ciator who tranfacted the treaty, in making fo great and important conceffions to France, without any valuable confideration fecured to Great Britain in return.

As to the next article, beer, confidering the increasing tafte for porter in France I should not defpair of Ireland's receiving fome advantage from it; for if the can afford to fell her porter at the French market in any degree cheaper than the British, I am perfuaded that the French would prefer the light porter of Ireland to the heavy liquor of Great Britain.

As to the object of the fixth article, if I were to follow the reasoning of a great authority, Lord Sheffield, and Mr. Gibbon, I might argue that Ireland would be able to meet Great Britain at the French market, in feveral articles of iron ware; but I am much more inclined, on this occafion, to agree with an honourable baronet oppofite to me, in declaring my opinion that Ireland cannot poffibly derive any advantage in this branch of trade.

As to furniture and turnery wares, I am forry to differ fo widely from the right honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as to declare my firm belief that France will fend confiderable quantities of both articles, not only to Ireland but also to Great Britain; the fuperior taste of French furniture and toys being generally known, and univerfally admitted.

I am forry to say that the first part of the next article is likely, in my opinion, to prove ftill more adverse to Ireland, by ftriking almoft at the root of her infant cotton manufactures, for as she is already underfold by Britain in the finer fpecies of this manufacture, fo I think it may justly be apprehended that France will be able to underfel not only the Irifh, but even the British manufacturer in the coarfer branches;

branches; for France poffeffes almoft a monopoly of the raw materials, and has, I understand, ever fince the conclufion of the prefent treaty, impofed a new duty of thirty per cent. on the export of raw cotton; which clearly proves the determination of pursuing this object with vigour; and there is no inftance where she has done fo, even under much more unfavourable circumftances, that her exertions have not been crowned with fuccefs.

As to the fecond part, woollens, &c. I think Ireland ftands a better chance. For though France, as I conceive, will be able to import old drapery into this kingdom, the French fcarlets, blacks, blues, and fancy goods, being to my knowledge infinitely fuperior to the English, the lofs on this importation will be to the British rather than the Irish manufac turer; whereas the latter will derive great and certain benefit from the exportation of new drapery, as I have the authority of the firft manufacturers in that line, examined at your bar in the year 1782, to declare that Ireland could even then underfel Britain in fingle ftuffs and ferges: if to these she can add camblets, as I believe the can, fhe will find a certain and ready market in France, where that fpecies of goods is in general ufe; befides the quantities the now exports to the Levant; and although fome men, whofe affertions have great weight with me, affert that Ireland is not fufficiently poffeffed of the raw materials to rival in this manufacture, yet the fingle circumftance of her having exported last year 75,000 ftone of worsted yarn, is an unanswerable proof that she may extend it confiderably beyond what it is at prefent,

I have already faid fo much about linens, that I fhall but add, that Ireland is fo well fituated in every respect, that she muft in a little time, in confequence of the great market opened to her by this treaty, engrofs the whole trade in printed linens; as it is impoffible that British capital should not be employed in a business that promises fuch certainty of

fuccefs.

fuccefs. There is also another branch of this bufinefs, known by the name of the fmall ware trade, confifting of tapes, garters, &c. &c. which, if I can credit the authority of Mr. Thomas Smith of Manchester, as stated in his letter to Mr. Walker, read in evidence at the bar of the British house of Commons, while the Irifh propofitions were before that House, cannot fail of proving highly advantageous to Ireland. For, infignificant as that branch may appear, that gentleman ftates that 3000 people are employed in it at Manchester ; and fo decided is the fuperiority that Ireland enjoys in this branch, that Mr. Smith declared his refolution of emigrating with his property, to establish that manufacture here if the propofitions paffed. As a proof of the fuperior advantage to be derived from establishing this trade in Ireland, I should only mention that the exported last year no less than 31,062. cwt. of linen yarn,

