cious, it may be hoped, not only to them, but to the profperity of the whole British empire, of which they form a confiderable part. Ireland had been placed by the hand of Providence in an advanced fituation between the two Continents, with excellent harbours towards the prevailing winds, and with the bleffing of a fertile foil, and temperate climate; but she had nevertheless long laboured in an inefficient and helpless poverty, under a fyftem of restraints equally pernicious, unwise, and unjust.-It is natural, that the minds of her people should be elated on the emancipation of their industry and activity; and perhaps a confiderable period must elapse, before they settle fufficiently, either to ascertain the intrinfic value of their late acquisitions, or to adopt the means of applying those acquifitions to the best effect: the best habits of exertion are not fuddenly to be expected, though they may gradually be formed by the natural progreffion of a free commerce, and the fostering attention of a wife and fettled government.

From fuch attainments alone can result that increase of stock and capital, which

will be effentially neceffary, before Ireland can avail herself of half her advantages. In the mean time, many of her people feem difpofed rather to feek farther speculative and theoretical claims, than to cultivate the folid benefits which they actually poffefs; whilst others are rifquing and prejudicing the principal ftaple of their country, by forcing its weak capital into too many and new branches. These unsteady and extravagant attempts have a tendency not only to check trade, but to provoke retaliation.

It is now well known among commercial nations, that manufactures, forced, and fupported by bounties and prohibitions, cannot long thrive, and are not only a lofs to the community, in proportion to their expence, but are farther pernicious, by tempting away hands from the thriving manufactures. By aiming at too many things at once, Ireland will fucceed in none; but by pursuing certain staple articles that beft fuit her, he may bring them to that perfection which will command the markets. A country, of the extent of Ireland, cannot expect to prevail in every manufacture; the may trifle in many,

she

B 2

but

but she can excel at foreign markets in few; and those, under proper management, may be amply fufficient to give both employment and affluence to her people.-It is the abundance of a manufacture, and the general establishment of it in a country, that makes it both cheap and good.

The Irish have been represented as being lazy, and not difpofed to labour: they are, however, of an active nature, and capable of the greatest exertions; and of as good a difpofition as any nation, in the fame ftate of improvement: their Generofity, Hofpitality, and Bravery, are proverbial: intelligence and zeal in whatever they undertake will not be wanting: but it has been the fashion to judge of them from their outcafts. The Highlanders of Scotland, in their state of nature, are alfo faid to be indolent. That men who have very little to do, fhould appear to do little, is not frange; but who thinks them indolent, when brought into fituations where they can act? The Highlanders, indeed, have fill lefs reafon for indolence than the Irish; the country of the former with diffi

culty

culty can fubfift them, while the plentiful foil of Ireland encourages idlenefs-Perhaps the cheapness of the common food, potatoes, may be juftly deemed a cause of idleness, and confequently detrimental to manufactures; a small garden of potatoes will fubfift a family. Few countries have become completely induftrious, till the price of provisions was comparatively high. In how many towns, even of England, where the manufacturers can acquire a subsistence, without daily labour, do numbers of them confume the Monday and Tuesday in idlenefs? The common people of Ireland have not had the encouragement they might have had, if an unfortunate difference of religion had not prevailed, and if it had not been thought a neceffary policy, not to bring forward the mafs of the people who differed from the reformed church, but more especially because their principles were fuppofed to be hoftile not only to the established religion, but to the established government. Lately, the fevere laws against Roman Catholics have been repealed, and many unneceffary reftraints removed; Reftraints which had fhamefully lasted too long, and can only be accounted for by the acrimony

acrimony of the times in which they were impofed. At prefent, perhaps, the improvement of Ireland is as rapid as any country ever experienced, nor will any thing check it, but the weaknefs of human nature, an ill-founded diffatisfaction, and an extravagant difpofition to innovation and change.

Jealoufies in trade between England, Scotland, and Ireland will ever occur. Such jealoufies in fome respects ftimulate useful competition, and in the end improve manufactures, and promote trade. In the fermentation and progrefs of fuch jealoufies, appeals will frequently be made to the Legislature, and the interference of the Legiflature, when obtained, will generally prove mischievous to the great interefts of commerce, without giving fatisfaction to any of the contending parties. In fuch inftances, however, much good may be done by wife and diligent Minifters, who think it their duty to watch, to inquire, and fully to inform themselves. Prejudices may be removed, miftakes may be expoled, and sometimes useful regulations be introduced. This remark has been

may

fuggefted by the prefent circumftances of

Ireland: