it consisted chiefly in the promises of offices, titles, and promotion, which were freely held out; on that of Opposition, in the actual bestowing of large bribes. £5000 was given for a single vote by them; the bargain was sometimes struck while the debate was

going on.*

CHAP.

I.

1800.

During all this protracted and arduous contest, which went on in the House and in committee for four months, Lord Castlereagh was constantly at his post. He was firmly supported by the Government in England, who declared their determination never to abandon the measure, and by Lord Cornwallis, who, though by no means sanguine of success, acted with all the resolution of a British soldier in the discharge of what he often deemed a hopeless duty. At length their efforts and their perseverance were attended with the success which in a good cause seldom fails to crown the united efforts of talent and perseverance. After dragging for several months its weary way through the House of Commons, during which it was debated at every step, and every clause or resolution how minute soever was made the Portland, subject of a separate division, the Union Bill at length 1800: Cornpassed the Commons by a majority of 65, the numbers resp. iii. 255. being 153 to 88. In the Lords, to which it was immediately

* "We have undoubted proofs, though not such as we can disclose, that they are enabled to offer as high as £5000 for an individual vote; and I lament to state that there are individuals remaining amongst us that are likely to yield to this temptation. A not less formidable principle we have to contend against is the effect produced by their system of intimidation on the minds of our timid and lukewarm friends. The Opposition have shown their determination to rouse the disaffection of the country, and to hunt the people at the Government, and have not confined their efforts to the people alone: both yeomanry and militia are held forth to shake the constancy of our friends. Your Grace is fully apprised of the case of the Downshire regiment."-LORD CASTLEREAGH to DUKE OF PORTLAND, February 7, 1800; Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 182.

"Our situation is critical: twelve of our supporters deserted to the enemy on the last division; one was bought during the debate. The enemy, to my certain knowledge, offer £5000 ready money for a vote. If we had the means and were disposed to make such vile use of them, we dare not trust the credit of Government in the hands of such rascals. How it will end, God only knows! I think there are not more than four or five of our people that can be either bought off or intimidated; but there is no answering for the courage or integrity of our senators."-LORD CORNWALLIS to BISHOP OF LICHFIELD, February 8, 1800; Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 183, 184.

"I authorise and instruct you to declare that no disappointment will ever induce his Majesty or his servants to recede from or to suspend their endeavours; but that it is his Majesty's fixed and unalterable determination to direct, session after session, the proposition of Union to be renewed to Parliament, until it is adopted by the good sense of the nation."-DUKE OF PORTLAND to LORD CORNWALLIS, February 12, 1800; Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 191.

1 Marquess Cornwallis to Duke of

June 7,

wallis Cor

L.

1800.

CHAP. carried, the majority was still greater, being 69. At the termination of this great debate, it is consolatory to have the testimony of Lord Castlereagh to the fact that, with a few exceptions, the conduct of the whole supporters of Government had been in the highest degree energetic and honourable.1*

100.

in Parlia

ment and

The crisis had passed before the measure was finally Its reception carried; and as the result had for some time been foreseen, it excited much less attention when it at length the country came to pass than had been anticipated. Every precaution was taken by Government against an outbreak in Dublin; but none such occurred. A conciliatory disposition, honourable to all parties, was evinced in the House when the measure had finally become law. Mr Dawson, member for the county of Monaghan, who had hitherto been an active opposer of the Union, rose in his place after it had passed, and declared in the fullest manner to the House that, as it had now received the approbation of Parliament and was to become the law of the land, he would not only think it his duty to pay obedience to it himself, but should exert himself to induce his constituents to reconcile themselves to its provisions. He was followed by Lord Maxwell, member for 1 Lord Corn- the county of Cavan, and some others, who severally expressed their determination to carry the Act of Union into execution to the utmost of their power. Lord Cornwallis Castlereagh, as well he might, did not fail to speak in Corresp. iii. the highest but not undeserved terms of eulogy of such to General noble and truly patriotic conduct on the part of his old 16, 1800 political opponents. So far did these feelings go, that they came to be shared in some degree even by the populace of Dublin, hitherto the most decided opponents

wallis to

Duke of
Portland,

June 9,
1800;

251; and

Ross, Aug.

Ibid. iii.

288.

"At the close of this important struggle, it is but justice to our friends to represent to your Grace that their zeal and fidelity has far exceeded what I could have formed any expectation of. Some, perhaps, embarked not with the most cordial feelings to the measure; but all, since the defection of the Bagwells, &c., have acted with perfect honour, and many of them with a degree of energy which I trust will recommend them to his Majesty's favour."-LORD CASTLEREAGH to DUKE OF PORTLAND, June 9, 1800; Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 256.

