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Propofal for a Union, between
Gus-5' Bum-72 and [um-d,

Very common ’Topick of Declamation againft

I‘viiniﬂers is, That they are feldom Authote

of Schemes or Laws, introduced merely for:
', ‘ the Goodkof the People; na , it is frequentw
ly and violently all'erted, That theyiofl’en oppofe fuch,‘ .
When offered, in order to deprive their Antagoniﬂs, of
the Merit, of conducing to the Publick Good.

In Anfwer to this, it may he faid, That the Pnbliclc
Good is very rarely the Objeéi‘ which-difcontented Men
purfue: That rendering the Perfons in Power odious, '
is what they take much more Pains about, than doing an
my real Service to the People: That it is not therefore:
to be wondered, if Gentlemen in Place, who are oblig—
ed to keep a ﬁriﬂ; Guard upon their Aé’cions, who have
vigilant, malignant, and invidions Spies upon What they”
do, {honld rather walk cantioufly, to fecute their own
Fame and ﬁafety, than venture upon any new or extra»-

4 ordinary Step, tho’ ever {'0' yvell intended for publicle‘
Utility; which, by the Malice of fnch Enemies, is li~

V able to Mifreprefentation andeifappointment ; which,
tho’ ever fo juftly grounded, may render them popular 5

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( 2 )
which, tho’ ever fo well laid, may be turned to their
Pre‘udice.

'll'o apply thefe Ohfervations tn the prefent Controj
verl‘y,’ I do inﬁli, and will lay the whole Merits of the
Cau’fe u on it, with any Opponent of the refent Mini—
ﬂry. hat the Setr of Men, who call t emi‘elves Pa-
triot: in, either Houfe of Parliament, have not, fince the
Commencement of theirprefent Oppolition, offered to
introduce any ‘Vopular Laws or Projeéh, but with a
View of diﬁre , mg the Adminif’tration : And that what—
ever they have ['0 introduced, when purged of the Vee
nom they have iniul'ed, has generally receiv’d with
Candour, and paired WithEafe: Nay, I do not know
abovetwo or three inflances, where any effectual Oppo~
ﬁtion was made ; and thofe were in Cafes, where Laws
, were ofl‘ered under fpecious and plauﬁble Titles, which
were demonﬂrably deliruét‘ive to our Conﬂitution.

But it may he asked, Why all the good Laws that
were palled thei'e ten lad: Years, did not take their
Rife immediately from the Minif’try? To which I an-
i‘wer, That they tool: either their Rife or their Force.
Beiides, as Matters have been managed, as fenfelefs and
malicious Complaints have been made, as needlef's and
fcandalous Enquiries have been fet on foot, it is won~
derful the Minii’ters had Leifure to do more than ac-t
quit themfelves ; and perhaps ’twere well they had not :
Had they ﬁrﬂ propofed feveral Laws now in bein that ,
are well liked, it might have endangered the pa mg of
them; nay, it might have marred the UFC of them:
Such Force have the Tongues and Pens of fame excel—-
lent Patriots, who would have them fufpeeted by the
I’uhliCk. ’

W’hat has been here fai‘d is without any Party View:
it is, if poliible, to urge thofe Patriot: upon fome
Schemes, that have no Aim at the Miniﬂers Downfal,
but have a Tendency to the Good of the Community,
entirely independent of Malice, Revenge, or Ambiti~
on; thatwould be true Parriotifm ; it would not be
Copying the Impertinence of Hyperboim, or mimicking
the Petulance of ‘Clodz’m ; it would be acting like Phat-2’02],
,Eifimolew, Cato, and Brutm.

' The

  
   
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

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,1; as; ( 3 )
The Author of a little Traci: now before me, feems
polleffed with the true Spirit of Patriotifm; his Views

are to make his Country great and happy, without any
Views of his own, above a common Share in the Natio-

     

‘ nal Profperity. He has laid down feveral Schemes for

it, and proves them to Demonflration. But they are
fuch, as a Miniller hardly dares undertake. I will).
fome Patriot would take the Merit of propoﬁng them to
the Legiﬂature. Ifancy no Miniﬁer will oppOfe them:
But if they ﬂiould, I promif'e Mr. D'lé’n-wr: to adopt
his Opinions. '

Give me Leave to lay before you a S ecimenof them.
The Author, who ﬂlCWS an exquiﬁte Ifnowledge of the
Trade, Condition, and Intereflof all his Majel’ty’s Do-
minions, fpeaks, with Relation to a very conﬁdera‘ble
Part of them, as follows:

RE LAND always reckoned in the remotei’c Antiquity
one of the Britg/l; Mandy, placed by the great Author
(f the. Uni-verfe neareft to Great Britain, capable by

its native Wealth and Situation of very great Improve—

ments ; and may by wife Ex edients, be advanced to a
very high Degree of Wea th and Power ; and both

thefe fo ordered, as tobe hi hly beneﬁcial to both

Iﬂands. Ireland, the Envy of glance and Spain, and in

Conjunétion with Britain, when both are improved to

the bell Advantage, equal to France, as now reduced

in the Number of Acres, and mul’t be fuperior in Trade
and Wealth, and confequently in Political Power.

