"ployment.

"In Ireland, the furrplus of the revenue is in "general applied to fuch public purposes, and "the effects of fuch a fyftem in that country, will "eftablish it in Great Britain fome years hence; "if the example of France does not render the "establishment of an unalienable finking fund "abfolutely neceffary."

Too much praise cannot be given to the politic and honourable difpofition, manifefted by the prefent Administration for economy and retrench

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It may therefore be expected, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will ftand forth to oppose every expenditure under the much abused pretence of public benefit: "What" (will he cry) can be alleged in favour of your "scheme that has not been oftentimes repeated and even proved, (by parliamentary logic at least) "in fupport of a thousand odious and deteftable jobs with which the nation is now encumbered -away, away-the faith of parliament is exhaufted; the credit and refources of the country are barely fufficient in the prefent emergency to fupply the exigencies of the ftate."-To this I reply, that there is no occafion to levy any new tax, or to raise any new fund in order to effect the greatest permanent improvement which this country is capable of receiving. But before we open the committee of ways and means, let us firft enquire into the ftate of inland navigation in Ireland, and fee-what has been açcomplished-what is ftill in progrefs-and then let

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us take a view of the nature, extent, and practicability of fuch objects as we would propofe to embrace. Let us compare the probable benefits refulting to the kingdom from the propofed improvements, with the amount of the expence to be incurred in accomplishing them; and laftly, let us confider whether a fund at prefent appropriated to an object of great national concern, might not with more advantage to that object and to the community at large, be directed into a different channel.

The Lagan navigation extending from the fea at Belfast into Lough Neagh is at length accomplifhed, and boats of confiderable burthen now ply upon it. There is alfo a navigable communication between the faid lough and the fea at Newry, by means of the Newry Canal. This work, however, is in an imperfect state, and requires very confiderable repairs.

The indefatigable and well directed perfeverance with which the Grand Canal Company have conducted their works for thefe laft ten years, has at length crowned their endeavours with fuccefs. A ftill-water navigation of forty-three miles from their harbour in James's-ftreet into the river Barrow at Athy, is now compleated in a masterly manner, and this great work which in its unfinished ftate, so long continued to be the reproach, may now justly be deemed one of the chief ornaments of Ireland; on the enlarging the fcale and perfecting of this canal, the company laid out within the laft twelve months no less than the fum

poor,

fum of 74,000l. The advantages already derived to the country through which this canal paffes, are fenfibly felt by the proprietors of eftates in its neighbourhood, the value of land having rifen in many places adjacent to the navigation, to more than double the former rents, while the means of fubfiftence is rendered more eafy by conftant employment being found for every labourer, and a ready market for every commodity. The reduction in the price of fuel in the vicinity of the canal is an object of the greatest importance to all ranks of people, but more efpecially to the who in this damp and inclement climate, are fubject to more diseases from the want of fuel, than their rich and warm neighbours are willing to believe; and in truth it does not proceed from any malicious difpofition in the lower order of people, that the face of the country is naked, and that the hatchet and the faw, difmantle and disfigure every tree and hedge that is planted. When the north wind blows and the fnow defcends through the roof of his cheerlefs hut,-what law fhall teach the shivering peasant to respect his lord's improvements! The reduction in the price of culm alone has reduced the expence of burning lime very confiderably, and the farmers in the vicinity of the Grand Canal will foon begin to feel the benefits refulting from a more general use of this manure. And here it may be proper to remark that the innumerable navigable communications which have been made to collieries, (or the black Indies

as

as they are not unaptly termed) in different parts of Great Britain, have confiderably reduced the price of every fpecies of machinery, and every production of art in which fire is a conftituent part, and have enabled the manufacturers of England to underfell thofe of every other country in the world, notwithstanding the heavy taxes which they are obliged to pay.

The company is at this moment engaged in the completion of one of the moft arduous and magnificent undertakings ever attempted in Great Britain or Ireland, I mean the forming of floating and graving docks, of greater magnitude and extent than all the docks in Liverpool together, on which great work they have expended upwards of 71,000l. and the eftimate for completing the fame in the course of the enfuing fummer amounts to 23,900l. more. And thefe docks, however grand, bear no more than a just proportion to the magnitude and extent of the inland navigations which are to terminate in them. A confiderable progress has already been made by the faid company in their canal to join the Shannon at Banagher; the scale of this canal is for boats of between fifty and fixty tons burthen, it branches off from the line to the Barrow at about twenty-one miles diftance from Dublin, and it is expected the company will open it as far as the town of Tullamore in the King's County, (about forty-four miles from Dublin) in the courfe of this prefent year; they will then have about twenty miles more to perfect between Tullamore

Tullamore and the Shannon, which may with ease be accomplished in three years, the chief difficulty (the rifing to the grand fummit level of the country) being already overcome.

Confiderable fums of money had been laid out by the commiffioners of inland navigation on the river Barrow previous to the year 1789, when feveral fubfcribers were incorporated by charter from his Majefty, under the authority of an act of Parliament, by the title of "The Company of "Undertakers of the River Barrow," and a bounty of one third of their expenditure on faid river, was granted by Parliament. This company has proceeded in their work with great judgment and public fpirit, and it may reasonably be expected, that in the courfe of two years they will perfect the object of their incorporation, by making a complete navigation for boats on the fame fcale with that of the Grand Canal, from the tide water at St. Mullins to the town of Athy, where their navigation unites with the Grand Canal.

In the year 1789, the company of undertakers of the Royal Canal, was incorporated under the authority of an act of Parliament for the purpose of making a canal from Dublin to the river Shannon, at Tarmonbury in the county of Longford. This work was estimated at 198,000l. and one third part of said estimate was granted by Parliament to the company, as an encouragement to the undertaking. It has been conducted with great spirit and diligence fince its commencement: the locks, bridges, &c. &c. as far as they are executed, are well built, and with excellent materials.