tity of labour, industry, and capital, applied to fome other manufacture, would produce more profit. England and Ireland ought to be confidered in this refpect as two diftinct parts of the fame kingdom; it would be unwife in London to attempt a manufacture which York could underfell her in by tol. per. cent. in her own market: why then should England or Ireland attempt fuch a thing?'

With respect to the manner in which the intended regulations will affect Great Britain, this, our author obferves, will be best known from a confideration of the articles now probibited; because, upon the extent of this lift, and the nature of the feveral articles of which it confifts, depends entirely the effect of the propofed plan. He then enumerates the articles prohibited by law to be imported from Ireland; and fikewife the produce of manufactures of Ireland virtually prohibited by duties.

In the former of thefe claffes, the only article of any con fequence is filk; in which, it is apprehended, England cannot be much in danger from the rivalfhip of Ireland. One reafon for fuch an opinion is, that the price of labour in this manufacture bears fo fmall a proportion to the first cost of the raw materials, that whoever has the raw material cheapest, will have the advantage. England has a Levant trade, which Ireland has not, and has the monopoly of India filk, infomuch that Ireland now takes her raw filk entirely from England.

Another reason is, that in Ireland, the great bulk of the' filk manufactured is made into plain flight goods, handkerchiefs, filks for cloaks, luteftrings, &c. and in those kinds of goods, the labour bears a proportion of one in eight to the raw material and in the fineft kinds there made, fuch as damasks, flowered filk, &c. three to eight. The author thence concludes, that the argument which is relied on in other cafes, viz. the danger to England from the cheapnefs of labour in Ireland, will not hold good in the filk manufacture.

The principal article of thofe enumerated in the latter clafs is the woollen manufacture, the great object of jealousy in this country. To enter into a full investigation of all that relates to this manufacture, might prove tedious to our readers. Suffice it therefore to obferve that, according to the affertion of this author, the report of the committee of privy council, prefented to the houfe of commons, contains a complete ftatement of it, fo far as England is concerned ; and it thence appears, that this country has no reason to entertain any jealoufy of Ireland, in regard to the woollen manufac

ture.

In examining the ftate of this manufacture in Ireland, it is obferved, that for various caufes, but particularly the great increase of inhabitants, and improvement of the land, the quantity of wool in that country is fo much decreased, that Ireland has not now wool enough of her own to supply her own market. If therefore the fhould export any part of her wool, manufactured into fuch goods as fhe may be able to work up cheaper than England, the confequence must be, that, to supply their place, the muft import an equal quantity of fine woollen goods, which she can import only from Great Britain.

From a ftatement of the quantity of raw wool exported from Ireland in the years 1782 and 1783, the author concludes, that if the whole of the raw wool and bay yarn exported from Ireland, was manufactured into ultimate perfection, it would not fupply the quantity imported; fo that if Ireland should export more of her wool, completely manufactured, than fhe does at prefent, the muft alfo import a great quantity of woollen manufactures from England, to supply such export. The author makes it evident from other confiderations, that England has a great advantage over Ireland in refpect to the capacity of fupporting the woollen manufacture.

Refined fugar is another article in which it has been alleged that England muft fuffer great detriment from the propofed regulations. To this objection we meet with the following reply.

'The raw material being the produce of the Weft Indies, obfervation has been already made on what occurred refpecting it; it is neceffary only to add, that while Ireland imported raw fugar at 1s. 8d. a hundred, and England at 5s. 6d. fhe was able to fupply a confiderable part of the confumption of Ireland in refined fugar, and to underfell her in her own market, after paying the expences of the carriage to Ireland, and a duty of 12s. per hundred. How then is Ireland to fend refined fugar to England, when the pays a duty now equal to that paid in England upon the raw material, and certainly buys it at as high, if not an higher price? The Irish duty, however, on that article, which will probably regulate the future duty here, mut, in any event, afford fufficient protection to the refiners here, even against foreign fugars manufactured in the country,'

The author examines the objections which have been made relative to the cotton manufacture, including cotton, and linen mixed with cotton; the printing branch both of cotton and linens; the manufacturing of leather; ftarch; tallow used in making candles and foap; befides iron, corn, and other grain.

From the whole of this pamphlet, fo full of important information, we have the fatisfaction to find, that the most effential

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fential objections which have been made to the propofed fyftem of commercial intercourfe with Ireland, are greatly extenuated, if not entirely removed; and that there is no juft reafon for entertaining any apprehenfion of thofe pernicious effects, which it has been fuggested would refult from the operation of that plan.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,

POLITICA L.

A fhort Effay on the Modes of Defence beft adapted to the Situation and Circumstances of this Iland. rvo. 23. Wilkie. THIS Effay is faid to be the production of an officer: it is certainly written by a man cool and difpaffionate, candid. and intelligent. His remarks feem well entitled to attention; for to extenfive knowlege in military history, he joins a local acquaintance with the places which he mentions, and great profeffional fkill. His chief objects are to prove, that the works now carrying on round our dock-yards, are at best ufelefs, because difproportionate to the military establishment, and requiring a much greater force than can be allotted to the defence of garrifons: that they may be injurious, because, if not defended, they may ferve as a fhelter for our enemies, fhould they ever acquire poffeffion of them. The defence of the dock-yards he thinks to be a very trifling object. If ever our enemies mean feriously to undertake the conqueft of this island, for their own fakes they would wish to preferve them, as they might become their own. We have only therefore to guard against a fudden defcent, a prædatory attempt, or a tranfitory expedition to deftroy the naval ftores. In thefe fituations, our author thinks, that we might with greater eafe depofit the combuftible matters in ftore-houfes, either out of the reach of fhells, or proof against their force, and fink the others in the water. After all, by examining the plans, and thofe parts which have been already executed, he clearly fhows, that the works are inadequate to the ends propofed; and the expence will be fo enormous, that the whole will be probably abandoned before it be half finished.

