Above : Portrait Of Castlereagh With His Signature

In February there was a debate in both Houses, on a message received from the Lord Lieutenant, asking that the Lords and Commons should consider the question of a Legislative Union. In the Commons, Castlereagh rose to explain the Government scheme in more detail than had yet been done. It may be well, at this point, to briefly set forth the most important points in the chief clauses of the Act of Union, in the form in which they were ultimately passed :