A. D. 1780. 66^ 



The exports of Britifti linens entitled to bounty were 



in 1743 - - 52,779 yards 



1753 - - 641,510 



1763 - - 2,308,310 



1773 - - 3,279.808 



befides which the increafe in the exportation of the finer linens, not 

 entitled to bounty, has been nearly as great in value, though not in 

 quantity *. 



Upon the whole, the lords of trade gave it as their opinion, that the 

 bounties propofed by the Irifh parliament for encouraging the growth 

 of flax-feed and hemp-feed in Ireland ' cannot afFedl the interefls of the 



* linen trade of this kingdom, and are, Jo far as bounties may in any cafe 



* be expedient, wifely and providently applied by thefe new provifions to 



* promote the intereft of the Irilh linen trade.'— -that the expenfes upon 

 the importation of Irifh linens to be exported from Britain amount to 

 5^ per cent, and that confequently, the bounties being equalized in the 

 two kingdoms, the Irifh exporter will have an advantage of 54. per cent 

 over the Britifh exporter : but the long credits to be given in foreign 

 markets, the uncertainty of returns, the inability of the IriQi merchant 

 to affort his cargoes with the vaft variety of manufactures and foreign 

 goods to be found in England, together Avith the difficulty of diverting 

 any trade from its accuftomed channel, will long bear hard on the ad- 

 venturers ; though an exifting operative advantage in favour of any 

 branch of trade mufl in all probability ultimately effect: its eflablifh- 

 ment. Should any inconvenience to the trade of Great Britain proceed 

 from the expedled fuperiority of the export linen trade of Ireland, they 

 obferve, that, notwithftanding the combined operation of bounties and 

 duties, amounting to near 15 per cent, the foreign manufacturers are 

 ilill enabled to keep up a competition, efpecially in the finer linens; 

 and that a fmall redudion of the duties would therefor bring them as 

 cheap as ever to Great Britain, and with advantage to the revenue. 



* It might probably, too, obtain in return a larger confumption of 

 ' woollen manufactures and other goods upon the continent of 

 ' Europe.' 



' Having obferved, that our fyflem of linen bounties and linen 



* duties, though pojjibly in many cafes exceptionable in the great fcale of com- 

 ' mercia/ policy, has proved an effential encouragement to the Irifh Itaple/ 

 they fay, ' we think it right to add, that it has alfo been the means of 



• For a more particular account of the linens land, and thofe moRIy of the fincft quality. The 



annunlly cxpoilcd from liiiglaiid to the end of the lords of trade have reckoiud the home coiifumpt 



year 1771, Sec. fee above, p. 515. It ia worthy as tit leiift tour fifths. In the copy of thit Report 



of obfcrvalion, that, from a ounparifon of the publi(hcd by Lord ShcfTK-ld in his Obfetvatior.s .a 



Englifh imports and exports of Irilh linens, it ap- the trade ot Ireland the number of yards of Biitilli 



pears, that four fifths, or pcrliapi feveii eighths of bounty linen exported in 1773 is 5,i35,266 ; ap- 



the whole were confumcd by the people of Eng- paremly a typoj^raphical eriui. 



