hew the prefent fituation of Ireland, with the means by which fhe has attained it; the one the wishes to be placed in, and the probable effects which the whole arrangement will have, if completed, on our manufactures, our trade, and our fhipping. "Ireland is, at this time, an independent kingdom, in poffeffion of a conftitution as free as the one we have the happiness to enjoy, with a right to trade with every nation on earth, which chufes to trade with her. The connection which fubfifts between her and this country induces her, however, to reftrain herself in many inftances, and to confine her confumption to the produce of Great Britain and her colonies, for the mu tual advantage of the two countries. Ireland being, therefore, in poffeffion of a right to a free trade with all the world, the complains of reftraints ftill impofed on her by Great Britain, in whofe favour fhe has reftrained herself. Great conceffions, it is true, have been made to her within thefe few years, during a former administration; they were made, however, but as neceffity compelled them; without fyftem, without concert, and without even previously knowing what fatisfaction they would afford her; much lefs was any attempt made to obtain the fmalleft advantage in return; nothing was ever attended to, but on the preffure of the moment; when her calls were loud and alarming, an expedient was to be thought of to ftop them; in that manner fhe obtained the acts of 18 Geo. III. ch. 10. Under the laft, the derived the most important benefit of all, a direct trade to the British colonies, infinitely more valuable to her than every thing which, from that time, remained to be given to her. It is not intended here to cenfure that measure in the fmalleft degree, but to infift that it should have been concluded with infinitely lefs difficulty than now: Great Britain having thus relieved Ireland fo far, by opening to her a free trade to the British colonies in Africa and America, upon the fame terms on which fhe trades with them herfelf; the now requests, as a completion of the measure, that Great Britain will remove the remaining restrictions which ftill fetter her trade, urging as the bafis of her claim, equality in trade, for monopoly of confumption. "This equality was intended to have been propofed by Lord North, in the year 1779, if he had poffeffed energy enough to have perfected a fyftem of any fort; but as that could not be done without an accurate inveftigation of minute enquiries, the decifion was from time to time delayed till within 24 hours of the Irish bufinefs being opened in the House of Commons in that year, notwithstanding an unanimous addrefs had been prefented to the king at the clofe of the pre ling fellion, "recommending to his ma jefty's most serious confideration, the diftreffed and impoverished state of the loyal and well-deferving people of Ireland; and to direct that there be prepared, and laid before Parliament, fuch particulars, relative to the trade and manufactures of Great Britain and Ireland, as to enable the national wifdom to purfue effectual measures, for the common ftrength, wealth, and commerce of his majefty's fubjects in both kingdoms;" and his majefty's anfwer," that he would give directions accordingly:" a determination was then at length fuddenly taken, to give the boon juft mentioned, with the promifed information. As foon, however, as the measure was refolved on, another of his majesty's ministers, who highly approved of it, fent off the pleafing intelligence to Ireland; and it was actually known to the merchants of Dublin, Corke, and Waterford, before the Lord Lieutenant had advice of it. A benefit, fo beftowed and communicated, was eftimated by the Irish, naturally enough, much below its real value, and the full effect of it was confequently loft. While the ports of Ireland are open to receive from Great Britain every fpecies of commodity, whether the produce of Great Britain and her colonies, or any other part of Europe, Afia, Africa, and America; Great Britain, either by an interpretation of the navigation act or fubfequent laws, by actual prohibitions, or by prohibitions arifing from duties, fhuts her ports against Ireland in those articles of commerce which Ireland admits freely from her. "This inequality is complained of by Ireland, as unwife as well as oppreffive; fhe defires therefore that she may be at liberty to import into Great Britain every species of goods, whether raw materials or manufactures, which Great Britain can import into Ireland upon equal terms reciprocally. "The articles in which Ireland is reftrained may be divided into two kinds. "Ift. All articles the produce of the Br!tifh colonies in Afia, Africa, and America. And, "2dly. Certain articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture, as well of Great Britain as of Ireland. Ireland is reftrained in the firft by an interpretation of the navigation act, as explained by the 22d and 23d of Charles H. ch. 26. and the Irish acts of the 14th and 15th of Charles II. and in the laft by actual prohibitions, or by prohibitory