415:
as they were called, were made to understand that for the future their privileges in this respect would be curtailed. When, therefore, an opportunity was taken by the government in 1768 for reasserting the constitutional subordination of the Irish parliament, these powerful classes were thrown into a temporary alliance with Flood. In the following year, in accordance with the established procedure, a money bill was sent over by the privy council in London for acceptance by the Irish House of
Commons. It was rejected, but a reason for this course was assigned; namely, that the bill had not originated in the Irish House. In consequence, parliament was peremptorily prorogued, and a recess of fourteen months was employed by the government in securing a majority by the most extensive corruption. Nevertheless, when parliament met in February 1771 another money bill was thrown out on the motion of Flood; and the next year
387:, no person of that faith could either enter parliament or exercise the franchise; the penal code, which made it almost impossible for a Roman Catholic to hold property, to follow a learned profession, or even to educate his children, and which in numerous particulars pressed severely on the Roman Catholics and subjected them to degrading conditions, was as yet unrepealed, though in practice largely obsolete; the industry and commerce of Ireland were throttled by restrictions imposed, in accordance with the economic theories of the period, in the interest of the rival trade of
541:
England. They carried an address to the king, moved by Flood, expressing the hope that their support of parliamentary reform might be imputed to nothing but a sober and laudable desire to uphold the constitution and to perpetuate the cordial union of both kingdoms. The convention then dissolved, but Flood had desired, in opposition to
Grattan, to continue it as a means of putting pressure on parliament for the purpose of obtaining reform.
708:
48:
509:
colonial trade was in 1779 thrown open to
Ireland for the first time, and other concessions were also extorted. Flood, who had taken an active though not a leading part in this movement, now at last resigned his office to rejoin his old party. He found to his chagrin that his former services had been to a great extent forgotten and that he was eclipsed by Grattan.
407:
legislative independence of the Irish parliament. For some years little was accomplished; but in 1768 the
English ministry, which had special reasons at the moment for avoiding unpopularity in Ireland, allowed an octennial bill (limiting the term of parliament to eight years) to pass, which was the first step towards making the
580:'s India Bill on 3 December 1783, disappointed the expectations aroused by his celebrity. His speech in opposition to the commercial treaty with France in 1787 was, however, well received; and in 1790 he introduced a reform bill which Fox declared to be the best scheme of reform that had yet been proposed, and which in
569:'s commercial propositions in 1785. He remained a firm opponent of Roman Catholic emancipation, even defending the penal laws on the ground that after the Revolution, they were not laws of persecution but of political necessity; but after 1786, he does not appear to have attended the parliament in Dublin.
449:, who succeeded Townshend as viceroy, saw that Flood must be conciliated at any price "rather than risk the opposition of so formidable a leader." Even his trial for the murder of his long-time enemy James Agar in 1770 did nothing to damage his career or his reputation. Found guilty of the lesser crime of
484:
in 1777, he necessarily remained silent on the subject of the independence of the Irish parliament, and had to be content with advocating minor reforms as occasion offered. He was instrumental in obtaining bounties on the export of Irish corn to foreign, countries and other commercial concessions. On
414:
It had become the practice to allow crown patronage in
Ireland to be exercised by the owners of parliamentary boroughs in return for their undertaking to manage the House in the government interest. But during the vice-royalty of Lord Townshend the aristocracy, and more particularly these undertakers
406:
The chief objects for which Flood strove were the shortening of the duration of parliament which had then no legal limit in
Ireland except that of the reigning sovereign's life, the reduction of the scandalously heavy pension list, the establishment of a national militia, and, above all, the complete
496:
An important event in 1778 led indirectly to his recovering to some extent his former position in the country; this was the alliance of France with the revolted
American colonies. Ireland was thereby placed in peril of a French invasion, while the English government could provide no troops to defend
440:
