: vent the importation of Irish grain into Scotland. Mr. Sheridan illuftrated this pofition by fome arguments that excited a good deal of laughter he laid the Hon. Baronet, he prefumed, meant to lay it down as a matter of certainty, that there would never be another famine in Scotland, and that the country would not be glad to receive grain from England as they had done lately, or from Ireland. Perhaps too the Hon. Baronet's conftituents thought, that if they were once to fuffer Irish grain to be imported, that the bread of Ireland having found its way into Scotland, the meat of Ireland might fellow, and thus the palates of the Hon. Baronet's conftituents might be vitiated, and their blood filled with humours, from living upon a richer food than usual. Af ter this pleasantry, Mr. Sheridan intimated, that when the difcuffion at large of the subject should some on, he would ftate his fentiments upon it, and poffibly they would be found to differ in fome particulars from thofe of his friends. Sir William Cunningham thanked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for having fatisfied him. Me faid the reason he had been fo earneit was, because there was not any poft the next night to Scotland, and therefore he would write to his conftituents that very evening, and make them eafy upon the fubject. In order to convince the houfe, that he had not preffed the matter without good reason, he read part of a letter from Linlithgow, which he had received fince he came into the house, and which particularly spoke of the alarm and uneasiness the landholders felt on the occafioa. The motion was at length put and agreed to. 11.] Mr. Pitt presented several papers relative to Ireland. Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed. The order of the day being read, for going into a committee on the propofitions for regulating the trade between this country and Ireland. Mr. Pitt laid, that in order to give every neceffary time for receiving petitions, if any thould be prefented, he would move to adjourn this committee to Monday next, the 14th. Agreed to. 14] Mr. Stanley (member for Lancashire) rofe and ftated that he had a petition to prefent from the cotton manufacturers of Lancashire, complaining against the ten propofitions, that had been noted by the parliament of Ireland, and fubmitted to the confideration of the British houfe of commons by his Majefty's Chancellor of the Exchequer, and praying to be permitted to be heard by counfel againit the fame. Mr. Stanley read the petition to the houfe, and then moved to bring it up, which being upon motion ordered, the petition was read at the table. Mr. Stanley then moved that the petitioners be heard by their counsel on Thursday next The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he hoped the petitioners would be ready to be heard the next day, or at the fartheft on Wednesday, till which latter day he Qhould move that the going into the committee be poftponed; he hoped, however, it was generally understood that there would be no more delay in the business. Mr. Stanley faid, he had been inftructed by his conftituents to name Thurfday, as the day on which they wished to he heard; fooner than Wednesday, he knew he could not be ready. The gentlemen who brought the petition, had only arrived in town the preceding evening, and they had been employed fince that time, in preparing inftructions for their countel, therefore he hoped, at least, the right honourable gentleman would not name an carlier day than Wednesday. The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid he would take the Wednesday, and hear counsel on both petitions, that from the county and that from Manchetter. Mr. Stanley rofe again, and said he had before declared, that he was inftructed to move, that the petitioners be heard on Thursday, or Wednefday at the foonelt. He could not go beyond his instructions. The Speaker was putting the question, That the house go into a committee of the whole house on that part of Majefty's speech, that relates to Ireland, on Wednesday next. Mr. Fox faid it might not be amifs, if the right honourable gentleman were to call the commiffioners of customs and excife to the bar, and examine them. The Chancellor of the Exchequer could not imagine that the right honourable gentleman had feriously thought, that the teftimony of the commiffioners was at all neceffary. Mr. Eden declared, he had been near three weeks in poffeffion of the Irish refolutions, without being able fufficiently to understand them, fo as to determine what father explanations would be requifite to be given at the bar. He could fay, however, without heftation, that much might be expected from the commiffioners of the excile and customs. He had always affumed that those boards were already fully prepared on the subject, that they mult have difcutled it fully and repeatedly with his Majesty's