SPEECH OF MR. PLUNKET,

On the competency of the Irish Parliament to pass the Measure of Union.

Sir, 7| I in the | most ex- | press 7 | terms 7| 7 de| ny the | competency | 7 of | parliament | 7 to | do this | act. 7|77|77|71| warn you | 77 | do not | dare | 7 to | lay your | hand | 7 on the | consti- | tution. | 77 | 77|71| tell you, | 7 that | if 7 | circumstanced as you | are 7 | 7 you | pass this | act, 7 | it will be a { nullity, | 7 and that | no | man in | Ireland | 7 will be | bound to o- | bey it. | 77 | 77 | 71 | make the as- | sertion | 7 de- | liberately, 7 7| 7 I re- | peat it, | 7 and | call on | any | man who | hears me, | 7 to | take | down my | words; 7 | 777 you | have not been e- | lected for | this 7 | purpose, 7 7| you are ap- | pointed | 7 to | make | laws, 7 | not 7 | legis- | latures; | 7 7 | you are ap- | pointed to | exercise | 7 the | functions of | legis- | lators, | 7 and | not to trans- | fer them; |77| 7 and | if you | do so | 7 your | act 7 | 7 is a | disso- | lution | 7 of the | govern- | ment; |77| you re- | solve so- | ciety | into its o- | riginal | elements, | 7 and | no man | 7 in the | land | 7 is | bound to o- | bey you. | 77 | 77| Sir, 7| 7 | state | doctrines | which are | not 7 | merely | founded | 7 in the im- | mutable | laws | 7 of | justice and of | truth; | 77|7 I state | not 7 | merely the o- | pinions |7 of the | ablest | men 7 who have | written on the | science of | govern- | ment; 7|77| but 1 | state the | practice | 7 of our | consti- | tution | 7 as | settled | at the | æra of the |