The success which had thus far attended Flood's efforts had placed him in a position such as no Irish politician had previously attained. He had, as an eminent historian of
Ireland observes, "proved himself beyond all comparison the greatest popular orator that his country had yet produced, and also
382:
that could truly be called national, and until a few years before there had been none that deserved even the name of opposition. The Irish parliament was still constitutionally subordinate to the
English privy council; it had practically no powers of independent legislation, and none of controlling
524:
No sooner, however, was this great success gained than a question arose known as the Simple Repeal controversy as to whether
England, in addition to the repeal of the Acts on which the subordination of the Irish parliament had been based, should not be required expressly to renounce for the future
512:
When in a debate on the constitutional question in 1779 Flood complained of the small consideration shown him in relation to a subject which he had been the first to agitate, he was reminded that by the civil law if a man should separate from his wife and abandon her for seven years, another might
540:
The bill, which contained no provision for giving the franchise to Roman Catholics, which Flood always opposed, was rejected, ostensibly on the ground that the attitude of the volunteers threatened the freedom of parliament. The volunteers were perfectly loyal to the crown and the connection with
564:
from the duke of Chandos, and for the next seven years he was a member at the same time of both the British and Irish parliaments. He reintroduced, but without success, his reform bill in the Irish House in 1784; supported the movement for protecting Irish industries; but short-sightedly opposed
508:
A Volunteer Convention, formed with all the regular organisation of a representative assembly, but wielding the power of an army, began menacingly to demand the removal of the commercial restrictions which were destroying Irish prosperity. Under, this pressure the government gave way; the whole
476:
with a salary of £3500 a year. For this step, he has been severely criticized. Flood may reasonably have held that he had a better prospect of advancing his policy by the leverage of a ministerial position. The result, however, was that the leadership of the national party passed from Flood to
525:
all claim to control Irish legislation. The chief historical importance of this dispute is that it led to the memorable rupture of friendship between Flood and Grattan, each of whom assailed the other with unmeasured but magnificently eloquent invective in the House of Commons.
441:
a consummate master of parliamentary tactics. Under parliamentary conditions that were exceedingly unfavourable, and in an atmosphere charged with corruption, venality and subservience, he had created a party before which ministers had begun to quail, and had inoculated the
536:
such as he advocated was ungrudgingly passed by the English parliament of the same year and for a time he regained popularity at the expense of his rival. Flood next (28 November 1783) introduced a reform bill, after first submitting it to the Volunteer Convention.
1315:
1310:
1305:
1300:
576:, where he refused to enrol himself as a member of either political party, he was not successful: Grattan remarked that Flood, at fifty, was too old a tree to be transplanted. His first speech, in opposition to
1290:
1099:
1085:
1042:
1030:
513:
then take her and give her his protection. But though Flood had lost control of the movement for independence of the Irish parliament, the agitation, backed as it now was by the
1128:
995:
584:'s opinion retrieved Flood's reputation. But at the dissolution in the same year, he lost his seat in both parliaments, and he then retired to Farmley, his residence in
1073:
1056:
981:
588:, where he remained until his death. He and Frances, who survived until 1815, had no children, and his property passed to a cousin, John Flood; a large bequest to
514:
1177:
1021:
875:(London, 1812), especially for the volunteer movement, on which see also Proceedings of the Volunteer Delegates of Ireland 1784 (Anon. Pamphlet, Brit. Mus.);
465:
324:
159:
914:
375:
205:
501:
was then set on foot to meet the emergency; in a few weeks more than 40,000 men were under arms, officered by the country gentry, and controlled by
1295:
1064:
481:
136:
976:
966:
945:
923:
906:
723:
1107:
529:
113:
971:
425:
957:
457:
182:
732:
902:
416:
1157:
1052:
561:
502:
423:
whose policy had provoked this conflict, was recalled. The struggle was the occasion of a publication, famous in its day, called
90:
1081:
403:
to raise up an independent party in parliament, and to create in the country a public opinion with definite intelligible aims.
1203:
363:
67:
986:
719:
1260:
1255:
1095:
757:
566:
446:
453:, he was spared a prison sentence, and the episode is said to have made duelling more rather than less respectable.