ministers; and if they were brought to the bar, he should perhaps think it the bett question to afk of each board, which gentieman had been the principal fpokefman in the vanous meetings on the Irish refolutions? To the gen tleman who might ftep forwards on fuch a queftion, he would addrefs himself principally for information; and the enquiry muft proceed in its farther detail, as circumftances might fuggeft; but furely neither he nor any other member could be expected to detain the house that day with a flow and deliberate statement of a plan of examination which he had not yet formed, or which, if formed, must always be liable to alterations at the moment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer made a fhort reply, in which he made a humourous allufion to the divided attachment of Mr. Euen to the two gentlemen of each fide of him (Lord North and Mr. Fox ;) he told him, that he would fave him the trouble of asking the commiffioners the questions, which he propofed to ask, relative to the mode of their examination before the committee of privy council, by informing him that there had never been any examination of thofe gentlemen by that board, nor any questions put to them by him. The whole of the cafe appearing to him to reft on accounts, which were then on the table. Mr. Pitt at length coniented that the commiffioners of excife and cuftoms fhould attend. When When the motion was to be altered, there occurred a doubt how it ought to be worded? whether all the commiffioners should be fummoned, or only a felection from the two boards? The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, the noble Lord in the blue ribband was best qualified to make the selection, as he had been the minifter who nominated most of the commiffioners who fat at the prefent boards of excife and customs. Lord North faid, he was not ashamed of his appointments. The gentlemen he made commiflioners, he had cholen to fill their fituations, because they were men of knowledge and integrity, and likely to become good officers. He Battered himself they had proved fo, and that they had ferved the public faithfully, diligently and ably. His Lordship raited a laugh at the expence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, upon his late appointment of a new commiflioner of excife, faying, he did not doubt but the right hon. gentleman had at the time view to the queftion of intercourfe with Ireland, and had therefore put a gentleman who was a judge af navigation at the board of excile, that he might enlighten his brother commiffioners upon the fubject. At length the question was put and an order made, for the commiffioners of cuftoms and commiffioners of excile to attend the house the following day. 15.] The order of the day being moved for going into a committee for taking into confideration fo much of his Majesty's fpeech as related to the Irish trade. Mr. Eden thought it neceffary to ftate to the houfe the purpotes for which he moved for the attendance of the commiffioners of cuftoms and the commiffioners of excile, together with the motives which induced him to it, previous to going into their examination. Since their first introduction, he had paid the strictest attention to the propofitions which were now before the houfe, and what principally occurred to him as one of the leading difficulties, was the fubject of the firit propofition. The more he confidered it, the more its difficulty increated in bis mind: if countervailing duties were to make up here in the importation, for the inequality of excife duties between this country and Ireland. To do this, would lead into to intricate a detail of particulars, as would never admit of any order or precife regulation. And allowing that the duties on the impoft here would be equal to the precife internal duty which the people of this country are fubject to; on the bare article of importation there were fo many collateral advantages poffelled in that country, in the cheapnets of labour, and the cheapnefs of the materials for manufactures, as could not come within any re gulations. There were allo to be confidered the Compound duties paid in this country, as well in the raw materials as in manufactures when Haifhed. The inconfiderable duties to which Ireland was fubje& in the importation of the raw materials, would give them the advantage in our market, even after the countervailing duties on the importation had been paid. For inftance, in the article of filk manufacture, thofe duties which amounted to no more than fifteen pence on importation of the raw materials in Ireland, were not less than fix fhillings in this country. Connecting this with the cheapnefs of labour, candles, and materials for carrying on the manufacture, it would give the Irish dealer the advantage of pouring in thefe articles on us, infinitely more reafonable with regard to terms, than we could make them