fame fhould be paffed by the legislature of Ireland. zdly, Against the importing into Ireland, and from thence into Great Britain, of any other Weft India merchandizes than fuch as were the produce of our own colonies; and 3dly, That Ireland fhould debar itself from trading to any IV. That it is highly important to the general interefts of the British empire, that the laws for regulating trade and navigation should be the fame in Great Britain and Ireland; and, therefore, that it is effential, towards carrying into effect the prefent fettlement, that all laws which have been made, or shall be made in Great Britain, for fecuring exclufive privileges to the fhips and mariners of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British colonies and plantations, and for regulating and restraining the trade of the British colonies and plantations, "fuch laws "impofing the fame reftraints, and conferring the fame benefits on the fubjects of "both kingdoms, fhould" be in force in Ireland, " by laws to be paffed by the "parliament of that kingdom for the fame time, and" in the fame manner as in Great Britain. V. That it is farther effential to this fettlement, that all goods and commodities of the growth, produce, or manufacture of British or foreign colonies in America, or the West Indies; and the British or foreign fettlements on the coast of Africa, imported into Ireland, should, on importation, be subject to the fame duties and regulations" as the like goods are, or from time to time fhall be fubject to, upon importation into Great Britain; " or if prohibited from being "imported into Great Britain, fhall in like manner be prohibited from being im"ported into Ireland.” VI. That in order to prevent illicit practices, injurious to the revenue and commerce of both kingdoms, it is expedient that all goods, whether of the growth, produce, or manufacture of Great Britain or Ireland, or of any foreign country, which shall hereafter be imported into Great Britain from Ireland, or into Ireland from Great Britain, fhould be put, by laws to be paffed in the parliament of the two kingdoms, under the fame regulations with refpect to bonds, cockets, and other inftruments, to which the like goods are now fubject in paffing from one port of Great Britain to another. VII. That for the like purpofe, it is alfo expedient that when any goods, the growth, produce, or manufacture of the British Weft India Inlands, or any other of the British colonies or plantations," fhall be fhipped from Ireland for Great Britain, they should be accompanied with fuch original certificates of the revenue officers of the faid colonies as fhall be required by the law on importation into Great Britain; and that when the whole quantity included in one certificate fhall not be shipped at any one time, the original certificate, properly indorsed as to quantity, fhould be fent with the first parcel; and to identify the remainder, if fhipped at any future period, new certificates fhould be granted by the principal officers of the ports in Ireland, extracted from a register of the original documents, fpecifying the quantities before shipped from thence, by what veffels, and to what ports. VIII. That it is effential for carrying into effect the prefent fettlement, that all goods exported from Ireland to the British colonies in the West Indies, or in America," or to the British fettlements on the coaft of Africa," fhould from time to time be made liable to fuch duties and drawbacks, and put under fuch regulations as may be neceffary, in order that the fame may not be exported with lefs incumbrance of duties or impofition than the like goods shall be burdened with when exported from Great Britain. "IX. That it is effential to the general commercial interefts of the empire, VOL. XXVIII, [B] "that "that fo long as the parliament of this kingdom fhall think it adviseable that the "commerce to the countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope fhall be carried on folely "by an exclusive company, having liberty to import into the port of London only, "no goods of the growth, produce, or manufacture of any countries beyond the Cape "of Good Hope fhould be importable into Ireland from any foreign country, or "from any fettlement in the East Indies belonging to any fuch foreign country; and "that no goods of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the faid countries fhould "be allowed to be imported into Ireland but through Great Britain; and it shall "be lawful to export fuch goods of the growth, produce, or manufacture of any "of the countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope to the Streights of Magellan "from Great Britain to Ireland, with the fame duties retained thereon as are now "retained on their being exported to that kingdom; but that an account shall be kept of the duties retained, and the net drawback on the faid goods imported to "Ireland; and that the amount thereof fhall be remitted by the receiver-general "of his majesty's cuftoms in Great Britain to the proper officer of the revenue in "Ireland, to be placed to the account of his majesty's revenue there, fubject to "the difpofal of the parliament of that kingdom; and that whenever the com"merce to the faid countries fhall ceafe to be carried on by an exclufive company "in the goods of the produce of countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope to the Streights of Magellan, the goods should be importable into Ireland from coun"tries from which they may be importable to Great Britain, and no other; and "that no veffel fhould be cleared out from Ireland for any part of the countries "from the Cape of Good Hope to the Streights of Magellan, but fuch as fhall "be freighted in Ireland by the faid exclufive company, and shall have failed from "the port of London; and that the fhips going from Great Britain to any of "the faid countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope fhould not be restrained from "touching at any of the ports in Ireland, and taking on board there any of the goods of the growth, produce, or manufacture of that kingdom." 