capacitate us, and caufe the British Colonies to be fupplied by foreigners, with this neceffary article.

He defired Gentlemen to recollect the report of a committee of the British Houfe of Commons, wherein it was ftated, that the Swedes had carried and imported from the port of Got tenburgh alone in one year 200,000 barrels of herrings and from natural advantages, they were enabled to fell them at 9s. the barrel.In this country the general price of herrings is 20. per barrel-but on a fairer average he behieved it would be a guinea each. Now let gentlemen recolle&t that if the Swedes export to our market and encounter the protecting duty of ros. they can afford, allowing for freight, to fell them for 18 or 19. while our own merchants could not take lefs than 20s. Befides, each barrel of their's contain no less than 1000 herrings, which is almost double the quantity of our's.

Hence, it was evident, that even at prefent the Swedes were in a fituation to hurt our tifh. ery. Mr. Corry pledged himlelf at a future day to prove that our fisheries laboured under many other difadvantages, and that a continuance of the encreafed duty was indifpenfably neceffary to preferve them from ruin.

Houfe had formerly exonerated them from other taxes; that they were willing to pay the old watch taxes, but they were totally unable to pay the police, which they ftated to be double the old watch tax; that even if they were able to pay the police, they thought it hard to pay for men, who never vifited their part of the city. He then moved that the petition of the inhabitants of the barony of Thomas-court and Donore, complaining of their total inability to pay the new taxes, might be received and laid on the table.

The petition was then read, and states, that they are unable to pay the additional burthen of the police tax, and that they appeal to this Houfe for redrefs.-Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Holmes, after a fhort preface, moved for teave to bring in a bill for the relief of infolvent debtors, with refpect to the imprisonment of their perfons. He faid he flattered himself that this bill would be prepared in fuch a manner, as to draw a line between the fwindling adventurer, and the honest, though unfortunate debtor. Leave given.

Mr. Moore rose to fubmit to the Houfe a motion on a fubject, which in all probability was never brought forward before; he took notice, that to-morrow was fet down for balloting a com mittee to try the merits of the petition, complaining of an undue election and return for the county of Cavan; and though the law for regu

The bounty given in this country, he afferted, was not fo great as that held out by Great Bitain, and he therefore thought that it would have been more prudent in the right hon. Genting controverted elections was exceedingly juft tleman, to move that the duty should be railed to 20s. rather than reduced to 4. It would befide be more conformable to the policy of England, who prohibited such a trade altogether.

The Secretary of State's motion was negatived without a divifion.

(12.) Sir E. Newenham said, he had a petition in his hand figued by a numerous and induftrious body of men. That trade has left the Western part of this city, and gone to the east, by which that part of the city, where the petitioners dwelt, was running to rapid decay; that there were feveral respectable names figned to it, in order to give it further weight with Parliament; that the name of a nobleman (Earl of Meath) equally refpected for his public and private virtues, as for his humanity and benevolence, appeared as the fit fignature; that the petitioners fulled hopes of redress centered in the prefent patriotic Adminitration; that they thewed the most unbounded zeal and loyalty on the return of their beloved Marquis of Buckingham, whom they beheld as their patron and protector; he regretted the abfence of his right. hon. colleague, who had always fupported and ferved the petitioners, and who could point out clearly their real fituation; that for his part, he was unable to do their petition the justice it merited-their cafe, the faces tated therein-their poverty, and the humanity of the Houle, would be the best pleaders in their caute. He was glad to fee a right hon. Member (Mr. Fitzherbert) just come in, and therefore repeated the prayer of the petition, reminding him that the petitioners were thole poo, yet honelt manufacturers, who in the warmth of their zeal, ysked their neaks to the Viceroyal carriage, and drew the reprefentative of Majefty to his Royal manfion; that the

in all its parts, and gave the most ample justice to the contending parties, yet in relpect to the members of the Houfe it was highly improper, if not unjust; for what did the law fay? Why, if a member did not attend at the call of the Houle, he was to be taken into the cuftody of the Serjeant at Arm and what was the consequence? Why, the defaulters prevailed on fome of their friends, to move that they fhould be discharged out of cuftody, without fee, and in order to put an end to this practice, he fhould move the following refolution:

Refolved, that when any queftion is propofed to discharge out of the custody of the Serjeant at Arms, a member of this Houle, for non-attendance at the call of the Houfe, for the purpule of trying the merits of a petition, complaining of an undue election, that fuch member then in cufto dy do withdraw. The motion was unanimously agreed to.