I.

of the Union; and Lord Cornwallis, in driving through CHAP. the streets of Dublin, had the satisfaction of hearing the expressions burst from the crowd-" There he is, God bless him" "a grateful sound," he justly observes, "to one who had governed the country for two years by martial law."

1800.

101.

on the part

settle of Governand ment in the Lord peerages.

creation of

June 16.

The Union was now carried, and with much less irritation and disturbance at last than had been anticipated; Difficulties but a long account remained for Government to with those by whose efforts this had been effected when they came to do so, Lord Cornwallis and Castlereagh experienced scarcely less difficulty than they had done in urging the measure through Parliament. They experienced the usual ingratitude shown by the holders of power to those by whom great services have been rendered which are no longer required. Aware that the measure could never be forced through with the existing Irish Parliament but by influence, and that often of the grossest kind, Lord Castlereagh as well as the Lord-Lieutenant had all along warned the English Government that this was the only way in which the desired object could be effected, and they had received repeated pledges to support whatever measures might be deemed necessary, or promises to insure success.* a private verbal conference with Mr Pitt, Lord Cornwallis had mentioned sixteen peerages or advancements in the peerage, as required to insure the support of the requisite number of influential landholders; and no objection. had been stated, nor indeed could any such have been advanced, as fourteen peerages had been conferred on a less important occasion in 1796.† No sooner was

In

When Lord Castlereagh was in England, he went through the list of the Irish peers with Mr Pitt, with a view to the representative peerage, when the latter did not ask it for Lord Grandison, and rather scouted the idea of Lord Sheffield when Lord C. stopped at his name; and he consented to eighteen new peers, and did not absolutely limit us to that number, although our conduct has been reprobated for sending over a list of sixteen."-LORD CORNWALLIS to GENERAL ROSS, July 11, 1800; Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 277.

+ "Every despatch written during the last eighteen months fully apprised the English Ministers that the measure could only be carried by the force of

CHAP.

I.

1800.

June 13.

the bill passed, therefore, than Lord Cornwallis sent to the Duke of Portland a letter enclosing a list of the peerages, sixteen in number, which he had promised to the supporters of the measure, being all persons of fortune adequate to support this dignity, and whose services entitled them to expect it. But either Mr Pitt had not communicated to the Duke of Portland what had passed on the subject, or insurmountable difficulties had been experienced in the highest quarter when the list came to be examined, for his Grace returned a cold answer, making difficulties at every step, and declining to recommend one-half of the names submitted to his Majesty for approval. The conduct both of Lord Cornwallis and Lord Castlereagh upon this was dignified and decided. They both wrote immediately to the Duke of Portland, saying, in respectful but firm language, that if Government was unable to make good the promises they had made on their behalf to their supporters, they could no longer retain office under them. The private letters of both at this crisis breathe a warm and very natural feeling of indignation at such a return being made for the services they had rendered to their country.* influence, and now to disavow promises would gain no popularity for themselves, while it would disappoint their supporters and disgrace the Irish Government."-Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 266. The sum ultimately awarded to the sufferers by the Union in the form of boroughs disfranchised, seats lost in Parliament, and the like, was £1,260,000. Lord Downshire, for seven seats, got £52,500; and Lord Ely, £45,000.-Cornwallis Correspondence, iii. 323, 324.

After having passed two painful years of difficulty and anxiety, my prospect had begun to brighten. The spirit of rebellion was almost universally subsiding, and the great and important measure of Union was not only carried by a majority in Parliament, but received throughout the nation, and even in the metropolis, with less ill-humour than could have been expected; and many of the most respectable, although not during the contest the least violent, of the anti-Unionists, had declared that they no longer wished to be ranked amongst the opposers of Government. But your Grace's despatches of the 12th and 13th, as far as my personal feelings are concerned, have placed me in a more distressing situation than I have yet experienced. In the most severe trials I have hitherto been able to conduct myself with a firmness becoming a man of honour and integrity; but now my condition is so much altered, that I must either say to those whom I am about to disappoint that I will not keep my word with them, or acknowledge that I have pretended to have powers which I did not possess, and that I must declare my engagements to be void because his Majesty's Ministers have refused to fulfil them. . The whole number of peerage mended are sixteen. In June 1796, at the period of the