LORD NORTH’S PROPOSITION FOR THE RELIEF OF IRELAND.
Lord North brought forward his promised scheme of relief for Ireland on the 13th of December. This scheme consisted of three propositions: to allow a free export of wool, woollens, and wool-flocks; to allow a free export of glass and all kinds of manufactured glass; and to allow a free trade with all the British plantations on certain conditions; the basis of which was an equality of taxes and customs. In supporting these propositions Lord North entered minutely into the natural and inherent rights of Ireland; combated many inveterate prejudices; declared that the benefits of the two countries must be reciprocal and their interests mutual; and in short collected into one point of view all the liberal notions of commerce and policy which Burke and others of his party had long laboured to impress upon parliament. If Lord North was actuated by fear in making these large concessions, so also were the majority of the members in the house, for the very men who had clamoured against commercial concessions to Ireland, and had frustrated all measures in favour of this line of policy by their votes, now consented to the three resolutions, without the least opposition. Bills founded on the two first propositions were brought in, and passed both houses, and received the royal assent before the Christmas recess. The third proposition was delayed till the sentiments of the Irish concerning it could be ascertained. These sentiments were found to be favourable, and it was therefore soon carried. A few other benefits were also conferred on the Irish; suck as enabling them to become members of the Turkey Company, and to engage in the Levant trade. The whole appeared to give great satisfaction to the Irish nation. The acts were received as a boon, and great loyalty and affection were expressed. Unfortunately, however, ministers cut short their popularity by altering some bills, which gave great umbrage to the Irish people, and taught them even to desire independence. On this subject Dr. Miller writes:—“The bills altered on this occasion were not, as in the former case, money-bills: that folly the ministers did not venture to repeat: but one of them was a bill involving the dearest interests of the people; and the alteration was such as gave to the public mind the only impulse which it then required for aspiring to constitutional independence. The Irish parliament, not choosing that its military establishment should be longer regulated by a British mutiny-law, transmitted a bill of similar import. The minister, as if eager to indemnify himself for commercial concession by constitutional spoliation, introduced an alteration by which the law was to be rendered perpetual; and the Irish parliament, though it passed the bill thus altered, was taught to look to freedom of constitution as the necessary safeguard to freedom of trade; to assert its own independence, while it unfettered the commerce of the country. When the minister had first, by the altered money-bills, alarmed the constitutional jealousy of the guardians of the public purse, he then, by another alteration, rendering the mutiny-law perpetual, manifested a desire of securing to government the uncontrolled direction of the military power. Language could not more forcibly exhort the people to be satisfied with no concessions merely commercial; but to insist that their country should be acknowledged as an independent, though not a separate state.”
GEORGE III. 1779-1780