fefting this ill-humour. He was received on his arrival in the house by the performance of a piece of mufic called the Volunteer's March. A general uproar enfued; the entertainments of the evening were stopped; and it was faid that he narrowly efcaped undergoing one of thofe operations which are ufually inflicted by the mob on perfons who have the misfortune to fall under their difpleasure. Irish parliament, in January 1785, the British cabinet, in concert with commiflioners appointed on the part of Ireland, had formed a plan for regulating and finally adjufting the commercial intercourfe between the two kingdoms. On the 7th of February, Mr. Orde, the fecretary to the lord lieutenant, announced this fyftem to the houfe of commons, and on the 11th, a fet of refolutions*, which he had bePrevious to the meeting of the fore laid on their table, were moved Refolutions paffed by the Irish house of commons. and Refolved I. That it is the opinion of this committee, that it is highly important to the intereft of the British empire, that the trade between Great Britain and Ireland be extended as much as poffible, and for that purpose that the intercourfe and commerce be finally fettled and regulated on permanent and equitable principles, for the mutual benefit of both countries. Refolved II. That towards carrying into full effect fo defirable a fettlement, it is fit and proper that all articles, not the growth of Great Britain and Ireland, fhould be imported into each kingdom from the other, under the fame regulations, and at the fame duties, if fubject to duties, to which they are liable when imported directly from the place of their growth, product, or manufacture; and that all duties originally paid on importation, to either country respectively, fhall be drawn back on exportation to the other. Refolved III. That for the fame purpose, it is proper that no prohibition fhould exift in either country against the importation, ufe, or fale of any article, the growth, product, or manufacture of the other; and that the duty on the inportation of every fuch article, if fubject to duty in either country, fhould be precisely the fame in one country as in the other, except where an addition may be neceffary in either country, in confequence of an internal duty on any fuch article of its own confumption. Refolved IV. That in all cafes where the duties on articles of the growth, product, or manufacture of either country are different on the importation into the other, it would be expedient that they fhould be reduced, in the kingdom where they are the highest, to the amount payable in the other, and that all fuch articles fhould be exportable from the kingdom into which they fhall be imported, as free from duty as the fimilar commodities or home manufactures of the fame king dom. Refolved V. That for the fame purpose, it is alfo proper that in all cafes where either kingdom fhall charge articles of its own confumption with an internal duty on the manufacture, or a duty on the material, the fame manufacture, when imported from the other, may be charged with a further duty on importation, to the fame amount as the internal duty on the manufacture, or to an amount adequate to countervail the duty on the material, and fhall be entitled to fuch drawbacks or bounties on exportation, as may leave the fame fubject to no heavier burthen than the home-made manufacture; fuch further duty to continue to long only as the internal consumption fhall be charged with the duty or duties, to balance which it fhall hall be imposed, or until the manufacture coming from the other kingdom fhall be fubjected there to an equal burthen, not drawn back or compenfated on exporta tion. Refolved VI. That in order to give permanency to the settlements now intended to be established, it is neceffary that no prohibition, or new or additional duties, fhould be hereafter impofed in either kingdom, on the importation of any article of the growth, product, or manufacture of the other, except fuch additional duties as may be requifite to balance duties on internal coníumption, purfuant to the foregoing refolution. Refolved VII. That for the fame purpose, it is neceffary further that no prohibitions, or new additional duties, fhould be hereafter impofed on either kingdom, on the exportation of any article of native growth, product, or manufacture, from thence to the other, except fuch as either kingdom may deem expedient from time to time, upon corn, meal, malt, flour, and bifcuit; and alfo, except where there now exifts any prohibition, which is not reciprocal, or any duty, which is not equal, in both kingdoms; in every which cafe the prohibition may be made reciprocal, or the duties railed fo as to make them equal, Refolved VIII. That for the fame purpose, it is neceffary that no bounties whatfoever thould be paid or payable in either kingdom, on the exportation of any article to the other, except fuch as relate to corn, meal, malt, flour, and biscuits, and fuch as are in the nature of drawbacks or compenfations