2 Jan y 1808

Elucidations to Tables IX, X, XI

At the date of the first of the two periods comprized in those accounts, came the Union between Great Britain and Ireland, effected by the Statute 39 and 40 G.3.e.67 2 d July A o 1800. Antecedently to the Irish Emancipation Act 23 G.3.c.28. of the Appeals called Writs of Error such as were presented from the Irish Court of King's Bench and to be presented - not to the Irish House of Lords nor to the Irish Exchequer Chamber but[?] to the English Court of King's Bench. By that Act ('. 2.) all Appels of both denominations were forbidden to be received by any English Court from any Irish Court. When by Article 8 th of the Act of Union the state of judicature came to be fixed, the superordinate jurisdiction of the English King's Bench over the Irish King's Bench was not restored: but all such Appeals of either sort as, during the period of emancipation, had gone to the Irish House of Lords, were without exception, consequently those that before the emancipation had gone to the English King's Bench, made over to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.

At this conjecture, the House (as may be seen in the Table), was already labouring under the incapacity of answering the draught already made upon its justice by antecedent titles. A denial of justice already existing, and manifestly destined to encrease received thus an aggravation from positive law. Of the Minister by whom this Union was brought forward and the arrangements of it settled, the most active and confidential assistant was an Honourable Gentleman, now Right Honourable, who, in his character of Clerk of the Parliaments, principal Officer of the House of Lords, had not a little to gain by this injustice, and nothing at all to lose by it, moreover lest the profit derived from such a source should come[?] too soon, it had already been continued in the same family, for and during the term of a young life, by reversionary[?] grant, bearing date in October 1795. In the House of Commons Account of Plans for life ie.[?] Order for printing dated 8 th Feb y 1802: p.7. The year's profit was at that time stated at ,3,300. If ,[?] must [...?] as these Tables shew, have received no inconsiderable encrease; and it seems destined to go on encreasing, in proportion to the distress of the injured and the triumph of the wrongdoers. For ulterior exemplifications of the effects produced in this way by the fee-gathering system, see Elucidations to Table XII. (d)