It is admitted that the great market for Irish linen is this country. On the annual average of the four years preceding Lady Day 1798, of about forty millions of yards exported, near thirty-five were fent to Great Britain, and the British colonies and iflands; or seven-eighths of the whole. This immenfe quantity was imported duty free, and a great part of what was re-exported received a bounty;e while all foreign linens imported here were charged with a duty. variously computed, at from above 33 to about 25 per cent. Taking it at the lowest, is not this a bounty to the amount of no less than one-fourth of the value, on Irish linen goods brought into this kingdom? and is it not a

This is the account according to the Irish returns. By the Infpector General's books here, the importation into England that year was, as I have ftated below (p. 70), 35,338,000.

• This bounty is confined to linens, whether British or Irish, not under 6d, nor exceeding 1s. 6d. per yard.

£ Foreign linens, in general, are not subject to an ad valorem duty, but to a certain rate, per ell or per 100 ells; and almost every species of linen is minutely described in the acts imposing the duty: as, Ruffia, broad, above 22 inches wide; Germany, narrow, not exceeding fo many inches, &c. But as fome forts might have been omitted in the fpecific enumeration, there is a sweeping clause, laying 33 per cent. on the value of all linens not particularly defcribed. Scarcely any, however, are in fact imported which are not defcribed. The Infpector General informs me, that on a correct estimate he endeavoured to make about fix months ago, of the real price of foreign linens imported, he found the duty on the average of the whole importation, to be about 25 per cent.

difficult

difficult task for any body to undertake to contend, that thofe linens would (to any confiderable extent) find their way here even though there were no duty on the foreign?'

It is indeed stated, and I have no doubt correctly, that Irish linens have rifen of late not less than 35 per cent. above their usual value. Sir, I have endeavoured to inform myfelf of the caufes of this extraordinary rife, and I believe it will be found to be owning partly to the reduced quantity manufactured on the continent, and at the same time an increased demand in confequence of the war, and partly to unwife and unprofitable speculations occafioned by that circumftance. It feems the demand for fhirting for the different armies of Europe has been immenfe, and confiderable quantities of Irish linens have also been lately fent, directly or circuitously, to Spain and Portugal, and likewife to fome of our Weft India iflands, to be exported from thence to South America, as a fubftitute for those of German manufacture which used to be sent there, but which are now become too scarce to be fufficient for the supply of that market. In confirmation of this, it appears, on inspecting the British accounts of imports and exports, that during the two years preceding the prefent, the import of linen from Ireland into this country diminished confiderably, while the re-exportation increased. In 1797, the Irish linen imported amounted to 39,868,000 yards, and the reexportation was but 3,889,830; laft year the importation was only 35,338,000 yards, and the re-exportation 6,590,456. From the fame sources of information, which I believe I may ftate to be as authentic, both mercantile

• Ibid.

a Mr. Fofler's Speech, p. 89. In confequence of permiffions granted by the government of this country about a year and a half ago to open a commercial communication between fome of thofe iflands and the Spanish continent.

and

and official, as can be obtained, I learn that foreign linens, particularly those which are used for the fame purposes with the Irish, have rifen in their price nearly in the fame proportion with them; if they have not rifen que fo much, this is afcribed to the unthrifty and hazardous spéculations I have mentioned.

But let us take it the other way, and fuppofe the 25 per cent. duty to be extended to the Irish linen. Will it be faid, that fuch a burden on the trade to this country in that article, would not put a stop to it? Will it be fo faid, by those who have very juftly remarked, that a smaller charge of 20 per cent. on its general export, entirely put

down the woollen trade of Ireland?' If it would not put a stop to it, Ireland is certainly obliged to Great Britain for her generofity or rather profufion, in remitting to her an annual duty it feems the could afford to pay of from half a million to a milling fterling.

In an account produced to the House of Lords by that very able and accurate officer the Infpector General, the true value of all the products and manufactures of Ireland imported into this country, on the average of the three years preceding the 5th of January last, is stated at about five millions and a half, while that of the exports of the fame fort, from hence to Ireland, amounted to little above two; the excess being near three millions and a halff. On the grofs view, therefore, of this fort of debtor and creditor account, Ireland appears to be a gainer to that amount, in confequence of the prefent commercial code,

not of that, but of this country. There are, I believe, confiderable differences between the Irish and English official détails on these subjects, and any minutely exact computation of the Arue value cannot be expected. But it will alfo be admitted, that there is great reliance to be had on the accounts which come from Mr. Irving's office; and it is well known that he has taken much pains of late to get at the actual value of all the exports and imports of Great Britain. I am therefore inclined to think that the above may be taken, for the purposes of the prefent argument, as fufficiently correct.

By a fimilar account of the fame officer, also presented to the Lords, the true value of the total imports from Ireland into this country, was, on the like average, 5,612,689 Z.; that of the exports from hence thither, 3,555,845 7; leaving, on this comparison, not fo great an excess indeed, but ftill an apparent balance of 2,056,844. in favour of Ireland d.

But we are told, that upon a proper examination of the articles which compofe the grofs fums in these accounts, the real balance will be found to be much in favour of Great Britain.

To make this out, the objects of the mutual trade of the two kingdoms are claffed under the three heads of, 1. manufactures; 2. raw materials, &c.; and, 3. foreign articles. The particulars are then arranged in fuch a manner as to make it appear, 1ft, that Ireland takes from Great Britain to the amount of 14,000%. a

• Accounts laid before the House of Lords, No. 16.

• Mr. Fofter's Speech, p. 80.

year

year more, under the firft head, than Great Britain does from her; 2d, that the fupplies Britain with an excefs of raw materials, including articles of prime neceffity, to the amount of no less than 2,463,4474: and, 3d, that the excefs of the foreign articles exported from this country into Ireland, over the fimilar imports from thence into this country, is 1,366,309/.

This is a very different method of ftating the cafe from what has been ufual, at least as far as I have been able to inform myself. I certainly feel how unequal I am to enter the lifts on points of this fort with the Gentleman who has thus ftated it on the prefent occafion; but I have endeavoured, with the affiftance of those who are more accustomed to such matters than I pretend to be, to ascertain whether the right clue might not be found to this feeming refutation of the hitherto received opinion, that the profitable balance is very greatly in favour of Ireland. I think it may, and I will attempt to explain myself in regard to it, in the beft manner I can.

1. To the amount of British manufactures taken off by Ireland, which, by Mr. Irving's tables, is but 1,649,195/ have been added all the articles brought either from our American colonies or the Eaft Indies, the value of which is not lefs than 970,000/4

Much of this,' we are told, is real manufactures, and that the reft may be deemed fo, on account of the employ of labour in the colony, and of the shipping.'

d Mr. Fofter's Speech, p. 80.

• Scarcely any part of the goods brought from the Weft Indies and America can be confidered as fuch.

Mr, Fofer's Speech, ibid.

But