for duties paid; and that no bounties fhould be granted in this kingdom, on the exportation of any article imported from the British plantations, or any manufacture made of such article, unless in cafes where a fimilar bounty is payable in Britain on exportation from thence, or where fuch bounty is merely in the nature of a drawback, or compenfation of or for duties paid over and above any duties paid thereon in Britain. Refolved IX. That it is expedient for the general benefit of the British empire, that the importation of articles from foreign ftates fhould be regulated from time to time, in each kingdom, on fuch terms as may afford an effectual preference to the importation of fimilar articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the other. Refolved X. That for the better protection of trade, whatever fum the grofs hereditary revenue of this kingdom (after deducting all drawbacks, re-payments, or bounties granted in the nature of drawbacks) fhall produce annually, over and above the fum of £. fhould be appropriated towards the fupport of the naval force of the empire, in fuch manner as the parliament of this kingdom shall direct. • bly "6 bly fecure an aid out of the fur"plus of the hereditary revenue of "that kingdom, towards defraying "the expence of protecting the ge"neral commerce of the empire in "time of peace." Mr. Pitt, after taking a review of what had already been granted to Ireland by the British parliament, obferved, That the conceffions now propofed to be made to that kingdom, in order to put the two countries on a fair and equal footing, he fhould reduce to two heads: First, The importation of the pro. duce of our colonies in the West Indies and merica through Ireland into Great Britain. Second, A mutual exchange between the two countries of their respective productions and manufactures, upon equal terms. With regard to the first, he allowed it had the appearance of militating against the navigation laws, for which England had ever had the greatest partiality. But as the had already allowed Ireland to trade immediately and directly with the colonies, he could not fee how the importing of the produce of those colonies circuitously through Ireland into Great Britain could injure the colonial trade of this country,which was a direct one, and therefore to be made at a lefs expence and rifque, than that which was circuitous. In return for thefe conceffions on the part of Great Britain, he propofed that Ireland fhould agree to the payment of a certain ftipulated fum, yearly, out of the furplus of her hereditary revenue, towards defraying the general expences of the empire. Such was the general outline of the propofed fyftem on its firft appearance. In the outfet, both those within and thofe without doorsfeemed to comprehend but little, and to be ftill lefs concerned about an object of fuch extent and importance. A fortnight elapfed before the subject again made its appearance; during which interim a report, prepared by a committee of the board of trade and plantations, was laid by the minifter upon the table of the houfe of commons, to aflift its deliberations. This report was fiated to be founded upon the declarations and opinions of fome of the principal manufacturers and merchants in the kingdom, who had been examined by the above-mentioned committee; and its particular object was to prove the expediency of that part of the fyftem which related to reducing the duties payable upon the importation of Irith produce and manufactures intoGreat Britain, to what the fame fort of articles were charged with in this country*. ken place in the minds of the mer- receiving the petitions, and hearing the evidence of manufacturers and merchants of every defcription. This laborious and minute mode of inveftigation being gone through, the propofitions were again brought forward by Mr. Pitt, on May 12th, the 12th of May, but 1785. with a variety of amendments, variations, and additions.To the original fet of propofitions, ten new ones were added, fome of them only fupplemental to, and explanatory of the former, but feveral containing much new and important matter; we shall therefore lay them, as they now ftood, at large before our readers, in the note below *. The chief objects of the additional propofitions were to provide, 1ft, That whatever navigation laws the British parliament should hereafter find it neceffary to enact for the prefervation of her marine, the fame I. That it is highly important to the interefts of both countries, that the commerce between Great Britain and Ireland fhould be finally regulated on permanent and equitable principles, for the mutual benefit of both countries. 