399:
fully realised the necessity for far-reaching reforms; and it only needed the ability and eloquence of Flood in the
383:
the policy of the executive, which was nominated by the ministers in London. Though the majority of the people were
1285:
1280:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1215:
1009:
935:
868:
85:
62:
1195:
498:
1209:
1191:
1163:
999:
810:
1038:
1136:
1124:
856:
1181:
1169:
1149:
949:
931:
749:
420:
1013:
473:
1223:
846:
741:
573:
557:
469:
388:
38:
691:
589:
461:
408:
400:
396:
379:
328:
289:
200:
177:
154:
131:
108:
893:
460:
between 1762 and 1776, where he had a bitter feud with the Agar family, whose effective head
332:
293:
477:
Grattan, who entered the Irish parliament in the same session that Flood became a minister.
1250:
1245:
1227:
826:
518:
8:
1116:
344:
255:
505:. This volunteer force, in which Flood was a colonel soon made itself felt in politics.
468:
between 1768 and 1769. Accordingly, in 1775, he was offered and accepted a seat, in the
798:, from an official and contemporary manuscript, edited by William Hunt (London, 1907);
753:
577:
1316:
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Westmeath constituencies
1311:
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Fermanagh constituencies
533:
1306:
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Longford constituencies
1301:
Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Kilkenny constituencies
1145:
585:
430:
384:
836:
545:
392:
347:. He became an object of public interest in 1770, when he was put on trial for
20:
429:, to which Flood contributed a series of powerful letters after the manner of
1239:
780:
736:. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 525–526.
727:
714:
486:
434:
340:
517:
and by increasing signs of popular disaffection, led at last in 1782 to the
581:
560:. In 1783, he tried again, this time successfully. He purchased a seat for
450:
359:
317:
277:
47:
489:
bill and a bill for making the judges irremovable, while his support of
490:
442:
320:
284:
1291:
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
445:
constituencies with a genuine spirit of liberty and self-reliance."
378:, a seat he held until 1761. There was at that time no party in the
336:
713:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
493:'s American policy gravely injured his popularity and reputation.
480:
Flood continued in office for nearly seven years. Re-elected for
348:
528:
In 1783, Flood was again returned to the house, this time for
366:, and Lady Catherine Power, who brought him a large fortune.
352:
785:
Memoirs of the Life and Times of the Right Hon. H. Grattan
746:
Edmond Malone, Shakespearean Scholar: A Literary Biography
647:
670:
668:
666:
664:
662:
625:
623:
621:
619:
617:
615:
613:
611:
609:
362:. He was married to Lady Frances Beresford, daughter of
374:
In 1759, he entered the Irish parliament as member for
792:
Recollections of Curran and some of his Contemporaries
485:
the other hand, he failed to procure the passing of a
659:
606:
521:, together with a number of other important reforms.
339:. He was a leading Irish politician, and a friend of
635:
411:in some measure representative of public opinion.
325:Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland
1237:
556:In 1776, Flood had made an attempt to enter the
815:History of England in the Eighteenth Century
831:The English in Ireland, vols. ii. and iii.
823:(enlarged edition, 2 vols., London, 1903);
861:Historical Review of the State of Ireland
1296:Members of the Privy Council of Ireland
718:
674:
653:
629:
351:, after killing a political rival in a
1238:
740:
641:
551:
903:William Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon
821:Leaders of Public Opinion in Ireland
364:Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone
335:, where he became proficient in the
369:
13:
841:Memoirs of the Reign of George III
767:
14:
1327:
851:Rise and Fall of the Irish Nation
433:, one of his collaborators being
19:For the American politician, see
706:
316:(1732 – 2 December 1791) was an
46:
807:History of the Irish Parliament
52:Portrait by Bartholomew Stoker.
