The Sun.
London, England, 1802-04-28 00:00:00

tre repeated the objections to this sill which he
}tad - advanced on a firmer occasion. lie cootended
that its provisions betrayed an unfair partiality to
Ireland. He said that we ought not to 11-get the
Hipulatiwas which Ireland had agreed to in 1782,
on being admitted to a participation of our Colo-
nial. Trade-=nor ought we rashly to do away these
Stipulations. The Duty imposed on Imports to
this Country, would- a& as 'a Bonus to the Traders,
of Ireland. He thought the Duty on Tonnage a
measure particularly id-judged. Oor TrAle was at
present as dull as it had been before the Treaty of.
Peace was signed—nor was there any ground to
expect a speedy turn in its favonr—and why then.
clog it by this new imposition ? This Duty would
add to .an evil which had already gone to too
great a height, the iutroduCtion of foreign Shipping
into our Trade. He stated 'that four foreign Ves-
sels to one British were employed in our Import
Trade. He then adverted to several articles of
Commerce in which he . thought this Duty would
speedily turn the balance. in favour of Ireland, to
the great prejudice of ;his country. He concluded
by deprecating the hasty adoption of a measure
which involved such important consequences.
The CHANCELLOR of he EXCHEQUER said,
he heard the Hon. Member's ohj &ions with re-
gret ; and with the more regret; as they came froin
the representative of a commercial city which bad
flourished, during the war, and 'had even derived
Many advantages from it. -.He Aid not exped to
have heard any-Gentleman object to the principle
of this bill ; yet surely it was the intention of the
Honourable Member to do so, or he would not have
introduced his'obje'clions in this stage of the bill ; an
objection to•the principle of the bill had been direa-
ly urged in his speech. Yet surely no principle could
be more just than that those who have gained by the
burdens of the Natidn„.should also bear a proportion
of them ; and it could clot bedenied, that the com-
mercial world had been gainers by the 'War. So
great security had been given to trade during -the
War, that only a moderate insurance was required;
and the convoy-duty became at last a direct tax on
trade, and it was cheerfully borne. The question,
then was, whether circumstances had so changed as
to render it expedient to remove this Tax ? and if
such a change could not be proved to have taken
place, it was surely improper to take it off when
so great an expenditure was to be provided for. No'
objection bad formerly been made to this Tax,
when imposed during the War in the shape of
Convoy-Duty : No objection could be made to
it; as during its operation, trade, instead of
declining had wonderfully increased.—From the
-returns made in the last Session of Parlia-
ment, it appeared that on an average of six years
preceding 1793, our Imports had amounted to
190,000,6001, per annum ; whereas in tBor, they
amounted to 240,000,0001. and in the month of Ja-
nuary of that year alone they increased t 0,000,0001.
Our Exports taken at the same periods had increased
from 6 to T 7,030,0001. the increase in number of
our ships amounted to 2799, and the increase of
tonnage to 365,000. ,During this increase the
present tax operated, and yet it still continued up
to tBoz. It then temained to be considered, if our
Export and Import Trade was likely to be *dirni'-
nished by this duty. Different opinions might be
entertained about the future state of our Trade ; hut
for his own part he was convinced that the footing
gained by the commerce of Great Britain was
so solid, that it could not fail to maintain its
ground for a long course of yearS. The indisputa.
.ble superiority dour manufactures, the greatness of
our capital, the credit we give, and the good faith
we observe, must prevent any Power in the uni.
verse from entering into a competition with us.
Where Was that Power which could command so
many vessels, to carry her commerce to the. Most
distant parts of the world ? With regard to that.
Nation to which our jealousies, and apprehensions
were particularly directed, the difficulty lately ex-
perienced to procure ships for a most important ex.
pedition, was a proof that that Nation' could not,
for many years to come, enter into a competition
with us. There might from particular cir-
cumstances, a dirninutton in some particular article
of our commerce ; but with regard to our com-
merce upon the whole, there was no reason or ground
to suppose for a moment that any diminution would
take place.
But the Hon. Gentleman expressed great dissatis-
fjaion on.account of the indulgencies which he said
were shewn to Ireland : that this exemption in
favour of Ireland would operate in a propor-
tionate degree to the disadvantage of Great Britain.
It was unnecessary far him to enter into a compara-
tive•statemebt of the situation of the two different
parts of the kingdom ; it was enough for him to
say, there was a great dissimilarity between them
at .present-'—would to God they were both alike;
but he hoped the time was,approachirig when there,
would bean end of that dissimilarity. There was,
however, a circumstance to which he should beg
leave to call the attention of.the House. He meant
the state of the linen trade ; and as,lteland was not
charged with import duties on the raw material, he
thought it due to the manufacturers of Great Britain,
that they' should experience a similar advantage ; .
bat he would call on the Hon. Gentleman to say,
whether Ireland had any material advantage beyond
its due proportiOrr. It, the export of linen, flax, &c.
the regulation which was applied to Ireland was
applied also to Great Britain.. 1-le was indeed un-
'able to state a manufadure or branch of trade in
which Ireland was benefited in atiyr considerable de-:
gree to the disadvantage of Gi4at Britain. The
Hon. Gentleman said the measure before the House
was an instance of an unusual partiality : he said,
that this tax had continued, and ;ias to be mride to
continue on Great Britain, while Ireland
,was free
from it. . Let not the Hon. Gentleman imagine, it
was intended at all events, and 'under all possible
circumstances, to continue this duty. exclusively on
the trade of Great Britain, and that time exemption
to Ireland was to continue for ever. He wished
that erroneous supposition to be done away : he
wished the measure now before the House to be
'considered as a measure of experiment. If, upon
the trial of that experiment, it should be found a-
measure injurious to the trade of Great Britain, he
would say, let it he abandoned "altogether. If, on
the contrary, it should be found beneficial, and if
the trade of ireiand should inmate, as- he confr.