66 66 X. That no prohibition should exift, in either country, against the importation, ufe, or fale of any article, the growth, produce, or manufacture of the other; except fuch as either kingdom may judge expedient, from time to time, upon corn, meal, malt, flour, and bifcuits; and except fuch qualified prohibitions, "at prefent contained in any act of the British or Irish parliament, as do not ab"folutely prevent the importation of goods or manufactures, or materials of ma"nufactures, but only regulate the weight, the fize, the packages, or other par"ricular circumftances, or prefcribe the built or country, and dimenfions of the "fhips importing the fame; and alfo, except on ammunition, arms, gunpowder, " and other utensils of war, importable only by virtue of his majefty's licence ;' and that the duty on the importation of every fuch article (if fubject to duty in either country) fhould be precifely the fame in the one country as in the other, except where an addition may be neceffary in either country, in confequence of an internal duty on any fuch article of its own confumption, "or in confequence of "internal bounties in the country where fuch article is grown, produced, or ma“nufactured, and except fuch duties as ether kingdom may judge expedient, "from time to time, upon corn, meal, malt, flour, and bifcuits." XI. That in all cafes where the duties on articles of the growth, produce, er manufacture of either country, are different on the importation into the other, it thefe amendments and additions, that which met with the moft vigorous oppofition (independent of fuch general reasoning as went against the fyftem altogether) was the fourth, in which Great Britain, it was afferted, affumed both a prefent and future power to bind Ireland by fuch acts is expedient that they fhould be reduced, in the kingdom where they are the higheft, to " an amount not exceeding" the amount payable in the other; "fo that "the fame fhall not be less than ten and a half per cent. where any article was "charged with a duty, on importation into Ireland, of ten and a half per cent. "or upwards, previous to the 17th day of May, 1782;" and that all fuch articles fhould be exportable, from the kingdom into which they fhall be imported, as free from duty as the fimilar commodities or home manufactures of the fame kingdom. XII. That it is alfo proper, that in all cafes where the articles of the confumption of either kingdom shall be charged with an internal duty on the manufacture, the faid manufacture, when imported from the other, may be charged with a farther duty on importation, adequate to countervail the internal duty on the manufacture" as far as relates to the duties now charged thereon;" fuch farther duty to continue fo long only as the internal confumption fhall be charged with the duty or duties to balance which it fhall be impofed; and that where there is a duty on the importation of the raw material of any manufacture in one kingdom, greater than the like duty on raw materials in the other, fuch manufacture may, on its importation "into the other kingdom," be charged with fuch a countervailing duty as may be fufficient to fubject the fame, fo imported, to "burdens adequate to thofe which" the manufacture compofed of the like raw material is fubject to, in confequence of duties on the importation of futh material in the kingdom into which fuch manufacture is fo imported; and the faid manufacture, fo imported, fhall be entitled to fuch drawbacks or bounties on exportation, as may leave the fame subject to no heavier burden than the home-made manufac rt ture. XIII. That, in order to give permanency to the fettlement now intended to be established, it is necessary that no new or additional duties should be hereafter impofed, in either kingdom, on the importation of any article of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the other; except fuch additional duties as may be requifite to balance the duties on internal confumption, purfuant to the foregoing refolution, "or in confequence of bounties remaining on fuch articles when ex* ported from the other kingdom.” 86 XIV. That for the fame purpose, it is neceffary, farther, that no prohibition, or new or additional duties, fhall be hereafter impofed in either kingdom, on the exportation, of any article of native growth, produce, or manufacture, from the "one kingdom" to the other, except fuch as either kingdom may deem expedient, from time to time, upon corn, meal, malt, flour, and biscuits. XV. That for the fame purpofe, it is neceffary that no bounties whatsoever fhould be paid or payable in either kingdom, on the exportation of any article to the other, except fuch as relate to corn, meal, malt, flour, and bifcuits," and ex"cept alfo the bounties at prefent given by Great Britain on" beer, and spirits diftilled from corn; and fuch as are in the nature of drawbacks or compenfations for duties paid; and that no bounty fhould be "payable" on the exportation of any article to any British colonies or plantations, or to the British fettlements on the coaft of Africa," or on the exportation of any article imported from the British plantations, or from the British fettlements on the coaft of Africa, or * British settlements in the East Indies;" or any manufacture made of such arti[B] 2 cele afts as the fhould pafs relative to the trade and commerce of both kingdoms. This was ftated to be directly in the teeth of what had been folemnly ftipulated betwixt the two kingdoms, namely, that Ireland was in future only to be bound by her own ftatutes--That it was a refumption of the right of legiflating for Ireland, which this country had renounced-That it was bartering the liberties of Ireland for the advantages held out to that kingdom by the fyftem now propofed, and there cle, unless in cafes where a fimilar bounty is payable in Great Britain, on exportation from thence, or where fuch bounty is merely in the nature of a drawback or compensation of or for duties paid, over and above any duties paid thereon in Britain; and where " any internal bounty fhall be given in either kingdom, on any "goods manufactured therein, and shall