mob broke into the houfe of commons at the time of its fitting, reproached the members with having fold themfelves to Great Britain, and called on them at least to diftribute amongft the ftarving manufac turers fome share of the hire of their iniquity. The guards being fent for, put an end to the riot without any bloodshed, and two of the ringleaders were apprehended and committed to Newgate. As there was great reafon to believe that the people were greatly incited to thefe violent exceffes by the feditious and inflammatory libels which were daily circulated in the public papers, profecutions were commenced against feveral of the printers; and on the 7th of April a bill was brought in by Mr. Forfter, for fecuring the liberty of the "prefs, by preventing the publica"tion of libels." By this bill it was enacted, That the real printer and proprietor of every newspaper fhould make an affidavit of his name and place of refidence, and that the fame fhould be lodged in the ftamp-office, to be produced as fufficient evidence in cafes of profecution for libels: That they fhould further enter each into a recognizance of 500l. "to anfwer all civil fuits that fhould "be inftituted against them in fuch characters :-That they fhould take no money for putting in or having in any flanderous articles, "under a fevere penalty and laftly, that the hawker of any unftamped inflammatory or libellous paper fhould be compelled "to prove from whom he received it, and fhould be fubjected to imprifonment pfo facto by warrant of any juftice of the peace." This bill was ftrenuously oppofed in both houfes of parliament, and feveral petitions were presented againft it. At length a fort of compromife took place. The most obnoxious clauses, thofe relative to the recognizance, and the imprisonment of hawkers, were withdrawn, and the bill, thus modified, paffed with a pretty general concurrence. Notwithstanding the vigorous conduct of the Irish government, the city of Dublin continued, during the whole courfe of the fummer 1785, to be a fcene of tumult and disorder. No fooner was parliament risen, than the expedient of non-importation agreements was again reforted to with greater zeal than ever.Thefe engagements fpread themfelves into every quarter of the kingdom.-They received the fanction of feveral grand juries, and the merchants of the trading ports found themselves compelled to fubfcribe to them. The enforcing of these prohibitory compacts naturally devolved upon the loweft clafs of the people, and they proceeded in the execution of this truft according to the most approved modes of popular dif, cipline. To keep thefe exceffes within fome bounds, the military were pofted in fuch parts of the city as were the moft fubject to tumult, centinels were placed to prevent or to give notice of the first appearance of riot, and the garrifon was kept in conftant readiness for action. - fefting this ill-humour. He was received on his arrival in the house by the performance of a piece of mufic called the Volunteers March. A general uproar enfued; the entertainments of the evening were ftopped; and it was faid that he narrowly efcaped undergoing one of those operations which are ufually inflicted by the mob on perfons who have the misfortune to fall under their difpleasure. Irish parliament, in January 1785, the British cabinet, in concert with commiffioners appointed on the part of Ireland, had formed a plan for regulating and finally adjusting the commercial intercourse between the two kingdoms. On the 7th of February, Mr. Orde, the fecretary to the lord lieutenant, announced this fyftem to the houfe of commons, and on the 11th, a fet of refolutions*, which he had be Previous to the meeting of the fore laid on their table, were moved Refolutions paffed by the Irish boufe of commons. and Refolved I. That it is the opinion of this committee,. that it is highly important to the intereft of the British empire, that the trade between Great Britain and Ireland be extended as much as poflible, and for that purpose that the intercourie and commerce be finally fettled and regulated on permanent and equitable principles, for the mutual benefit of both countries. Refolved II. That towards carrying into full effect fo defirable a fettlement, it is fit and proper that all articles, not the growth of Great Britain and Ireland, fhould be imported into each kingdom from the other, under the fame regulations, and at the fame duties, if fubject to duties, to which they are liable when imported directly from the place of their growth, product, or manufacture; and that all duties originally paid on importation, to either country respectively, shall be drawn back on exportation to the other. Refolved III. That for the fame purpose, that it is proper that no prohibition should exist in either country against the importation, ufe, or fale of any article, the growth, product, or manufacture of the other; and that the duty on the importation of every fuch article, if fubject to duty in either country, fhould be precifely the fame in 