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The petition of certain merchants, ftiling themselves the Council of the Chamber of Commerce, praying to be put on the fame footing with Great Britain, relative to the conftruction of the navigation acts, was this day prefented by Mr. Hartley, and ordered to lie on the table.

Right Hon. John Fofter-As I think the existence of Ireland, as a commercial country, depends upon the proper conftruction of the act of navigation, and the other acts made explanatory thereof, and for giving it force in Ireland, this petition merits our utmost regards; and as the Honourable Gentleman who prefented it, feemed to have fome doubt that the bill now before the com

mittee of ways and means, might in fome degree tend to exclude Ireland from the benefit of those acts, though I am not of the fame opinion myfelf, yet I am ready to add to that bill a provifo [which he read] declaring that nothing therein contained fhall be conftrued to deprive this country of the benefit of the act of navigation, or the acts made explanatory thereof.

Sir John Blaquiere moved that the proper officer do lay before the House, an account of the quantity of woollen yarn exported the last ten years.

An engroffed money-bill was prefented to the House.

Ordered, That the fame be prefented to the Houfe of Lords by two of the members of this Houfe, for their Lordships con

currence.

Mr. Grattan-I move to take into confideration, on Friday next, all practical retrenchments in the collecting of the revenue. From what happened in this House on Saturday laft, particularly refpecting the addition of 4000l. per annum to the falary of the Chief Governor (a measure which, had I been prefent, I would have most strenuously opposed) I am induced to move for an immediate enquiry into practical retrenchments.-Ordered.

Sir Annelley Stewart obferved, that as another very respectable affembly was now fitting, at which feveral members of this Houfe were to attend, he wished the Honourable Gentleman who had given notice that he would, on this night, move for an absenteetax, would be fo kind as to poftpone it for a few days.

Mr. Molyneux rofe, and apologized for not being able to enter into the business of which he had given notice, (a tax on abfentees) and which was ordered for difcuflion this day; he faid, that the clofe attention which he was bound to give in another moft refpectable affembly (the Grand National Convention) had not left him opportunity fufficient to prepare himself properly on that important fubject; and he again begged leave to defer it to Monday next.

After this apology, Mr. Molyneux fat down, but rofe almost immediately, and defired to know if an honourable and learned member, who had undertaken to explain the conduct of government, with regard to the provincial regiments, and who, he doubted not, would do it very much to their honour, was ready to proceed upon that subject.

Mr. George Ponsonby-If the Hon. Gentleman had kept his promise to the Houfe, it would be easier for me to keep mine; this is the fecond or third time he has deferred the abfentee question. I came to the House this night expecting to hear him on that fubject; he difappoints me, and defires me to proceed with one not. fixed for this night; he cannot fure imagine I go always with the papers in my pocket, which are neceffary to the point I have in view ; but this I promise the Honourable Gentleman, that I will be ready to enter upon the fubject I have undertaken on the day next following to that on which his fhall be difpofed of.

Report was made by the Right Hon. John Fefter, that the committee had gone through the bill for granting to his Majesty feveral duties on goods therein mentioned, without any amend

ment.

Mr. Fofter I move that a claufe be annexed to the faid bill. "Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, that this act shall not extend to allow the import of fuch wares and merchandizes from any place contrary to the true intent and meaning of the act, called the Act of Navigation paffed in the reign of Charles II. and by an act paffed in the fourteenth and fifteenth of George II. and by an act paffed in the feventeenth and eighteenth of his prefent Majefty for the extending of certain provifions."

Mr. Hartley-The intention of this petition is to examine into the conftruction of the act of navigation.

Mr. Fofter-I wish to introduce a clause to obviate all doubts, relative to this country, as a commercial country; if any doubts remain, I do not wish to have it introduced at all.

Mr. Hartley-I know that the petition is prefented with the best intentions.

Mr. Fofter faid, that the act of navigation was an Irish law. If gentlemen wished for a feparate act (though, in his opinion, not neceffary) he should withdraw the propofed claufe, and move that the bill fhould be engroffed.

The Houfe in a committee of ways and means, Right Hon. John Foster in the chair.

Mr. Hartley moved that a tax of 1s. fhould be paid on every entry, except poft entries, imported into the port of Dublin, to pay off the debt incurred by the truftees for building the Royal

Exchange, and for the purpose of keeping the Exchange in repair.Agreed nem. con.

Mr. Hartley then propofed a tax of 5s. per pound on all rabbits fur, and 3d. per fkin on all rabbits skins exported: This he did as a protecting duty, in order to keep at home the raw material of every confiderable manufacture.

Mr. Mafon propofed is. per pound as an amendment, 5s.. he thought, would be a prohibition, inftead of a protection.

Sir John Blaquiere fupported the principle of guarding our own manufactures by protecting duties; his idea was not to prohibit the exportation of the raw material, but to let it go fo taxed, that the produce of the manufacture fhould return to us loaded with an expence, which would render it dearer to the consumer, than the produce of the fame manufacture at home.

Mr. Denis Daly faid-Before we prohibit the exportation of any raw material, it is neceffary for us to know that we have any chance of confuming it in our manufactures at home; there are many raw materials, efpecially in that part of the country which I have the honour to reprefent, of which to prohibit the exportation, would be most ruinous and destructive.