But the great and most effential advantage, after linen, to be derived from this treaty, I conceive to arife from the next article, of faddlery, particularly if the explanation given of this general term be just, as comprehending not only articles. that can barely pafs under that name, but every fpecies of leather manufacture, as boots, fhoes, and gloves. The houfe will perhaps be furprized to hear that Ireland exported laft year no less than 79,581 raw hides, 19,756 dozen of calves fkins, and 1444 cwt. of kid and lamb skins::-a fad and convincing proof of the wretchednefs and poverty of this coun-try! On the fubject of the difturbances of the fouth, that have for lately engaged the attention of this Houfe, we all feemed to admit that poverty and distress had been one very material cause of the diforders in that part of the kingdom, in whatever manner that poverty had been occafioned. With fuch valuable fources of wealth and industry within the kingdom, fhould it not be well worth the confideration of an intelligent administration to attempt to carry them into operation? I could venture to affure them that finding employment,

for

for the people would do more to fecure the peace of fociety, than all the penal laws ever enacted. It was ftated, on the occafion I have already mentioned, at the bar of the British House of Commons, that from twenty to thirty thousand men were employed in Scotland in working for the export trade of boots and fhoes; and it is equally certain, to the conviction of every man who hears me, that Ireland can underfel Great Britain in this trade by at least 20 per cent. So that in the article of boots alone, which are lately become fashionable in France, the can expect great and certain advantages. This bufiness indeed requires a capital, which is not readily to be found as yet in Ireland; but I fhould think that the certainty of a great profit would infallibly draw British capital into this kingdom, if the peace of the country were properly fecured. Irish gloyes are fought after in France, and fhould think may enter into the trade.

Gauzes, I conceive, cannot be much injured, Millinery appears of too delicate a conftruction to be brought from fo great a distance in any great quantity, as a pattern will answer the fame purpose; and porcelain we imported under lower duties before the treaty. Plate glafs we shall receive from France, and fend her Irish cut glafs in return: and fo decided are the advantages of Ireland in this latter branch, that the certainly ought very confiderably to underfel Great Britain at the French market; for the British manufacturers proved that, after receiving the drawback, the excife duty left a charge of 20 per cent. on the exportation, exclufive of the local advantages arifing to the Irish manufacturer from cheap provifion, cheap labour, and lower taxes. And I am happy to add, that I have feen, as I believe every man in this House has, a girandole exhibited as a fpecimen from the glass manufacture at Waterford, which in tafte, beauty and execution is not inferior to any ever made in England; and as Waterford is very happily fituated for that bufinefs, I hope there can be no doubt of its fuccefs.

Having

Having thus given a fair and impartial view of the operation of the treaty, as it appears to me, on the trade of France and Ireland, I fhall briefly state the exports of each at a general view of the whole. On the fide of France I fhould place wine, brandy, vinegar, oil, furniture, turnery, toys, cambricks, fine cloth, course cottons, millinery, porcelain, and plate glass. On the fide of Ireland, the provifion trade as before, in beef, butter, pork, &c. &c. candles, a share in the corn trade, and of the beer; new drapery in its various branches, fine linen, diaper, damafk, tapes, faddlery, boots, fhoes, gloves, and cut glafs. In all which, without fome unaccountable mismanagement, Ireland ought to be able to fupport a competition with fimilar articles from Britain, at the French market.

On confidering the above statement, the juftice of the obfervation I have already made will appear indifputable, that the increase of French imports will affect the British manufacturer much more than the Irish, whereas the encrease of the Irish exports will be entirely to the advantage of Ire land.

Let me beg leave now to call the attention of the house to the advantages that Ireland will enjoy in the trade to France over and above what she would have had in a trade to Britain, as offered in a bill proposed for that purpose by the right honourable gentleman [Mr. Orde]. In the French market Ireland can meet Britain with all the advantages of her fituation, and at the fame import duties. In the British market, her manufactures were firft to have been fubject to an import duty of 10 per cent. and then to countervailing duties, which in most instances could not be less than from 20 to 30 per cent. Now, if even under this immense duty the British manufacturers declared, that they should not be safe against Irish competition, but would emigrate to Ireland and establish their manufactures here, I hope the gentlemen will not act

up