This noble Iﬂand, muCh negleéted, and unkindly‘uf'e‘d
in former‘Reigns, well deferves our Care and Kindnefs
too. After we have been Mailers of it 559 Years,
fur; ’tis high Time to put it upon the belt footing,
Had it been a Proeime of 'Frzznce or Holland, in how ﬂaw
riﬂiing a State’ha'd it been fome Ages ago? But of all
civilized Mankind, we feem to have been the molt ne ;
ligent of fome National Improvements : Mere Necel’gn
ty, nay general Calamities, can feldom rouze our Atm
tention to the Pnbl‘z'ck Wm] ; witnel's the Behaviour .0?
our divided Anceﬂors, who wereVSubjeéts to the Ro-

iman Invader: about 500 Years, then. to the Saxon: and
n Dﬁﬁ‘ﬁé,

  

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(’4)

mm} ahove goo ﬂaw; and laﬂly, Britain has ﬂood
divided into two diﬁiné’c Monarchies above a third 5’00
Years. Though the Natives are all of the fame Lan-
guage, except afew ;. andof the [time Law: and Relzlgion,
yet hardly now united 1n Affection! Thefeare really
glaring Inﬂances of the Weaknefs of human VVifdom.
Are no wife Expedients to he found out at this Time?
Won’t our Debts and our Dangers too four out Inven—
tions? Our Debts are known to all our Enemies, and
our Dangers too; they only wait for a favourable Junc—
t'ure abroad, for a Pepi/la Revolution is never out of their
View. a
‘ Many of the old Nobility of the native Inf/b, are in-
deed 'extinguiﬂied, but not a few remain defcended
from, their ancient petty Kings, and other great Fami—
lies, who, though now in .low Circumflances, wait “for
a good Opportunity, well knowing they have abOve
100,000 ﬁanch Friends in Ireland at all Times, and per-
haps not fewer in Britnin, amongﬁ: Papiﬂ: and deluded
Proteﬁantr. If the Conclave at Rome, and the Cardinal
at Parit, ﬂiould by fome planﬁble F etch, bring France
and the other Pepi/l) Power: in Europe into a Catholic]:
League, humanly {peaking the Emperor woold fobn over-
run the Foreign Proteﬂantr, and France might inyade and
dillrefs us, divided by our Domel’tick Enemies. Our
Fleets, tho’ confeﬂ’edly numerous, and well appointed,
could not protect us from To] near a Neighbour, in all
Winds and Seafbns; this our moll: skilful Seamen mul’t
, admit; Wherein then mull our Security be, if the Pro?
ieﬂant Power: are divided, and the Popg/b are united? I
know none under God, but a ﬁrmer Union amongl’t our—
Elves, and the Qilcharge of our National Debts“

T he ﬁrll: good Steptowards both, may be the Union
of Ireland with Great—Britain in Bitm’eni, Privilege:, and
one Parliament; ‘as‘tor‘ Religion, the Bzﬂyoj); and Clergy
(who talk f0 much of the Cure of Souk, and the Danger
of Papery) ’tis to be hoped they will take more Care of
the poor Natioer, after-a molt diﬂtononrahle' Neglect of
near 200 ears. ‘

The native [ri/l) are Briton: by Def'cent, as appears
from the Language, CnﬂOMI, 8cm And the Engigﬂy and

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Scotch lately fettled there (who poll‘efs 4 5ths of the
Lands) they are: as well qualified as any of their Neighm
hours, and very deﬁrons of enjoying the Liberties and
Brivileges of Britain in Ireland. Had King “7.3m“ or
Charles I. employed half the Zeal in {lettling Ireland, as
was fpent in oppreﬂz‘w mefm'tr, 831C. the dz‘fmol Yragedies
of 164.0 and 1688 had never been aé‘ted, and unfpesk—
able Damages on both Sides, had been prevente l.

