ers.

gained, by lowering the duties, above two millions; the company above three hundred thousand pounds; and that a fum little fhort of two millions has been turned into the channel of the fair trader, which, otherwife, through the me. dium of the fmugglers, would have been paid into the hands of foreignAfter mentioning thefe and other advantages which have followed the paffing of that act, he concludes, that they are of fuch magnitude and importance, as to fatisfy every impartial perfon, of the beneficial confequences which must refult from a general application of the fame liberal principle to the duties ftill fubfifting upon various branches of the manufactures and commerce of Great Britain." Those who confider the fituation in which Mr. Baring is placed, and his profeffional habits of calculation, will not difpute his qualifications to write on the subject before

us.

The "Obfervations on the Commutation Project, by Thomas Bates Rous, Efq." are intended to fhew that the fcheme was unneceffury; that the reduction of the duties on tea would have been fufficient to have ruined the practice of finuggling, while the revenue would have been increased rather than injured; that the transfer of thofe duties to windows, is partial and oppreffive; and that the project must be followed by the most pernicious confequences to this country. Mr. Rous is a fenfible and ingenious fpeculator; and his pamphlet will be read with pleasure by those who may differ from him with respect to all his leading principles.

The Commutation Act candidly confidered in it's Principles and Operations, &c." by a Northumberland gentleman, was written 6

with the view of confuting the pofitions and reafonings of Mr. Baring. The grounds on which he oppofes him are nearly fimilar with thofe occupied by Mr. Rous; but his obfervations are frequently more fevere and declamatory, than liberal and conclufive. His arguments are farcafim and irony.

"The Policy of the Tax upon Retailers confidered; or, a Plea in favour of the Manufacturers," is the production of a fenfible and well-informed writer, who infifts on the unpopular opinion, that the public, instead of being injured, or oppreffed, derives very confiderable advantages from the Shop Tax. He hath collected the authorities of feveral political and commercial writers in fupport of the propofition, that in a populous and manufacturing country, retailers are an unproductive and detrimental class of men; and that regulations calculated to reduce their number, must tend to promote the national wealth and profperity. There are few of his readers who will not agree with the author, that the number of fhopkeepers throughout the kingdom is too great; but many of them will difpute with him on his idea of the operation of the tax, which they will confider as too fpeculative and hypothetical. Those who agree in opi. nion with this writer, will be highly pleafed in being able to call to their aid fuch a powerful and ingenious advocate; while thofe who differ from him muft own, that his arguments are deferving of refpectful and deliberate attention.

Farmer Steady's "General Obfervations and Reflections on the Shop Tax, &c." contain plain, but fenfible reafons to prove that it is partial and oppretive. But the propofition which he makes, to

convert

Convert that tax into a general house-tax, will not make him a popular author among the farmers. It will lead them to fufpect, notwith handing the name he affumes, that his perfonal interests are more nearly connected with the counter than the plough.

The author of "Confiderations on the Attorney lax, &c." after making ufe of a variety of juft and forcible arguments to fhew the partiality and abfurdity of that tax, propofes, in the room of it, one more juft in its principle, much more productive, and which may be collected without any additional expence. The plan which he offers is well worthy of the attention of the legislature; and to the chinge no liberal man of the profellion will object, as it can only affect him in proportion to the extent of his bulinefs.

Of the few publications relating to Irifh politics, which have been published during the prefent year, the most interefting that we have met with is "An Addrefs to the Nobility and Gentry of the Church of Ireland, as by Law cftablished; explaining the Caufes of the Commotions and Infurrections in the Southern Parts of this Kingdom, respecting Tythes, &c." This writer confiders popery to be the root whence thofe infurrections fprung, and not any oppreffion or

action on the fide of the established clergy, or their proctors; and founds the alarm to the friends of the cftablishment; the deftruction of which, he fays, is the object of thofe confederacies. He, therefore, warns them againft condefcending to "the moft trifling compliances with the infolent factious demands and pretenfions of a popish banditti, fpirited up by agitating friars and

Romifh miffionaries, fent for the purpofe of fowing fedition, as it would be as inconfiftent with juf. tice as with found policy, and the fafety of the tate." Whether the reprefentations of the author be juit, refpecting the caufes of the disturbances in Ireland, and the views of their fuppofed projectors and abettors, we will not take upon ourselves to determine. But we have head another tale; and fhall probably have an opportunity, in a future volume, to refer our readers to fuch authentic documents and authorities, as will enable them to obtain fatisfactory information on the fubject.

The pamphlet called "The Pre fent Politics of Ireland, &c." confifts of three parts. The first is the very able letter of Mr. Hutchinfon to his conftituents at Corke, in which he justifies his conduct in voting for the bill relating to the commercial treaty between Great Britain and Ireland, by explaining the great and certain advantages which his country would receive from it. The fecond part is com pofed of the parliamentary delates in the Irish houfe of commons on the fubject of that treaty, which have already been in the hands of our readers. In the third part we have Mr. Laffan's political arithmetic of the population, commerce, and manufactures of Ireland, with observations on the relative fitua tion of Great Britain and that country; in which the author firenuously contefts the principles of Mr. Orde's bill, as totally incon fiftent with thofe fair terms of reciprocity of benefits, on which a treaty between the two kingdoms ought to be established. The editor of this collection, from his notes on Mr. Laffan's tract, ap

Dears

pears to favour the fide of the question which hath been taken by Mr. Hutchinfon.

