That "the Crown of Ireland is an Imperial Crown inseparably annexed to the Crown of Great Britain " forms one of the propositions in Mr. Grattan's celebrated address to the Crown of the 16th April, 1782[1]
"The Crowns of both nations," says Mr. Flood, "are united by a strong bond, for by a law of our own it is declared that whoever wears the Imperial Crown of England shall also wear the Imperial Crown of Ireland."[2] "The Crown of Ireland and the Crown of England are inseparably and indissolubly connected," says Fitzgibbon.<ref"irish debates," vol. ix. p. 48.></ref"irish debates," vol. ix. p. 48.> " The principle of law is," says Mr. O'Connell in 1843, "that whoever is king de facto in England is king de jure in Ireland."[3] Mr. Butt says that " O'Connell's language, though strong, was scarcely exaggerated," and that "this much at least is unquestionable, that, if by any legitimate authority, a right was acquired to the Crown of England, the person who became king of England was de jure sovereign of Ireland."[4]
Now although, as Mr. Grattan observed, " the Irish Crown is annexed to, but not merged in, the Crown of England,"[5] this annexation entailed certain serious consequences which were keenly felt by Irish statesmen before the Union.
"The king is," in the words of Mr. Warren, "the
