A. D. 1785. 83 



It was faid, that above a hundred looms in Spitalffelds, in the gauze 

 branch only, were flopped by the countermanding orders fent over in 

 confequence of thefe decrees. 



July — A combination of the fliip-owners and others concerned in the 

 coal trade to enhance the price of that necefl'ary article was defeated by 

 the proper attention of the lord mayor, and an intimation to them of 

 his determination to enforce the law againft them, if they perfifled in 

 their illegal purpofes. 



For feveral months the attention of the parliaments of Great Britain 

 and Ireland, and of the public in general, had been fixed on the ar- 

 rangements propofed for the equalization of commercial liberties and 

 advantages in both kingdoms. This important objed was firfl: intro- 

 duced in the parliament of Ireland (7'" February 1785) by Mr. Orde, 

 fecretary to the lord lieutenant (and confequently prime minifter of 

 that kingdom) in the form of proportions for regulating the trade with 

 the colonies, and that between the two kingdoms, together with an 

 offer of a corapenfation for the conceflions to be made by Great Britain. 

 Thefe were pafled through both the houfes of the Irifh parliament in a 

 few days: and they were laid before the Britifh houfe of commons (22"^ 

 February) by Mr. Pitt, the firft lord of the treafury and chancellor of 

 the exchequer, who earneftly recommended the eftablifhment of a per- 

 manent fyftem of commercial intercourfe between the two countries on 

 a firm and liberal foundation, as the fureft means of removing all jeal- 

 oufies and difcontents, and promoting the real profperity of both king- 

 doms. As an anfwer to the objedlions, which, he forefaw, would be 

 raifed againfl the propofal for equalizing the duties on produce and manu- 

 fadtures, he obferved, that the manufadurers of Great Britain poflefT- 

 ed fuch a decided fuperiority in capital, in fkill, and in workmanfhip 

 and eflablifliments of machinery, that there could be no jufl apprehenfion 

 of any formidable competition ; and that the price of labour, at pre- 

 fent the greatell advantage in favour of the manufadures of Ireland, 

 would gradually advance along with the increafe of capital and employ- 

 ment. We ought by no means, he added, to regard Ireland with an 

 eye of jealoufy ; as the profperity of that country, inftead of detracting 

 from, muft ever augment the profperity of, this, not only by giving us 

 a rich cuflomer inflead of a poor one, but alfo by contributing to the 

 protedion of the empire a fum, the amount of which would increafe in 

 exad proportion to the increafed profperity of that kingdom. 



The principal manufadurers of this kingdom were called upon by 

 the committee of the privy council for trade to give their opinions as 

 to the probable confequences of the ratification of the propolitions upon 

 their feveral branches of manufadure. And they generally agreed, 

 that the manufadurers of this country would be obliged to transfer 

 their capitals and their \vorks to Ireland on account of the lighter 

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