remain on fuch goods when exported, a "countervailing duty adequate thereto may be laid upon the importation of the "faid goods into the other kingdom." XVI. That it is expedient for the general benefit of the British empire, that the importation of articles from foreign" countries" fhould be regulated from time to time in each kingdom on fuch terms as may" effectually favour" the importation of fimilar articles of the growth, product, or manufacture of the other; 66 except "in the cafe of materials of manufactures, which are, or hereafter may be al"lowed to be imported from foreign countries, duty-free; and that in all cases "where any articles are or may be fubject to higher duties on importation into "this kingdom, from the countries belonging to any of the states of North Ame❝rica, than the like goods are or may be fubject to when imported, as the growth, "produce, or manufacture of the British colonies and plantations, or as the pro"duce of the fisheries carried on by British subjects, fuch articles fhall be fubject "to the fame duties on importation into Ireland, from the countries belonging to 66 any of the ftates of North America, as the fame are or may be fubject to on im"portation from the faid countries into this kingdom.". XVII. That it is expedient that measures should be taken to prevent difputes "touching the exercise of the right of the inhabitants of each kingdom to fish on "the coast of any part of the British dominions." XVIII. That it is expedient that "fuch privileges of printing and vending "books as are or may be legally poffeffed within Great Britain, under the grant of "the crown or otherwife, and" the copyrights of the authors and booksellers of Great Britain, fhould continue to be protected in the manner they are at prefent, by the laws of Great Britain; and that it is juft that measures should be taken by the parliament of Ireland for giving the like protection to the copy-rights of the authors and book fellers of that kingdom. XIX. "That it is expedient that regulations should be adopted with respect to "patents to be hereafter granted for the encouragement of new inventions, fo that "the rights, privileges, and reftrictions thereon granted and contained, fhall be of "equal duration and force throughout Great Britain and Ireland." XX. That the appropriation of whatever fum the grofs hereditary revenue of the kingdom of Ireland (the due collection thereof being fecured by permanent provifions) fhall produce, after deducting all drawbacks, re-payments, or bounties granted in the nature of drawbacks, over and above the fum of fix hundred and fifty-fix thousand pounds in each year, towards the support of the naval force of the empire, to be applied in fuch manner as the parliament of Ireland fhall direct, by an act to be paffed for that purpose, will be a fatisfactory provifion, propor tioned to the growing profperity of that kingdom, towards defraying, in time of peace, the neceffary expences of protecting the trade and general interefts of the empire. by purchafing Irish flavery at the expence of English commerce. With refpect to the laft propofition, which ftipulated, that whenever there fhould be a furplus of the revenue of Ireland, over and above the fum of 656,000 1. fuch furplus fhould be applied to the fupport of the British navy, it was urged, that if this was held forth as a compenfation for advantages voluntarily refigned by Great Britain, nothing could be more fallacious, the prefent net revenue of that kingdom being little more than 333,000l. and therefore little more than half the ftipulated fum, over and above which the furplus only was to be applied in aid of the public revenue of this country. The arguments which were offered generally, and against the whole of the propofed fyftem, went chiefly upon the fuppofed injury which the manufactures and commerce of Great Britain would fuftain from it: the former, from the comparative small price of labour in Ireland, which alone, it was contended, would foon enable that kingdom to underfell us both at home and abroad; the latter, from the facility with which it was well known the revenue laws in Ireland were evaded. The impoffibility of preventing the clandeftine importation of a variety of the most important articles, was ftrongly infifted on; and it was added, that the competition which would arise betwixt the two king-, doms, which should fell cheapelt, would of course encrease the evil. Finally, it was argued, that fuch was the nature of the propofitions, that in whatever proportion one country might benefit from them, in the very fame the other would become a lofer; and that as to Ireland, whether the advantages gained on her part were great or fmall, they were to be purchased at the price of her liberty. In favour of the fyftem it was argued, that it was a measure of abfolute neceffity, in order to put an end to the difcontents which prevailed to fo alarming a degree in the fifter kingdom.-That if the prefent propofitions were not paffed into a law, all that had already been done in favour of Ireland would prove nugatory, as it was clearly inadequate to the expectations of that country. That with respect to the fourth propofition, it was a condition which the fafety of our own navigation laws made it neceffary to annex to the boon granted to Ireland.-T hat it was unfair to infer from hence that the British legislature had any views of trenching on the independence of Ireland, fince it left to that kingdom the option of tak. ing or refufing the advantages held out to her, fubject to fuch a condition. That the condition itself was fuch as had frequently been adopted in the negotiations of independent ftates-as in the late treaty betwixt this kingdom and France, when the latter bound herself to publifh certain edicts, as foon as other edicts ftipulated on our part were published by this country*. With * In answer to this argument, Mr. Fox replied, that in the cafe stated, one nation bound itself to do fomething defined and fpecific, when the other adopted fome other defined and specific measure. To make the cafes fimilar, an instance should [B] 3 be |