POPULATION. 199 



The articles of beer, rum, and fugar, are greatly increaf- 

 ed ; tea quadrupled ; wine having leffened, is certainly owing 

 to the increafed fobriety of the kingdom, which rnufl have 

 made a difference in the import. The imports of iilks and 

 woollen goods given on a former occafion, fpoke the fame 

 language of increafed confumption. 



SPECIE. 



The fpecie of Ireland, gold and filver, is calculated by the 

 Dublin bankers at i, 600,00 c 1. 



POPULATION. 



This article, which in fo many treatifes is reckoned to be 

 the only objecl worth attention, I put the laft of all, not as 

 being unimportant, but depending totally on the preceding 

 articles. It is perfectly needlefs to fpeak of population, after 

 {hewing that agriculture is improved, manufactures and com- 

 merce increafed, and the general appearance of the kingdom 

 carrying the face of a rifing profperity ; it follows inevitably 

 from all this, that the people mull have increafed ; and ac- 

 cordingly the information, from one end of the ifland to the 

 other, confirmed it: but no country fhould wilh for popula- 

 tion in the firft inftance, let it flow from an increale of induftry 

 and employment, and it will be valuable ; but population 

 that arifes, fuppofing it poflible, without it,.fuch a caufe would, 

 inltead of being valuable, prove ufelefs, probably pernicious : 

 population therefore, fmgly taken, ought never to be an en- 

 quiry at all ; there is not even any {trength refulting from 

 numbers without wealth, to arm, fupport, pay, and difcipline 

 them. The hearth tax in 1778 produced 61,646!. which 

 cannot indicate a lefs population, exceptions included, than 

 three millions. The minutes of fouls, per cabbin, at Caftle 

 Caldwell, Drumoland, and Kilfane, gave 6 and 6f. 



Upon the whole, we may fafely determine, that judging by 

 thofe appearances and circumftances which have been gene- 

 rally agreed to mark the profperity or declenfion of a country, 

 that Ireland has fince the year 1 74.8 made as great advances as 

 could poflibly be expected, perhaps greater than any other 

 country in Europe 



Since that period her linen exports have jufl TREBLED. 



Her general exports to Great Britain more than DOUBLED. 



The rental of the kingdom DOUBLED. 



And I may add, that her linen and general exports have in- 

 creafed proportionably to this in the laft feven years, confe- 

 queatly her wealth is at prefent on a like increafe. 



SECTION 



