loo DUBLIN SOCIETY. 



When it is confidered, that the undoubted mifchief of this 

 fvftem is not fubmitted to as an unavoidable evil, but purcha^ 

 led with great expence, attention and anxiety ; and that the 

 two thoujand' five 'hum.', red a year thus beftowed, as the 

 price of 16 much harm, might be expended in objects of great 

 conlequer.ee to the public, it will fuiely leein unpardonable in 

 pajliiunent to appear fo liule felicitous tor the welfare of their 

 manufactures, as to give ten thotifand pounds a feftion, at large, 

 and net limit ihe applicaticn of fuch a liberal grant to purpofes 

 of cen-ain advantage. And it furely behoves the fociety itfelf 

 to recommit this matter; to extend their views ; to confider 

 the principles upon which all the manufactures in the world 

 !are earned on, fupported and increafed ; and if they fee no 

 Veftige of: fuch a policy, as ; they patronize and practice, inany 

 country that has puttied her fabrics to a great height, at leaft 

 to. be. dubious of this favourite meafure, and not perfift in 

 forcing it at fach a considerable expence. 



' Ancther meafure of the fociety, which I hinted at before, is 

 to give three per cent, to the whofefale purchafers of Irifh filks 

 for retailing, and this cofts them above fix hundred pounds a 

 year. Upon what found principles this is done I cannot difco- 

 vtr ; if the mercers have not a demand for thefe Irifli filks, 

 five times the fbciety's premiums will not make them purcha- 

 fers ;"Ton the contrary, if they have a demand for them, they 

 nicft undoubtedly will buy them without any premium for fo 

 doing. It appears therefore to me, that the only end which 

 fuch a meafure could anfwer, was to difcover the abfolute in- 

 fignifkanceof the whole Irifh filk manufacture, which is prov- 

 ed through the whole kingdom to be to the amount only of 

 thirty-four thoufand pounds a year, of four {hillings a yard and 

 upwards ; but the repetition of- the premium fliews that this 

 was not the defign. Of all other fabrics this is the moft im- 

 proper for Ireland, and fy any dependant country ; it is an ab- 

 f'.-iute manufacture of tafte, fancy, and fafhion ; the feat of 

 empire wll always command thefe, and if Dublin made fupe- 

 rior fiiks, they would be defpifed on comparison with thofe of 

 London : we feel fomething of th.s in Lngland from France, 

 being the fourc'e of moft of the failiions-i-n Europe. To force a 

 ftlk manufacture in Ireland is therefore to ftrive againft whim, 

 caprice, fafliion, : a. n d all the prejudices of mankind, inftead of 

 which, if is thefe ihat become a folid lupport of fabrics when 

 wifely kt on foot. There are no linens tafliionabie in England, 

 but the Irifli people will not wear any other, and yet gulic hoi- 

 lands arc aliened to be much ftronger. Should not the Irifli, 

 therefore, benci their voice to drive the nail that will go. in- 

 ftead ot plaguing theiiifelves with one which never will. This 

 is a general observation, but the particular meafure of the fo- 

 ciety, fuppofing the object valuable, is perfectly infigniricant, 

 it is throwing away fix hundred pounds a year to anfwer no 

 oae puipofe whatever. 



The 