Thefe are the outlines of the author's particular arguments; and the following reafoning, which we felect as a fpecimen, is a frong proof of the author's profeffional knowlege, and the clearness of his explanations.

Thofe who-are foolish enough to affert, that fuch an extenfive line as the one propofed for the Gofport divifion, can be defended by an inconfiderable force, would do well to pay fome

fome attention to the refemblance which the part of it that extends from the Bay-houfe to Frater Lake, bears to the one which was occupied at the battle of Fontenoy, by the French army under the command of marefchal Saxe, the ableft general of the age he lived in. The angle formed by the village of that name, with Anthoin on the right, and the wood of Barry on the left, differs but little from the one which is formed by Rowner church with Frater Lake and Stoke's Bay-houfe; and the distances between those capital points in their line fall short, respectively, of the fronts extending between these in ours, fome hundred yards; a circumstance which was for them, and is against us. Saxe, however, although he had almost five times. as many men within his line as he that attacked it, although he had very judiciously thrown up three redoubts near Fontenoy, the faliant and confequently tendereft part of it, found it impracticable to prevent our troops from penetrating it at that place, and almost completely cutting his army in two; which we certainly fhould have done, had he not fupplied the weaknefs and defects of fuch a line, by his own good management and skill, in drawing his brigades from the left wing to fupport the centre. Nothing, on the one hand, is fo difficult or difadvantageous, as to defend a faliant angle which is embraced, or, on the other, fo eafy and advantageous, as to attack from a re-entering angle which embraces. This is a doctrine well understood by those who have had much practice in the croffing of rivers. The reason indeed is plain. When the angle which an enemy embraces, does not exceed that of a hexagon, he can bring his fire to cross in the rear of, and almost close to the work that occupies it. And whenever he does fo, he can proceed with his attacks on it fuccefsfully, and in fecurity; whilst it is impoffible for any troops either to advance or remain near it for its protection, otherwife than under cover, without expofing themselves to inevitable destruction.'

An Anfwer to the Short Effay on the Modes of Defe ce, Sc. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Almon.

This Anfwer is greatly inferior to the Effay. It corrects indeed a few mistakes, probably arifing from misinformation; but the principal arguments are not weakened. It is ftill true, that these works are difproportioned to our military establishment; that in fome inftances they are inadequate, and in others may be injurious. The anfwerer must furely be little acquainted with military tactics, when he contends that ftores cannot, in a fhort space of time, be placed beyond the power of bombs, or red-hot fhot.

Strictures upon the Naval Departments, &c. &c. &c. 8vo. 25.

Stockdale.

Thefe Strictures are written by the author of the Address to the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty,' on the degene

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rated and diffatisfied ftate of the British Navy.' They contain much unqualified affertion, and fome perfonal altercations with a noble lord, who, in the author's opinion, too rigidly confined himself to the letter of fome naval regulations in his cafe, which he overlooked in his own. One circumftance only feems to deferve attention, viz, to examine the bottoms of those ships which have fome time been covered with copper; and this, if we mistake not, is now executing. We fee many authors, like this before us, who miftake the effect of perfonal disappointments for public zeal. The new houfe building for the commiffioner will probably be an expenfive undertaking, which may be faved; but true economy stoops not to trifles, and national fplendor should not be facrificed to the mean, narrow views of a fanguine reformer.

Thoughts on a Reform in the British Reprefentation, &c. By Je remiah Gill. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

Amongst the various plans of reform which we have hitherto perufed, that of Mr. Jeremiah Gill is certainly the boldest and moft original. For carrying a reform into effect, he propofes, as the only adequate means, that the crown fhould be invefted with a dictatorial power. Mr. Gill having, we find, published a pamphlet on the fubject fo long ago as the year 1768, there cannot now, after fuch a continuance of crudity, remain any hope that his plan will ever be digefted, either by himself in one fenfe, or in another by the public. Convinced however that he means well, we are fory that he should have bestowed fo much attention to no purpofe.

Every Man bis own Lau-maker. Svo. 15. 6d. Stockdale,

This pamphlet is intended as a burlefque on the extravagant plans of parliamentary reform, which have been held forth by fome of thofe democratical politicians who imagine themselves to be the only friends of the conflitution. What the author fays of his own production, in the title-page, is perfectly juû, Wherein the road to national Confufion is made plain and eafy to the meaneft Capacities.'.

Thoughts on the Commercial Arrangements with Ireland, 8vo. 15. 6d. Jarvis,

The author of this pamphlet, after flating the feveral prcpofitions, relative to a commercial intercourfe, made to the Irish houfe of commons, and fubjoining to each the fuppofed remarks of the right hon. Mr. Orde, delivers his own obfervations. On this important fubject we wish that the author had likewife minutely ftated the facts upon which his obfervations ought to be founded; for without this addition, it is impoffible to determine with any degree of certainty respecting the force of his arguments.

A Free