A petition of feveral grocers of the city of Dublin, praying to be relieved against a claufe in the act for continuing and amending feveral laws relating to his Majefty's revenue, and for the more effectually preventing of frauds therein, which obliges them to take out licenfe and put a license board over their doors, was prefented to the House and read.

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1784.

An engroffed bill for vefting in truftees certain lands, tenements and hereditaments in the kingdom of Ireland, the eftate of James Uniacke, of Mount-Uniacke, in the county of Cork, Efq; for raifing a fufficient fum of money for the payment of the debts of the faid James, was read the third time.

Refolved, That the bill do pafs.

Mr. Annesley faid, that as a committee had been appointed in behalf of the Honourable Jofeph Hewit, to enquire into the merits of a petition complaining of an undue election and return for the county of the town of Carrickfergus, in the person of Waddel Cunningham, Efq; and as there were feveral perfons to be examined, and papers produced to the committee on that election, he hoped the House would concur in any motion to that purpose, and accordingly moved, That John Tifdall, printer or editor of the news paper, called the Belfaft Mercury or Freeman's Chronicle, do attend the felect committee appointed to try the merits of the petition of the Honourable Jofeph Hewitt, and alfo the petition of the feveral electors of the county of the town of Carrickfergus, complaining of an undue election and return of a member to ferve in parliament for the county of the faid town; and that the faid John Tifdall do lodge with the Clerk of this Houfe, on cr before the 26th day of April next, the following papers, that is to fay, the Belfaft Mercury, or Freeman's Chronicle, publifhed on Friday the 6th day of December, 1783, and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Belfaft Meeting," and figned "William Brown, Chairman;" and also the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Conftitution Club, Lifburn, December 3, 1783," and figned "Robert Bell, Secretary;" both faid papers relating to the late election for the county of the faid town; and alfo the Belfast Mercury, or Freeman's Chronicle, publifhed on Friday the 6th of January laft, and the original manufcripts of two publications therein printed, and refpectively figned "William Brown, Chairman" and the original manufcript of one other publication print

ed therein, and figned "Robert Fell, Secretary;" and alfo the Belfaft Mercury, or Freeman's Chronicle, of the 13th of January laft, and the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "At a Meeting of the Belfaft Divifion of the Conftitution Club," and figned "William Brown, Chairman;" and alfo the Belfaft Mercury, or Freeman's Chronicle, of the 3d of February laft, and the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "At a Meeting of the Belfast Divifion of the Conftitution Club," and figned William Brown, Chairman;” and also the original manuscript of a publication therein alfo printed, intitled 66 At a numerous Meeting of the Fraternity of Fishermen of Carrickfergus," and figned "William Craig," and also the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Belfaft, February the ad, 1784," and figned " Patrick Gaw, Chairman ;" and alfo the Belfast Mercury of the 13th of February, 1784, and the original manufcript of a publication therein. printed, and figned "William Craig, Chairman;" and the original manufcript of one other publication therein alfo printed, figned "William Brown, Chairman;" and alfo the original manuscript of a publication therein printed, figned " John Henderfon, Chairman ;" and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein alfo printed, intitled "Belfaft Society;" and the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, figned "Robert Bell, Secretary;" and alfo the Be faft Mercury of the 17th of February, 1784, and the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, figned "Wm. Brown, Chairman ;" and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein alfo printed, figned "Robert Bell, Secretary" and alfo the original manuscript of a publication therein alfo printed, and figned "William Craig;" and alfo the Belfaft Mercury of the 5th of March, 1784, and the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "the Conftitution Club," and figned " Robert Bell, Secretary;" all which papers relate to the late election of a reprefentative for the County of the faid town of Cartickfergus.

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He alfo moved, That Henry Joy, the elder, Robert Joy, and Henry Joy, junior, printers or editors of the Belfaft News Letter, do attend the faid committee, and do lodge with the Clerk of this Houfe, on or before the 29th day of March next, the following papers, that is to fay, the Belfast News Letters, publifted Tuefday the 5th of Auguft, Tuefday the 14th of October, Friday the 5th of December, 1783, Friday the 30th of January, Tuefday the 3d of February, Tuesday the 10th of February, Friday the 13th of February, and Friday the 20th of February, 1784; and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Conftitution Club, Mr. William Martin, Prefident, Robert Bell, Secretary," dated "Lifburn, Auguft the 2d, 1783" and alfo the original manufcript of a publication.

therein printed, intitled "Belfast Divifion of the Conftitution Club," dated February the 12th, 1784, figned "John Henderfon;" alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Fraternity of Fishermen, Freemen of Carrickfergus, dated February the 12th, 1784, figned by order, William Craig," and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Belfaft Divifion of the Conftitution Club, February the 12th, 1784, figned by order of the Club, John Henderfon;' and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "the Addrefs of the whole Body of the Lisburn Conftitution Club, confifting of one hundred and feventy-five Members, Doctor Alexander Crawford, Prefident, figned by order, Robert Bell, Secretary, February the 7th, 1784" and also the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Conftitution Club, Belfaft, February the 2d, 1784, Patrick Gaw, Chairman ;" and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled "At a numerous Meeting of the Fraternity of Fishermen of Carrickfergus, held at the house of Mr. William Clarke, the 31ft of January, 1784, Mr. William Craig, in the chair, figned by order, William Graig," and alfo the ori ginal manuscript of a publication therein printed, intitled "Belfaft, the 1ft of December, 1783, at a full Meeting of the Inhabitants of Belfast Members of the Conftitution Club, Mr. William Brown, in the chair," and figned "William Brown, Chairman ;" and alfo the original manufcript of a publication therein printed, intitled At a numerous Meeting of the Constitution Club, Litburn, December the 3d, 1783, Mr. John Henly, Prefident, figned by order, Robert bell, Secretary;" all which papers relate to the late election for the county of the faid town of Carrickfergus.