Mr. Serj. Hewitt prefented a petition from the fovereign, burgeffes, and inhabitants of the town of Beltatt, complaining of the very high prices of provifion, principally occationed by the great and unreftrained exportation of live cattle, which threatens to be attended with ferious confequences, and praying that a duty of 5s, head be laid on all live cattle exported from this kindom, The petition was received, read, and ordered tolie on the table.

13.] The Houfe was called over, and the fol
lowing members balloted to be a committee to
try the merits of the petition, complaining of an
undue election for the Co. Cavan.
Sir Henry Cavendish
Sir Wm. Richardion
John Metge, Efq;
Sir Rd. Mulgrave
$12

William Pennefather, Ef
Hon. J. W. Skeffington
R. Cotter, Elq;
J. Richarding;

R. Jephfon, Efq;
R. S. Carew, Eiq;
P. Vowell, Ef,

Edward Tighe, Efq;
Samuel Hayes, Efq;
N.Loftus Tottenham, Efq;

T. F. Craddock, Efq;
who took the accustomed oaths accordingly,
After fome business of courfe, the Houfe refolved
itself into a Committee of Ways and Means,

Right. Hon. Mr. Mafon in the chair.
The Secretary of State rofe to make fome ob-
fervations, prior to a motion which he meant to
fpbrait to the Houfe, relative to the bounties on
the cultivation of flax, and faving the feed.
Having connexions in feveral parts of the king-
dom, he faid, he could not be fufpected of par-
tiality to any peculiar place, The motion which
he meant to make was, that the grafs fum which
Parliament had allotted to be diftributed in boun-
ties of the above nature, should be equally divid-
ed among the four provinces-and it was found-
ed upon principles long fince established by the
Linen Board, at whole original inftitution it was
intended, that the bounties should be equally di-
vided and to that end trustees had been chofen
from the feveral provinces, in order that the
Board might be acquainted with the nature of
the foil and the grounds in the different parts of
the kingdom that were fit for the cultivation of
Lax.

As a proof of this, he mentioned, that a bounty had been held out by Parliament for twenty-one years, for all fiax-feed railed in the South of Ireland and carried to the North. From this he con tended, that it was clearly the intention of the Legislature, that the bounties should not center in the North, but rather in the South-and that the North fhould be the flore-houfe of what was raifed in the other parts of the kingdom.

The bounties that were now in queftion, he faid, related to two objects the one went to the encouragement of flax-feed-the other the exportation of canvas, The spinners in the North could only ipin coarfe thread; whereas these in the South could not only fpiu fine but coarfe, and by difpofing of the bounty in equal parts, the South would not be able to affid the North with a fupply for her manufacture, but might benefit the nation and trade at large, by introducing a new affortment of linen, which would be able to maintain ground in foreign markets against the fabrics of Ruffia and Germany. It convinced, he ad, that his motion was an imprudent one, he would withdraw it; for he defpiled the idea of cal prejudice-he fhould fay no more at that time, but referve his further fentiments, tid he fhould have occation to reply. He should there More move" that after the words 17,250l.(which was the amount of the bounty) should be added, to be divided in four equal parts between the provinces; but no province to receive more than one fourth of the faid fam." He oblerved, that face the year 80, no less than cleven hundred thousand pounds, had been given in fimilar bounties--that the North had received one third of it, and he believed the delerved it.

