288 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK III. 



press the melancholy reflection which such an idea 

 excites. We have seen in the course of the Inquiry, 

 that those who emigrated were the youngest, the 

 most industrious, and the most laborious classes ; 

 and we cannot conceive what a community can 

 gain by ridding itself of the most valuable portion 

 of its members, and retaining the burden of the 

 aged, the women and children, whom those younger 

 members of society supported. As the latter are 

 the only class who emigrate, we should have ima- 

 gined that, for the good of Ireland, the Commis- 

 sioners would have discouraged emigration. Far 

 from this being the case, we have seen in the 

 preceding sections, that, for the establishment of 

 hospitals and asylums, only a local tax has been 

 proposed, which would not and could not be paid ; 

 whilst, for the encouragement of emigration, the 

 imposition of a tax is recommended, in which 

 Great Britain would participate, and this tax would 

 be paid 



The only possible resource, in the unhappy state 

 of Ireland, is one partially expressed in the follow- 

 ing section. 



