496 
the fubject! The author has added a few 
ebfervations on the land-tax and the pre- 
fent fituation of ftockholders. The mat- 
ter contained in ‘* The Reports of the felect 
Committee of the Houfe of Commons on Fi- 
nance, as prefented tothat Houfe,” is mul- 
tifarious and important: the reports 
themfelves are drawn up with precifion ; 
and many ufeful hints are offered for di- 
minifhing the public expenditure. We 
know not where to arrange with more 
propriety than under the prefent head, 
Mr. AnLarpyce’s ‘ Addrefs tothe Pro- 
prictors of the Bank of England.”’ Mr. 
ALLARDYCE it feems, moved at a gene- 
yal court of the proprietors, ‘‘ that there 
be laid before this court an account of 
the charge of managing the bufinels of 
the governor and company of the bank of 
England: an account of the expence of 
duilding: and an account of all other 
expences incurred by the governor and the 
company from the roth of October 737 
¢o the roth of O&ober 1797, diftinguifh- 
ing the different years and the particulars 
ander their refpective heads.’ This mo- 
tion was contemptuoufly gotten rid of 
by moving the previous queftion! Inthe 
appemlix to this work is much curious 
information, drawn from documents of 
tinqueftionable authority, relative to the 
- foppage of the bank; fuch as converia- 
tions and correfpondence with the mini- 
fer: accounts of exports and imports ; 
sioney coined; monies advanced by the 
bank ; amount Of treafury bills ; amount 
af the bank-notes in circulation; charter 
sf the bank, &c. &¢. &c. a thort and 
animated poftfcript is added to this very 
valuable work, in which, with a becom- 
ing {pirit of independence, Mr. ALLAR- 
DYCE reprobates the conneétion between 
government and the bank, as difadvan- 
tageous to both parties, a6 prejudicial to 
the mercantile and manufagturing inte- 
refts in particular, and in confequence ta 
tke public in general. 
POLITICAL ECONOMY: 
Mr. Wariace’s * Effay on the Ma- 
sufaciures of Ireland,” was written with 
= view to obtain-the premium of filty 
pounds, which the Royal Irith Academy 
‘tered for the beft diflertation on the fub- 
te6t. ‘This flay, and another by W1L- 
‘LIAM PRESTON, cig. were the two of 
many others which principally challenged 
the approbation of the academicians: a 
committee of three perfons was telected 
to decide on the fuperiority of one: and 
it fo happened that Mr. PRESTON was 
nominated a member of this very com- 
mittee which was appointed te decide en 
Retrofpeét of Domeftic Literature... Political Economy. Sub. 
the merits of his own performance. With 
infinite modefty he accepted the nomina- 
tion! the committee fat ; the committee 
decided ; and garlanded the baghtul brows 
of Mr. Presron! Mr. WALLACE now 
makes his appeal to the public. He opens 
his effay with an examination of the com- 
parative value of manufactures and agri- 
culture in a national view, and oppofes 
the opinion ef Dr. Adam Smith, that 
the capital employed in the latter adds a 
greater value to the annual produce of 
the country than an equal capital em- 
ployed in the former, Mr. WALLACE; 
after having diftuffed the relative advan- 
tages of a home and foreign market, de- 
cides in favour of the former: in reafon-- 
ing on this fubjeét, and on many others 
in the courfe of his work, he clofely fol- 
lows the footfteps of Adam Smith*. Oa 
the whole, Mr. WALLACE’S wzlaurelled 
effay merits much attention. ** Porto-Bel- 
lo: or a Plan for the Improvement of the 
Port and City of London,” is the produc- 
tion of a gentleman to whom we are al- 
ready indebted fora moft valuable work on 
the * State of the Poor,” Sir FREDERICK 
MorvTon EpEn. After having ftated the 
evils refulting from the prefent ftate of 
the port, and the objections which lie 
againft the various plans which have 
already been fubmitted to the Houle of 
Commons for its improvement, the ba- 
ronet offers for public difcuffion his own 
plan, which he has illuftrated by plates. 
He propofes that a dock fhould be exca- 
vated in Wapping, capable of contain- 
ing 440 fhips: in order to provide the 
coal and timber trade with a commodious 
ftation near the heart of the metropolis : 
he alfo propofes that London bridge 
fhould be taken down and rebuilt about 
200 yards above its prefeht fituation; 
that .government fhould purchafe fuch 
buildings as may be neceffary for ware- 
houfes: that new quays be conftructed 
from Towe:-Hill to Fith-ftreet- Hill, and 
that the cuftom-houfe be rebuilt in the 
centre between the two. We are incom- 
petent to offer an opinion on the eligi. 

* We are happy in this and every other 
opportunity of calling the public attention te 
Dr. Gravy’s admirable illuftration of ** Zoe 
Effential Principles of the Wealth of Nations, in 
Oppofition to Jome Falfe Do€irines of Dr. Adam 
Smith, and others.’ Many of the Scotch phir 
lofophers’ arguments are, in our opinion, 
unfophiftically confuted ; and it is feldoma 
that we have feen fo much found fenfe come 
preffed within fo {mall a compafs. Sse 
“6 Monthly Magazittes) vol, iv. Pe 505» and 
vol. v. p. 485 : 
sie bility 
