Average Prices of CORN, by the Winchefter Bushel of Eight Gallons From July 11, 1785, to July 16, 1785. 5a6s Pre. 6a5 Difc. Dife. 16s. Pr. Nothing done The Paper containing a Refutation of Dr. Smith's Arguments for the Abolition of the Eaft India Company, we have been obliged on Account of the length of the Debates, and other interefting matter, to poftpone til next month. THE POLITICAL MAGAZINE; THE For JULY, 1785. Lord Sheffield's Obfervations on the Trade of Ireland. HE affairs of Ireland having been of late fo great an object of political curiofity and investigation, in conformity to our plan, we will from time to time. lay before our readers fuch genuine and authentic papers or obfervations, as may ferve to display the prefent ftate of that country, as well as its political and commercial connexion with this. For a fimilar purpose, alfo, we would refer our readers to the political Magazine for the year 1780, which contains a general defcription as well as the present state of that country, with refpect to trade, agriculture and finance-taken from the beft authorities. (See page 189 to 196.) Alfo the outlines of a plan for fettling the affairs of Ireland, communicated by Lord Shelburn to Mr. Young author of the tour through that country and other much efteemed and ufeful works: with the late Lord Chat hams opinion of an union with Ireland. (p. 393 to 309 of the fame year 1780.) Lord Sheffield's obfervations on the general trade of Ireland: and on the trade of Ireland with England and Scotland feparately, We now come to inquire into the external commerce of Ireland. The exami nation of what it has been, will give a very imperfect idea of the extenfion it is capable of. It feems at prefent likely to outftrip her internal trade; and care fhould be taken that the latter, which is of the greatest confequence, be not neglected. The general trade of Ireland has increafed greatly, and it will increase much more; he has had a favourable balance+ on the whole of her commerce, during this century, according to her own cuftom-house accounts, on averages of five or ten years, and even on the years fepar ately, except the following, when the balance against her was, £. s. d. 21,902 6 3 1706. 71,742 18 4 7 1709 An obfervation of the Noble Lord's, in the fpeech on the Irish Propofitions ought to be paid more attention to, than probably it will be, in the profecution of that business; he faid, "the minifters of this country are In the year 1701 "feldum well acquainted with the Temper "and Difpofition of the different nations "that compofe the British Empire." And Lord Sheffield on the subject of the Irish Commerce makes an obfervation of the fame kind. "We are curious and inquifitive fays he, relative to the island of Otaheite are well informed of its manners, cuftoms, politics, parties, manufactures, Shipping, &c. and accurately acquainted with the difpofitions of queen Oberea: "but we totally overlook the neighbouring "iflaud, and the character of its people.' 66 66 And this indifference to one of the firft objects of Legislation, has been among the chief caufes of the dismemberment of the Empire. Vol. IX. No. 72, for July, 1784. 3,719 12,187 But in the year of the peace, viz. the year ending 25th March, 1783, the imports and exports both rofe high, the imports exceeded thofe of former years. Imports Balance against Ireland Even before the year 1750, it amounted fome years to upwards of 400,000l. and in 1747, to 798,2301, Yet on an average of five years, the balance was in her favour. The extraordinary import in that year, partly happened from the effect of peace, and partly from the neceffity of compleating ftock to fupply the deficiency of imports in preceeding years, particularly in 1779 and 1780, when they were very confiderably lower than ufual. (See our Magazine for March laf, page 176.) This Table fhews the trade of Ireland with all parts by decennial averages during fixty years. The Effay on the trade of Ireland, published in 1729, by Mr. Dobbs, obferves, that it is probable the exports of Ireland, during the period from the Reftoration to the Revolution, did not exceed 600,000l. In the year 1681, It is difficult at this distance of time to difcover whence arofe this great alteration in her trade, unlefs it can be in part imputed to the war which began at that time. It was partly caufed by the restrictions on her woollens; but that could not produce near the effect we have obferved; for the greatest export of woollens from Ireland, viz. in 1687, did not exceed in value 70,521. and in the year previous to the prohibition. viz. 1698, it was only 23,6141. and at the fame time it fhould be remarked, that the whole value of old and new drapery imported from England in 1698, was only 9,612). 135.98. and in the year 1701 it had only rifen to 16,1631. Ss. 9d. It appears from tables 3 and 4 (See our Mag. for March last, page 177) how greatly the trade has increated during this century, and in a regular progreffion, the beft proof of a well-established commerce, except the period from 1720 to 1730, during which there is a decrease from that of the preceding ten years, to the amount, on the average, of about 110,000l. a year. It has, in 80 years, increafed more in proportion than the trade of England, and, perhaps, if it could be afcertained, we fhould find that the external trade of Ireland is, in proportion to her capital, greater than that of England; but Ireland is far behind as to internal trade, and until there is an improvement in that respect, fhe cannot expect to fee her people fully employed, or in poffeffion of any general affluence. Her progrefs in the present æra is great and rapid, in general her imports of manufactured goods decrease, and her exports, of manufactures increase. Her trade to all parts must advance very much-Her fpirits are now alive to improvements, and if they take a right turn, the country will be highly benefited, It is probable she will fend more to every country than fhe has done, particularly to America and the West Indies. She will fupply herself with foreign and colonial commodities to a greater extent than she does now; but un The very fudden and rapid increase in 1697 and 98, may be, in great measure, afcribed to the peace of Ryfwick, which certainly had enlivened commerce. lefs Lefs Britain elinquithes that principle of the navigation laws which makes her the mart for thofe articles, Ireland will not become the entrepot of them. However interefting, it is unneceffary to repeat the arguments on that head, or to point out the various bad confequences that would refult from it; nor, in truth, is the meafure in queftion neceifary to the profperity of Ireland. The Weft Indies and North America take off every