duties. "Let us suppose that all articles not the growth, produce, or manufacture of Great Britain or Ireland, fhould be admitted to importation into each kingdom from the other, upon the fame duties to which they would be fubject if imported from the places of their growth; and that the quantum of duties duties not drawn back upon the exportation of thofe articles fhould be precifely the fame in both countries: that upon articles the native produce or manufacture of either couny no prohibition fhould exift, but that all fuch articles should be importable from either country into the other; and that the duties payable upon each article should be precifely the fame in both countries. "The firft propofition relates then to the articles of commerce not the growth, produce, or manufacture of Great Britain or Ireland; and the laft to those articles which are the native produce or manufacture of either country. "The fair way on fuch a propofition of examination how far fuch conceffions may affect the trade of Great Britain, will be to ftate how the law ftands at prefent upon tach proposition, and how it will ftand here after, pointing out the particular objects of produce or manufacture, which will be affected by the alteration, and then to confider cach particularly. "Much contrariety of opinion has been held in Great Britain and Ireland about the interpretation of the Navigation Act, as to its permitting the produce of Afia, Africa, and America, to be carried to Ireland through Great Britain, but reftraining the fame produce being brought to Great Britain through Ireland. The conftruction, how ever, in both countries, has invariably been, that, the words "foreign growth,' &c. do not relate to goods, &c. the growth, produce, or manufacture of Europe; and the practice has always been accordingly to admit fuch goods, &c. from the one country into the other, upon the fame duties as they would be fubject to from the place of their growth *. "If the law is now to be altered, to put both countries upon the fame footing, it will follow that Ireland will apparently acquire a Liberty of exporting to Great Britain the produce of Afia, Africa, and America. "The trade of Great Britain can, however, be affected only in articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the two laft mentioned quarters of the world; becaufe fhe has by her own laws reftrained her importation of Afiatic produce from all places except Great Britain, giving the Eaft India Company a monopoly of her confumption; and the goods of Europe have always been admitted without interruption from the one country into the other. "With refpect to Africa, there exifis at NOTE. The fourth fection, requiring goods to be brought directly from the place of their growth, refers to the countries aforefaid, Afia, Africa, and America, mentioned in the third fection. Gent. Mag. April, 1785. prefent no trade or intercourse between it and Ireland; nor is there much prospect of any; as there is, however, a poffibility of one, it fhall be confidered with the trade of America, which is of confiderable extent with Ireland. "By the laws of both kingdoms, as they now ftand, Ireland has a right to export all her produce and manufacture to Africa and America, and to import from thence all articles of the growth, produce, or manufacture, of thofe countries; and having imported them into Ireland, the can again export them to all parts of the world to which Great Britain can fend them; which import and export trade is, as to duties and drawbacks, precifely the fame in both countries. Nothing then is defired by Ireland, or given by Great Britain, as to the general trade between Ireland, Africa, and America; or between Ireland and the rest of the world. "The mifchief therefore to be dreaded, is reduced to the apprehenfion, that the produce of the colonies will be brought often to Ireland. This muft arife either from Ireland becoming the carriers of African and American goods for the merchants of Great Britain, or from her being able to import them upon her own capital, and fend them into Great Britain upon fuch terms as to enable her to underfell the British merchants in their own markets. "To form a true judgment how far this apprehenfion is grounded, we muft confider the prefent fituation of the Irish in this refpect. They can now import directly into Great Britain, in Irifh fhips navigated ac-, cording to law, all the produce of Africa and America, exactly on the fame terms as the merchants of England; they can alfo import these goods in Irifh fhips into Ireland, where they are fubject to the fame duties as here; can invoice any part of the cargo to be landed there, and the remainder to be fent to any part of Great Britain. How then can the carrying trade be affected by the prefent queftion? becaufe, whether the extenfion is admitted or not, Ireland can equally carry both directly from the colonies, and circuitously as above stated, all the produce thereof. And this will tend equally to fhew, that this alteration cannot enable her. to send such produce into Great Britain upon