Mr. Hartley urged the manifold advantages which England derived from the laws, by which fhe prohibited the exportatation of wool, and faid, that fo confcious was that wife country of thofe advantages, that all the wool-growers in England, with a noble duke at their head, had not been able to shake her inflexible refolution of maintaining them. He hoped Ireland would profit by her example.

It was ultimately agreed, to refer this petition to Mr. Gardiner's committee for protecting the trade of Ireland.

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Sir Henry Hartftonge faid, his letters received this day from Limerick acquainted him, that the city and its custom-houfe ftill remained in the fame defenceless state it had been in for fome time paft, for want of a garrifon, there not being a single soldier there; and called upon the Right Hon. Gentleman in the confidence of Government, to declare why a military force had not been quartered in that city for fome time past.

Mr. Pelham, in anfwer, faid, that in pursuance to an application from the Hon. Baronet, orders had been fent for the march of troops to do garrifon duty in Limerick.

Sir Henry Hartfonge rejoined, by an obfervation on the slowness of their march, it being the 23d of October he made an application to the Right Hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Chatterton moved, that a bill to prevent frivolous and vexatious arrests should be printed. He obferved, that the feffion before last an act under a fimilar title had paffed; that it had injured all credit among the lower clafs of the people, particularly at Cork, the inhabitants of which had petitioned against it, and it had been fince repealed.-Ordered accordingly.

The Houfe being informed that Mr. Wetheral, affiftant examinator of cuftoms, attended at the door, he was called in, and at the bar prefented to the Houfe, pursuant to their order, an account of the quantities and value of new drapery imported into Ireland from England and Scotland for eighty-five years and a quarter, commencing the 25th day of December, 1697, and ending the 25th day of March, 1783, each year diflinguished.-Alfo, an account of the quantities and value of old drapery imported into Ireland from England and Scotland for eighty-five years and a quarter, commencing the 25th day of December, 1697, and ending the 25th day of March, 1783, each year diftinguished.

The titles whereof were read, and the accounts ordered to lie on the table for the perufal of the members.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1783.

The Houfe refolved itself into a committee of trade, Sir Henry Cavendish in the chair.

When Mr. Haughton was examined relative to the manufacture of new drapery.

Sir Henry Cavendish, chairman of the committee of trade, reported fome progrefs, and asked leave to fit again.-Agreed to. The Houfe refolved itself into a committee, the Right Hon. John Bourke in the chair.

Read a bill to enable the Hon. Mr. Leefon to fell part of his eftate, to discharge incumbrances, and for other purposes.

Mr. Fofter prefented an engroffed bill for regulating the sugar trade, and granting feveral duties therein mentioned.-Ordered to the Lords.

Report from the committee to enquire into the petition respecting the inland navigation.-Received and ordered to lie on the

table.

Mr. Bennet moved, that the petition complaining of an undue election and return for the county of Galway, be withdrawn.Withdrawn accordingly.

Mr. Holmes moved, that further time be granted for perfons to qualify. Granted.

Mr. Daly-Having been elected and returned for the county of Galway, and a petition being prefented, which is now withdrawn, I make my election for the faid county.

Sir John Parnell reported from the committee appointed to take into confideration the ftate of the navigation board.

Mr. Browne (of Trinity College) moved, that the names of all perfons who are returned for two places, be called over on the 3d day of December next, and that they be then obliged to make their election. An amendment was propofed, that the words twenty days after," be inserted.

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Sir Henry Cavendish moved, that the ftanding order of the Houfe, in fuch cafes, be now read.-Order read.

Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Scott obferved, that there were a great many petitions, complaining of undue returns, that could not be difpofed of till after the third of December, and fome of them would not come on till February: This motion, if carried, would inconvenience many gentlemen.

The question was put on the amendment, and carried in the affirmative.

The motion was then put, and negatived.

Mr. Smith (member for Limerick) obferved, that when there was a demand for troops elfewhere, the volunteers of Limerick had chearfully undertaken to do the garrifon duty; that they had continued it for these three months; that they were mostly merchants, traders and manufacturers; that they were at very great expence, and though their hearts did not feel it, their pockets did; and when the cold weather had fet in, the barrack board was wrote to for firing, and an answer was received from a Mr. Thwaites, informing, that no firing could be given to the volunteers, without a particular order from government: In this bufinefs he did not in the leaft charge the Right Hon. Secretary with any inattention, but he thought that men who had done fo much, voluntarily, fhould not have been fo dealt with; and that fome of the regulars fhould have been fent there ere now.

Mr. Cuffe anfwered-That it was by no means in confequence of any difrefpect to the volunteers that they were denied fires, but as government provided for none other than the ftanding army, it could not be allowed.

The order of the day being read, for the Houfe entering into a committee on the petition of Robert Brooke, Efq; of Profper

ous,

The House refolved itfelf accordingly, Thomas Burgh, Efq; (of Oldtown) in the chair.

Mr. Arbuthnot, fupervifor of the linen-board, was examined, who, among other particulars, depofed, that he had been fent by the linen-board to Profperous, in the county of Kildare, Mr. Brooke's manufactory, where he found buildings had been erected, fince the 11th of October laft, which had coft, by the builder's estimate, 2,8337. the principal of which was a house 300 feet in

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