The Right Hon. Mr. Brownlow faid, he would agree with the right hon. Gentleman, that there thould be no local appropriation, and that every part of the kingdom should be equally encouraged; for his part, he always confidered when bounties were held out; and the object of

thefe bounties accomplished, the wishes of the Le giflature were fully answered, and it was a matter of little confequence who were the particular claimants. Ulter and Connaught, it had ap peared, were the provinces that had principally received the bounty; why did not the other provinces claim? because they had not cultivated flax fo as to become entitled to it; and any alteration of the prefent fyftem of bounties, he therefore contended, would cause a Bagrant misuse of the public money. The Linen Board was properly compofed of gentlemen, who knew the state of the country; and they as well as the Houle, must be apprized of the danger of making expe riments, particularly on a thriving manufacture. The motion of the right hon. Gentleman would tend to create provincial jealousies, that might re tard the profperity of the kingdom if agreed to: and he should therefore vote against it.

The Right Hon. the Speaker rofe and said, that this was a motion which went to make an alteratia a bill which he had himself introduced into the Houle, and face the operation of which, the linen manufacture had greatly increased→→→→ and convinced of the injurious effect it must have, he could not hear it propofed, without ftating to the Houfe at large his realons for voting agaralt

The laft alteration which had been made in the fyftem of the bounties in question was in the year 1781- -previous to that time the laws held. out an encouragement to the importation of flaxfeed into this kingdom for the benefit of the linen manufa@ure. An idea occurred to him, that if the fum expended as a bounty on the importation of foreign flaxfeed was applied to the cultivation of Irish flax, it would be attended with the most falutary confequences. The Houfe was of the fame opinion, and the alteration thus propaled patted into a law. Under this law all parts of the kingdom were equally entitled-—there was no local approbation, and whatever part of the country deferved moit, consequently had ■ right to claim the greatest share of the bounty.

Now, what was the confequence? your linen manufacture, which, prior to the year 1710, when this regulation took place, had been in a declining ftate, fublequeat to that period it has rifen, and this rife was not fudden, or contingent, it was a gradual rife from 25 to 26, 28 and 30 millions, which was the quantity of yards you exported last year. Whether it has been entirely owing to this regulation, I will not affert-but I will lay, that the profperity of the manufacture took place from its commencement-that you are now thriving under it, and thriving under it must be dangerous to tamper with a regulation. For my part, I am of opinion, that it cannot be allowed without rifquing the profperity of the cu try.

There are two articles neceffary to a profecution of the linen manufacture→a fufficiency of which the kingdom has never produced. These are ashes and flaxfeed. On average they will he found to coft the nation annually from 2 to 300,000l. The lofs of fo much cash from the circulating fpecie of the kingdom is much to be regretted but fubmitting to that lois,, great as it, you are not even fure of a conflant fupply. You have received of late years a `quantity of alh

But Annama's fmiling eyes firè me,

I

ne'er felt fuch rapture before.

Que after my head so poffelles,

from Poland, America and Holland. But can jou be certain of its being continued in cafe of a Warlurely not. For lat war the trade was interrupted, and the linen manufacture declined fome degree in confequence.

So of flax-feed. Your fupply of this article from the Northern ports. They may fiequently be blocked up from the inclemency of the feafon. Such has been the cafe this year. What would your fituation be, fhould this accident frequently occur? You should be guarded againft it, as much as poffible. Your own country is capable of producing the article, and of a quality fuperior to foreign. What then should the object of the House be, but to promote it to the utmost of their power-efpecially when the foil and climate hold out fuch invitations.

In a period of five years up to 75, the annual importation of foreign flax-feed was 34,000 In a period of 5 years up to 87,

it was

So that there was an increase of no more than

29,000

5,000

Hhds.

Now let us examine the increase of the lines manufactures, in order to ascertain the effect of the bounty.