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. Refolved IV. That in all cafes where the duties on articles of the growth, pro duct, or manufacture of either country are different on the importation into the other, it would be expedient that they fhould be reduced, in the kingdom where they are the higheft, to the amount payable in the other, 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. Refolved V. That for the fame purpose, it is alfo proper that in all cafes where - either kingdom fhall charge articles of its own confumption with an internal duty on the manufacture, or a duty on the material, the fame manufacture, when im ported from the other, may be charged with a further duty on importation, to the fame amount as the internal duty on the manufacture, or to an amount adequate to countervail the duty on the material, and fhall be entitled to fuch drawbacks. or. bounties on exportation, as may leave the fame fubject to no heavier burthen than the home-made manufacture; fuch further duty to continue fo long only as the internal confumption fhall be charged with the duty or duties, to balance which it fhall fhall be impofed, or until the manufacture coming from the other kingdom shall be fubjected there to an equal burthen, not drawn back or compenfated on exportation. Refolved VI. That in order to give permanency to the fettlements now intended to be established, it is neceffary that no prohibition, or new or additional duties, fhould be hereafter impofed in either kingdom, on the importation of any article of the growth, product, or manufacture of the other, except fuch additional duties as may be requifite to balance duties on internal confumption, pursuant to the foregoing refolution. Refolved VII. That for the fame purpofe, it is neceffary further that no prohibitions, or new additional duties, fhould be hereafter impofed on either kingdoms, on the exportation of any article of native growth, product, or manufacture, from thence to the other, except such as either kingdom may deem expedient from time to time, upon corn, meal, malt, flour, and bifcuit; and alfo, except where there now exifts any prohibition, which is not reciprocal, or any duty, which is not equal, in both kingdoms; in every which cafe the prohibition may be made reciprocal, or the duties raised fo as to make them equal. Refolved VIII. That for the fame purpose, it is neceffary that no bounties whatfoever should 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 biscuits, and fuch as are in the nature of drawbacks or compenfations for duties paid; and that no bounties fhould be granted in this kingdom, on the exportation of any article imported from the British plantations, or any manufacture made of fuch ar ticle, unless in cafes where a fimilar bounty is payable in Britain on exportation from thence, or where fuch bounty is merely in the nature of a drawback, or compenfation of or for duties paid over and above any duties paid thereon in Britain. Refolved IX. That it is expedient for the general benefit of the British empire, that the importation of articles from foreign ftates fhould be regulated from time to time, in each kingdom, on fuch terms as may afford an effectual preference to the importation of fimilar articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture of the other. Refolved X. That for the better protection of trade, whatever fum the grofe hereditary revenue of this kingdom (after deducting all drawbacks, re-payments, or bounties granted in the nature of drawbacks) fhall produce annually, over and above the fum of £. fhould be appropriated towards the fupport of the naval force of the empire, in fuch manner as the parliament of this kingdom fhall direct. bly "bly fecure an aid out of the furplus of the hereditary revenue of "that kingdom, towards defraying "the expence of protecting the ge"neral commerce of the empire in "time of peace." Mr. Pitt, after taking a review of what had already been granted to Ireland by the British parliament, obferved, That the conceffions now proposed to be made to that kingdom, in order to put the two countries on a fair and equal footing, he fhould reduce to two heads: Firft, The importation of the produce of our colonies in the Weft Indies and America through Ireland into Great Britain. Second, A mutual exchange between the two countries of their respective productions and manufactures, upon equal terms. With regard to the firft, he allowed it had the appearance of militating against the navigation laws, for which England had ever had the greatest partiality. But as fhe had already allowed Ireland to trade immediately and directly with the colonies, he could not fee how the importing of the produce of thofe colonies circuitously through Ireland into Great Britain could injure the colonial trade of this country, which was a direct one, and therefore to be made at a less expence and rifque, than that which was circuitous. In return for these conceffions on the part of Great Britain, he propofed that Ireland fhould agree to the payment of a certain ftipulated fum yearly out of