Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/278

274 GRATTAN. foundations of the financial and commercial articles. He again discussed the principle of the measure. “It was a breach of a solemn covenant, on whose basis the separate, reciprocal, and conjoint power of the countries relied; an innovation promoted by the influence of martial law; an unauthorised assumption of a competeney to destroy the independence of the realm; an unjustifiable attempt to injure the prosperity of the country. The bill would be, quoad the constitution, equivalent to a murder, and, quoad the government, to a separation. If it should be carried into effect, he foretold i t s want o f permanence, and inti mated his apprehensions, that popular discontent, perhaps dangerous commotions, might result from i t s enforce ment.” Mr. Grattan's motion was supported b y eighty-seven, and negatived by one hundred and twenty-four. The Union bill passed. The independence o f Ireland, a s a nation, was destroyed; and Grattan, happy a s man could b e i n domestic life, retired t o the comforts o f home. But the voice o f his suffering countrymen was heard even i n his retirement, and h e was again forced into public life, t o advocate their claims. I n 1805, h e was elected member o f the Imperial parliament for Malden, and, i n the suc ceeding year, for the city o f Dublin, which h e represented during the remainder o f his life. His exertions i n the British senate were principally confined t o the subject which had occupied s o much o f his talents and his time, the oppressions o f the catholics. Many o f his country men, when i n England, seemed t o sink below their former rank; but Mr. Grattan displayed a l l that force o f elo quence and splendour o f thought and diction, which had s o often been hailed b y his countrymen i n their own capital. The genius o f Grattan lived and bloomed even when torn from the beloved spot which gave i t birth. His speeches o n the catholic question have never been excelled. On other subjects h e adopted a moderation and caution, differing much from the patriot and reformer who had won back the liberties o f his county, and few were