| Show old parliament house dublin where new irish council may meet the old parliament house in dub lin in which it expected the new irish council or parliament soon to be erected will hold its sessions Is one of the historic buildings ol 01 the old world it stands in what Is known as college green and Is placed nearly at right angles with the west front ot dublin university at present the structure Is used as the head offices of the bank ol 01 ireland but before its rooms were ar ranged for banking purposes the apartments of the old parliament house were spacious and eminently fitted tor the purposes for which they had been constructed the room where the house of commons met was circular in form and about fifty five feet in diameter all around the commons was a beautiful cor giving access to committee rooms cloakrooms etc the cham ber in which the house of lords met was 40 feet long by 32 feet wide at one end was a circular niche for the throne of the english viceroy over which was a canopy of rich crimson velvet artistic decorations marked both apartments with beautiful cor pillars and tapestry pictures the first stone of the building w as laid on feb 3 1728 and it was corn plated in 1739 the independence of the irish parliament was declared in 1782 but this was nullified by the act of union which was adopted in 1800 and a few months later the historic structure was sold for 40 the expense of making arrangements for the meetings of the new irish council would be inconsiderable this body as intimated will consist ot bers the number ot irlby members in the british house ot commons with the addition 0 forty eight coun collors directly elected tor larger areas laving a taxable value ot more than in the scheme as mapped out arrangement Is made to have the chief secretary or ireland ex officio chairman 0 the irish council and irish representation at westminster will remain as at present the old parliament house stands on the spot formerly occupied by the building known as colchester house where the first parliament convened in ireland after the restoration assembled on may 8 1661 and where the first parliament convened in ireland after the wars of the revolution in 1692 |