843:(4 vols., London, 1845, 1894);
680:
544:In Dublin, he was a member of
1:
1053:Sir Archibald Acheson, 6th Bt
865:Compendium of Irish Biography
863:(London, 1803); Alfred Webb,
817:(8 vols., London, 1878–1890);
787:(5 vols., London, 1839–1846);
595:
16:18th-century Irish politician
1096:Sir Richard Johnston, 1st Bt
688:Club Makers and Club Members
7:
1137:Parliament of Great Britain
1010:Sir Thomas Newcomen, 8th Bt
532:. His view prevailed for a
247:Farmley, Kingdom of Ireland
10:
1332:
873:Memoirs of Lord Charlemont
750:Cambridge University Press
699:
237:Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland
18:
1220:
1202:Member of Parliament for
1200:
1188:
1174:
1156:Member of Parliament for
1154:
1142:
1135:
1121:
1106:Member of Parliament for
1104:
1092:
1078:
1063:Member of Parliament for
1061:
1049:
1035:
1020:Member of Parliament for
1018:
1006:
992:
956:Member of Parliament for
954:
942:
928:
913:Member of Parliament for
911:
899:
892:
809:(2 vols., London, 1792);
803:Ireland and Her Agitators
796:The Irish Parliament 1775
464:he killed in a duel, and
307:
299:
283:
273:
265:
251:
245:2 December 1791 (aged 59)
241:
231:
226:
222:
211:
199:
188:
176:
165:
153:
142:
130:
119:
107:
96:
84:
73:
61:
57:
45:
30:
600:
558:British House of Commons
519:concession of the demand
470:Privy Council of Ireland
733:Encyclopædia Britannica
775:Memoirs of Henry Flood
592:was declared invalid.
590:Trinity College Dublin
409:Irish House of Commons
401:Irish House of Commons
380:Irish House of Commons
329:Trinity College Dublin
290:Trinity College Dublin
269:Lady Frances Beresford
260:(Leader, 1760s – 1775)
1261:British MPs 1784–1790
1256:British MPs 1780–1784
894:Parliament of Ireland
880:The Charlemont Papers
801:W. J. O'Neill Daunt,
358:Henry was the son to
333:Christ Church, Oxford
327:. He was educated at
294:Christ Church, Oxford
1228:Richard Paul Jodrell
847:Sir Jonah Barrington
805:; Lord Mountmorres,
720:McNeill, Ronald John
574:House at Westminster
515:Volunteer Convention
343:, the leader of the
331:, and afterwards at
201:Member of Parliament
178:Member of Parliament
155:Member of Parliament
132:Member of Parliament
109:Member of Parliament
86:Member of Parliament
63:Member of Parliament
32:The Right Honourable
1286:Irish MPs 1783–1790
1281:Irish MPs 1776–1783
1276:Irish MPs 1769–1776
1271:Irish MPs 1761–1768
1266:Irish MPs 1727–1760
1216:Sir Godfrey Webster
1178:Richard Grace Gamon
1117:John Philpot Curran
884:Irish Parl. Debates
656:, pp. 525–526.
345:Irish Patriot Party
256:Irish Patriot Party
1196:Sir John Henderson
1082:Sir John Blaquiere
987:Hercules Langrishe
932:Hon. John Ponsonby
790:Charles Phillips,
552:British Parliament
499:volunteer movement
472:and the office of
456:Flood represented
1234:
1233:
1221:Succeeded by
1175:Succeeded by
1122:Succeeded by
1112:1783–1790
1079:Succeeded by
1069:1777–1783
1036:Succeeded by
1026:1768–1769
993:Succeeded by
962:1762–1776
929:Succeeded by
919:1759–1761
886:, (vols. i.-iv.).