ourselves. In the pre fent ftate of this country it was a matter of no nues, which our excife duties produced, for the fmall magnitude, to remit them certain reveuncertain and precarious ones of impoft duties. It was a fubject on which every mode of information fhould be adopted, when so much depended on the refult of the measures. There were fix articles, on which excise amounted in this country to one million and a half annually; he meant the articles of tobacco, foap, sugar, glafs, falt, and leather; all of which thofe prepofitions would put in the power of Ireland to fupply us with. It remained then for confideration, whether on a supposition that no other objection lay, it would be prudent to rik fo important and certain a part of our revenue, for the precarious return of those countervailing duties, There were many other articles on which the very existence of our revenues in a great mealure depended, which were endangered by this fyftem, and which this country should be attentive to, viz. the importation of fpirituous 1.quors into this country from Ireland. Some gentlemen may fuppofe him to point to a danger very remote, when he fhould express his apprehenfions with regard to tea, and yet a little reflection would fhew that fears on this fubject were not entertained without foundation. The period was not now very diftant when the company's charter would expire, under thefe refolutions there certainly remained no power in this country to renew it with the fame, or indeed any exclufive privileges. The difpofition which was already manifefted in Ireland to avail themselves of the advantages of the oriental trade, would thew that on fuch an event they would not be induced to refign their pretenfions. It was yet fresh in the recollection of this house and the country, what fevere measures were taken to prevent fmuggling in this country; and in this very article of tea, a commutation had been made, which mult operate as a permanent land-tax in this country; and it was furely worth while to reflect little, whether this fyltem now betore the houfe would not neceffitate them to commute all their revenue, for other land-taxes in order to provide againft unavoidable detalcations, as well a abules. For this purpose he thought it was neither light or idle to cail in the advice of people moft converfant in either part of the revenue to give the house every requifite intor mation on points of fo much importance. Mr. Piut admitted the poflibility, and even danger of Ireland taking advantage of fome parts which belonged to the filth refolution; but contended, that the only way of forming a juft opinion, would be by balancing every advantage which should appear to weigh on both fides of the queltion. He laid, that thould the house agree in the danger to which the manufactures of this country would be expofed by importation of articles of With manufacture, by omitting the last fentence in the fifth refolution, the objection would be in a great meafure done away. With regard to the danger with which the revenue was fuppofed to be threatened, and to fubftantiate which, the gentlemen who now waited outfide the bar had been called, it would remain for the house to exercile their judgments when the examination should be concluded.When he made that declaration in the house, about which fo much had been faid, that the specific refolutions were included in the general propofitions, it could not be fuppofed that he meant abfolutely, and in every minute particular to confine the house to every fentence of it; he meant inviolably to preferve the fubftance of it; but the change which he propofed in omitting a paffage in the fifth refolution, would be no infrac. tion of the fpirit of the propofitions, as not being effential to the principle on which they were founded. Mr. Fox, after remarking on the right hon. gentleman's admiffion of the danger pointed out by his hon. friend, claimed his attention to the claufe proposed to be omitted, which, he said, however the right hon. gentleman may think of it, which had fo wonderful a dexterity in differing occafionally with the interpretation generally given to these propofitions on the other fide of the water, was certainly confidered as a material part of the refolution in Ireland. This in deed, was plain from his own words, that even in his mind it was of confiderable importance, elfe why propofe to change it, when objection and difficulties have occurred. For his part he had not penetration fufficient to understand the refined diftinctions now made by the right hon. gentleman. He could not conceive how a chaufe fhould be of the spirit and fubftance of a refolution, and yet no way effential to its principle. Mr. Pitt explained, by saying, that what he proposed to be omitted, was not averse to the general meaning and spirit of the propofitions, nor was it to effential to the principle as to be