4o6 



haps confift, in the employing or omitting, the operation of putrefying 

 the rags, or in the degree to which the fermentation may be carried ; 

 in the mallets or cylinders, for the purpofe of reducing the material 

 to pulp, before it is diluted, and made into paper. It is worth en- 

 quiry, whether, fliortening the procefs, by any, or what means may, or 

 may not, injure the texture ; and what are the peculiar excellencies to 

 be required, in the finiflied paper, according to its feveral deftina- 

 tions. 



I have found it neceflary, to dwell at fome length on the paper 

 raanufafture ; becaufe its capabilities and importance are not fully un- 

 derftood. I cannot think that a nafcent manufacture, hitherto fo 4ittle 

 encouraged, and fo very fufceptible of extenfion, with infinite profits 

 to the country, would have appeared an eligible objeft of taxation, had 

 there not exifted fomewhere, an extraordinary degree of clumfy inat- 

 tention. 



Under the pretence, of encouraging the manufafture of the country, 

 a duty of two-pence per pound was laid on paper imported. What- 

 ever might be the real motives of impofing this tax, it produced con- 

 fequences far diiferent from thofe, which were propofed as the often- 

 fible motives, and injured even the native manufaflure of paper, in an 

 high degree. Strong reprefentations on this fubjeft were made, by the 

 printers of Dublin, in a petition to parliament. — They ftated, " That 

 " the whole amount of paper made in Ireland, was infufficient for the 

 " confumption of the country ; — that, if the tax Ihould take place, the 

 *♦ printing bufinefs, which then employed a confiderabic number of in- 

 " duftrious perfons, muft be annihilated, at a blow ; — that a very 

 " lucrative channel of bufinefs, and capable of great extenfion and 

 '■* improvement, had been opened, — the printing of cheap editions for 

 •* the American market ; — that when competition, in the market of 

 •' paper, fliould be removed, a combination among the Irijh makers 

 *♦ of paper, in confequence of their monopoly, and an exorbitant en- 

 •' creafe, in the price of the commodity, would follow." — But, " wif- 



" dom 



