a hafty attempt to palliate a prefent inconvenience, lay the foundation of future mischief.

Sir Hercules Langrishe fhewed the diftreffed state of Ireland previous to the tillage laws, when the people were fed with foreign corn, liable to every inconvenience of dearth. He difplayed the advantages which had refulted from thofe laws, and asked, if they were liable to be altered or fufpended upon every occafion, how farmers could be fuppofed to have any reliance upon them, or what inducement they could have to purfue tillage with induftry. The measure of the late embargo could only be juftified, he faid, upon the ground of urgent neceffity, to preferve the people from abfolute famine; but was such a step to be now taken, when there was an abundant fupply within the kingdom, it would be inexcufable upon any ground. He knew, he faid, the purity of the Hon. Gentleman's (Mr. Hartley's) intentions, and the goodnefs of his judgment; he was, therefore, the more anxious least it fhould be fuppofed that he could fuggeft, that the fcarcity of corn had arifen from free exportation.

The Recorder.-Gentlemen take it for granted, that no urgent neceflity exifts to force us upon this measure-but were they to view the multitudes of famifhing wretches who faintly crawl through every street, they would be convinced of the urgent neceffity, and unable to refift their entreaties.There is no neceflity for an eulogium upon the tillage laws to convince me of their utility-nor would it in any degree impeach their merit to relax them at this time-befides the public faith is engaged in this bufinefs for the fhip now arrived from the Baltic, and fome others on the way, have all been fent upon a belief, that their cargoes might be freely entered, and if now fent back, must injure this nation in the opinion of foreigners. A violent step was taken laft feffion, by leffening the bounty on corn. Let us now endeavour to repair it, by adopting the policy of our late excellent chief governor, who directed that the executive officers fhould take bonds for the duties of corn imported, relying on the wifdom of the legislature, at their next meeting, to cancel thofe bonds.

The Rt. Hon. John Hely Hutchinfon (Provoft) faid he did not rife to oppose any expedient for the relief of the poor; but the harvest was a good one, though for the reafon already stated, corn was not brought to market fo foon as could be wifhed. In regard to any disappointment of foreign veffels, it was well known that the proclamation was decifive in its limits to the 15th of September; and though it might give temporary relief, it was highly productive of mifchief, as it would raife the price of corn, if the motion did not pafs, and then be an oppreffion, inftead of relief, to the poor.

The Recorder faid, that could not produce the effect, because it was well known, farmers must fend in corn to obtain money to pay their rents.

Capt. T. Burgh defired to know how long the eleven hundred barrels of corn in queftion, would fupply the city of Dublin; for if, as he had good reason to believe, 1100 barrels of corn would feed the city but one day and an half, and by difcouraging the farmers wonld keep back their corn from market, he thought it would be bad policy to feed the people one day and an half and keep them perhaps a month fafting.

Mr. Hartley now prefented his motion to the Chair," that the House would addrefs his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, that he would order the proper officers to receive bonds for the duties of all corn imported, for fourteen days from the prefent date."

Sir H. Langribe faid, there were numberlefs objections to the motion-that as a money matter, it ought to pass through a committee that it could have no effect as to bringing corn from foreign markets, the time being too fhort-but it would operate as a deception, and making farmers imagine there was a scarcity, caufe them to hoard their grain for the highest price. He faid he was just returned from the country, and was convinced that the prefent thinness of the markets, was caufed by the farmers being all engaged in fowing. Sowing indeed in vain, if the laws for the protection and encouragement of tillage, were to be difpenfed with upon every occafion. The late embargo, and measures which accompanied it, were not taken up till after every county in the kingdom had been examined as to its ftate of provifions.

Mr. Hartley again urged the neceflity of the meafure; he hoped he would not be confidered as an enemy to duty on importation of foreign corn, except in cafes of urgent neceflity; at the fame time he thought the price 11. 16s. was too high to be the rate to which the corn of our own growth mutt rife before the ports could be opened to admit a foreign relief.

