Above : Illustrating Picture Of Sir John Parnell (Sitting The In Middle) In A Meeting

During the seven months which intervened before Parliament sat again the Government was not idle. Every effort was made to influence public opinion in favour of the Union, or, failing this, to produce at least an appearance of acquiescence or even of desire for the success of the scheme.

The methods of direct bribery and corruption were continued. The Government party succeeded in gaining some notable accessions. Lord Ely, who had previously spoken of the Union as a mad scheme in favour of which I have not heard a single argument adduced,” now ” came over” on the promise of a marquisate. Lord Powerscourt, however, refused to pay the same price for a similar honour.

On the whole the Viceroy, in spite of all his efforts, felt anything but confident that the passing of the Union during the coming Session was secure. The Government adherents were, he complained, languid. In fact a great many of them were far from desiring the passing of the Union at all. ” Half our majority would be at least as pleased as any of our opponents if the measure were beaten,” Cornwallis declared.

By the anti-Unionists some attempts were made at counter bribery, but their resources were, of course, small compared to those of their opponents. They could offer nothing but money from their own pockets, whereas the Government could quarter those whom it had bought on the Irish revenue, and thus make the country pay for its own betrayal. Castlereagh and Lord Clare (Fitzgibbon) expressed at the ” Consular ” corruption a degree of indignation which, under the circumstances, was ludicrous. When a circular was drawn up by (it is believed) Sir John Parnell, and sent round to the various counties, suggesting, or rather implying that petitions against the Union should be drafted, their anger knew no bounds.

On January 15th, 1800, the Irish Parliament met for what proved to be its last Session. The King’s speech contained no allusion to the Union project, but Sir Laurence Parsons brought the matter forward, by proposing the insertion answering address of a clause declaring that the Irish Commons e determined to maintain an independent Parliament. In the mid of the debate which followed, Grattan, who owing to ill-health had been ton absent from the House, made his appearance, supported by two friends Speaking by special permission without rising from his place, Attacked the proposed Union in a speech which lasted almost two hours Other speakers on both sides succeeded, the debate continuing for eighteen hours in all. When the votes were taken it was found that Parsons’ amendment was lost by forty-two votes.

This majority, especially considering how little reliance was to be placed on some of those who composed it, appeared to Cornwallis insufficient for complete security. Grattan’s speech had had considerable effect throughout the country. Petitions against the project poured in, and the Government, trying to engineer others in the contrary sense, could not obtain ” much more than one-twelfth of the signatures that were got, in spite of obstacles and discouragements, to anti-Union petitions ” (Lecky).