686:T. H. S. Escott,
578:Charles James Fox
311:
310:
261:
1323:
1192:Sir Peter Parker
1189:Preceded by
1143:Preceded by
1129:William Sherlock
1093:Preceded by
1050:Preceded by
1022:Longford Borough
1007:Preceded by
943:Preceded by
900:Preceded by
890:
889:
867:(Dublin, 1878);
794:(London, 1822);
763:
737:
712:
710:
709:
694:
684:
678:
672:
657:
651:
645:
639:
633:
627:
534:Renunciation Act
466:Longford Borough
370:Irish Parliament
259:
227:Personal details
216:
193:
170:
160:Longford Borough
147:
124:
101:
78:
50:
28:
27:
1331:
1330:
1326:
1325:
1324:
1322:
1321:
1320:
1236:
1235:
1230:
1226:
1212:
1207:
1198:
1194:
1184:
1180:
1166:
1161:
1152:
1148:
1146:Lovell Stanhope
1131:
1127:
1113:
1111:
1102:
1100:Charles Lambart
1098:
1088:
1086:John McClintock
1084:
1070:
1068:
1059:
1055:
1045:
1043:David La Touche
1041:
1031:David La Touche
1027:
1025:
1016:
1012:
1002:
998:
985:
980:
975:
970:
963:
961:
952:
948:
938:
934:
920:
918:
915:County Kilkenny
909:
905:
857:Francis Plowden
853:(London, 1833);
833:(London, 1881);
777:(London, 1838);
770:
768:Further reading
760:
707:
705:
702:
697:
685:
681:
673:
660:
652:
648:
640:
636:
628:
607:
603:
598:
586:County Kilkenny
554:
503:Lord Charlemont
421:lord lieutenant
397:Hely-Hutchinson
385:Roman Catholics
376:County Kilkenny
372:
292:
258:
252:Political party
246:
236:
217:
212:
206:County Kilkenny
203:
194:
189:
180:
171:
166:
157:
148:
143:
134:
125:
120:
111:
102:
97:
88:
79:
74:
65:
53:
41:
36:
33:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1329:
1319:
1318:
1313:
1308:
1303:
1298:
1293:
1288:
1283:
1278:
1273:
1268:
1263:
1258:
1253:
1248:
1232:
1231:
1222:
1219:
1199:
1190:
1186:
1185:
1176:
1173:
1153:
1144:
1140:
1139:
1133:
1132:
1123:
1120:
1103:
1094:
1090:
1089:
1080:
1077:
1060:
1051:
1047:
1046:
1037:
1034:
1017:
1008:
1004:
1003:
994:
991:
953:
944:
940:
939:
930:
927:
910:
901:
897:
896:
888:
887:
876:
854:
844:
837:Horace Walpole
834:
824:
818:
799:
788:
778:
773:Warden Flood,
769:
766:
765:
764:
758:
738:
728:Chisholm, Hugh
701:
698:
696:
695:
679:
677:, p. 526.
658:
646:
634:
632:, p. 525.
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
553:
550:
497:the island. A
474:vice-treasurer
417:Lord Townshend
393:Anthony Malone
371:
368:
309:
308:
305:
304:
301:
297:
296:
287:
281:
280:
275:
271:
270:
267:
263:
262:
253:
249:
248:
243:
239:
238:
233:
229:
228:
224:
223:
220:
219:
209:
208:
197:
196:
186:
185:
174:
173:
163:
162:
151:
150:
140:
139:
128:
127:
117:
116:
105:
104:
94:
93:
82:
81:
71:
70:
59:
58:
55:
54:
51:
43:
42:
37:
34:
31:
21:Henry D. Flood
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1328:
1317:
1314:
1312:
1309:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1287:
1284:
1282:
1279:
1277:
1274:
1272:
1269:
1267:
1264:
1262:
1259:
1257:
1254:
1252:
1249:
1247:
1244:
1243:
1241:
1229:
1225:
1218:
1217:
1211:
1206:
1205:
1197:
1193:
1187:
1183:
1179:
1172:
1171:
1165:
1160:
1159:
1151:
1147:
1141:
1138:
1134:
1130:
1126:
1119:
1118:
1110:
1109:
1101:
1097:
1091:
1087:
1083:
1076:
1075:
1067:
1066:
1058:
1054:
1048:
1044:
1040:
1033:
1032:
1024:
1023:
1015:
1011:
1005:
1001:
997:
996:Pierce Butler
990:
988:
983:
978:
977:Jocelyn Flood
973:
968:
967:Patrick Wemys
960:
959:
951:
947:
946:Patrick Wemys
941:
937:
933:
926:
925:
924:Patrick Wemys
917:
916:
908:
907:Patrick Wemys
904:
898:
895:
891:
885:
881:
877:
874:
870:
869:Francis Hardy
866:
862:
858:
855:
852:
848:
845:
842:
838:
835:
832:
828:
825:
822:
819:
816:
812:
808:
804:
800:
797:
793:
789:
786:
782:
781:Henry Grattan
779:
776:
772:
771:
761:
759:0-521-61982-3
755:
751:
747:
743:
742:Martin, Peter
739:
735:
734:
729:
725:
721:
716:
715:public domain
704:
703:
693:
689:
683:
676:
671:
669:
667:
665:
663:
655:
650:
644:, p. 14.