thing that Ireland produces or manufactares. The markets of the plantations and new states are more likely to and a demand for her manufactures, than the well-fupplied markets of Britain. Ireland, very properly, confiders the last year's fyftem of taxing manufactures; in Great Britain, as bounties in favour of her manufactures; and fo do the opprefled manufactures of Manchester, Glasgow, Paifley, &c. many of whom, and in very refpectable fituations, have, fince June la, made offers to go and establish them felves and their manufactures in Ireland. The minifters fhould learn, that although duties or taxes are drawn back on exportation, they are a very great weight on trade and among other inftances, by the much greater capital which is neceffarily employed, the extention of the manufacturer is prevented. The manufacturer cannot fpeculate: he will not make goods till ordered, Men of fmall capitals cannot undertake bufinefs, and an oppreffive advantage is given to great capitals. Ireland has not thefe difadvantagess-on the contrary, her manufacturers poffets every facility and encouragement that were ever known in any country. There is one exception, however, as to external trade, a remain of the old mode of treating cuftoms, chiefly, as a matter of revenue. She ftill lays five per cent, on all exports, and 10 per cent on all imports, with very few exceptions as to the latter. The general import trade of Ireland is carried on at Waterford, Dublin, Belfast, Derry, and Limerick, through which places the kingdom is principally fupplied, and Cork, in comparison to her confiderable state of commerce in other refpects, has not her propo tion of the import trade. The country fhe has to fupply is not confiderable in point of popula tion. This is no fmall difadvantage to that city; but her port and fituation will always make her a first-rate place for made. It is, however, to be lamented that her trade is not more fteady and equal. The difference of demand for provifions in peace and war, does not fufficiently account for it, as has appeared under the article, provifion trade. The fudden peace undoubtedly caused a very confider able check, from the great tock of proVisions prepared and preparing, which were thrown back upon the dealers, factors, and importers. The great quantity of government ftores on hand were to be fold, and the garrifons and islands were filledjith provifions; but the late languid state of trade at Cork is perhaps much more to be imputed to the check to credit, which, and the great demand for money, pofiibly now affect her more than the pacification. There are, however, fatisfactory reafons to believe that her exertions are again beginning to have full scope and fuccefs. Although the balance of trade is in favour of Ireland with moft conntries, it is conftantly against her with Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the East country. Ic is often fo in the trade with France, the import of claret exceeding the export of beef and pork to that country; and fometimes the balance is against her with Hol land and Flanders. ac TRADE WITH ENGLAND. Perhaps a more ftriking inftance of the unfatisfactoriness of custom-house counts does not occur than in their state of the trade between England and Ireland, It is generally fuppofed that the balance has been in favour of England from 4 or 500,000l. to 1,000,000l. yearly, and that it had been always greatly in her favour; but the contrary has been the cafe, two or three years excepted. The Irish customhoufe accounts are in this matter much nearer to the truth than the English. The articles are rated below the value, but not very confiderably: the difference and the deception arife from the manner of valuing Irith linens in the ports of England. In the latter they are averaged and valued at Sd. per yard. In Ireland they are valued from 15d. to 17d. per yard, which, confidering the proportion of fine linens fent from that country, is below the real value. This at once explains the difference of the English and Irish ftate of the balance of trade between the two countries, and it is obvious how great the difference, must be when we confider that the liners exported from Ireland generally are more than half of the whole export from that kingdom, and that they are rated in Eng land at lefs than one half of their value. Thus, for example, taking the year 21,181,065 yards imported into England 1777: which two last articles were manufactured to advantage in England. About 50,000l. of the 69,000 were in frizes, much of which went to England, and was improved by new dreffing and napping; befides, there was not above 4000l. in value, of Irish manufacture exported. In 1695, the manufactures of Ireland exported were in value 30,4631, of which woollen and linen yarn amounted to 20,0751. which exceeds the quantity of thofe articles exported before the preceding war, as appears in the last article, above 5000!. In 1696, imports from The table No. 2. gives the trade of Ireland with Great Britain for the last thirty-" four years; from which it appears, that the balance in favour of Ireland has varied from 4 to 800,0col.; and there has been this balance againft Great Britain, notwithstanding the trade with that part of it called Scotland was confiderably against Ireland. The following fhews the great difference of value between the imports into Great Britain and Ireland of the product and manufactures of each country: Value of imports into Ireland of the growth and manufacture of Great Britain, average of three years ending 25th March 1782, 1,218,7041. 185, 5d. Value of exports of the growth and manufacture of Ireland to Great Britain, average for fame years, 2,420,4251. 6s, 72d. The following is the English cuftom houfe account of the trade between England and Ireland for the year 1783. It has already been remarked, how extremely de fective the English accounts are in the va£. s. d. luation of imports from Ireland, and what a falfe balance confequently is given. 233,543 18 101,419 16 4 8 290,892 16 7 132,290 O parts In 1697, imports from England Imports from foreign parts The exports this year to England of Manufactures and woollen and linen yarn, principally the two laft, amounted to $3,8071. and were confequently advanrucous to England, as the improved them. J 1698, imports from England Imports from foreign An account of the value of the goods and manufactures exported from Englend to Ireland, from 5th January, 1783, to 5th January, 1784; alfo an account of the value of the goods imported from Ire Jand into England in the above period. Exported to Ireland. British manufactures and produce. parts This year the amount of manufactures fent to England of the fame fort as before, role to 155,5951. |