Up to 1782 the British Parliament held in its own hands the absolute control not only of every British affair, but every matter of policy affecting either Ireland or the British Empire.  The British Parliament, in which sat not a single representative of any Irish county or borough, appointed the Irish Executive.  The British Parliament, whenever it thought fit, legislated for Ireland; the British Parliament controlled the whole course of Irish legislation; every Act which passed the Parliament of Ireland was inspected, amended, and, if the English Ministry saw fit, vetoed in England.  The system was a bad system and an unjust system.  It is well that it ended.  But as regarded the control of the British Empire it corresponded roughly with facts.  The Empire was in the main the outcome of British energy and British strength, and the British Empire was governed by Great Britain.

The constitution of 1782 gave legislative independence to Ireland, but did not degrade the British Parliament to the position which will be occupied by the Imperial Parliament under the constitution of 1893.  The British Parliament remained supreme in Great Britain; the British Parliament controlled the Imperial policy both of England and of Ireland.  The British Parliament, or rather the British Ministry, virtually appointed the Irish Executive.  The British Parliament renounced all rights to legislate for Ireland[52]; the British Parliament technically possessed no representatives in the Parliament at Dublin.  But any one who judges of institutions not by words but by facts will perceive that in one way or another the influence and the wishes of the British Government were represented more than sufficiently in the Irish Houses of Parliament.  Grattan’s constitution, in short, left the British Parliament absolutely supreme in all British and Imperial affairs, and gave to the British Ministry predominating weight in the government of Ireland.  This is a very different thing from the shadowy sovereignty which the English Parliament retains, but abstains from exercising, in our self-governing colonies.  It is a very different thing from the nominal power to legislate for Ireland which the new constitution confers upon the Imperial Parliament.

Since the Union England and Ireland have been politically one nation.  The Imperial or British Government has controlled, and the Imperial Parliament has passed laws for, the whole country.  Nor has the presence of the Irish members till recent days substantially limited the authority of Great Britain.  Till 1829 the Protestant landlords of Ireland who were represented in the Imperial Parliament shared the principles or the prejudices of English landowners.  Since the granting of Catholic emancipation Roman Catholic or Irish ideas or interests have undoubtedly perplexed or encumbered the working of British politics.  But the representatives of Ireland have been for the most part divided between the two great English parties,