T he Iﬂand, as all other Countries, may be conﬁder-
ed with regard to the People and the Bropemy : The In—
habitants are about Twelve Hundred ‘Ifoozgﬁmd, and the
Acre: about Seventeen .Mz'le'om. The Protellants, always
zealous for our Civil El’cabliﬂlment, are about x 61h
part; and the Hopi/l; 5 6th parts of the whole Motion;
the latter are implicitly fubjee‘t to the Pope in Spirimnh,
and too well alleéled to the P~——r in QEumn’r; ealily
led in former Times by Spain and Rome into great DilL
orders; for both made Ufe of the Natives of Ireland
againl’t Queen Elizabeth, in all their Plots during her
long Reign, giving Conf’tant Alarms, or being; in eternal
Rebellion: Strong Hopes, blind Zeal, and a total Re—
ﬁgnation of their Priells, keep ’em‘ in readinels to exe-
cute the Commands of their 672.7%;er Ember; .7 It a Party
f0 MMH791'02U to be alwal/I ﬂigbted? Out of Charity to them,
and Love to ourl‘elves; ’tis high Time to take a wife
Care of onrfelves and them; and by a generous Con-
duel: to the Prieﬂs and People, malze them one with us
in Religion and Afa‘z‘z‘on, before new Troubles are at—
tempted. ,Mr. Cambdm in his Annals tells us, the re-
ducing Ireland, in Queen Elzzabetlo’s Reign, coll
1,198,717 1. Sterling. Sir 70%)” Burial-e computes the
Rebellion, 1 64.x, to have coll 4.oo,ooo Livres on both
Sides, and above 2.2 Millions Sterling. Sir [William Pet»
13/ reckons the Damage at 37 Millions. Mr. Demo Story,
in his Hiﬂory of the late V'Var in Ireland, reckons our
Expenee on that Qccaﬁon at above 6,6oo,oool. Are
we in 3 Condition to {pare more ﬁlilliom on a like 00-
Caﬁori? Willa wife People, at this Time too, negleft
this Affair? Our Debts, and our prefenr Burdens, do
loudly demand perfeél: Union with Ireland, which in one
Century would vallly improve our Civil Power, and
» ﬂint

 

 
 

§_( 5 )
{hut up the Bee}: Door againl’t Foreign Invade”, at which
otherwife the Prefemlee and Paper} may one Day enter.

The Terms of an Union muff be left to our Legiﬂa-
ture; but with great Snbmiﬂion I hope, I ma be al~
lowed humbly t0 obferve. that ﬁnce there is t e fame
Formof Civil and Eccleﬁaflical Government in England
and Ireland, this isa great Ste towards a Union in inner,
Trude, Prieilegey, and in one Barliament.

'The Revenue of Ireland at prefent, perhaps, about
500,0001. pes- Ann. would foon advance; and a Land-
9719c, Exezfe, Cuﬂomx, and other Duties, make forth-«
with a good Addition to our Sinking Fund, perhaps
80,0001, or 100,000 1.12% ﬂnn. OliverCronzwel, hymn
Ordinance 23d of yum, 16 54.. appointed a Tax in [re—
lcml, upon all El‘tates real and perfonal, of 10,0001.
per jlfenfnnz for two Years, and 14,0001. per .Menfnm af-
terwards.

Their Reprefentatives for the Houfe of Peers may be
4 rfrcbbj/beju, and 20 or 24 Temporal Lords; and for
the 32 Counties, 32 Knight, '4 Burgeﬂ'es for Dublin;
and ForCorlz, Killenny, Waterﬁrd, Galloway, Drag/Bede,
Londondemy, and Limerick, two each ; and one for all
the petty Boroughs in eacthounty‘; or fuch other Pro-
portion as the Revenue (f I reland {hall bear to the Reve-
nue of Greet—Britain. Wh at Blood and Treafure had

een faved, had a happy Union been I'ettled by Queen
Elizabeth, or King ffames.

My Readers will excufe me, if I add out of the Eng-
liﬂl Edition of Cambden, by the prefent Bﬂop of London,
p. I4I4. “ The Piety oftbe Kings of England has not,
“ in any one Thing, been more defective, than in a due
“ Adminiﬂration in Ireland, prapagatlnq Religion, model~
“ ling the State, and chili/Zing the Inhabitants; which
“ T‘s/tings for many Ages have been little regarded.”
One would think, an iiland ‘fo large and near, the Soil
and Pallure‘ﬁ) rich, the Harbours and Rivers f0 many,
and 1'0 commodious for Trade, ﬂiould deferve land chad-r
lenge our future Care, 8%.

