Finance, the question of Irish: the financial relations between Great Britain and Ireland a subject of long controversy, 271; what they were before 1782, 273, and under Grattan's Parliament, 274; increase of the debt and the taxation of Ireland by the close of the eighteenth century, 274, 275; the financial arrangements made at the Union, the work of Pitt, 275, 276; his object was to 'assimilate Great Britain and Ireland in finance,' but this was impossible, and why, ibid.; the financial settlement effected at the Union--Ireland to pay a contribution, but not to be taxed beyond her means, ibid.; the seventh article of the Treaty of Union and its constitutional meaning, 277, 278; the settlement denounced in the Irish Parliament, especially by Foster and Grattan, 279; protest of the twenty peers, 279, 280; the Union left Ireland financially a distinct country, 280; the settlement made at the Union reduced her to bankruptcy, and how, 281, 282; the compromise of 1816, 282, 283; the real objects of this measure, 283, 284; though theoretically to 'be assimilated' in finance, Ireland remained for many years financially a completely distinct country, and the reasons, 284; this fully recognised by Peel in 1842, 285; he refused to extend the income tax to Ireland, and permanently to increase her spirit duties, ibid.; Mr. Gladstone in 1853 suddenly disregards this policy, and imposes the income tax on Ireland, and raises her spirit duties, 286; gross injustice of this increase of taxation, especially under the circumstances of Ireland, 286, 289; Ireland to a considerable extent 'assimilated in finance' to Great Britain, but not completely, even to the present day, a fact that should be kept in mind, 287; the Committee of 1863-64 on Irish finance, ibid.; it fails to get Ireland justice, 288; Mr. Goschen appoints a Committee to investigate the subject, ibid.; this followed by the Childers Commission, appointed by Mr. Gladstone in 1893, ibid.; scope of the inquiry, 288, 289; the work of the Childers Commission, 289; it reports that Ireland has been overtaxed at the rate of between two and three millions a year, and that for a very considerable space of time, 290; view of Sir R. Giffen that even this estimate falls short of the real truth, 291, 292; this overtaxation especially severe in the case of Ireland, a poor country, 292-295; the attempts that have been made to answer and refute the Report of the Childers Commission have been grotesque failures, 295; examination of these arguments and reply to them--they are either fallacious, or mischievous and dangerous, 295-305; question of a counterclaim against Ireland in finance, 306;