neceffary to be retained. In mentioning the fpirit and the fubstance, he never meant that it fhould extend to the literal words of any refolution. I Mr. Eden and Mr. Jenkinson faid a few words, P O E MMORTAL bards of antient days, And chofe a glorious theme. As vanity and trouble; Milton and Shakespear, prime of bards, Yet I propitious at the fhrine, after which the commiffioners of customs and excife, who had been ordered to attend, were called in, and Mr. Eden requested they might be asked whether they had feen and confidered Mr. Orde's propofitions to the Irish house of commons, of the 12th of February? Anfer. We have feen them curforily in new papers, but did not confider them with any deliberation, or officially, as a board. Mr. Eden was proceeding to put another queftion, when The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved that the commiffioners withdraw, which being done, he remarked, that as they had professed themfelves to have formed no opinion, it was in vain to ask them any further questions as a board.— He would therefore propote that gentlemen would felect three, whom they thought molt intelligent, and draw what information they intended from them. Alderman Watson could not approve of taking the opinion of any of the gentlemen severally, fome of them not having been more than one month members of the board. He would rather propofe, that the business should be referred to them officially, as a board, and their report taken on it afterwards. Mr. Fox perceived that any information to be drawn from them at prefent, must be in a great measure nugatory, as they were unprepared to anfwer officially, or deliberately on the subject. He was, however, entirely of opinion that their advice and opinions fhould ftill be reforted to; not with intention that any such opinion should be conclufive, but that, with other arguments, they may have their weight with the house.He was not fure that the mode propofed by the worthy magistrate, would be fufficiently regular and proper; but the manner propofed by the right hon. gentleman, was fuch as he could by no means agree to. He fubmitted whether it would not be proper to propofe to the commiffioners certain queftions, which they, after due deliberation, should form their opinions on, and come to the houfe prepared to give an anfwer. By this means, any thing which should appear obfcure in their meaning, may be explained by interrogatories. (To be continued.) For truth and innocence I fir.. To overthrow her fenate; Rous'd by the black ning clouds that hung, With perfect indignation ftung, Hibernians vow'd again it. With undiffembled art and care,. For the attack they did prepare, With hearts like Alexanders; With fortitude they did purfue, And kept their ranks in order; So far they gallantly did try, And fo far prov'd victorious; Of mortals here below; They were refolv'd the day to win, Which did portend destruction; They wearied out, at laft refign'd, 'Twas madness to pursue it; Then let each true Hibernian son, Extol their brave defenders; Renounce each abject slave whole foul, And act like falle pretenders. True noble fouls hiftoric page, Sull bright'ning up your glory; A Flood, a Grattan, &c. names fhall rife, And awe each future tory. GRAND CHORUS. Then let each true Hibernian fon, Unburthen all their care and join with me; In feftive danc, and fong, (To none but honeft hearts belong,) Rejoice and breathe from bondage free. While keen remorfe and fell despair, Purfue each cringing courtier ; And learn a leffon from the past, To mend their lives in future. HIBERNICUS. With bright, but oft destructive, gleam, O guide me thro' life's darkfome way, On fools and villains ne'er defcend, On the Arts of Penmanship and Engraving. WHE THEN tyrant Richard fill'd the Briti The art of Penmanship was fcarcely known ; W HEN fate, in angry mood, has frown'd, The great, who'd be releas'd from pais, And bravely dares to die. But know, beneath life's heavy load, Carding and Spinning. An Epigram. O fpin with art, in ancient times has been queen, From that employ our maidens had the name, 1 T FOREIGN TRANSACTIONS. HE affairs of the Republic of Holland are, at this hour, in the most critical situation, and on the eve of becoming defperate both at home and abroad. The Regency of Utrecht announced the confederacy forming against the Stadtholder, by refufing the troops of the Republic admittance into their garrifons. This was Toon followed by the Regencies of other provin❤ ces; and for fome time nothing but tumult, riot, and revolt, have every where prevailed. On the 8th inftant, a moft defperate quarrel took place between the corps of Leyden Militia, and the populace, which lafted the whole day, and nearly the whole night. The States meet daily, not knowing on what to refolve. The Province of Holland have come to a refolution tantamount to the depofing the Stadtholder. They have given