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Note:  Do not rely on this information. It is very old.

Union

Union, the tie that binds (1) Scotland, (2) Ireland politically to England. The Crown of Scotland became united to that of England during James I. in 1603; but the Parliament of Scotland did not cease till 1707, in which year it was decided that one Parliament should administer the affairs of the two nations, and that the same custom laws, weights and measures, etc., should prevail in both countries. Scotland received the right of sending 16 representative peers to the English House of Lords and 45 members to be House of Commons; it was allowed to retain its Established Presbyterian Church, and its own law courts, judges and system of laws. Ireland, which from the time of Henry VIII. was looked on as part of the kingdom, lost its Parliament in 1801, but not under so favourable conditions as Scotland a century before.