1

the face of the country,, and the territorial and Irish confumers (p. 13). To deproperty, by confidering the growing pend entirely on our Weft India planprofperity of the kingdom, the gradual but trs for a fupply of this commodity, or vaft increafe of its population and opulence, to neglect any means of reducing the and the connexion of each, with its efficient caufe. I would trace the operation of in- price contiderably, would be the height of folly and infatuation (p. 26). It is ternal diffentions and foreign invafions in univerfally admitted that this kingdom former ages, and the happy confequences owes al its importance, and most of its that flow from the fettlement of the councomforts, to commerce, which can only try, the progress of civilization, and the imbe retained at its prefent eminence by provement of arts, manufactures, and comfel ng the produce of every community merce in later times." on the cheapest terms, by our merchants continuing to be carriers to market of all our home productiors and manufac turers, as well as that of our dependen's and our ports to be the univerfal depôts of all foreign merchandize. The Weft Indians have tacitly fubmitted to this maxim by not oppofing that claufe, in the act of iafi fellion, which opens Naffor the reception and re-fhipping of fofau, in New Providence, as a free port, in Weft India fugar to Great Britain and elfewhere (p. 27).

At the end of the memoir is given an explanation of Irish words, which occur most frequently in names of places; and a copious index to the map, forming a topographical repertory to the kingdom of Ireland.Then tollows a defcription of the map and its conftruction; rccount of lieland in general, and of its feveral counties; ecclefiaftical divifion of Ireland; 2436 parithes, forming 1123 benefices with cure of fouls, and 111 finecures, 1001 churches, and 354 g'ebe-houtes; 366 benefices are deft tute of glebe; a poffcript on the increase of population, which is at this day 3,850,cco perfons (Sir Wm. Petty cftinated it only at So0,000); lift of round towers; the returns of the collectors of hearth-money, 1695, a million. The annual value of all the exports of Ireland amounted, on an average of the last feven years, to 4,357,0col. The gloffary, index, and lift of fubfcribers, conclude this valuable memoir, companion to a map of equal merit.

179. The Right of the Weft India Merchants to a double Monopoly of the Sugar-market of Great Britain, and the Expedience of all Monopolies, examined.

THE object of this fenfible writer is, to refute the claims and complaints of the Weft India merchants refpecting the fugar-trade, and to eff. &t an equal par ticipation of it for the Eaft India merchants. The Minißer fhould not omit any measure which promifed to fupply this market with fugar as cheap as polli ble, nor the Eaft India Company omit to avail themselves of every fair occafion which offered for extending the culture and improvement of their fpacious and fertile provinces, and the profitable trade of their chartered conftituents (p. 5) If the late annual export of 12,000 hogf heads of fugar was a furplus of Wit India produce, after fatisfying the British and Irish markets, the hipping-off double that quantity would create fcatcity, and enable the planters to levy any contribution they chofe on Briti

a

The author proceeds to ftate the actual inainfic value of the East and Weft Indies, and their refpeftive commerce, to Great Britain, the probable improvements of which each is capable, under the influence of proper encouragement and impartiality (P. 30-35).

"In this comparative view the exports to both, under their respective monopolies, ap pear nearly equal; thofe to the Eaft have fince confiderably increafed, and are in a ftate of progreflive augmentation. The im parts of the Company alone, exclufive of the trade of individuals under their licence, already amount to more than the whole of those from the Weft ndia iflands. It is impoilible to eftimate how much farther they may extend, when to them shall be fuperadded the supply of fugar now and hereafter expected to be called for, and the numberless feights and unrestrained importation may

other articles of produce, which reduced

enable Great Britain to attract from that quarter of her dependencies*. The duties appear at prefent in favour of the Weft Indies, but may be expected to augment here after on the contrary fide, as the Eaft India trade increases. In Arict fairness we ought to take into this account the whole fum deducted from tea, and levied in taxes by the Commutation-act, fince the plea made use of for laying thofe additional burthens on the people was to allow them in another way, by an expected reduction of the price of the commodity, as well as to prevent the fmuggling of it. The whole commerce of the India Company appears to be carried on with nearly half the capital employed by * He derides the American maple-fugir.

