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have occasionally and incidentally reasoned on political subjects;but this, I presume, may be forgiven to a churchman, who, atthis advanced period of his age, can boldly and honestly declare,in the hearing of Your Lordships and in the face of his country*that all his political speculations were ever founded on whatappeared to him the broad basis of public utility, and ever pro-ceeded from an unbiassed mind; and, on the present occasion, Ifeel that my mind is as unbiassed as that of any gentleman eitherin Great Britain or Ireland .

<£ There are many, I am sensible, in both countries, whounderstand this subject, in all its relations and dependencies,better than I do : but I am not ignorant of it; I have not thoughtof it slightly; I at least understand enough of it to enable me toform for my own guidance, (which is all I aim at,) not an ob-scure, not an hesitating, but a clear and determined judgment jand, having formed such a judgment, I will not be deterred fromdeclaring it on account of its unpopularity in a country, forwhose interests I have always cherished a serious and sincereconcern. My opinion then is this, —• that a cordial union will bemuch more advantageous to Ireland than it will be to GreatBritain , but that it will be eminently useful to both countries.If I were to express my sentiments of the utility of an unionin few words, I would say, that an union will enrich Ireland ; thatit will not impoverish Great Britain : that it will render the empire,as to defence, the strongest empire in Europe .

‘ 4 The strength of every state principally depends on the num-ber of its people. The lands of Great Britain and Ireland, ifcultivated to their full extent—to the extent, if this measure takesplace, they will be in half a century — would support a population

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