644 



A. D. 



1779. 



accordingly prefented an addrefs to the king (May 11'*'), praying him 

 to confider the diftreflcd condition of the loyal and well-deferving people 

 of Ireland, and to order fuch information to be laid before them, as 

 might enable them to promote the joint profperity of hisfubjedls in both 

 kingdoms. But the feflion was clofed foon after witho\it any thing 

 being done in the affair ; and the Irifli, who apprehended, that they 

 were trifled with, were in as bad humour as ever. 



Oclober 12"* — Such was the fituation of affairs, when the Irifh par- 

 liament met, who immediately addreffed the king with a declaration 

 that nothing fhort of a free trade could fave Ireland from ruin : and 

 then, in order to fhow, that they were truely in earnefl, they paffed the 

 money bills for fix months only. 



November 25'" — The Britifh parliament met for the winter ; and 

 very foon after fevere cenfures were thrown out in both houfes upon the 

 miniftry for endangering the lofs of Ireland, as they had already accom- 

 plifhed that of America, by delaying to grant what it would no longer 

 be in their power to withhold, whereby they were now reduced to a nc- 

 ceflity of yielding, as a matter of right, much more than would have 

 been thankfully received as a favour, if granted with a good grace at a 

 proper time. At laft the minifler was roufed to take up the bufinefs in 

 earnefl ; and in his fpeech upon the occafion in the houfe of commons 

 (December 13'^) he gave the following hiftorical retrofpecfl of the en- 

 croachments upon the commercial liberty of Ireland. 



' Before the reftoration the Irifh enjoyed every commercial benefit 

 and advantage in common with England. The commerce, import 

 and export, was held ecjually by both kingdoms till the reign of 

 Charles II. Even the act of navigation, the great foundation of our 

 plantation laws, put England and Ireland upon exadt terms of equal- 

 ity ; nor was it till two years after, that the firfi: commercial refl:ri(flion 

 was laid upon Ireland, and that not directly, but by a fide-wind, and 

 by dedudive interpretation. When the ad firfl paffed, there was a 

 general governing claufe for giving bonds to perform the conditions 

 of the ad : but when the ad was amended in the 15"' of Charles the 

 Second, the word Ireland was omitted ; from whence a conclufion was 

 drawn, that the ads of the two preceding parliaments, iz"', 13'", and 

 14"', of Charles II, were thereby repealed, though it was as clearly ex- 

 prelled in thole ads, as it was poflible for words to convey, that fhips 

 built in Ireland, navigated by the people thereof, were deemed Britifh, 

 and qualified to trade to and from the Britifh plantations ; and that 

 fhips built in Ireland, and navigated by his Majefty's fubjeds of Ire- 

 land, were intitled to the fame abatements and privileges, to which 

 importers and exporters of goods in Britifh-built fhips were entitled. 

 However, Ireland had been as much excluded from trading with the 

 Britifh colonies as France, Spain, or any other foreign nation, in the 