cheaper terms than fhe imports it at prefent; for the only benefit that would arile te Ireland by it would be, that the might then land the produce of Africa and America in her own ports; and if, at the time that her merchants fhould want to dispose of it, there fhould be a better market in Britain than in Ireland, fhe might fend it there to a poffible advantage; to a certain one the never could, as the prices of fugars fluctuate too confiderably in the London market, for Z 178 Remarks on the late feverity of the Weather. "It appears, therefore, that the profpect of advantages to be derived to Ireland are not particularly flattering in this part of the arrangement. She may, however, be bene fited without any injury to England, unless it can be fhewn that it is a difadvantage to the latter, that the produce fhould not bear a price above its natural value in her own market; Ireland will, it is true, in future, have the fame advantage of the English market as we have of theirs; and no good reafon can be given why they should not, in perfecting a system of equality of trade. If that circumstance should ever have the effect of reducing the prices of colony produce, it will enable the exportation of it to foreign countries on better terms. "Great stress is laid on the advantageous fituation of Ireland for carrying on trade with Africa and America; and it is urged, that fhe can import articles from thence much cheaper than England, confequently that fhe will underfell Great Britain. Nothing, however, can be lefs true. Admitting even that she can import from thence for her own confumption on more favourable terms than Great Britain can for her's; yet it is demonstrable, that the argument does not apply to her fupplying England, unless it is contended, that the fhorteft and cheapest way of importing goods from Africa and America to this country is, by carrying them first into a port here. Such reafoning is too grofs for the blindeft prejudice. "The truth is, that the price of freight and premiums of insurance from all parts of America, including the Weft India islands, to the ports in Ireland, are precifely the fame as to the ports in Great Britain. Whatever, therefore, is imported here from the colonies through Ireland, muft come in burthened with the additional charges of the ufual freight and infurance from that country to this, and with the expences there attending the landing the produce, cuftomhoufe fees, warehoufeing, wafte, &c. &c. "In the Irish channel Great Britain has ports nearly oppofite the Irith ones-Briftol to Cork-Chefter, Liverpool, and Whitehaven, to Dublin and Newry; the ports on the west coast of Ireland, though nearer to America, are remote from England; and the voyage round the island requires a variety of winds, confequently is tedious and hazardous. "It is alfo infifted, that if Ireland is permitted to fend the produce of Africa and America into England, she will underfell the British merchants, becaufe, having a right to fend her manufactures to the colonies, and being able to make them up cheaper than in April, England, fhe will be able, by exchanging them for colony produce, to underfell England. “If this is true, why does not Ireland can at this time fend her manufactures to now avail herself of the advantage? as he Africa and America, and can bring back drectly to Great Britain all their produce, which has been plainly fhewn to be her cheapest way of doing it. It is, however, perfectly well known, that the English manufactures meet the Irish in their own markets, loaded with freights, duties, insurance, and commiffion; it requires, therefore, not much argument to prove that they will have no great advantage of us in thofe of America or the Weft Indies. There does not occur a single reason for fuppofing that Ireland will be able to procure the produce of Britain; but there are fome obvious ones to the Weft Indies on better terms than Great prove the contrary." To the Editor of Exfbaw's Magazine. SIR, As the late the weather has rendered the coldness of different climates the general fubject of conversation, not, perhaps, be unacceptable to your reaa few curfory remarks on that topic, may ders. It is commonly supposed, that every country is colder in proportion as it lies nearer to the poles, and farther from the equator, or, which is the fame thing, farther from the fun, the great fource of light and heat; and vice versa, that every country proportion as it lies farther from the poles, is warmer for a contrary reason, that is, in and nearer to the equator or the fun. main, yet it must be admitted with feveral Though this rule will hold good in the limitations and exceptions. In the first place, it may be obferved, that the climate of iflands is always milder than that of countries lying in the fame latitude in extenfive continents. The heat in the fummer is not fo intenfe, nor is the cold in the winter fo fevere; the ardour of the one, and the mitigated by the gentle breezes that blow rigour of the other being, both of them, from the fea, with which islands are always furrounded. that