A. D. 1760. ^^7 



lawns, and threads, had been made in Paifley for a confiderable time be- 

 fore the year 1759, when filk gauzes were firft made there. As foon 

 as they appeared in London, fome gentlemen there refolved to avail 

 themfelves of the low rate of wages in Paifley, and to fet up a manufac- 

 ture of filk gauzes upon a large fcale. The ftagnation, occafioned by 

 the general mourning for the late king, was of fcrvice to their under- 

 taking, as the weavers of light fabrics were all thrown idle, and glad to 

 get employment ; and thenceforth filk gauzes became the principal ar- 

 ticle of the place : they fupplied the London and foreign markets, and 

 gained fo decided a preference to thofe of Spitalfields, that the manu- 

 fadure was foon after in a manner rellgned to Paifley ; and there it has 

 paved the way to the fl;ill more important manufadures of muflin and 

 other articles of cotton. Thus the elegancies of drefs, which in former 

 ages were only to be obtained by prodigious labour and expenfe from 

 India and China, were now iupplicd from countries, which long con- 

 tinued ignorant of every employment, but thofe of hunting, war, and 

 fuperfl:ition *. 



The firll law enadled in the reign of King George III was ' An 

 ' adl for the fupport of his Majefly's houfehold and the honour and 

 ' dignity of the crown of Great Britain,' whereby the revenue of the 

 civil lirt, which had hitherto been uncertain, was now fixed at /^8oo,ooo 

 a-year ; out of which the annuities to''the king's mother, his uncle, 

 and aunt, were to be paid during their lives. The revenues of Corn- 

 wall, and fome other branches of hereditary revenue, were alfo re- 

 ferved to the king over and above the flated fum of /^8oo,ooo [i Geo. 



in, c. I ]. 



The ad \'^2> ^^°- ^A c. 5] for the importation of faked beef, pork, and 

 butter, from Ireland, being found beneficial, it was continued till the 

 24th of December 1761. [i Geo. Ill, c. 4.] 



From the commencement of the eighteenth century the trade of 

 Ireland advanced with an almofli-regularly progreflive augmentation, 

 the furefl; and mofl: pleafing mark of real and durable commercial prof- 

 pcrity, as appears from the following accounts of its trade with all coim- 

 tries, collecled from the Irifli cuflom-houfe books, and arranged in de- 

 cennial averages, for which we are indebted to the laudable indufl;ry of 

 Lord Sheffield, who has publiflied it in his Ohfervations on the manufac^ 

 tares, trade, atid prej'ent Jlate of Ireland. 



Average imports of Ireland. Average exports of Ireland. 



From 1700 to 1710 £s'^3'^^Sl ^7 2 £SS3^023 16 o 



1710 to 1720 852,905 7 II 1,126,670 6 n 



* Paifley owes its origin as a town to a famous abbay founded in the year 1 16+ by Walter, ftewart, 

 or (lew iird, ot Scotland, ancelU'r of the royal family. 



Vol. III. U u 



