Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/444

CAULFIELD. 483 hours without any intelligence from Mr. Flood, Lord Charlemont, suspecting what would be the fate of that gentleman's motion, and anxious to prevent any new error, prevailed on them to adjourn till the following Monday There was a numerous meeting on the intermediate Sun- day, at Charlemont House, whereat it was agreed, that the public peace should be the first object of attention; his lord- ship received numerous messages from delegates of whom he had scarce any personal knowledge, that they were ready to follow him in any measure he should propose. On the Monday morning he took the chair at an early hour. A delegate rose and began to inveigh against the house of commons. His lordship instantly called the delegate to order, observing, that one of the wisest rules of parliamentary proceedings was never to take notice in one house of what was said in another. This had the desired effect, and promoted order and harmony through the day. Lord Charlemont's own plan at the original meeting of the convention, was to prevent all intercourse bet ween par- liament and that assembly; and that the delegates having once agreed to a plan of reform, the convention should be dissolved, and that the delegates should then lay before their respective county meetings, regularly convened, the plan agreed on, in order that the subject should be sub- mitted through their representatives in dutifal petitions to parliament. This was certainly the most unexception- able mode of proceeding, but Mr. Flood's genius prevailed against it. It was thought advisable, however, that the delegates should not separate without some plan of par- liamentary reform still to be kept in view. Two resolo- tions were therefore passed unanimously, declaring the sense of the convention, that the delegates of counties, cities, and towns, in conjunction with the other freeholders, should forward the plan of reform agreed to by the assembly, by convening county meetings and instructing their representatives in parliament to support itj and VOL. I.