zio LANDED INTEREST. 



VII. .The great drain of the rents of abfentees eftates being 

 remitted to England, which has an effect, but I believe not 

 quite fo mifchievous as commonly fuppofed. 



Is it upon the whole to be concluded, relative to the pre- 

 fent moment, that the freedom of trade now giving to Ire- 

 land, is a wrong meafure ? I by no means either think or 

 aflert fuch an opinion. In the preceding lections I have re- 

 peatedly endeavoured to fhew, that no policy was ever more 

 abfurd than the reftricting fyftem of England, which has been 

 as prejudicial to herfelf as to Ireland ; but becaufe a meafure 

 is wife and prudent, is it proper to admit for truths fads 

 which do not appear to be founded ? The queftion of poli- 

 tical prudence is a queftion only of the moment ; but to ad- 

 mit circumftances to fpeak a national declenfion, which prove 

 no fuch thing, is laying the foundation of future deception ; 

 it is bringing falfe principles into the political fcience, in a 

 point than which none can be more important, afcertaining 

 the circumftances relative to all future cafes as well as the 

 prefent, which prove the profperity or declenfion of a king- 

 dom. And here the reader will, I hope, pardon a digrefllon 

 on the conduct of one fet of men in the prefent noife of dif- 

 trefs ; it is a circumftance in the ftate of Ireland, that fhould 

 make more impreffion upon the country gentlemen of that 

 kingdom than it does : they have united with merchants and 

 manufacturers in the violent cry for a free trade, and they 

 have regularly in parliament promoted all thofe vifionary and 

 expeniive projects fet on foot by interefted people, for giving 

 premiums and bounties, to the amount of above an hundred 

 thoufand pounds a year, and which alone accounts for the 

 whole of that national debt, and declining revenue, which 

 will make many new taxes neceflary. The Iriih are a grate- 

 ful and a loyal people, and will not receive this free trade 

 without making a return for it ; that can only be in taxation ; 

 nay, they already fpeak in parliament of a return. Thus have 

 the country gentlemen of that kingdom been fuch dupes, as to 

 agree to meafures for running themfelves in debt, and have 

 joined in the cry for a favour, which I have fhewn cannot be 

 of any confiderable ufe perhaps for half a century, but for 

 which they are immediately to pay a folid return, and if that 

 return takes the fhape of a land tax, they have nobody to 

 thank but themfelves. What 1 would conclude from this is,, 

 and would urge it as a leflbn for the future, that it is always 

 for the benefit of the landed intereil TO BE QUIET. Let mer- 

 chants and manufacturers complain, riot, aflbciate, and do 

 whatever they pleafe, but never unite with them, reftrain but 

 never inflame them. The whole tenour of the preceding mi- 

 nutes proves that Ireland has flourifhed for thefe laft thirty 

 years to an uncommon degree, 1 believe more than any coun- 

 try 