the

the planters. The fixed property and population of India exceed thofe of the islands beyond all proportion. The parent state of Great Britain benefits confiderably by a perpetual addition to the national wealth, not merely of the intereft or incomes, but all of the capital fortunes which are uniformly brought from India to this country by every fuccessful adventure. The furplus revente of that country is another fource of British opulence and fplendour. The quotients, which form this revenue, are declaredly the property of the nation, while th fe of the inlands are poffeffed by private men. The direct navigation, or rather tonnage, is the greateft, at prefent, on the fide of the iflands, which is accounted for by recollecting the more bulky part of their commodities. When importation fhall be equally free, India will very foon employ a greater number both of thips and mariners" (p. 35 3c).-"We have endeavoured to demonftrate the comparative magnitude of thefe two monopolies, and how far the reciprocity of intereft between us and each of them refpectively fhould induce Government to prefer either to the other, in its encouragement of the general commerce of Great Britain; not merely how far it would be justifiable in continuing to fanction this double monopoly of a neceffary of life to one of them, which it may easily, under proper regulations, obtain at half the coft from the other. That is by no means the whole question. It behoves is

to enquire whether more than opportunity of
fair competition fhould be granted at all
(P. 39)—“A miniter of this kingdom,
who has not long ago perceived the real
point on which this important question
ought to be determined, would be i'l-quali
fied for his eminent station. It is not which
of the two dependencies are to obain a pre-
ference over the other by a partial difpenia
tion of his favour, but which of the two, at
the prefent moment, most needs Lis pa-
tronage and encouragement, and from which
of them the mother-country has most benefit
to expect in return. If the ene (which, ac-
cording to fome refpectable authorities, has
been the cafe) has proved an eternal fponge
on the capitals of this country, both national
and commercial, and a conflant fource of
anxiety and expence on every alarm and
commencement of hoftilities againit any
other power; if many of our most confider-
able merch, nts have become indifferent to
their commiffion and tired of fupplying their
infatiable calls for money to carry on an ex-
penfive cultivation, took the first favoura-
ble opportunity of getting home their mort-
gages, and relinquishing all connexion with
t'e iflands for ever; while, on the other
band, a well-founded confiden e is created,
that the reverfions alone of our immenfe
territory in the Eaft are capable not only of
fupplying the expence of all its own internal
eftablishments, civil and military, but, more-

over, of contributing largely to the augmentation of our naval strength, and to the exclufion of all rivals in the most extensive trade of the univerfe, will furnish all the funds or capital for conducting that trade, and leave a large furplu- behind to clear off its own incumbrances, and afterwards to eafe the national burthens of the mothercountry. When all thefe important objecis can be obtained by adopting mild and, liberal principles of government over the natives, who require only to be left unmolefted in their customs and religious prejudices, and a liberty to purfue their hereditary employments, after the manner of their forefathers," from time immemorial, for their own benefir, and at their own d fcretion; with fuch a contrait before his eyes, if any partiality claimable, who will hefitate a moment on which fide to beftow it? Nothing more have been demended for India beyond equal *, duties and unreftrained cultivation" (p. 76-78).

180. A general View of the actual Force and Refources of France, in January 1792. T which is added, A Talle, frewing the Depreciation of Affignats, arifing from their Increafe in Quantity. By William Playfair.

MR. P's opportunities of knowing facts that very few Englishmen can know, gives him an advantage in difcuffing his important fubje&t, and enab es him to detect the common fallacy adopted in eftimating the forces and refources of a nation whofe fituation is quite new in the annals of the world.

"We are told that France has 2,400,000 armed men ready to engage her enemies, when we should be told that the bas 2,400,000 who are not able to keep peace in their respective departments. We are told that France has difcovered a method of

being able to fupport an expence of 7,000,occl. fterling a month, when we fhould he told that he has found a nicthod of running 7,0cc,cocl. a month in debt, without any poflibility of ever paying it, and with a certainty of being very foon deprived even of that rumous refource. We hear that France is free, and that the whole nation (a few Aristocrats excepted) is contented and happy, when there is neither fatety for individuals, liberty of opinion, nor unanimity, the lowest dregs of the people being, in Paris and every where elfe, the conductors and tyrants of those who have the vanity to fay they govern, and the wesknefs to imagine that any one believes them. We are told, by themselves, that their fuccefs in September, Otober, and November laft, was owing to their courage and good generalfhip; when, in fact, it was owing to ill conduct and great miftuķes in their enemies."

