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sensed in war. As to the general principle, lie ( Lord
C) did not wish to see a heavy transit duty on those
articles of foreign pro nice, in the carrying of which
the. trade of this country was so much benefited. The
carrying trade of this country wits a most advanta-
geous branch of commerce, but in the present case
it was not that kind of one which should be pre-

(erred to so important a branch of our home manu-
facture as the Linen Trade, or cultivated to its pre-

judice. He was not prepared to admit, that by an
adherence to a general principle of commerce, we
should silence or sicrifice an important commercial
and manufacturing branch of such vast local advan-
tage. Another objection which he had to the ap-
pointment of a Committee was, that besides its creat-
ing a great degree of alarm, it would not afford any
additional information to that which was already

furnished by sever.4l documents which were before
the House. For he contended that there was no
branch of this trade with which the House could not

be fully informed by documents which had been al-
ready laid before them. The Committee might in-
deed be able to furnish a good deal of reasoning on
the subject, but they would not be able to produce
any new facts. It was clear that the exports of Irish
Linen had considerably increased since the imposi-
tion of the transit duty, and the general fear in Ire-
land was, that the trade would be materially injured
by the repeal of that fluty. This it was which caused ,
so much alarm on the part of the Irish manufactu-
rers, and he contended that it was the duty of the
House rather to allay any ferment on the part of the
people of Ireland than contribute to increase it by
the adoption of such a measure as that which was
now proposed. He thought it was not consistent
with sound commercial policy to play tricks with our
domestic industry, and he was convinced that with
regard to Ireland, the present was by no means the
time for such experiments.
Mr. J. P. GRANT thought that the arguments
used by the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) were in them-
selves soffic;ent to shew the necessity of a Committee
of Inquiry. The Noble Lord had said that the ex-
ports of Ireland had increased since this duty had
been imposed, but it_should be recollected that it had
increased in a time of war, and since the conclusion
of peace it had decreased. He (Mr. Grant) con.
tended, that en inquiry into the present state of the
manufacture, as far as it was affected by the transit
duty, could do no injury, and would at least have the
effect of giving the House sufficient information on
the subject. He would wish also to have the opinions
of the Board of Trade on it, and to hear what the

Chancellor of the Exchequer thought of it. It was
possible that a difference of opinion might exist be-
tween Ministers on this subject, as differences existed
between other Members of the House, and this dif-
ference was, is his opinion, a strong reason why in-
quiry should be gone4nto.—(Hear, hear.) A Com.
wattles ziloatu be appointed to inquire, why, on • the
return of peace, a particular branch of manufacture
should not be carried on in that way which it existed
before the wan—Wear, hear.) He hoped and trusted
that the House would consent to the present motion,
and not be deterred from so important an inquiry by
the erroneous alarms of a few people who did nut
seem perfectly to understand their own interests. The
carrying trade of this country was of the utmost im-
portance to it, and should not be injured, as it would
be by the existence gf the present transit duty, with-
out at least an inqtally as to whether the benefit to be
sibtained by its continuance was or was not a counter
balance to the injury ?
Mr. PEEL was convinced that the Honourable

PRICE SEVEN-PE Ni r.

Member who spoke last was actuated in what he said
by the best of motives, but he (Mr. Peel) was also
certain that that Honourable Member had argued
from an erroneous view of the question. It was erro-
neous to suppose that the people, whose fears mere'
so justly excited by the notice of the present motion, 1
were few in number. The fact was they were a most
numerals', industrious, and respectable body of peo-
ple. They were, he might say, almost the whole of
the population of the province of Ulster. They car-
ried on this important trade, which was the staple
trade of Ireland, and which England was bound to
protect as it had been guaranteed to Ireland by the
promise of King William 111. in lieu of the woollen
trade, of which they were then deprived. It was a
trade, the protection of which was granted to them
in lieu of that great trade 'in which they were at one
time the powerful rivals of England. Would the
Honourable Member say that those men were mis-
guided-who looked with fear on any act of the Li-
gislature which went to injure their staple trade? Or
would he say that they were only a few, when he
(Mr. Peel) informed him of their great numbers ?
The fears which were excited by the notice of the
present motion had already a very powerful effect in
giving a partial stagnation to the Irish Linen Trade,
es had been proved by what fell from his Right Hon.
Friend (Mr. V. Fitzgerald). He (Mr. Peel) would
not say that all these fears which were entertained on
this subject were well founded, but he would con-
tend, that as such fears were known to exist, it would
be impolitic at the present moment to increase them
by any act which could ultimately produce no good
He thought that it would be considered as a bad
omen by the people of Ireland, if a motion were ac-
ceded to, which, in their opinion of it, would be sa-
crificing their staple trade to the carrying trade of
England. This, he was convinced, would be consi-
'tiered as a bad omen of the dispositions of Parliament
towards them, on the eve of its going into the da.cus-
sion of the motion of the Right Hon. Baronet oppo-
.site (Sir.J. Newport), and therefore he (Mr. Peel)
contended it would be highly impolitic to accede to
the motion. The klonOurable Member TUT. J. P.
Grant) had said that the repeal of tire Transit Duties
would serve the linen-manufacturer of Ireland This
was but an opinion, and against that opinion he (Mr.
Peel) could urge two others. The one, that of the
foreign manufacturers, and the other, that of a moat
intelligent body of men—the Linen Board of Ireland.
The tormer were convinced that the repeal of the