Parliamentry Register : Or, History of the Proceedings and Debates of the House of Commons in Ireland, 9th October, 1781-15th July, 1797

During the 1780s and 1790s, the Irish Parliament developed in many exciting and unexpected ways.

Its proceedings acquired a theatrical aspect, anticipating to some extent the style of French revolutionary rhetoric and practice.

Whether in relation to Reform or the administration of the Imperial Will, the Irish House of Commons included virtually all of the major activists of the age (militant republicans excepted).

The systematic publication of the proceedings contributed to this development.

Sessions of the House were covered by reporters whose working conditions and conventions were highly diverse, and in some regards "in advance" of London practice.

Covering a very volatile and critical time in Irish history, the "Register" includes dicussion of Roman Catholic Franchise, parliamentary reform, communication, poor relief, transportation, and tithes and taxes.

This is a rare collection in English-language parliamentary history. These volumes not only provide a source of information on political debate, but also open up the possibilities for studying the evolution of language in the public sphere, and (beyond that) the emergence of modern reporting conventions as later standardized in Hansard.