Attorney General.-I contider this motion as totally inadmiffable; when we were alarmed with the near approach of famine, government did not venture to adopt this meafure, till after the fulleft inveftigation, and the clofeft enquiry into the unavoidable necessity of it; convinced of that neceflity which only could juftify fuch a proceeding, the meafure was adopted; 'tis now proposed to fet afide the laws of the land, which are facred, and fhould not be even lightly fpoken of, and upon what authority? the opinion of the Hon. Gentleman, that it will ferve the city of Dublin; which opinion, however refpectable, is, I apprehend, not fufficient. I am as well warranted to fay, that in my opiopinion, difpenfing with fome particular law, will advantage another place; my Right Hon. Friend may fay the fame, and fo it may go round, till each man gets fome particular law fet aside for his particular purpofe. I conceive a partial embargo would be unjutt-there is a fact that the Hon. Gentleman does not yet feem to be informed of, and that is, that the embargo is taken off by proclamation, as a mark of refpect to parliament, now fitting; be

fides, government were fo confcious of the neceffity of having the fanction of parliament to juftify that embargo, that every fpeedy means will be taken to obtain an act of indemnity for it: I have prepared a bill for that purpose, but if the prefent motion fhould be carried, another act will be neceifary to indemnify perfons acting under it, and even (as my friend behind me whispers) to indemnify this Houfe for affuming to difpenfe with the facred facts of the legiflature. The queftion palled in the negative.

Sir Henry Cavendish moved, that the proper officers fhould lay before the Houfe an account of all public money lodged in the national bank, in confequence of an addrefs of the Houfe to the Lord Lieutenant, requesting that he would pleafe to direct the deputy vice treafurers, &c. &c. to deposit in the national bank whatever balance of public money fhould at any time remain in their hands.

Mr. Clements declared his readiness to comply with the intention of the refolution. His accounts were made up weekly, and the ballance, in obedience to the Lord Lieutenant's order, paid into the bank.

Mr. Foster faid, the bank being a great trading company, he did not think their clerks were warranted to discover their tranfactions

public credit was of too delicate a nature to allow it-he thought the officers of the Crown were the proper perfons for the Houfe to call upon, but fubmitted it to the Hon. Baronet, whether it would be prudent to make the daily tranfactions of the bank public.

Mr. Gardiner, with fome warmth, oppofed the opinion of his Right Hon.Friend, (Mr. Fofter) that the officers of the bank were not fubject to be called to account by the Houfe. The bank, he faid, was a great public undertaking, exifting by act of parliament, and fanctioned by the faith of government, who had directed the public money to be depofited therein; it was then to every intent and purpose public object, its officers were the officers of the public, and as fuch liable to be called upon by the House to account for the public money, pafling through their hands.

Mr. Fofter explained himself-that he thought the vice treasurers and other officers to whom the orders of government concerning public money iffued, being the immediate officers of the ftate, it would be more proper to direct the orders of the Houfe to them, but did not deny that the Houfe might, if it should be deemed proper, call the officers of the bank before them.

Mr. Clements repeatedly declared, that he did not intend any oppofition to the motion-the more frequently his accounts were infpected, the greater would be his fatisfaction. He defired the Hon. Baronet would point out his object, that it might not be delayed: On Saturday fe'nnight, to which his laft return was made up, the

national bank owed a balance to his office of one hundred and thirty-three thousand odd hundred pounds.

Mr. Secretary Hamilton requested the Hon. Baronet to declare to the Houfe the end and intention of his motion, as he thought it might be a matter of more importance than appeared at first fight, and would therefore wish to confider before he voted on the queftion, whether it was likely to be productive of public benefit, or the reverfe.

