Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/443

 432 CAULFIELD. the publie peace, but I will go no farther. Make what use of this you please." The convention had now sat three weeks, and a new parliament having met at the end of October, was sitting the while. Lord Charlemont, who sedulously attended in the duties of his presidency, had suffered much from close confinement. Mr. Flood, having carried the resolution for adopting his plan of reform, to the astonishment of Lord Charlemont and the other friends of moderation, he rose in the assembly on the afternoon of Saturday, No- vember 99th, and proposed that he himself, accom panied by such members of parliament as were then present, should go down to the house of commons, and move leave for a bill for parliamentary reform, precisely correspond- ing with the plan he had submitted-"and that the con- vention should not adjourn till the fate of his motion was ascertained." Here was a complete avowal of a delibera tive assembly, co-existing with the parliament, and almost assuming co-extensive authority. The motion, however was carried:-Lord Charlemont and his friends saw the rashness and impropriety of such a step; but Mr. Flood's ascendency at that time bore down all opposition. He hurried to the house of commons, and proposed his motion for adopting his plan. The aspect of the bouse was truly awful. Several of the minority, and all the delegates who came with Mr. Flood from the convention, were in mili- tary uniform.-A most tumultuous debate ensued, which before morning became almost a tempest; bnt Mr. Flood's motion was lost upon the division, one hundred and fifty- nine against one hundred and seventy-seven, and this was followed by a declaratory determination of the house to maintain its just rights and privileges against any encroach- ment whatever. A vote for an address to the throne was afterwards carried, as the joint address of both houses, expressive of perfect satisfaction in bis majesty's govern- ment, and a determination to support it with their lives and fortunes. In the mean time, the conyention having sat above two