In the year preceding the regulation, Yards. the annual exportation of linen was 25,000,000 lo the last year, 87, it was

30,000,000

Here was an increase of no less than 5,000,000 which was one-fourth of the whole ftaple manufacture of the kingdom! Now upon an accurate calculation, allowing for the increase of linens, you would, were it not for the bounties, have had eccation to have imported instead of 39, 43, or 45,000 hogtheads of flax-feed.

thus, the claim varying with the difpofition of the owner, or the nature of the foil. This is a fixed principle therefore, and fhould not be departed from.- Bounties fhould not be confined to provinces or counties, that do not cultivate what is the object of them. No, for the money would be ufclefs, and Parliament should say→ "We will not fuffer the money which was intended as bounty, to lie idle-we will hand it over to those who deferve it."

He exposed the abfurdity of confining bounties to counties, which God or Natu e never intended they should receive, and which in many inftances they were incapable of receiving, in very strong colours. But Munfter in particular, and he grounded an irrefragrable argument on the following circumstance. A premium of 25. a bushel was held out on all flaxseed raifed in the South, and conveyed to the North, amounting to 30s, per acre. This premium was over and · above the original bounty.

He defired Gentlemen to examine the ac counts. Did any charge for this article appear on the face of them? No-not a single one! and why? because they cultivated none in the South, although a bounty from 30s. to 51. an acre, according to the nature of the foil, was offered to them. This was a proof that the na ture of the foil was not congenial to it, and it was therefore ftrange, that Gentlemen fhould with to force it on a cultivation for which it was not qualified.

He defired Gentlemen to apply this principle of conɓaing bounties to provinces unfit for them

to fome other bounties, and its abfurdity would till further appear. 17,000l. were annually given for the encouragement of the woollen manufacture. What would be faid to the man who would with, to have a fourth of it appropriated to the North? the fame would hold good of the Dublin Society bounties of the agriculture bountie of the export bounties-in fact there was no argument that would justify the making the linen, that would not juftify the rendering all other bounties, provincial. If the 32,000 boupry on linen was made provincial, the North 38,000, would receive nothing-for though manufactured in the North it was brought up to Dublin.

There is another matter which is coupled with
Baxfeed, and that is linfeed oil. Every one
knows that in a country which grows flaxfeed
extensively there must be bad as well as good feed
-but indeed the matter I am about to mention
is to fimple as to admit of little ftatement.
In the 10 lat years, there were im-
ported of linseed oil yearly
In the five preceding years

Here was a material difference in
our favour of

Gals.

6.000

Although the confumption of the article in the former was confiderably greater of late than for merly. Thus we have experienced an increafe of linens, and an encrease of linfeed oil, and all from the encouragement given to flaxseed.

Were to enter into a detail of the various advantages that have refulted to the nation, from the tranfactions of the Linen Beard, fince the year 1781, am certain it would appear that they deferved as well at the public hands as any body of men whatever-and that not even an idea of local partiality was fuffered, even for a moment, to prevail.

Parliament, in giving the bounty, does nothing but offer an acreable premium-thus the whole kingdom have an equal opportunity of availing themfelve-thofe who cultivate much *Bax, may clana a great deal thofe who culti vate in a fall degree, can claim but le

He then replied to the arguments of the Secretary of State, every one of which he ably and fully refuted. The original idea was not to render the Linen Board provincial; by chufing the members from the different provinces, they were enabled to judge of the different foils in the kingdom, and to what purpose they were appli cable. He ftated in one county in the South, there was not a fingle man who dealt in linen or yarn to the amount of 50 annually. In England there was a bounty of 15,000 annually-there it was not divided, all parts had an equal opportunity. Were the Houfe to agree to the motion, it would reduce them to this fituation-they had yoted the money to be difpofed of in bounties, it would be funk, and in a future feffion they would have to bring in a bill to know to what purpofes it should be applied.

Another circumftance he would mention, to few that the South had no reason to complain of the treatment they experienced as to bounties.