hands, by supplying him with a standing army, and it was hotly opposed by the Irish Patriots. Nevertheless, by a series of renewed bribes, such as peerages, pensions, and promotions, the authorities succeeded. Made in having the bill passed by the Irish Parlia- perpetual. ment as perpetual. The English failed to see that this only added to the growing discontent and excitement in Ireland, which were increased by the successful revolution in America and the encouragement received from France. The Patriots were strongly in favor of complete legislative independence. The ranks of the Volunteers daily increased, so that they now numbered a hundred thousand. Flood resigned from office to support the cause of the Patriots, and brilliant and influential men, like Hutchinson, Fitzgibbon, Burgh, and Yelverton, led the popular cause. It should be remembered that the Patriotic party expressed entire loyalty to the king. When the news of the defeat of Cornwallis reached Ireland, Yelverton withdrew a motion in favor of legislative independence, in order to make way for a vote of loyalty to the king.

255. Volunteer convention at Dungannon. In spite of their grow

ernment side, and

Where the Volunteers met in February, 1782

diminished their numbers in parliament. Grattan determined to take a new step. On February 15, 1782, a convention of two hundred and forty-two delegates from the Ulster Volunteers met at Dungannon, the old home of Hugh O'Neill, to deliberate on political conditions. Grattan, Flood, and Lord Charlemont were in charge of the proceedings. They passed thirteen resolutions, of which the following were the most important: That the King, Lords, and Commons of Ireland alone had the right to legislate for the country;

Its resolutions.

That Poynings' Law was unconstitutional, and should be repealed;

That the ports of Ireland should be opened to all nations not at war with the king;

That the permanent Mutiny Bill was unconstitutional; That "as men and Irishmen, as Christians and Protestants, we rejoice in the relaxation of the penal laws against our Roman Catholic fellow-subjects; and we conceive the measure to be fraught with the happiest consequences to the union, and prosperity to the inhabitants of Ireland."

The last measure was ardently supported by Grattan and three Protestant clergymen who were delegates to the convention. No Catholic took part in the proceedings.

256. Further repeal of the penal laws. The same day, February 15, Luke Gardiner introduced further measures in parliament for the relief of the Catholics. The laws against buying and selling land were modified. The acts forbidding the celebration of mass, ordering the registration of priests, and regulating the residence of bishops were repealed, and Catholics were permitted to live in the two great Gaelic centres, Limerick and Galway. Catholic schoolmasters could teach, and Catholics could be guardians of children. They were no longer presumed

to be guilty of all robberies commited in the country. The ridiculous and unjust law providing that no Catholic might own a horse worth more than five pounds was also repealed.

BADGE

THE

OF

DOWN

VOLUN

TEERS

257. The Act of Repeal, May 27, 1782. At the next meeting of parliament, in April, 1782, Grattan moved and carried his amendment, which comprised the Dungannon resolutions, except the last referring to Catholics. He was extremely ill at the time, and so weak that he could' hardly speak, yet his oration on this occasion won just fame. In May, the English Parliament passed the Act of Repeal, which meant independence for the Irish Parliament. was repealed (see section 123) and also the Sixth of George I. (See section 238.) The right of the Irish House of Lords to hear appeals was pendence. restored. The joy created by this news in Dublin was indescribable. The Irish Parliament showed its gratitude by voting twenty thousand men and £100,000 to the English navy. It was admitted that the repeal was a personal triumph for Grattan. He was voted a grant of £100,000, only half of which he finally consented to accept.

Poynings' Law
Irish Par-

liament
wins inde-

258. The Act of Renunciation. On January 22, in the following year, 1783, the Act of Renunciation was passed, which may be regarded as the charter of Irish legislative independence. By it England formally gave up the right to make laws for Ireland, which was to be henceforth subject in everything only to the king and the Irish Parlia

ment.

Thus the parliamentary struggle which lasted from 1698 to 1783 ended in favor of Ireland, and decided that

Ireland should be a nation, and not an English settlement. Thanks to the timely revolt of the American colonies against just such grievances as those of Ireland, and to the efforts of men like Grattan, Flood, and their colleagues, Ireland had found the spirit of responsibility, and had come to a realization of her rights and powers. This movement was, it should be remembered, almost wholly Protestant, but many measures were passed which were intended to lighten the lot of the Catholics, and make them more equal with their Protestant rulers before the law.

SUMMARY

There were two distinct parties in parliament during the century 1698-1783: the "Court party," who did everything to increase despotic English influence, and the "Patriotic party," a small minority who struggled for the independence and welfare of their country. The Patriots had as leaders in parliament and outside such men as Lucas, Swift, Flood, and Grattan. The act called the "Sixth of George I," 1719, gave the death-blow to the authority of the Irish Parliament. In 1757, a Catholic Committee was formed to protect the interests of oppressed Catholics. In 1767, the Octennial Bill was passed, which limited the term of parliament to eight years. The Irish Commons refused to pass money-bills not originated by themselves. On the outbreak of the war with America the English Parliament passed the Embargo Act, 1775, but it was repealed three years later, together with some of the penal laws against Catholics. Fearing invasion, the Irish Protestants formed a volunteer society which raised a large army and demanded reform from England. The Volunteers met in convention at Dungannon in 1782, and drew up resolutions. The result was the further repeal of penal laws followed by the Act of Repeal, 1782, and the Act of Renunciation, January 22, 1783, which gave legislative freedom to Ireland. Trade restrictions were also removed.

CHAPTER XXV

THE IRISH REBELLION

1798

ENGLISH SOVEREIGN: George III, 1760-1820

259. Need of parliamentary reform. During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, Ireland had legislative freedom, subject only to the veto of the English king, but the houses of parliament themselves were far from ideal. Of three hundred members in the House of Commons, not more than seventy or eighty were elected by a free vote of the people. Rotten boroughs were numerous, and seats sold as high as ten thousand pounds. The absolute exclusion of Catholics, who numbered four fifths of the population of the coun- Unfair try, further prevented the Irish Parliament representafrom being a truly representative body, genuinely independent, and answering to the will of the nation instead of that of the representatives of England at Dublin. Reform was needed, and needed badly. Had it come at this time, the bloodshed of 1798 might have been averted. Let us see why reform was not achieved.

tion.

Besides the need of

260. Plans for a convention. parliamentary reform, the further regulation of free trade and the necessity of Catholic emancipation were recognized by the Patriots. The Volunteers took up the question of the reform of parliament, and held several