A. D. 1778. 623 



haps, fcarcely credit if it were to be enlarged upon, the city of London 

 had the honour to maintain the fuperiority of its charadter, remaining 

 unmoved by the clamour, and taking no concern in oppofing the eman- 

 cipation of Ireland. 



Without entering into thequeftion, whether the capacity of executing 

 work cheaper be a fufficient reafon for tying up the hands of thofe, who 

 can furnifli a commodity on the lowed terms, in order to tax ourfelves* 

 with a monopoly for the benefit of thofe, who are already in poflefTion 

 of a manufadurc, for which they make the public pay great prices ; or 

 into the queftion, whether the higheft prices are not generally given to 

 workmen by thofe manufadurers, who from the greatnefs of their capi- 

 tals, the fuperiority of their machinery, the privilege, conferred by the 

 greatnefs of their bufinefs, of felefting their cuftomers, and other ad- 

 vanta^^es infeparable from the eftabliflied poffeflion of a trade, are en- 

 abled to underfell their poorer and younger competitors in bufinefs ; 

 and confequently, whether the propofition, that lower wages will in- 

 fallibly, and in all cafes, produce cheaper goods, be not fallacious ; it is 

 fufficient to relate, that after a keen altercation in parliament, and hear- 

 ing counfel, and examining evidence, on various parts of the bufinefs, 

 the friends of Ireland thought proper, at leaft for the prefent, to give up 

 fome part of their demands ; and 



The Irifli were allowed after the 24"" of June 1778 to export to the 

 Britiih fettlements in America and Africa the produce and manufadures 

 of Ireland, with the exception of wool and woollen manufadures of 

 every fort, cotton manufadures of all forts mixed or unmixed, hats, 

 glafs, hops, gun-powder, and coals. They were alfo allowed to export all 

 kinds of I3ritini goods lawfully imported, except woollen goods and 

 glafs ; and they were moreover allowed to export foreign goods legally 

 imported by certificate, except linens. But they were prohibited Irom 

 exporting iron, and iron wares, till the Irifli parliament fiiould lay a 

 prefcribed duty on them ; and they were in like manner enjoined to 

 charge duties and taxes on all their manufadures, equivalent to thofe 

 paid on fimilar manufadures of Britifii fabric, whether on the raw ma- 

 terials or finiflied goods. Veflels, owned by the Irifli, were intitled to 

 receive the bounties for fidieries of every kind ; and veflels, built in Ire- 

 land, were thenceforth to be conlidered as Britifli-built veflels. [18 Geo. 



JII, c. SS-] 



Cotton yarn, fpun in Ireland, was alfo allowed to be imported into 

 Great Britain free of duty. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 56.] 



All fugars, fliipped from any Britifli colony, without a proper certi- 

 ficate of their being the produce of the colony at wliicli they are fliip- 

 ped, were made liable to pay duty as foreign fugars. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 58.] 



• Only oiurdvcs ; Tor foreigners will pay no attention to our laws, but buy v here they can le 

 ilitapcll fcived. * 



