Chapter XVII: Appendix: C

TEXT OF THE ACT OF UNION

An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.--[2d July 1800.]

WHEREAS in pursuance of His Majesty's most gracious Recommendation to the Two Houses of Parliament in _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_ respectively, to consider of such Measures as might best tend to strengthen and consolidate the Connection between the Two Kingdoms, the Two Houses of the Parliament of _Great Britain_ and the Two Houses of the Parliament of _Ireland_ have severally agreed and resolved, that, in order to promote and secure the essential Interests of _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_, and to consolidate the Strength, Power, and Resources of the _British_ Empire, it will be advisable to concur in such Measures as may best tend to unite the Two Kingdoms of _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_ into One Kingdom, in such Manner, and on such Terms and Conditions, as may be established by the Acts of the respective Parliaments of _Great Britain_ and _Ireland:_

And whereas, in furtherance of the said Resolution, both Houses of the said Two Parliaments respectively have likewise agreed upon certain Articles for effectuating and establishing the said Purposes, in the Tenor following:

ARTICLE FIRST.

[Sidenote: That _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_ shall, upon _Jan. 1, 1801_, be united into One Kingdom; and that the Titles appertaining to the Crown &c., shall be such as His Majesty shall be pleased to appoint.]

That it be the First Article of the Union of the Kingdoms of _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_, that the said Kingdoms of _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_ shall, upon the First Day of _January_ which shall be in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and one, and for ever after, be united into One Kingdom, by the Name of _The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;_ and that the Royal Stile and Titles appertaining to the Imperial Crown of the said United Kingdom and its Dependencies; and also the Ensigns, Armorial Flags and Banners thereof, shall be such as His Majesty, by His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, shall be pleased to appoint.

ARTICLE SECOND.

[Sidenote: That the Succession to the Crown shall continue limited and settled as at present.]

That it be the Second Article of Union, that the Succession to the Imperial Crown of the said United Kingdom, and of the Dominions thereunto belonging, shall continue limited and settled in the same Manner as the Succession to the Imperial Crown of the said Kingdoms of _Great Britain_ and _Ireland_ now stands limited and settled, according to the existing Laws, and to the Terms of Union between _England_ and _Scotland_.

ARTICLE THIRD.

[Sidenote: That the United Kingdom be represented in One Parliament.]

That it be the Third Article of Union, that the said United Kingdom be represented in One and the same Parliament, to be stiled _The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland._

ARTICLE FOURTH.

[Sidenote: That the Number of Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and of Commoners herein specified, shall sit and vote on the Part of _Ireland_ in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.]

That it be the Fourth Article of Union, that Four Lords Spiritual of _Ireland_ by Rotation of Sessions, and Twenty-eight Lords Temporal of _Ireland_ elected for Life by the Peers of _Ireland_, shall be the Number to sit and vote on the Part of _Ireland_ in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom; and One hundred Commoners (Two for each County of _Ireland_, Two for the City of _Dublin_, Two for the City of _Cork_, One for the University of _Trinity College_, and One for each of the Thirty-one most considerable Cities, Towns, and Boroughs), be the Number to sit and vote on the Part of _Ireland_ in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:

[Sidenote: That such Act as shall be passed in _Ireland_ to regulate the Mode of summoning and returning the Lords and Commoners to serve in the Parliament of the United Kingdom shall be considered as Part of the Treaty of the Union.]

That such Act as shall be passed in the Parliament of _Ireland_ previous to the Union, to regulate the Mode by which the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, to serve in the Parliament of the United Kingdom on the Part of _Ireland_, shall be summoned and returned to the said Parliament, shall be considered as forming Part of the Treaty of Union, and shall be incorporated in the Acts of the respective Parliaments by which the said Union shall be ratified and established:

Here follow clauses making provision (1) that the House of Lords shall decide all questions of rotation or election in regard to Peers from Ireland, (2) that Irish Peers not sitting in the Lords may be elected to Commons, but loses thereby all privileges of Peerage, (3) that the Crown may create Irish Peerages in proportion of one for each three that become extinct until the Irish Peerage is reduced to 100, when they can go on creating enough to keep up to the 100.

The rest of this article consists of machinery provisions.

ARTICLE FIFTH.

[Sidenote: The Churches of _England_ and _Ireland_ to be united into One Protestant Episcopal Church, and the Doctrine of the Church of _Scotland_ to remain as now established.]

That it be the Fifth Article of Union, That the Churches of _England_ and _Ireland_, as now by Law established, be united into One Protestant Episcopal Church, to be called, _The United Church of England and Ireland_; and that the Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government of the said United Church shall be, and shall remain in full force for ever, as the same are now by Law established for the Church of _England_; and that the Continuance and Preservation of the said United Church, as the established Church of _England_ and _Ireland_, shall be deemed and taken to be an essential and fundamental Part of the Union; and that in like Manner the Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government of the Church of _Scotland_, shall remain and be preserved as the same are now established by Law, and by the Acts for the Union of the Two Kingdoms of _England_ and _Scotland_.

ARTICLE SIXTH

places Irish subjects under same laws and provisions in regard to trade and navigation prohibitions and bounties, imports and exports, and provides for the gradual abolition of customs duties between Great Britain and Ireland.

ARTICLE SEVENTH

provides that the Irish National Debt shall be kept distinct from the British National Debt. It fixes the proportions of contributions to revenue at 15 for Great Britain as to 2 for Ireland for 20 years. To be revised at the end of 20 years on a variety of alternative bases of calculation (Customs, trade, income, etc.). The contributions to be raised in both countries by taxes fixed by the United Parliament, and Parliament to have power to vary taxes, unify debt, and any Irish surplus to be reduced by reduction of taxation. Loans in future to be common.

ARTICLE EIGHTH

first recites that all present laws to remain in force till repealed. Provides also that these Articles not to become Act until passed by Parliament.

Ends by reciting the measure to be passed through Irish Parliament regulating the representation of Ireland at Westminster after 1801.

APPENDIX D

THE HOME RULE BILLS OF 1886 AND 1893

(1) THE BILL OF 1886.

[Sidenote: A.D. 1886]

A Bill to Amend the provision for the future Government of Ireland.

BE it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: