662 A. D. 1780. 



applied the annual average amounts thereof, together with that of a new 

 duty now laid on lint-feed oil imported, to encourage the growth of flax- 

 feed and hemp-feed in Ireland, and alfo to give bounties on the export- 

 ation of certain fpecies of Irifli linens to Africa, America, Spain, Por- 

 tugal, Gibraltar, and Minorca ; and to Iriili fail-cloth exported to any 

 place except Great Britain. It was faid that native feed was found to 

 be better and more certain than that which is imported, and it was 

 evidently the inierefl: of the Irifh to give every reaionable encourage- 

 ment to the internal produdion of materials, on which their ftaple 

 manufadhire depends, and to which their foil and climate are peculiarly 

 fuitable. 



In the courfe of an examination into this fubjed; by the lords of trade 

 it appeared, that the Britifh bounties given on the exportation of Irifli 

 linens had operated in the following proportions. 



In 1743, the firil year of the bounty, the Iri(h Unens exported from 

 England were - - 40,907 yards 



1753 - - 1.039.967 



1763 - - 2,588,564 



1773 - - 2,832,246 



It may be obferved that the increafe was aided by enlarged duties 

 on foreign linens, which took place during that time ; though fuch 

 duties are faid to have operated to the prejudice of our own woollen 

 trade by inducing foreign powers to lay reciprocal burthens and re- 

 flridtions on our manufactures. 



The whole Irifh linens imported into London and the out-ports of 

 England v.ere in 1 743 - 6,418,375 yards 



1773 - 17,876,617 



The total valu« of linens exported from Ireland, was 



in 1741 - - ' ;^48o,5i6 



1751 - - 751.993 



1761 - - 803,258 



1 771 - - 1,691,787 



and it is eflimated, that about feven eighths of the whole quantity ex- 

 ported comes to Great Britain. 



That this great increafe was more owing to the fyflem of bounties 

 and duties, than to the general increafe of our trade, appears from the 

 decreafe of the imports and exports of foreign linens at the fame periods 

 in London and the out-ports of England, which were as follows. 



Imported. Exported. 



18,584,503 ells in 1743 9,894,837 ells. 



8,954,649 1773 4.385.276 



decreafe 9,629,854 * 5.509.561 