1. That a full participation of commercial advantages thould be permanently fecured to Ireland, whenever a provifion, equally permanent and fecure, fhall be made by the parliament of that kingdom towards defraying, in proportion to its growing profperity, the neceflary expences in time of peace, of protecting the trade and general interefts of the empire. III. That towards carrying into full effect fo defirable a fettlement, it is fit and proper that all articles, not the growth or manufacture of Great Britain or Ireland, «‹ except thofe of the growth, produce, or manufacture, of any of the coun"tries beyond the Cape of Good Hope, to the Streights of Magellan," should be imported into each kingdom from the other reciprocally, under the fame regulations, and at the fame duties (if subject to duties) to which they would be" liable when imported directly from the "country or place from whence the fame 66 may have been imported into Great Britain or Ireland refpectively, as the cafe may be;" and that all duties originally paid on importation into either country refpectively, except on arrack and foreign brandy, and on rum, and all forts of ftrong waters, not imported from the British colonies in the Weft Indies, fhall be fully drawn back on exportation to the other. "But, nevertheleis, that the duties "fhall continue to be protected and guarded, as at prefent, by withholding the drawback, until a certificate from the proper officers of the revenue, in the king"dom to which the export may be made, fhall be returned and compared with the entry outwards.” IV. That fame should be paffed by the legislature of Ireland. 2dly, Againft the importing into Ireland, and from thence into Great Britain, of any other West India merchandizes than fuch as were the produce of our own colonies;-and 3dly, That Ireland should debar itself from trading to any IV. That it is highly important to the general interefts of the British empire, that the laws for regulating trade and navigation fhould be the fame in Great Britain and Ireland; and, therefore, that it is effential, towards carrying into effect the present settlement, that all laws which have been made, or thall be made, in Great Britain, for fecuring exclufive privileges to the hips and mariners of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British colonies and plantations, and for regulat ing and reftraining the trade of the British colonies and plantations, "fuch laws "impofing the fame reftraints, and conferring the fame benefits on the fubjects of "both kingdoms, fhould" be in force in Ireland, by laws to be passed by the "parliament of that kingdom for the fame time, and” in the same manner as in Great Britain. V. That it is farther effential to this fettlement, that all goods and commodities of the growth, produce, or manufacture of British or foreign colonies in America, or the Weft Indies; and the British or foreign fettlements on the coaft of Africa, imported into Ireland, fhould, on importation, he fubject to the fame duties and regulations" as the like goods are, or from time to time thall be fubject to, upon importation into Great Britain; or if prohibited from being imported into Great Britain, fall in like manner be prohibited from being im "ported into Ireland." VI. That in order to prevent illicit practices, injurious to the revenue and commerce of both kingdoms, it is expedient that all goods, whether of the growth, produce, or manufacture of Great Britain or Ireland, or of any foreign country, which shall hereafter be imported into Great Britain from Ireland, or into Ireland from Great Britain, fhould be put, by laws to be paffed in the parliament of the two kingdoms, under the fame regulations with refpect to bonds, cockets, and other inftruments, to which the like goods are now fubject in paffing from one port of Great Britain to another? VII. That for the like purpose, it is alfo expedient that when any goods, the growth, produce, or manufacture of the British Weft India Islands, or any other of the British colonies or plantations," fhall be shipped from Ireland for Great Britain, they fhould be accompanied with fuch original certificates of the revenue officers of the faid colonies as fhall be required by the law on importation into Great Britain; and that when the whole quantity included in one certificate fhall not be shipped at any one time, the original certificate, properly indorsed as to quantity, should be fent with the first parcel; and to identify the remainder, if fhipped at any future period, new certificates fhould be granted by the principal officers of the ports in Ireland, extracted from a register of the original documents, Specifying the quantities before shipped from thence, by what veffels, and to what ports. VIII. That it is effential for carrying into effect the prefent fettlement, that all goods exported from Ireland to the British colonies in the Weft Indies, or in America," or to the British fettlements on the coaft of Africa," fhould from time to time be made fiable to fuch duties and drawbacks, and put under fuch regulations as may be neceffary, in order that the fame may not be exported with lefs incumbrance of duties or imposition than the like goods shall be burdened with when exported from Great Britain. IX. That it is effential to the general commercial interefts of the empire, VOL. XXVIII. that [B] |