Lord Temple took it up, and inveftigated it with great at tention and ability. He approved of the plan originally fuggeted, but as his lordthip was foon called away, he had not an opportunity of carrying it into effect.

Lord Northington adopted thefe ideas which Lord Temple had approved. His lordship repeated the propofal which Lord Buckingham had made to the Bricifh minifters, but could not prevail on them to accede to it. His lordship fent over Mr. Lees to London to explain the fubject, and give every information upon it. He was authorised to reprefent, that Ireland was willing to take upon herself the expence of pacquets, and to account to England for all foreign poftage received in Ireland.

During the fpace of near three months Lord Clermont and Mr. Lees, laboured this point with the most unremitting zeal and attention; but the minifters adhered firicly to the reafoning which had decided againft the meafure, during Lord Buckingham's administration.

The firft objection was, the great inequality in point of revenue to the difadvantage of England, as might be clearly exemplified in the cafe of a single letter. Ireland, they said, might receive on a fingle letter, at an average, 8d. poftage from every part of England, whereas England could in no cafe receive for the internal poftage of a fingle letter conveyed in Ireland more than 4d.-but that which was principally urged, and feemed the most relied upon, was, that as Great Britain conveyed at her own charge, the mails, both to and from Ireland, Ireland could have no juft claim to any part of the revenue arising from the labours and expence of England. That every country fhould be recompenfed for its own fervices, that as England alone performed the duty, England ought of course, alone, to receive the profit; and that with every difpofition on their part, not only to do juftice, but to fhew kindnefs to Ireland, they could not in this inftance relinquish the right of England. The fituation of the country could not afford it, nor could they juftify such a proceeding to parliament. It was the juftice of this argument was too ftrong not to be admitted. But it was faid on the part of Ireland, that he would establish pacquet boats, and pay the expence of all foreign letters to Holyhead. Her right to do fo was not denied; but it was objected that by the law of England, the mails of that kingdom must be sent out in pa quet boats of her own; and though it was confeffed that Ireland had the fame right to fend out her mails in pacquet boats of her own, yet for the accommodation of both fides, and to prevent the trouble and expence of doubling the number of pacquet boats, it was propofed as a compenfation to Ireland, until the fhould think proper to establish pacquet boats of her

own, to pay her 4,000l. per annum, for the liberty of carrying her letters across the channel. The difficulties, infeparable from any other plan, and the impropriety of either nation interfering with the revenue of the other, had induced Lord Northington to agree to thofe terms, and England had in confequence paffed an act, for the feparation of the poft-offices of Great Britain and Ireland, which is however, not to take place until a fimilar act fhall have been paffed in this kingdom.

The meaning of the bill, and the fpirit of it was to allow each country to receive the poftage of letters fo far as the

carries them.

To reftrain the privilege of franking letters to the refpective members of parliament within their refpective kingdoms, and to enable the treasury of England to pay over to that of Ireland, by quarterly payments, 4,000l. per annum, until Ireland shall think proper to establish pacquet boats of her own.

Now it appears to me that the compenfation is fully adequate, and a much greater revenue than could be raised by establishing Irish pacquet boats, which would be a very expenfive undertaking, and in the end, perhaps, not quit the coft; befides this, England has affigned over to Ireland, free of expence, the poft-office which lately coft her between 7, and 8,000l. Upon the whole, I truft the Houfe will perceive that every thing poffible has been done by Lord Northington for the advantage of Ireland; and that he has been as fuccefsful as could reafonably be hoped.

The Attorney General then proceeded to ftate the plan upon. which it was intended to eftablifh the Irifh office. On the prefent establishment, he faid it would do little more than pay its own expences; and in order to raife a revenue, the privilege of franking must be reftrained to the perfonal convenience of the members of parliament, to which end it was proposed that no letter fhould pafs free that was not fuperfcribed, and dated on the back with the day of the week and month, by a member of parliament; and that if it was not put into the office the day of its date, it fhould not be confidered as free. He ftated that it would be neceffary to make a fmall increafe in the postage of Letters, and moved the following refolutions :

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that towards raifing the fupply granted to his Majefty a general letter office, or poft office, together with all inferior neceffary offices, fhall be eftablished within this kingdom, to continue to the 25th day of March, 1785; and that there thall be levied and paid to his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, for the portage and conveyance of letters and packets by the faid offices, the feveral rates hereafter mentioned.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that there fhall be levied and paid to his Majesty, his heirs and fucceffors,