revo- | lution, | 7 but I | state the | doctrine | under | which 7 | 7 the | house of | Hanover | 7 de- | rives its | title | 7 to the | throne. |77|77| Has the | king 7 | 7 a| right to trans- | fer his | crown? | 77 | Is he | competent | 7 to an- | nex it to the | crown of | Spain, | 7 or of | any | other | country?|77| No, | 77 | but he may | abdicate it; | 7 and | every | man 7 | 7 who knows the | consti- tution, | knows the | conse- | quence, | 77|7 the | right re- | verts to the | next in suc- | cession; |77| If they all abdicate, | 7 it re- | verts to the | people. | 77777 The | man who | questions | this 7 | doctrine, | 7 in the | same | breath, | 77 | must ar- | raign the | sovereign on the | throne | 7 as au- | surper. | 77 |77| Are you | competent | 7 to trans- | fer your | legislative | rights 7 | 7 to the | French | council of | five | hundred? | 77 | Are you | competent | 7 to trans| fer them to the | British | parliament? | 77 | 71| answer, | No. 7 7| 7 7| When you trans- | fer 77 you | abdicate, | 7 and the | great | 7 o- | riginal | trust 7| 7 re- | verts to the | people | 7 from | whom it | issued. | 7 7| 7 Your- | selves | 7 you | may ex- | tinguish, 777 but | parliament | 7 you | cannot ex- | tinguish; | 77 | it is en- | throned in the | hearts of the | people; | 77 | it is en- | shrined | 7 in the | sanctuary 17 of the | consti- | tution; | 7 7 | it is im | mortal | 7 as the | island | 7 which it pro- | tects; | 7 7| 7 as | well | 7 might the | frantic | suicide | 7 7 | hope that the | act 7 | 7 which de- | stroys his | miserable | body, 77| should ex- | tinguish | 7 his e- | ternal | soul. | 77777A- | gain I | therefore | warn you, | 77 do not | dare to | lay your | hands | 7 on the | consti- | tution; | 77 | it is a- | bove your | power. | 77|77| Sir, 7| 7 I do not | say 7 | that the | parliament | and the | people | 7 by | mutual con- | sent and | co-ope- | ration, 7 7| may not | change the | form of the | consti- | tution. 77|77| 7 When- | ever | such a | case a- | rises, | 77 | 7 it must be de- | cided | on its | own | merits: 7 7| 7 but | that is not | this | case. | 77 | 77 | 7 If | government | 7 con- | siders | this a | season | 7 peculiarly | fitted | 7 for ex- | periments | 7 on the | consti- | tution, | 77| they may | call on the | people. | 77|77| 7 I ask you, 77 | are you | ready to | do so? | 77| Are you | ready to a- | bide the e- | vent of | such an ap| peal?7|77|77 | What 7 | is it | you must 7 in | that e- | vent, 7 | 7 sub- | mit to the people? | 77 | Not 7 | this par- | ticular | project, | 77 | for if you dis- | solve the | present | form of | government, | 77| they be- | come 7 | free to | choose | any other; |77|7 you | fling them to the | fury of the | tempest, | 77| you must | call on them | 7 to un- | house them- | selves | 7 of the es- | tablished | consti- | tution, | 7 and to | fashion to them- | selves 7 | 7 an- | other. | 77 | 77 | 71 | ask a- | gain, | 7 is | this the | time | 7 for an ex- | periment | 7 of | that 7 | nature? | 77|7 Thank | God 7 | 7 the | people have | mani- | fested | no such | wish; | 77 so | far as | they have | spoken, | 7 7 | their 7 | voice is de- | cidedlya- | gainst | 7 this | daring | inno- |vation. |77|77| 7 You | know | 7 that | no | voice | 7 has been | uttered in its | favor, | 7 7 | and you | cannot be in- | fatuated e- | nough | 7 to | take 7 | confidence | 7 from the | silence | 7 which pre- | vails in some 7 | parts of the | kingdom, | 77 | 7 if you | know how to ap- | preciate | 7 that | silence, | 7 it is | more | formidable | than the | most | clamorous | oppo- | sition; |77| you may be | rived and | shivered by the | lightning | 7 be- | fore you hear the | peal of the | thunder!|77|77| But Sir, | 7 we are | told 7| 77| that we should dis- | cuss this | question | 7 with | calmness | 7 and com- | posure! | 77 | I am | called on | 7 to sur- | render my birth-right 7 and my honor, 7 7 | and I am | told | I should be | calm, | 7 com- posed!|77|77| National | pride ! | 77 | Inde- | pendence of our | country!|77| These, 7 | 7 we are | told | 7 by the | minister, | 7 are | only | vulgar | topics | 77 | fitted | for the me- | ridian | 7 of the | mob, 7 but un- | worthy | 7 to be mentioned | 7 to such an en- | lightened as- | sembly 7 as this. 77 7 They are | trinkets and gewgaws, fit to | catch the | fancy of | childish | 7 and un| thinking | people | 7 like | you, Sir, 1 7 or | like your | predecessor | 7 in | that | chair, 7 7| 7 but | utterly un- | worthy | 7 the con- | side- | ration | 7 of | this | house, 7 7| or of the ma- | tured | under- | standing | 7 of the | noble | lord 7| 7 who | conde- | scends | 7 to in- | struct it! | 7 7| 7 7 | Gracious God! 77 7| 7 we | see a | Perry | re-as- | cending from the | tomb | 7 and | raising his awful | voice 7 | 7 to | warn us | 7 a- | gainst the sur- | render of our | freedom, | 7 and we | see that the | proud and | virtuous | feelings | 7 which | warmed the | breast of that | aged | 7. and | venerable | man, | 7 are | only | calculated | 7 to ex- | cite the con- | tempt | 7 of this | young phi- | losopher, | 7 7 | who has been trans- | planted | 7 from the | nursery | 7 to the | cabinet | 7 to | outrage the feelings | 7 and | under- | standing | 7 of the | country. | 77|77|

EXECUTION OF THE EARL OF ARGYLE.

Fox's History of James II.

7 On the | thirtieth of | June, | 7 one | thousand | 7 six | hundred | 7 and | eighty | five, | 7 the | Earl of Ar- | gyle | 7 was | brought from the | castle, | 77| first, | 7 to the | Laigh | council house, | 7 and | thence, | 7 to the | place of exe- | cution. | 77|77 | Be- | fore he | left the | castle, | 7 he | had his | dinner | 7 at the | usual | hour, | 7 at | which he dis- | coursed, | 77 | not only | calmly, | 7 but | even | cheerfully, | 7 | with | Mr. | Chateris | 7 and | others. | 77|77| After | dinner | 7 he re- | tired, | 77 | (as was his | custom,) | 7 to his | bed-chamber, |77| where | 7 it is re- | corded, | 7 he | slept | quietly | 7 for a- | bout a | quarter of an | hour. |77|77| While he was in | bed, | one of the | members of the | council | came, | 7 and | intimated | 7 to the at- | tendants, | 7 a de- | sire to | speak with him:|77|7 upon | being | told | 7 that the | Earl | 7 was a- | sleep, | 7 and had | left | orders | not to be dis- | turbed, | 7 the | manager | disbe- | lieved the ac- | count, | 77 | which he con- | sidered | 7 as a de- | vice | 7 to a- | void | further | questionings. |77|77|

7 To satisfy him, | 7 the | door of the | bed-chamber, | 7 was | half | opened, | and | then he be- | held, | 7 en- | joying a | sweet and | tranquil | slumber, | 7 the | man, 7717 who | 7 by the | doom of | him and his | fellows, | 7 was to | die | 7 7| 7 with- | in the | short | space | 7 of | two hours. | 77 | 77 | Struck with