"A Candid Review of the most important Occurrences that took place in Ireland during the last three years, &c." is a well written publication, which defcribes the proceedings of the convention affembled in Dublin, in 1783 and 1784; the rife and progrefs of Mr. Orde's bill; the duke of Portland's reafons for oppofing the twenty propofitions fent from the commons to the lords of England; the proceedings of the Irish legiflature on thofe propofitions; Mr. Fox's minifterial character; the probable confequences of any propofition in the British parliament, tending to an union with the fifter nation; and the prefent ftate of the prefs in Ireland. But though the author is a fenfible writer, we do not engage ourselves to fubfcribe to the foundness of his political creed. And the members of the Irish convention, and thofe of the houfe of commons who oppofed the commercial bill, will be difpofed to refufe their teftimony to the liberality and candour of this narrative.

Robinfor's Treatife on "The dangerous Situation of England;

an Addrefs to the landed, trading, and funded Interests on the prefent State of Public Affairs," if it does not raise our opinion of the author as a profound politician, yet it engages us to give him credit for liberality and goodnefs of intention. To remedy or prevent the evils which we feel or apprehend, he propofes an equal reprefentation of the commons in parliament, and that the kingdom of England and all its dependencies fhould have their ports open and free, without cuftom - houfe duties, drawbacks, or bounties, which he thinks would render this country the common 1786.

warehoufe of the world. The revenues he would have raised by internal taxes and duties, and all monopolies and public companies totally abolished.

"The Letters of an Englishman; in which the Principles and Conduct of the Rockingham Party, when in Adminiftration and Oppofition, are impartially difplayed,” are the productions of a fentible and intelligent writer, and contain keen. and fevere ftrictures on the public conduct of the most diftinguifhed leaders of that party, which are well calculated to excite pleafure or indignation in his readers, according to their political predilections.

Lufon's "Inferior Politics," comprize feveral objects, which are arranged rather irregularly, but which have given him an opportu nity of difplaying marks of good fenfe, liberality, and benevolence. He principally employs himfelf in expofing the fources of the wretchednefs and profligacy that prevail among the lower orders of people in this metropolis; and fuggefting fuch remedies for thefe evils, as are worthy of public confideration. He alfo delivers fome just remarks on the inconveniences, the abfurdity, and the undiftinguishing feverity of our penal laws, and urges the neceflity of attending more to the prevention than the punishment of crimes. An Appendix to this little work, contains a plan for the redemption of the national debt, which is very fimple, and intelli gible, but we have our doubts refpecting its practicability.

The Short Addrefs to the Public, on the Pay of the British Army, by an Officer," is an able and pathetic appeal to the justice, hu manity, and interests of the nation, refpecting the various hardships under which the military labour.

At

At the revolution, when the prefent pay of a foldier was fixed, it was equal to his neceffities, and would furnish him with some of the conveniencies of life: but at prefent, in confequence of the great decrease of the value of money, it will not furnish him with one comfortable meal. And a fubaltern officer's pay is equally inadequate to his neceffary expences, exclufive of the appearances which he is obliged to keep up. From thefe confiderations, he reafons judicioufly and forcibly, on the equity and policy of granting them fome relief, equal to the compenfation which the other fervants of the flate have received, either by an increafe of the falaries or the perquifites of their fituations. The method which he propofes is, to caufe a pound and a half of bread to be delivered gratis to every common foldier daily, and a trifling addition of pay to be made to the officers, which would not greatly increase the army expences.

The author of "An Addrefs to the Right Honourable the First Lord Commiffioner of the Admiralty, &c." warmly oppofes the coppering of fhips which are intended to lie in ordinary, as what tends to render them univerfally leaky, and mere coffins in which to bury the feamen who are fent out in them. He recommends alfo, the building of 74 gun fhips, instead of thofe carrying only 64, and different methods for fpeedily man ning 120 fail of the line. If the author wished that his advice fhould meet with attention, he hath taken a very extraordinary method to infure the approbation of the noble lord, in telling him that he is gloomy, inactive, and obftinate; undeferving of the honours by which he hath beep graced, and

unfit to fill the place which Re occupies.

Under the head of Critical, Claffical, and Polite Literature, we feel ourfelves happy in congratulating the public on the abilities, and perfevering industry of Dr. Woide,

one of the librarians to the British Mufeum, who hath publifhed a fac fimile copy of the Alexandrian MS. of the New Teftament. In a learned Introduction, the Editor, after mentioning the motives which induced him to engage in fuch a laborious work, gives, in different fections, a history of this MS.; an account of its prefent ftate and appearance; the arguments for its antiquity, in which the objections of Wettlein are particularly con fidered, and fatisfactorily answered; its merits; a collation of a part of it with the best Italian copies; and an account of the circumstances attending the progrefs of this edition. Of this very valuable work we can only fay, that it poffeffes every internal mark of fidelity; that the tranfcript made by Dr. Woide's own hand, was twice carefully collated with the original; that he hath preferved the exact proportions of the letters in the MS.; that he fuperintended the founding of the types; and that it hath undergone, not only his own critical and minute inspection, Lat that of Dr. Butler, the prefent bifhop of Oxford, and Mr. Harper of the Mufeum. And with refpect to the introductory fections we must acknowledge that they exhibit as ftriking proofs of Dr. Woide's eruš dition and judgment, as the completion of fuch a difficult undertaking does of his unwearied dili. gence. Such a work as the present, will be peculiarly acceptable to Chriftians of every age and nation, as it preferves a faithful image of

the