FLAX-SPINNING. 305 



convention a memorial was got up, and forwarded to both 

 houses of Parliament From that document we take a few 

 extracts. After referring to the shortness of the supplies of 

 seed, the memorialists stated as follows : 



' ' Flax . is now very considerably advanced in price, in con- 

 sequence of this deficiency, and, by reason of the increasing 

 demand for Great Britain, on account of the failure of the 

 usual supply of that article in the ports of the Baltic, 

 must rise still higher, in case we are disappointed of the 

 abundant supply of Flax-seed for the ensuing season of sowing. 

 The present price of Flax is more than double what it was nine 

 months ago. By a return to the Linen Board, there appear 

 to be only 6,000 hogsheads of last year's importation fit for 

 sowing now in Ireland. The annual supply from Holland, Riga, 

 &c., in case of no interruption, does not exceed 10,000 hogs- 

 heads, and the usual quantity sown in Ireland amounts to 

 45,000 hogsheads, and 35,000 hogsheads were usually imported 

 from the United States of America. If, in consequence of the 

 embargo, that supply be cut off from coming to Ireland, the 

 situation of the linen-trade in this country must, in the course of 

 the ensuing summer, be critical in the extreme ; a stop must be 

 put to the manufacture, and upwards of half a million indus- 

 trious inhabitants thrown out of employment." 



The document concludes by imploring Parliament to re- 

 consider the impolicy of the order in Council, and was signed by 

 Thomas Phelps, John Hancock, James Christy, and William 

 Dawson. 



To the memorial, after some deliberation, the Chancellor 

 of the Irish Exchequer sent an official reply, regretting, in 

 the usual stereotyped phrases, that circumstances over which 

 the government had no control rendered it necessary to adopt 

 a certain course of policy towards America ; but he hoped 

 that, for the future, Ireland would be independent of other 

 countries, by producing an ample supply of Flax-seed for her 

 U 