the climate of a country depends very It may be obferved in the next place, much upon the nature of the winds to which it is moft fubject, the direction in which they blow, and the long tracts, whether of more fouthern latitudes a wind, by paffing land or water, over which they pafs. In the over a long tract of land, efpecially of a dry or sandy nature, becomes gradually more and more hot, until it arrives at the extremity of the continent, the inhabitants of which will feel its heat increafed to the greateft degree degree of violence. Hence it is, that on the western coaft of Africa the heat is infinitely pore intense than in any other part of the world. The easterly wind, which frequent ly blows here, paffes firft over the burning fands of Arabia, and after croffing the narrow gut of the Red Sea, continues its courfe over the whole breadth of Africa, collecting, in its way, all the fiery particles of the foil over which it has paft, fo that when it arrives at Guinea and the adjacent countries, it has become perfectly fuffocating, and almoft intolerable. The cafe is directly the reverfe in the northern latitudes: there the wind becomes proportionably colder, the longer is the tract of land over which it paffes, as it picks up, in its way, all the frigid particles with which the furface of the ground is covered? and thus it is known, that even in Italy, France, and Spain, and ftill more in Britain, and infinitely ftill more on the western coaft of Norway, an eafterly, or rather a northeafterly wind, is the moft piercingly fevere. In this particular the fea has a contrary effect to the land. It naturally tends to mitigate the ardour of a hot wind, and to soften the rigour of a cold one. The wind that is felt as a fuffocating blaft on the western coaft of Africa, after croffing the Atlantic, is experienced as a gentle breeze, or a refreshing gale, on the eastern coaft of America, fo that there is no part of the latter continent fo hot as the former; and the wind that freezes up all the powers of vegetation in Norway and Scotland, after traverfing the fame ocean, comes to foften the air, to unbind the glebe, and to put all the vegetable powers in motion in Canada and Nova Scotia. In my opinion, however, the moft general, if not the most powerful caufe of the warmth of a climate is the foil's being well cultivated, and thereby rendered fit for reflecting the rays of the fun; for it is an undoubted fact, that heat arifes lefs from the direct than from the reflected rays of that great luminary. To prove this we need only obferve, that the fnow lies all the year round on the top of the Andes, to the depth of fome thousand feet, directly under the equator. This too is the reason why it is always warmer in towns than in the country, and in dry and fandy foils than in those which are damp and clayey. When a country is overrun with woods, bogs, fwamps, and moraffes, the rays of the fun are entirely drunk up without being reflected; but where a country is cleared of thefe incumbrances, their rays are reflected from almost every point of the furface, and the atmosphere, the great receptacle of heat, is proportionably warmed. This I take to be the principal caufe why the climate of America is colder than that of Europe, which it is commonly supposed to be by about ten, if not fifteen degrees of latitude. That is, it is as cold in America in the latitude of forty degrees, as it is in Europe in the latitude of fifty, or even of fifty-five degrees. Another, at least an additional reason is sometimes affigned for this surprising difference; and that is, that America, in all probability, is not bounded towards the north by the fea, as Europe confelfedly is, but that all the way to the pole, there is, if not terra firma, at least glaceis firma. No one has ever proceeded fo far as to make the discovery whether there be any fea or not, from whence it has been inferred, that there really is none. This likewife appears to be the reafon why the climate of modern Europe is so much warmer than that of the ancient; for that Europe is warmer now than it was in the time of the ancient Romans, may be easily proved, by comparing the teftimony of the moft authentic ancient writers with our own observation and experience. It is a remark of the abbé du Bos, that Italy is warmer at present than it was in ancient times. "The annals of Rome tell us, fays he, that in the year 480, ab U. C. the winter was fo fevere that it deftroyed the trees. The Tyber froze at Rome, and the ground was covered with fnow for forty days. When Juvenal defcribes a fuperftitious woman, he reprefents her as breaking the ice of the Tyber, that the might perform her ablutions, Hybernum fracta glaris defcendet in amnem, Ter matutino Tyberi mergetur. He speaks of that river's freezing as a common event. Many paffages of Horace fuppofe the streets of Rome full of fnow and ice. We should have had more certainty, with regard to this point, had the ancients known the use of thermometers. But their writers, without intending it, give us information fufficient to convince