the furplus of her hereditary revenue, towards defraying the general expences of the empire. Such was the general outline of the propofed fyftem on its first appearance. In the outfet, both those within and those without doors feemed to comprehend but little, and to be ftill lefs concerned about an object of fuch extent and importance. A fortnight elapfed before the fubject again made its appearance; during which interim a report, prepared by a committee of the board of trade and plantations, was laid by the minifter upon the table of the house of commons, to affift its deliberations. This report was ftat. ed to be founded upon the declaratiens and opinions of fome of the principal manufacturers and mer. chants in the kingdom, who had been examined by the above-mentioned committee; and its particular object was to prove the expedi ency of that part of the fyftem which related to reducing the duties payable upon the importation of Irish produce and manufactures into Great Britain, to what the fame fort of articles were charged with in this country*. In the mean time the merchants and manufacturers who had been examined before the committee, joined by great numbers of others from every part of the nation, met together for the purpose of taking the Irish propofitions into their confideration. During the courfe of their proceedings it appeared, that the opinions of the former were in direct contradiction to the inferences which had been drawn from their examination in the report laid be fore parliament.. Whether this was occafioned by any change which, upon a fuller confideration, had ta *See refolutions 3 and 4, page 13 ante. ken ken place in the minds of the merchants and manufacturers themselves, or whether the committee of the board of trade and plantations had trained and perverted their declarations, it is not easy to determine. However, the confequence was, that it threw a confiderable degree of difcredit upon the report itself, and feemed to point out the neceffity there was for the houfe of commons to examine the different commercial and manufacturing bodies concerned, at their own bar. This mode of proceeding gave the first check to the fyftem in its progrefs through the houfe, whilft without doors it became more unpopular, in proportion as it became more thoroughly inveftigated. March and During the months of March and April, April 1785. and until the middle of May, the house was occupied in receiving the petitions, and hearing the evidence of manufacturers and merchants of every description. This laborious and minute mode of inveftigation being gone through, the propofitions were again brought forward by Mr. Pitt, on May 12th, the 12th of May, but 1785. with a variety of amendments, variations, and additions.To the original set of propofitions, ten new ones were added, some of them only fupplemental to, and explanatory of the former, but several containing much new and important matter; we fhall therefore lay them as they now stood, at large before our readers, in the note below*. The chief objects of the additional propofitions were to provide, 1ft, That whatever navigation laws the British parliament fhould hereafter find it neceffary to enact for the preservation of her marine, the fame *I. That it is highly important to the interests of both countries, that the commerce between Great Britain and Ireland fhould be finally regulated on permanent and equitable principles, for the mutual benefit of both countries. II. That a full participation of commercial advantages should be permanently fecured to Ireland, whenever a provifion, equally permanent and fecure, fhall be made by the parliament of that kingdom towards defraying, in proportion to its growing profperity, the neceffary expences in time of peace, of protecting the Trade and general interefts of the empire. HI. That towards carrying into full effect so desirable a settlement, it is fit and proper that all articles, not the growth or manufacture of Great Britain or Ireland, « except thofe of the growth, produce, or manufacture, of any of the countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope, to the Streights of Magellan," hould be imported into each kingdom from the other reciprocally, under the fame regulations, and at the fame duties (if fubject to duties) to which they "would be" liable when imported directly from the "country or place from whence "the fame may have been imported into Great Britain or Ireland respectively, as the cafe may be ;" and that all duties originally paid on importation into either country refpectively, except on arrack and foreign brandy, and on rum, and all forts of ftrong waters not imported from the British colonies in the West Indies, fall be fully drawn back on exportation to the other. "But, nevertheless, that the duties fhall continue to be protected and guarded, as at prefent, by withholding the drawback, until a certificate from the proper officers of the revenue, in the kingdom to which the export may be made, fhall be returned and com"pared with the entry outwards." " IV. That |