88 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



In this statement, Mr. Foster 

 did not venture to estimate the re- 

 venue of Ireland at more than four 

 millions and a half, in addition to 

 which, it would be recollected, 

 that a loan had been already voted 

 for the service of Ireland, to be 

 raised in Great Britain, to the 

 amount of three millions British, or 

 about three millions and a quarter 

 Irish : the sum therefore necessary 

 to be provided was that which 

 would be equal to the payment of 

 the interest on that loan. He ex- 

 plained the reasons why he trusted 

 that by the three modes proposed 

 a sum would be raised sufficient 

 for the purpose. By these three 

 modes a sum would be produced 

 of 216,500^., which was about 

 2,000/. above what would be re- 

 quired for the purpose intended. 

 This he thought could not give 

 reason for despondence. There 

 had been no falling off in the stamp 

 duties : none in the post office ; 

 none in the assessed taxes. On 

 the contrary each had increased. 

 The only falling off had been in 

 the excise duties, which Mr. Fos- 

 ter ascribed to the measure of 

 prohibiting distilleries in Ireland. 

 By removing the cause, the defal- 

 cation would be mude good. The 

 situation of the country was cer- 

 tainly, not in any degree worse 

 than before. The value of the 

 exports and imports was greater 

 than it ever had been. Never h^d 

 there been so great a quantity of 

 yards of linen exported as last 

 year, with the exception of one 

 year a considerable time ago, 

 when it was equalled. It was sa- 

 tisfactory to know, that while the 

 trade of Ireland was thus increas- 

 ing, the amount of the revenue had 



risen much more. The state of 

 the Irish exchange had been such 

 as to show that mone)' was com- 

 ing in, instead of going out, hav- 

 ing been for almost the whole of 

 last year under par. Ireland was 

 more affluent than she had ever 

 been heretofore. The increase of 

 the debt had been owing only to 

 the circumstances of the empire 

 for the last two years ; and there- 

 fore it was thought more prudent 

 to go on raising the quota of the 

 Irish nation by a debt, than to 

 have raised it by additional taxes. 

 The whole amount of the debt of 

 Ireland was certainly stupendous, 

 it being already no less than se- 

 venty-six millions of money, and, 

 at the end of the present session 

 of parliament, it would amount to 

 eighty one millions — a system un- 

 der which many thought in former 

 days, Ireland could nothave existed. 

 Great attention had been paid to 

 the amelioration of Ireland, by the 

 extension of its trade, and the im- 

 provement of its agriculture. By 

 the bounty allowed there had 

 been thirteen thousand six hun- 

 dred additional hogsheads of flax- 

 seed brought into Ireland. Bogs 

 had been drained and improved.— .- 

 Mr. Foster, before concluding, 

 mentioned the terms on which the 

 Irish loan had been contracted. 

 Although the legal interest of Ire- 

 land was 6/., the loan had been 

 contracted at an interest not ex- 

 ceeding in all 4/. 1 Si. 0|«^. a cir- 

 cumstance which showed the af- 

 fluence of the country. The 

 whole charge of interest and sink- 

 ing fund did not exceed the sum 

 of 5l. lis, 0\d. per cent upon the 

 whole of the debt so incurred. — 

 Mr. Foster concluded witli mov- 

 ing 



