GRATTAN. 233 tution, and the speculation of future liberty, as a consola tion for the present submission. But would any gentleman here wear a livery to-night, because he might lay it aside in the morning o r , would this House substitute another, because next year i t might resume i t s authority, and once more become the parliament o f Ireland; I d o not believe we shall get the British, but I d o not want t o make a n experiment o n the British market, b y making a n experi ment likewise o n the constitution and spirit o f the people o f Ireland. But d o not imagine, i f you shall yield for a year, you will get s o easily clear o f this inglorious expe riment; i f this i s not the British market, why accept the adjustment? and i f i t i s , the benefit thereof may take away your deliberative voice. You will b e bribed out o f your constitution b y your commerce
there are two ways o f taking away free-will, the one b y direct compulsion, the other b y establishing a praepollent motive. Thus a servant o f the crown may lose his free will, when h e i s t o give his vote a t the hazard o f his office, and thus a par liament would lose its free will, i f i t acted under a convic tion that i t exercised its deliberative function a t the risk o f i t s commerce. No one question would stand upon i t s own legs, but each question would involve every consi deration o f trade, and indeed the whole relative situation o f the two countries. —And I beseech you t o consider that situation, and contemplate the powers o f your own coun try, before you agree t o surrender them.—Recollect that you have now a right t o trade with the British plantations, i n certain articles, without reference t o British duties; that you have a right t o trade with the British plantations i n every other article, subject t o the British duties; that you have a right t o get clear o f each and o f every part o f that bargain; that you have a right t o take the produce o f foreign plantations, subject t o your own unstipulated duties; that you have a right t o carry o n a free and un qualified trade with the United States o f North America; that you have a right t o carry o n a n experimental trade i n countries contiguous t o which Great Britain has esta
