the woollens taken from Britain. Ireland takes nothing from her that the can get cheaper or better elsewhere, except the com modities of the British West Indies; and in return, she has an advantage in her share of the monopoly of the West India markets, and fhe has no pretenfion to trade with the plantations on any other principle. Whatever else she takes of colonial or foreign articles, is for her own convenience; and before Ireland cuts off all commercial intercourse with Great Britain,it may be worth her while to confider the proportion of the exports of Ireland taken by Great Britain, as already mentioned: it will appear that her exports to all other parts did not, in the fame year, much exceed, in value, the twentieth part of her exports to Britain, and in that part are included the exports to the British plantations, which would be found no small part, but which would be alfo loft, as fuch proceedings on the part of Ireland, would naturally tend to interrupt all commercial intercourfe with the British colonies and empire. Great Britain has found it possible to exift, and to maintain, her commercial affluence against the combinations and interᎠ ruptions

ruptions of many principal markets in both Continents; but Ireland has not yet made the experiment, how fhe could exift without the markets of the British dominions: and when Ireland fhall be fo madly advised, neither fleets nor armies, nor any extraordinary expence, will be neceffary, on the part of Great Britain, to convince her the is wrong: hurtful it may be for a time; but in the end, and foon, Great Britain muft prevail: Ireland cannot for it does not appear where she will get what fhe wants, and that she has credit with other nations to the amount The would require; or where the will difpofe of what he has, if fhe fhould have no intercourfe with Great Britain or the British colonies. It will be found, that it is the intercourfe with the British dominions that enables Ireland to trade in any confiderable

degree.

This hoftile mode of argument is, however, very improperly brought on by Ireland. It would ill become either kingdom to encourage even the difcuffion of fuck propositions; and the feat of empire could never adopt the measures hinted at, unless unavoidably

unavoidably driven to them. Under the prefent enlarged and free fyftem of commerce, there is demand and trade enough in the world to occupy the utmoft industry of both countries. This kind of fcrutiny then, fhould not take place; but if Ireland will force it forwards, the investigation will not prove either beneficial or flattering to her. She might at leaft be fatisfied until fhe finds herself in the situation of being able to say to Britain, My ports fhall be open to all your manufactures, free of all duties, on condition that your ports fhall be open to mine in the like manner.-Ireland is hardly in the fituation to agree to that proposal; and the, generality of Englishmen would probably at first object: but there is nothing in it which should alarm them. Great Britain could underfell Ireland in most manufactures: such is the predominancy of fuperior skill, induftry, and capital, over low-priced labour, and comparatively very few taxes. Many would object to the extenfion of this idea to raw materials, as well as to manufactures; but even the permitting English wool and fullers' earth, charged with inland carriage, freight, commiffion.

D2

miffion, &c. to go to Ireland, need not alarm, on the ground of giving a fuperiority to the latter *. Let it be remembered, that England underfels other countries even in the manufacture of Spanish wool. The wool grower in England, who fubmits the monopoly of his wool to the manufac

turers

*The English woollen manufacturers will fay, the export of wool from England to Ireland must greatly reduce the price of wool in the latter country, and, with the low price of labour, enable the Irish manufacturers to underfel them, and of course will urge the fame objections as they do, to the export of wool to France. On the other hand, the wool growers of Ireland will oppofe the reduction of the price, which is from 35. to 45. per ffone higher than in England; and it is faid, until mutton becomes a more common food in Ireland, and the price confequently rifes, it would not anfwer to keep up the prefent number of fheep, if not encouraged by the high price of wool. The increase of tillage in that country, it is fuppofed, will naturally decrease the number of fheep, unlefs, by a mode of agriculture fuperior to the prefent, and a more general introduction of artificial graffes, turneps, &c. fhe fhould be enabled to keep a greater flock. Yet the following account of the great fair of Ballinafloe, in Connaught, feems to prove that the number of sheep was increasing in Ireland. Tillage, however, has made, comparatively, very little progress in that part of the kingdom.

ABSTRACT

turers, might receive fome relief.

This,

however, is a nice point, and does not require any difcuffion at present.

ABSTRACT of WooL fold at the different Fairs of Bal

linafloe, from July, 1771, to July, 1778, inclufive.

N. B. The failure in 1778 arofe from the stagnation

of credit, and a decrease of the demand for bay yarn