Mr. Solicitor Carleton fpoke to the fame effect, as did Mr. George Panjonby, who faid, he was very fure the Hon. Baronet's motion had fome wife tendency; but as, upon the beft confideration, he had not been able to discover what that tendency was, and as the Baronet refufed to inform him, he would not give the motion an affirmative without fome explanation.

Sir H. Cavendish faid his motion fufficiently expreffed his objea.

Mr. Braun (reprefentative for the College) faid, as he was very little acquainted with the rules of parliament, he would be much obliged to any gentleman who would inform him, whether there was any rule or order of the House, to compel a member offering a refolution to the chair, to explain his motives and objects for that refolution?

Mr. Carleton faid, there was certainly no fuch rule or order, but while a member thought proper to conceal the intention of a refolution, other members would exercife their right of giving fuch refolution a negative; though if properly explained, and proved to be beneficial, it might have met with a favourable reception.

Sir Nicholas Lawless declared, that without knowing any thing of the Hon. Baronet's intention, he would vote in the affirmative of the refolution; and this he thought himself bound to do, not only as being a fubfcriber to the bank, and as having induced others to fubfcribe, but as being convinced that the more the conduct of the bank was fcrutinized, the more it would redound to the honour of thofe who had the direction of it; and as being alfo convinced that the addrefs of the Houfe, requefting his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant to order the deputy vice treasurers, &c. to pay the public balances into the national bank, had been strictly complied with.

After fome converfation on this fubject, Sir H. Cavendish's refolution paffed, and he then produced three other resolutions to the following purport; but faid, he did not come as an orator with a fet fpeech to enforce them; he would only for the prefent read them to the Houfe, and at a more convenient opportunity Inove them.

ft. That the condition of this kingdom requires that all practicable retrenchments fhould be made on its establishments, confiftent with its welfare and safety.

2d. That no money fhould be granted this feffion for the encouragement of any trade or manufacture whatfoever.

3d. That the Houfe fhould not proceed upon any petition for the encouragement of any private undertaking.

Mr. Gardiner called the attention of the Houfe to the deplorable state of our poor manufacturers; their diftreffes were too great and too vifible he faid to require any power of words to exprefs; and it was equally vifible that they must be relieved; what the means of relief would be, he could not prognofticate, but thought it his duty, and the duty of the Houle, to give the fubject the deepeft confideration; and knowing no method more proper than to refer it to a committee, he moved that a committee fhould be appointed to take into confideration the state of the manufactures of Ireland, the proper means of giving them encouragement, and alfo to take into confideration the imports and exports of this kingdom.

Sir Edward Newenham obferved, that it gave him peculiar fatisfaction in feeing the Speaker, (Mr. Pery) re-elected to that high ftation, which he had fupported during the two laft parliaments with so much honour to himself, and fo much advantage to his country.

A fevere illness, faid he, prevented my attendance before the recefs, but I am happy to find that my Right Hon. Colleague has anticipated the motions that I intended to have moved in order to ground a bill for protecting duties, as I am decidedly of opinion that no other measure will reftore our manufactures, or fupport them when restored; I am confident that the zeal, perseverance, and abilities of my colleague, will infure fuccefs to his laudable and patriotic endeavours in favour of the diftreffed and ftarving manufacturers of Ireland.

He faid, that though not perfectly recovered in his health, he came to attend his duty this day, in order to lay before parliament fome information of the greateft national importance, and therefore requested the attention of the House for a few moments. His information was contained in a letter from a nobleman of exalted rank and character in France, dated the 2d of October, 1783; an extract of which he read as follows:

"Nothwithstanding your friends have fpoken about including "Ireland in the commercial treaty now pending between Great "Britain and the United States of North America, the British "Commiffioner has not done it; I am inclined to think, the

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queftion was asked him, and he, (Mr. Hartley) wrote home for inftructions, but none have arrived, therefore you ought "to lofe no time in taking proper and fpeedy measures to have "Ireland included by name, otherwife there may poflibly arise ,, numberless doubts, delays, and mifunderstandings, between