643:
638:
631:
626:
624:
622:
620:
618:
616:
614:
612:
610:
605:
593:
591:
587:
583:
579:
575:
570:
568:
563:
559:
549:
547:
542:
538:
535:
531:
526:
522:
520:
516:
510:
506:
504:
500:
494:
492:
488:
487:Habeas corpus
483:
478:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
454:
452:
448:
447:Lord Harcourt
444:
438:
436:
435:Henry Grattan
432:
428:
427:
422:
418:
412:
410:
404:
402:
398:
394:
390:
389:Great Britain
386:
381:
377:
367:
365:
361:
356:
354:
350:
346:
342:
341:Henry Grattan
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
319:
315:
306:
302:
298:
295:
291:
288:
286:
282:
279:
276:
272:
268:
264:
257:
254:
250:
244:
240:
234:
230:
225:
221:
215:
210:
207:
202:
198:
192:
187:
184:
179:
175:
169:
164:
161:
156:
152:
146:
141:
138:
133:
129:
123:
118:
115:
110:
106:
100:
95:
92:
87:
83:
77:
72:
69:
64:
60:
56:
49:
44:
40:
29:
26:
22:
1224:John Sargent
1214:
1201:
1182:Henry Penton
1170:Henry Penton
1168:
1155:
1150:Henry Penton
1125:Thomas Burgh
1115:
1105:
1072:
1062:
1039:Warden Flood
1029:
1019:
1014:Joseph Henry
965:
955:
922:
912:
883:
879:
872:
864:
860:
850:
840:
830:
827:J. A. Froude
820:
814:
806:
802:
795:
791:
784:
774:
745:
731:
724:Flood, Henry
687:
682:
675:McNeill 1911
654:McNeill 1911
649:
637:
630:McNeill 1911
582:Edmund Burke
571:
555:
543:
539:
527:
523:
511:
507:
495:
479:
455:
451:manslaughter
439:
424:
413:
405:
373:
360:Warden Flood
357:
313:
312:
278:Warden Flood
213:
190:
167:
144:
121:
98:
75:
25:
1251:1791 deaths
1246:1732 births
1065:Enniskillen
1000:George Agar
972:James Wemys
692:pp. 329–333
642:Martin 2005
546:Daly's Club
482:Enniskillen
426:Baratariana
391:. Men like
314:Henry Flood
137:Enniskillen
35:Henry Flood
1240:Categories
1158:Winchester
1074:John Leigh
1057:John Leigh
982:John Flood
950:James Agar
936:James Agar
596:References
562:Winchester
491:Lord North
462:James Agar
443:Protestant
303:Politician
300:Profession
285:Alma mater
91:Winchester
1108:Kilbeggan
984:1767–1776
979:1765–1767
974:1762–1765
811:WEH Lecky
722:(1911). "
530:Kilbeggan
321:statesman
218:1759–1761
214:In office
195:1762–1776
191:In office
172:1768–1769
168:In office
149:1777–1783
145:In office
126:1783–1790
122:In office
114:Kilbeggan
103:1783–1784
99:In office
80:1786–1790
76:In office
744:(2005).
690:(1913),
337:classics
39:PC (Ire)
1208:1786 –
1204:Seaford
1162:1783 –
730:(ed.).
717::
700:Sources
572:In the
68:Seaford
1213:With:
1167:With:
1114:With:
1071:With:
1028:With:
964:With:
958:Callan
921:With:
882:, and
756:
726:". In
711:
458:Callan
431:Junius
419:, the
349:murder
274:Parent
266:Spouse
183:Callan
989:1776
878:Also
601:Notes
318:Irish
1210:1790
1164:1784
969:1762
754:ISBN
567:Pitt
395:and
353:duel
323:and
242:Died
235:1732
232:Born
204:for
181:for
158:for
135:for
112:for
89:for
66:for
1242::
871:,
859:,
849:,
839:,
829:,
813:,
783:,
752:.
748:.
661:^
608:^
548:.
437:.
355:.
762:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
