GENERAL HISTORY. 



[79 



In devising the means of answer- 

 ing these charges, he felt that he 

 was placed in a situation more dis- 

 agreeable than any person who had 

 preceded him in his office, had 

 experienced. At a time when 

 the country was labouring under 

 very considerable difficulties, he 

 was obliged to call upon her for 

 annual duties to meet the charges 

 which he had just stated. To un- 

 derstand perfectly the exertions 

 which Ireland was required to 

 make, it was only necessary for 

 the committee to call to its recol- 

 lection, what Great Britain had 

 provided in the present year, and to 

 contrast her contribution with that 

 of Ireland. It would be found that 

 Ireland was, at the present moment, 

 charged with fresh impositions to 

 the amount of upwards of 600,000/. 

 He was aware, that it was the 

 opinion of some gentlemen, that 

 the system recently introduced in 

 this country, might apply, in a 

 certain degree, to Ireland ; and 

 that recourse might be had to 

 the sinking fund. But, however 

 this might be demanded, by the 

 hope of avoiding fresh and one- 

 rous burthens, yet, the arguments 

 applied to the principle in this 

 country, could not be applied to 

 Ireland in an equal extent. It 

 had been his principal wish, in the 

 taxes which he had already the 

 honour to propose, several of which 

 had met the concurrence of the 

 House, and the sanction of parlia- 

 ment, to press as little as possible 

 on the lower classes of the com- 

 munity ; and to avoid bearing on 

 those great sources of prosperity, 

 which were absolutely necessary 

 to the well-being of a rising 

 country. To have pursued a con- 

 trary line, ill a country deficient 



in resources, and possessing no 

 great capital, would be the means 

 of defeating her prosperity, and 

 rendering ineffectual ihoseburthens 

 which were imposed on her. He 

 had already stated, that the charge 

 for the loans of the present year 

 was 595,839/. He would now pro- 

 ceed to lay before the commit- 

 tee the means by which it was in- 

 tended to meet that charge. He 

 had already submitted to the House 

 a proposition for the further in- 

 creasing the rate of the custom 

 duties in Ireland ; that increase 

 was25 per cent, which was estimated 

 to produce 77,326/. The increased 

 duty of I2s. 9d. per lOOlbs. on 

 tobacco, was estimated at 43,722/. 

 The additional duty on coffee, 

 1 ,900/. The increase of one-third 

 of the difference between the Bri- 

 tish and Irish duties on foreign 

 wines 40,565/. These, with one 

 or two other alterations in existing 

 taxes, formed an aggregate of 

 265,000/. It had been argued, at 

 the time when he first proposed these 

 alterations, that it was not possible 

 to calculate on some of the articles 

 so accurately as on others ; but to 

 prevent any disappointment which 

 might be apprehended from that 

 circumstance, care had been taken 

 to lay the estimate as low as 

 possible. At the same time, he 

 did not think it could be fairly 

 admitted, because a tax in the first 

 instance had not reached the esti- 

 mate, that therefore it would 

 always continue unproductive. la 

 the present instance, the sura 

 likely to be produced b)' the addi- 

 tional duties was very considerably 

 under-rated in the estimate, and it 

 was very probable that the amount 

 of the taxes generally would cover 

 any diminution apprehended in 