1

from the establishment of fuch general poft-office, until the time aforefaid, for the port and conveyance of every fingle letter or piece of paper from the office in this kingdom where fuch letter or piece of paper fhall be put in, to any diftance within faid kingdom not exceeding fifteen miles Irifh meafure, the fum of 2d. and to any diftance exceeding fifteen miles, and not exceeding thirty miles, the fum of 3. and to any distance exceeding thirty miles, the fum of 4. and for the port and conveyance of every double letter, double the faid fums refpectively; and of every treble letter, treble the faid fums refpectively; and of every ounce weight, four times the faid fums refpectively, and so in proportion for any greater weight than an ounce, reckoning every quarter of an ounce equal to a fingle letter.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that every letter or packet directed from any place in this kingdom to any parts beyond the feas, fhall be charged and pay according to the rates aforefaid, for its portage and conveyance within this kingdom from or to Dublin or Donaghadee, according as it shall be refpectively shipped from or landed in either of the faid places.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that every letter or packet paffing through the general poft-office in the city of Dublin, from any place within this kingdom not less distant than four miles from the faid office, to any place within the faid kingdom, not lefs diftant likewife than four miles from the faid office, shall be charged and pay according to the distances in the foregoing refolutions to Dublin, and be further charged and pay according to the fame from Dublin.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that for every letter or packet directed on board, or brought or sent from on board any fhip or veffel riding or ftopping in any port within this kingdom, there fhall be charged and paid to his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, over and above the rates aforefaid, the fum of id.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that towards raifing the faid fupply a penny-poft-office be established in the city of Dublin, for the port and conveyance of letters and packets within a circuit of four miles from the general post-office in the faid city.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that for every letter or packet of any weight which shall be fent to or delivered from the general poft-office by the penny-poft, from or to any place not being within the faid city, there fhall be paid the fum of 14. over and above or exclufive of the rates aforefaid.

Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, that for the port and conveyance of any letter or packet, being not more than four ounces in weight, from and to any place within the city

of Dublin, by the penny-poft-office, there fhall be paid, at the time of putting fuch letter or packet into the office, the fum of id. and for the port and conveyance of every letter or packet, not exceeding the like weight, from any place in the faid city to any place outside of the faid city within the circuit of the pennypoft-office, or from any place outfide of the faid city within the circuit of the penny-poft to any place in the faid city, there fhall be paid, at the time of putting in fuch letter or packet, the fum of 1. and a further fum of 1d. on the delivery thereof.

Mr. Molyneux faid, that he faw no reason why we should truft England with the conveyance of our letters, while she refused to trust us; that the establishment of pacquet boats would be a fmall expence and productive of a great revenue. And finally, that the proof of his affertion was this, that the office as left with Ireland, was unequal to its own expence, and therefore the miniftry was obliged to raife the price of poftage, and contract the privileges of the Houfe; though formerly it had been stated as an object of revenue, capable of producing 12, or 14,000l. per annum, without any fuch increase of expence or diminution of privilege.

Mr. Gardiner did not approve of the increase of poftage, when too, it did not fuperfede the neceffity of abridging the privilege of that House, which he thought ought to be kept perfect, and

entire.

Mr. Corry objected to the tax as burthenfome to the commerce of this country. He reprefented a commercial town, and he could not be fatisfied with the tax for his conftituents.

Mr. Orde.-I would not thus obtrude myself upon the House, the first day I have the honour of fitting here, but for the purpofe of anfwering fome questions which gentlemen have been pleased to direct to me, and which render it improper for me to remain filent.

This bill is not the act of the present administration, but a continuation of what was begun by the former; yet I should be forry it was made an object of oppofition, because I believe it will be found a very fair and useful measure; but what I am moft anxious to imprefs upon the Houfe is, that I fhould be the moft unhappy man exifting, if gentlemen could for one moment imagine that I have any intention to impofe upon them ; on the contrary, whenever it shall be their pleasure to call upon me, I fhall moft chearfully give them every fatisfaction in my power. I have reafon to think that the revenue now arifing from the inland poftage of this kingdom, is hardly fufficient to maintain the expence of the officers; but this revenue, affifted by the four thousand pounds a year which Britain is to pay, will be equal to the future establishment, though it will not go much beyond it.`

It has been asked, Whether there be any intention to aid the supply by this measure? 1 anfwer, Yes; by reftraining the pri

vilege of franking to the perfonal convenience of the members of parliament-by circumfcribing the unlimited manner in which the privilege has hitherto been exercifed, and by the alteration in the charge of poftage, I think ten thousand pounds may annually be brought to the national aid,

I have been but a fhort time in this country, but I must have been very inattentive indeed, if I had not ere now discovered the refpect and deference which is due to the gentlemen I now have the honour to fit among; and I beg leave to fay, that they value too highly the good opinion of such men ever to rifque it by bringing forward a measure injurious to the country, or which might not be laid open to the infpection of all the world. Mr. Orde concluded with faying, that every neceffary document fhould be laid before the Houfe.

Sir Kichard Mufgrave said, when the business of the nation was lately interrupted by repeated adjournments of the House, gentlemen complained of it, and now that an affair of the greatest confequence is before it, they make a wanton and unneceffary oppofition to it.-The regulation of the poft-office took place during an adminiftration in England, which this House and this nation fhould look up to with gratitude; and this law fhould be wifhed for, because it will wipe away the laft veftige of that odious principle, fo much and fo juftly fpurned at, that English laws can operate in Ireland; befides it will produce a 1 rge revenue, the appropriation of which can be attended to in the different proceffes through which the refolutions of the committee must pafs, before they are executed into a law,

Mr. Brownlow confeffed himself prejudiced in favour of the Right Hon. Gentleman's intentions by the open and candid manner in which he had expreffed himfelf; but begged that one day more might be given to confider the measure now before the committee, which he would receive as a favour. He faid, he could not fit down without returning the Right Honourable Secretary his thanks, for the favourable fentiments he expreffed, and affured him, that an administration attentive to the public good, as he believed the prefent to be, might always rely on fupport from the independent gentlemen of Ireland.

Mr. Carry thanked the minifter, for his unexampled candour, and readiness to give the members of the House fatisfaction on a fubject fo highly interefting to the nation.

The committee reported progrefs, and prayed leave to fit again.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.