us, that the winters are now much more temperate at Rome than formerly. At present the Tyber no more freezes at Rome, than the Nile at Cairo. The citizens of Rome efteem the winter very rigorous, if the fnow lies two days, and if one fees for eight and forty hours a few ificles hanging from a fountain that has a north expofition." The obfervation of this ingenious critic may be extended to other European climates. Who could difcover the mild climate of France in Diodorus Siculus's defcription of that of Gaul?" As it is a northern climate, fays he, it is infefted with cold to an extreme degree. In cloudy weather, inftead of rain, there fall great fnows; and in clear weather it there freezes fo exceffive hard, that rivers Ovid pofitively maintains, with all the ferious affirmation of profe, that the Euxine fea was frozen over every winter in his time; and he appeals to Roman governors, whom he names, for the truth of his affertion. This feldom or never happens at prefent in the latitude of Tomi, whither Ovid was banifhed. All the complaints of the fame poet feem to mark a rigour of the feafons, which is fcarce experienced at prefent at Petersburgh or Stockholm. Tournefort, who had travelled into the fame country, obferves, that there is not a finer climate in the world; and he afferts, that nothing but Ovid's melancholy could have given him fuch dismal ideas of it. But the facts mentioned by the poet, are too circumftantial to bear any fuch interpretation. Polybius fays, that the climate of Arcadia was very cold, and the air moist. "Italy, fays Varro, is the most temperate climate in Europe. The inland parts (Gaul, Germany, and Panonia, no doubt) have almoft perpetual winters.' The northern parts of Spain, according to Strabo, are but ill inhabited on account of the great cold. I might eafily multiply my authorities had I time, but thefe, I think, are fufficient. Now to what fhall we afcribe this change for the better in the climate of Europe? The heavenly bodies are in the fame pofition now as they were formerly; and all parts of the earth are at the fame relative distance from the fun at prefent as they were in the time of the ancient Romans. It follows, therefore, that we can afcribe it to nothing but the fuperior cultivation of the foil in modern, beyond what it was in ancient times. Indeed, the effects of huruan art and induftry, in commanding and controuling the elements, are greater than many people at first fight would be apt to imagine. This fubject I may perhaps refumé on fome future occafion, and treat at greater length. But I could not refrain from sending you thefe defultory thoughts upon it at. prefent, thrown together without method or Account of the Greenland Fishery. (Continued from page 133) the second of a series of Plates engravði to illuftrate it. TH HE British South-Sea Company fend annually, on this Fifhery, twentytwo or twenty-three Sail of Ships, every Ship being about 300 Tons Burthen, and each carrying forty-five Men, and fix Boats. This Fleet ufually fails about the end of March, but feldoin begins to fifh till the month of May. When they begin their fifhery, the fhip is faftened, or moored with nofe-hooks to the ice. Two boats, each manned with fix men, (which is the complement of every boat in the feet) are order ed by the Commodore (which is an officer who is the head of every thip's company, and appointed on purpofe to manage the fishery) to look out for the coming of the fish, for two hours, and then are relieved by two more, and fo by turns. Thefe two boats lie at fome finall diftance from the fhip, each feparated from the other, faffened to the ice with their boat-hooks, ready to let go in an inftant, at the firft fight of the whale. Here the dexterity of the whalehunters is to be admired; for fo foon as the fifh fhews herfelf they cry out fall, fall, and every man taking to his oar, they rufh on the monfter with a prodigious fwiftnefs; at the fame time taking care to come abaft, or behind his head, that he may not fee the boat, which fometimes fo fcares him, that he plunges down again, before they have time to ftrike him. But the greatest care is to be taken of the tail, with which it many times does very great damage, both to the boat and mariners. The harpineer who is placed in the head, or bow of the boat, feeing the back of the whale, and making an oniet, thrufts the harping-Iron with all his might into his body, by the help of a staf fixed in it for that purpofe, and leaves it in; a line being faftened to it of about two inches in circumference, and 136 fathom long. This ftriking of the whale is reprefented in the annexed Plate. a new and correct Peerage of Ireland, com- (Continued from Page 116.) Chill, Earl of Tylney. each HE Right Honourable John Child regularity, and le seeding each other cactly T Tylney, Earl of Tylney, Vifcount in the order in which they occurred. I am, Your conftant reader, and Caftlemaine, Baron Newtown and Baronet, fücceeded his father Richard, the late and firit Earl, in March, 1750. His Lerdfhip died at Naples, (where he had refided for many |