Thefe

Thefe delufions Mr. P. combats, and fhews "there never was a time when France could fend fewer men into the field, for any continuance of time, and fupply them with neceffaries, than at prefent. They can neither pay nor clothe their armies. Can there be a clearer proof than this of the neceflity of order, arrangement, and industry, to create force? and can any thing fhew more diftinctly the fallacy of eftimating revenue by reams of paper, or force by the total number of armed men? The whole nation, fay they, is a camp, and precifely for that reafon there is not one regiment of well-accoutred foldiers. To oppofe the Duke of Brunswick's army of 60,000 men, whole villages were depopulated of the flower of their youth in the Northern parts of France; and I fay it from certain knowladge, that the numbers who died from difeafe and fkirmishes amounted, in three months, to three times the whole number of their enemies. As to finances, when the affignats were first iffued, there was a great quantity of real fpecie in France; the Government created them rather for the pay ment of debts than for the ufual purposes of the treafury. The lands of the Clergy, feized by the first Affembly, ferved as a pledge for the reimbursement, or rather annihilation of thefe affignats; and thus there was a real value in the paper fo created. The progrefs of burning, and the hopes of peace, quietness, and a revenue from taxes when the Conftitution fhould be finished, gave, deservedly, confiderable credit to a paper which, fince thefe hopes have vanished, and fince its quantity has been fo prodigioufly increafed, deferves no credit at all, nor obtains much. By degrees, however, the new affignats created became more numerous, and, ceafing to be paid to public crediters for reimbui fements, began to be employed for every fort of payment, and fupplied the place of taxes to the public treasury. The affignats paid to the poor, or the merchants, ceafed to be employed in the purchase of church lands; it was immediately paffed in trade; the gold and filver, by degrees, became dear and fearce: fmall affignats became neceffary, and were created; fo that, before the end of the year 1791, a traveller might go from one end of France to the other, and fee neither gold, filver, copper, nor any other currency but the allignats, which were at 28 per cent. lofs. The Conftitution was finifhed, and was accepted by that well-meaning, good-his praife, contrived to gain time till nothing natured, and ufeful King who has fo lately paid fo dearly for his good intentions, who has expiated, in fo cruel a manner, his fatal complaisance to a fet of levelers, whofe ambition and vanity could bear no fuperior, but who were too ignorant to fee that they would themfelves be among the number of the victims which their own hands were

preparing. Inftead of tranquillity and peace,
the Conftitution brought on more troubles,
and their termination feemed not now to
be fixed. A general miftruft took place,
mixed with defpondency, and the affignats
feverely felt the fhock. That the affignats
hardly varied in value, and even rofe in the
horrid maffacres of September 2, 3, 4, and
5, is a plain proof that collateral circum
ftances, and confidence in the ruling fyftem
of affairs, regained the value of the affignats.
Since the Republick has overrun Brabant,
and threatened the whole of Europe in a fit
of folly and infolence, their credit finks, and
the death of their Monarch, which they pre-
tended would enfure their profperity, has
fill augmented their difcredit. Thus the
famous Republick, with its claws extended
on all fides, is like a crab, and goes back-
ward instead of advancing” (p. 19).—" [
think it is likely that when the affignat falls
to one-third of its value, the order of prices,
with regard to buying and felling, will be fa
altered and confufed, that it will occafion an
almoft total difcredit of that paper; and I
imagine that difcredit maft take place to-
wards the month of May or June next, or,
at fartheft, by September, thould our war
with them continue. As foon as the affignats
ceafe, the power of the present Govern-
men', if Government it can be called, will,
ceafe; but not till then; for I do not at-
tempt to deny that, fo long as the alignat
docs fell at a certain price, it is not much
matter what that price is; for two reams
of paper, inftead of one, will do, and for the
moment anfwer the fame end, the only dif-
ference being, that it fhortens the career"
(p. 23).

Mr. P. is of opinion, the only method of making war on France was to depre ciate her credit, instead of combating her leaves to others (p. 24-16). He attri troops. The manner of doing this, he hutes the failure of the Dake of Brunfwick's campaign to his violent manifefto, which frightened his friends from acting. Notwithstanding which, Mr. Playfair is of opinion, that," with all the advantages the French had of meeting their enemy, in a fick and famithed condi tion, in the heart of their country, in far inferior numbers, it is much doubted whether, if a battle had been given, they would not have loft it: and though the Duke, certainly with a great thare of art, and much to

but a fhameful retreat was poffible for his enemies, yet did he not once date to attack that difeafed army in its retreat, infomach that all Europe imagined there was a fort of peace made with the King of Prullia. That this was not the cafe, has fince been clearly evident; and the Duke's enterprifing fpirit gives every reafon to believe, that if then he