200 



PRESENT STATE. 



SECTION XXIV. 



State of Ireland, brought down to the End of the Tear 1779 Di- 

 Jlrejfes Free trade Obfervations Armed Afociations. 



THE preceding fections have been written near a twelve- 

 month, events have fmce happened which are of an im- 

 portance that will not permit me to pafs them by in filence, 

 much as I wifh to do it. The moment of national expectation 

 and heat is feldom that of cool difcuffion. When the minds 

 of men are in a ferment, queftions originally fimple, become 

 complex from forced combinations. To publiih opinions, 

 however candidly formed, at fuch times, is a moft unpleafant 

 bufinefs, for it is almoft impoflible to avoid cenfure ; but as a 

 dead filence upon events of fuch importance would look either 

 like ignorance or affectation, I fhall lay before the reader the 

 refult of my own refearches. 



Upon the meeting of the Irifh parliament in October laft, 

 the great topic which feemed to engrofs all their attention 

 was the diftrefs of the kingdom and the remedy demanded 

 A free trade. In the preceding papers Ireland exhibits the 

 picture of a country, perhaps the moft rifing in profperity of 

 any in Europe, the data upon which that idea was formed, 

 were brought down to Lady-day 1 778. I muft therefore na- 

 turally enquire into the circumftances of a lituation which 

 feems to have changed fo fuddenly, and to fo great a degree, 

 I have taken every meafure to gain whatever proofs I could 

 of the real declenfion in Ireland during this period, and I 

 find the circumftance of the revenue producing fo much lefs 

 than ufual, particularly infifted on, the following is the ftate 

 of it. 



The greatefl declenfion is in thefe articles : 



The totals are as follow, including the hereditary revenue, 

 old and new additional duties, ftamps, and appropriated 

 duties. 



In the years, 



Totals, 



]. 



,040,055 



1777. 



1779- 



1,093,881 I 968,683 I 862,823 



The 