The feveral petty Kingdoms in Spain, and little divi—
ded Sovereignties in Britain and France, bred endlefé
Wars and Confulion, which ﬁnce their Union and Incor—

poration

 
 

 

 

potation have ceafed; their former feparate State and
Interel’ts being in time quite worn out of the Remem—
brance of the Body of the People, and all Feuds ex—
tinguiﬂied. e _

Wales, before its Union With Eﬁgland, was always an
open Enemy, or uncertain Friend; but ﬁnce its Union it
has continued a moﬂ: dutiful Part of the Commonwealth ,-
Since it fubmitted to the Englé/b Conﬁz‘tution, the Natives
are become entirely ours in Zeal and Aﬂeetion; yet
the Union of hVales was attended with Difﬁculties ; for
their Language, Laws and Cul’mms were very different
from ours; but Ireland has almoﬁ the very fame with us;
it has for fomeAges been ufed to theEnglgjb Government,
and had in fome Refpeéts a better Title to an Union
with us, being now perhaps more than ﬁve Times the
Weight in the Balance of Wealth and Power than
11/41“, and is (fill capable of much greater Improveu
ment; and our Countrymen in Ireland having been
great Sufferers in many Ages, for their ﬁrm Adherence
to Engli'ma', have forne Claim to our Regard; but the
my}; before the Union were our hereditmy Enemies.

In ﬂiort, A Uniomn Burdens, Privileges, and Parlia—
ment, would have thefe necefﬁiry and melt deﬁnable
Confequences;

I. It would give entire Satixﬁeéiiose em! Security to my
awn Caumvymen fettledhthere, and to many who live m
Eyzgland, but have large Ei’mtes in Ireland.

2, Reduce the Native: by gentle and wife Methods,
from Popery and Idlenefs, to our Religion and Method
of Living.

3. Cut ofall Hope: of our Popzﬁ Neighbour: Abroad
and at Home, from the formidable Numbers of Papa/Er,
at prefent devoted to a Foreign Iyzteveﬁ.

4.. Increafe our Trade, and cont‘equently a}; the Rents,
and alfo the publick Revenue in framed.

5. Haﬂen the ,Diﬁliarge of our great Deétx, and enable
us to make a much reater Figure in Cheiﬁertdam.

For Ireland, con tiered in its natural. State, when cora-
pared with Eyzgiand and Hitler, is near halfin its Di‘
mentions, and the Richneﬂs of its Soil; and equal to
Seemed in Number of Acres, but .Triil’; f 52321593: :‘e; minim»
Capt eff ii a liizgtre‘tzgzzfmh “Unﬁt
 

 

(85

’ Whenever [Miami therefore is equally imprmwg‘ in 511
Rcfpeﬂts with England, it may then produce 21 Revenue;
modeflly fpeaking, mar equaléto one thirdtzftbg Rommg
(f England, ordinary and extraordinary; which would he
a veil Addition to the Power-of tbs Brété/‘ly Maud: by Sea,
and Land, in cafe of a general W at Abroad, and leﬂen
our publick Burdens, on allordinax‘y and extraordinary
Occaﬁom, about one third Partd

This being admitted; which, I‘ believe, they who
have the bell: judgment are not unwilling to acknow—
ledge, then, by that time our National Debts are fully
ditcherffed, and IreL-md ﬁllhz impmv mi, Whﬁnevcr the
publich ()Ccalions, which mull he very rare, if it ever
happens again, ﬂ‘iould require the largeﬂ Cox'ltz‘ihutions.

[pen f5;
Britain can raife by 4.3. on Land —-- -- —-- 2.039,“ 0:)
And by Duty on Malt m ~——. m... ...... __ 690,003
By the Funds now mortgxged, about --—~ ~— 3,000,000

 

 

3,630,000
And helium, at the lowel‘l one Third, when ,3 Q
. ~ “450,000
Improved fully ’3

 

In all --~ 7,4/4o,oco

Vw’hich is a. Re-z eme ﬁzr 35cm (my P7522531: in Chi/9377110771,
except the Premsz‘zzg’: ; but 1792‘; cm; airway: werﬂmz’md.
And this vaf’c Sum might be raifed within the Year,
when the Funds are difengaged ; tho" ’tis altogether un-
likely, that ever our future Cix‘CLinillatices, either at
Home or Abroad, can lead us into f0 great an Expence.
The rel} of the Book contains Obl‘ervations equally
uf'eﬁil upon Almerim, 8C6. which, if the Author cannot
be prevailed upon to make his Treatife more publick, it
being as yet, thm’ his Modeﬂy, only privately handed
about, {hell he can‘municztm to you in Parcels, by
sztr’J, ECG.
IA. S.

I? I N I .S’.

 
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