the command of their army to a Swifs officer, and invefted him with the fame powers as if no Stadtholder exifted.When the laft advices were difpatched from the Hague, all was confufion: the Stadtholder had removed, with his baggage, from the Houfe in the Wood; and the Princefs, with her children, had taken refuge in Weft Friezeland.His Highness was neither permitted to take with him his body-guards nor the dragoons; and was given to understand, that they were given for the grandeur of the State, not for the aggrandifement of the Stadtholder. Hague, Sept. 16. His Serene Highnefs the Prince of Orange, after having affilled at the affembly of the States General, the day before yesterday, announced his intended journey to Breda, for which place he is fince fet out; and yesterday morning her Royal Highness the Princefs of Orange, with the young Prince and Princess, fet out for Friezeland. The London Gazette reprefents this abdication in the most favourable light. But this is not all; for while this unfortunate family are thus oppreffed by the States General, by whom they ought to be protected, all the late letters from Vienna are unanimous in afferting, that the Prince of Naffau Seigen, born in France, and actually in the fervice of that crown, has obtained leave from the Emperor, to bring an action against the Prince, for the recovery of the fovereignty, domains, and eftates, enjoyed by his Highness in Germany; Prince Naffau claiming the fame, as fole heir and reprefentative of his grand-father, to whom thofe valuable poffeffions belonged before they were ufurped by the family of Orange. The Stadtholder has already been ferved with the first notice; and, when the ufual forms of law are gone through, this interesting caufe will be brought to a hearing. It is given out, that the K. of Sweden is to meet the Emperor at Petersburg. Advice has been received from Silefia of his Pruffian Majefty's arrival at the camp of Greffen-Trentz, and of the commencement of the manœuvres of the grand review of his troops in that quarter on the 21st of Auguft.-Peace with Polland, and war with Pruffia, is now the cry at Vienna. October, 1785. The Spaniards are arming in all their ports. A fleet of eight fail are fiuing out at Carthagena, and the number is to be increafed to 16. Add to these 12 fail fitting out at Cadiz, which, when joined, are to guard the straits and watch the Ruffians. East India Intelligence. AFFAIRS in the Eaft Indies appear to be ftill unfettled. It was wifhed by many, that the return of Governor Haltings had been de ferred till the conditions of the late peace had been fully carried into execution; but such were the jarring interefts of men in power, that the existence of the company muft yield to the intrigues at court. The port of Negapatnam, which by definitive treaty was to be restored to the Dutch for an equivalent, is ftill garrifoned by British troops; and that of Trincomale, which was to have been furrendered to the East India Company by the French, has ftill the colours of that nation flying on its forts. Both thefe powers are reinforcing their poffeffions in the Eaft with men and fhips. Neither our Government nor the Company are blind to those preparations; but there feems a fatal parfimony to have crept into our councils; and fuch a tender regard for pofterity, as feems to abforb all compaffion or concern for the prefent generation.➡➡➡ The French, indeed, pretend they have received certain accounts, that England is arming 22 fhips of the line; and if fo, that this will foon or late bring on hoftilities at fea; for such an event, it is certain, they are not unprepared. Letters from the Duab bring melancholy ac counts of the numbers who have lately perithed by famine in that district, whose bodies have been eaten by dogs and vultures. Weft India Intelligence. THE alarm which was fome time ago given to the fettlers on the Mufquito fhore, and in the Bay of Honduras, has been almost as fatal to them as a real attack. Moft of the unarmed inhabitants packed up whatever they had that was moveable, and endeavoured to make their escape. Those who could get veffels to carry them fled; fome took refuge among the Indians, and almost all of them forfook their habitations: and when the alarm was over, found their plantations destroyed by their own cattle on their return; fince when, the exceffive heat, and inceffant rains, have occafioned great ficknefs among them. Their fituation is truly deplorable. On the 11th of July, about three in the morning, a dreadful earthquake fhook the Inland of Antigua to its foundation. It threw the inhabitants into the utmost confternation; but no material damage enfued. American News. There is great reafon to fufpect that Congrefs have pledged Rhode Island to the French government, for the money advanced by the royal treasury of France. Congrefs has appointed the Him. John Rutlege. 1 |