Above : St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Since 1585 no Parliament had sat in Ireland : now it appeared expedient that one should be summoned ; not only because the King was in urgent need of money, but also in order to legalise the confiscation of the Ulster lands by the attainder of their former possessors. So far, Irish Parliaments had been representative only of a part, and that by no means a large part, of the country; the districts namely which were really under the authority of the English Crown, and sometimes of some of the southern towns. Now members would be returned from each of the counties and boroughs in the four provinces. The Catholics were almost everywhere in a great majority. To counteract their influence, forty new boroughs were created, of which nineteen were in the newly-planted lands of Ulster, while all were carefully selected as likely to return Protestant representatives. It was hoped that, by this means, a majority would always be secured for the Reformers, who were deemed to be the Government party.

Concerning the manner in which the elections were conducted, we have little positive information. The final result was that 99 Catholics and 126 Protestants were returned as Members of the Commons. In the House of Lords there were 20 Spiritual Peers (all, of course, bishops of the Reformed Church), and 30 temporal lords, of whom 14 were new creations.

In spite of all its imperfections, this was probably the most representative Parliament that has sat in Ireland till our own day.

On the 18th of May, 1613, the Session was opened by a solemn religious function. Chichester headed the procession, which passed in state from the Castle to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At the door of the Church, the Catholic members stopped, and waited outside, while the rest entered and attended the service.Thus, from the first, a note of discord was struck. But when the Houses assembled in their respective Chambers at the Castle, it became still more marked. To both sides it was of the utmost importance that a Speaker favourable to them should be appointed, but, considering the constitution of the House, it could scarcely be doubted that the Catholic candidate, Sir John Everard, would be defeated. In order to decrease the anticipated majority of their opponents, the Catholic members began to protest against certain irregularities, which would, as they asserted, invalidate the elections in several of the new boroughs, and so deprive those returned of the right of voting.

The House, however, refused to consider this question, and proceeded with the choice of the Speaker. The Catholics, taking advantage of the temporary withdrawal of their opponents from the Chamber, proceeded to elect Sir John Everard, and to place him in the Speaker’s chair. The Protestants, on their return, elected their candidate, Sir John Davys, and, as Everard refused to leave the chair, he was forcibly removed, and Davys installed in his place. The supporters of Everard withdrew from the assembly as a protest. In the Lords’ House the Catholic peers did likewise, and it became necessary to prorogue the Parliament.

Both sides now sent petitions and subsequently deputations to the King, to give him each its own version of what had happened, and to state its grievances. From James, the Catholics received little satisfaction. He was extremely indignant that they should appear to criticise his action, in regard to the creation of the forty new boroughs. He furthermore rebuked them for their acknowledgment of foreign jurisdiction in religious matters. A Royal Commission was, however, appointed to inquire into the matter of the disputed election returns, and, as a result of its decision., thirteen seats were declared vacant.