this head, I fhall confider the argument drawn from fuppofed comparative cheapnefs of labour, and lefs taxes in Ireland than in England, fubfequent to the Union. 2dly. Whether we have, or have not reason to expect that 'an Union would bring fuch consequential advantages to Ireland, as would put her in the poffeffion of her natural advantages; and under this head I mean to examine the arguments which are urged with refpect to emigration from England, transportation of capital, and fuperior fituation for trade.

And 3dly. I mean to close the commercial part of this enquiry, by fhewing on the authority of several of the prefent Cabinet Council of his Majefty, that an incorporate Union is not neceffary to put Ireland in the full poffeffion of her natural advantages, for the purpofe of promoting the profperity of England, or the fecurity of the Empire.

1

ft. The principal articles of export from Ireland to England are, provifions, which are free; corn, which pays inconfiderable cuftom; hides, which are fubject to a trifling duty; cable, cordage, fail cloth, which are free; wool, and the various kinds of yarn, which are free; and linens which are free on the importation into England, and which have from thence a bounty on the exportation; the export of these articles conftitutes the principal Irish trade to the British market; and if any perfon throw his eye over on an account of the duties payable on fome goods, the growth, produce and manufacture of Ireland, which might be exported to England, and then glance over the account of duties paya

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ble on articles of the fame nature imported into Ireland from England, he will fee an extraordinary disparity. I admit the high duties in England, a most wanton, scandalous and ungrateful outrage; but let me afk any export merchant in Ireland, fuppofing that the following articles, "Beer, Books, Carriages, Drapery, Earthen-ware, Fuftians, Glass, Haberdashery, Hats, Iron, Lead, Oil, Pictures, Silk-manufactures, Stockings, Stuffs and Woollens," were put under the fame excife, and fubjected on their being landed in England to fimilar taxes, as articles of the fame kind are in England, would he get any thing for a cargo of these articles? he knows that he would be a bankrupt from fuch a traffic, he knows that the Irish merchant cannot underfell the English merchant, and therefore he cares not if the English Parliament tripled the duties on thofe articles. It is the peculiar good fortune of Ireland that Great Britain is as much convenienced by purchasing the articles we fend to her market, as we are in fending them to that market; and as to the articles on which the places her extraordinary impofts, we could not underfell her in her own market, although they were taken off. It may be faid that this is mere opinion, I deny the affertion; my information is derived partly from long

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habits of communication, with many of the greatest manufacturers in England, but principally from the teftimony of the moft intelligent merchants and manufacturers in England, "ex"amined before the Lords of the Committee of Council, for the confideration of trade and the foreign plantations." Some of his Majesty's prefent Cabinet fat upon that Committee, and they know what it behoves every Irishman accu-rately to underftand, that an UNION may ruin Ireland, and cannot give her a single advantage. On that affertion the commercial part of the queftion muft depend, and I stake my credit with the public as a commercial writer, in proving it beyond the poffibility of contradiction.

WOOLLENS.

With refpect to Woollens, three manufacturers appointed from Norwich, and several export merchants of the City of London, declared, that the Irifh would not be able to rival them in the home market, if care were are taken, that no bounties were granted in Ireland to counteract the duties that might be impofed in England.

Two deputed merchants from Leeds, and four manu(19facturers, and merchants from Yorkfhire corroborated - the teftimony of the other gentlemen, and declared that it was their pofitive opinion, that if the Irish were allowed to import into Great Britain their Woollen Cloths and Worfted Stuffs, fubject to the fame duties at which British Cloths and Stuffs of the like fort were imported into Ireland, they were confident that they would underfell the Irish in their market, and I'

that

that the Irish would never fell a piece of their Woollens in England. The Chairman of the Committee of manufacturers in Wiltshire, and an eminent clothier of the Devises, were decidedly of the same opinion. Signed by the Principal manufacturers and merchants.

COTTONS.

Two printers deputies from Manchester declared that the art and ingenuity of the British manufacturer would fecure them an advantage, in those branches of trade, and that undamped and unshackled, they would be equal, if not inferior to any manufacture in the world, and if put on equal terms with the Irish merchant they would not apprehend a competition in cither the Irish or British market.

Signed by feveral manufacturers.

SILK.

If the feveral articles of this manufacture, imported from Ireland into England, were made fubject to the like duties as are now paid upon the manufactures of the fame fort exported from England to Ireland, the manufacturers declared that for feveral years there would be no reafon to fear a competition, not even in the Irish market.

Signed by two merchants of Manchester, and three of London.

IRON AND IRON MANUFACTURES.

It being impoffible to carry on any Iron manufactures with peat coal, the merchants and manufacturers of Iron dreaded no competition whatever, if the importation into both countries, of the Iron, were made fubject to the fame duties.

Signed by the greatest manufacturers in England.

CORN

CORN.

It is notorious to any person who has ever converfed with the great corn-factors of London, and who has travelled lately through England, and feen the great agricultural improvement, that notwithstanding the encouragement given in late years to agriculture in Ireland, it would be the height of madnefs to furrender any national advantages, on the golden dream of fecuring a market for the furplus produce of the foil: it feldom happens that when there is a bad crop in one country, there is a good one in the other, or vice verfa.

BREWERY.

If beer brewed in Ireland was allowed to be imported into England, fubject to duties equal to the excise duties payable on fuch beer brewed in England, the English brewer would have nothing to fear, provided the Irish beer imported should not only pay the inland excife on beer, but a further duty proportionable to the duties paid in England on malt and hops, on both of which the duties are drawn back on exportation to Ireland.'

Signed by the great Brewers.

POTTERY.

The cheapnefs of fuel being one of the effential circumstances towards carrying on pottery, and there being no pipe clay in Ireland, and the fkill of the English manufacturers being of late fo confiderably encreased, it is idle to fuppofe, that Ireland could underfell the Byerleys or Wedgewoods in the English market. So much for the British market. The teftimony of these gentlemen will hardly be queftioned in a country, like Ireland, which has writhed