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Mr. Dunn oppofed the motion as improper in many refpects and premature, as the trial of the Carrickfergus petition was not to take place until near a month after, that is, the 26th of April; and that there was no neceffity whatever for fuch a motion :He then moved the 26th of April should stand in lieu of the 29th of March.

Mr. Annesley replied, that the papers and copy were neceffary to prove hand-writing of the greatest confequence on the occafion.

The Proveft was of opinion, this was an attack on the liberty of the prefs, which every man was bound to defend, and tended to a disclosure of confidential papers which, to a printer, should be facred.

Mr. Molyneux was of the fame opinion.

Mr. Annesley faid, he had not the leaft intention to carry on any criminal profecution against the printers, but only by the papers

he wanted to establish a charge of agency against fome perfons; a circumftance of abfolute neceffity.

The amendment being admitted, Mír, Annefley's motion paffed, Mr. Toler faid-Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hand a petition from the freeholders of the county of Tipperary, praying for a more equal reprefentation of the people in parliament.

The petition, Sir, is figned by a great number of freeholders, many of them of as much refpectability as in that or in any other county.

It was put into my hands, Sir, by a gentleman, (meaning Sir William Barker) whofe zeal for the welfare of Ireland, is ex→ ceeded by none, and whofe rank and fortune muft intimately connect him with her true interefts. There is no man, Sir, in this Houfe, or out ofit, who abhors the idea of creating a confusion in this country more than I do; or who has a higher refpect for the dignity of parliament-but, in my mind, the true mode of avoiding the firft, and preferving the latter, is to receive the petitions of the people with refpect, and to decide upon them with juftice

I beg leave, Sir, before I fit down, to offer my mite of applaufe to the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Brownlow) who has taken a manly lead in this important business-but, Sir, a character, which has met the concurring approbation of his countrymen, ftands in no need of the feeble fupport of an individual.

I fhall trespass no longer on the time of the Houfe, but purfuant to the intructions of my conftituents, which I thall be ever proud to obey, move that the petition be now received.

It was accordingly ordered to lie on the table.

The House in a committee.-Mr. Hartley moved, That the bounty on the carriage of corn fhould be augmented from 1d. to iž. per mile.

Mr. Bube believed the motion would pafs if rightly understood and not taken on wrong ground; and affirmed it would be attended with little expence to the nation.

Mr. Greene oppofed the motion.-Two or three years ago parliament was of opinion, that the bounty had no good effect. The honour of parliament was engaged, that the bounty fhould not be higher; if this motion was to pafs, feveral millers would be ruined, who have expended large fums in building mills. An additional bounty would very materially prejudice the landed intereft. However, as he came down to the Houfe open to conviction, if any member thould offer any reafon strong enough to induce him to change his opinion, he would change it.

Mr. Henry lo faid, the prefent fyltem held not out the fame advantage to the farmer as it did to the miller. He was for giving equal advantage to both. The factors in this country were

like thofe of every other country, and pursued their own intereft; for his part, he wished the ignorant tillers of the earth should be equally attended to with the millers.

An amendment was propofed, that no bounty fhould extend to any corn coming from within ten miles of any fea-port or navigable rivers.

The Provot faid, it would be much better to let the question be put on the original motion. This was a question in which the landed intereft was deeply concerned, as well as the poor and the manufacturing people of this city. He would therefore be against the amendment.

Mr. Mafon requested that the question would be put on the original motion.

Mr. Griffith, after having apologized for obtruding himself into a debate of fo difficult a nature, and one in which fome of the moft experienced men in the kingdom differed in opinion, declared he was convinced, that unless some further bounty was given to the Dublin market, to counteract the manifeft advantages which the bounty on exportation gave to the fea-port towns, that Dublin would never be fupplied at a cheap rate. Suppofe, faid he, a farmer refide half way between Dublin and Drogheda, 12 miles diftant from each, if he carries his wheat to Drogheda he will get 35. 4d. per barrel export bounty, which is 1. 65. 81. per ton; if he brings his ton of wheat to Dublin, he will get but 44. per ton per mile, which for 12 miles is 45.-fo that the farmer living half way between the two places, will have a fuperinducement of 11. 2s. 8d. per ton to go to Drogheda, inftead of coming to Dublin. Suppofe he live within four miles of Dublin, and twenty miles from Drogheda, the bounty on export of one ton will be as before 17. 6s. 8d. from which deducting 155. land carriage for 20 miles, at 9d. per ton per mile, there will then remain 115. 8d. profit; whereas, if the fame farmer living within four miles of Dublin, carry his wheat to Thomas-ftreet, the carriage will coft him 35. at 91. per ton per mile, and he will get only is. 4d. land carriage bounty, fo that instead of gaining 115. 81. by carrying his ton of wheat twenty miles to Drogheda, he will lofe is. 8d. by bringing it four miles to Dublin-what will be the confequence? All the grain produced in the counties of Monaghan, Meath, Louth, and even the county of Dublin, will be carried to Drogheda. Wexford and Waterford will have a fimilar preference, not only in their own counties, but alfo in the Queen's county, and the counties of Kilkenny and Carlow; and nothing prevented the grain of the county of Kildare from being exported alfo, but the want of fhipping at Wicklow. The evident confequences of fuch regulations would be, that while Drogheda, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, &c. were exporting grain, the city of Dublin would be in abfolute want of provifions, or be obliged to advance