The chancellor of the exchequer did not wish to oppofe the house getting every information poffible; but thought Mr. Gott was not the man to whom to apply for this information. Befides, the question about the number of hands faved by the machinery was not a material point in the difcuffion. Mr. Brogden expreffed himself fatisfied. Mr. Wilberforce expreffed a defire of calling in fome witnefs to explain this point, as he confidered it of importance. Mr. Hobhouse was of the fame opinion. Mr. Wilberforce defired particularly to call one witnefs; which was oppofed by lord Hawkesbury, as the evidence was regularly clofed, when the counsel fummed it up at the bar. Mr. Wilberforce faid, he only wifhed the house to have fair grounds, from which to draw fair conclufions. The question was then put and carried for calling in the witneffes. Mr. Standiffe White, cloth clothier, near Wakefield in Yorkshire, declared, that he was engaged in the woollen trade before the introduction of machinery, and ftated that, from the whole procefs, from the natural state of the wool to its being made into cloth, the faving was as feventy and one-third to 154. The faving was principally owing to the carding and fcribbling, as four people were able to do as much as forty-three before this machinery was introduced. The witness having withdrawn, The chancellor of the exchequer faid, he would not then enter at length into a difcuffion of the propotion before the houfe. He rather wifhed to learn what impreffion the evidence had made upon the other members of the houfe; and if there was any difference of opinion, to hear the objections which could be urged, before he should enter upon its defence Mr. Peel obferved, that the refolutions had affumed a very different fhape from what he expected. He had heard with attention the evidence adduced by the petitioners against the article for allowing the exportation of wool to Ireland. But there was another branch of manufacture of not lefs importance, viz. the cotton manufactories, which, he said, employed as great a number of hands as the woollen. Mr. Peel faid, he only meant to obferve, that any thing that would affect the profperity of the cotton manufacture ought to be ferioufly confidered. The evidence which had been given at the bar of the Irish house of commous feemed to him to imply, that their greatest objection to the union arofe from apprehenfions refpecting the protecting duties on our cotton trade. In 1785, he appeared at the bar of the British house of commons, to exprefs his fear that the free intercourse then projected with Ireland would injure our cotton manufactures. He had, however, fince that time changed his opinion; and he believed now, that the intercourse then allowed had, under protecting duties for trade then impofed, contributed to the profperity of this country, and proved the falvation of Ireland. Mr. Peel next observed, that he expected that fome of the articles would have been different, but he would not therefore oppofe the grand measure. For his own part, the regulation refpecting the cotton trade would materially affect his interefts, but thefe, he faid, he never would bring into competition with the general good of the country: country on these grounds, there- Mr. Wilberforce entered at fome The learned counfel had juftly ftated the great magnitude and importance of the interests which now claimed the attention of the houfe; but it was not merely for the interefts of a single manufacture that he was contending, but the well-being of Ireland as well as of Great Britain. If Ireland should be made an integral part of the British empire, the profperity of Great Britain would be her profperity; and as a part interested in the well-being of the whole, fhe could not but fuffer, in confequence of any injury fuftained by fuch material branch of our commercial fyftem; fhe could gain nothing but what the might 141 equally obtain by other means: fhe might lofe that which could not fent Irish wool was importable into otherwife be compenfated. At preGreat Britain, but British wool not exportable to Ireland. All that the woollen manufacturers defired was, unequal footing, but that each not to continue things upon this country fhould henceforth enjoy produce. On this he made feveral the ufe of all the wool it might general remarks. that the British woollen manufacHe obferved, ture was now fuch as to require more wool than Great Britain duced, and therefore whatever Ireproland might take from us would be taking the means of employment from our manufacturers. Wool, he faid, was peculiarly circumftanced: it was an appendage to another article of more value to the farmer than itself. The farmer, therefore, would naturally look to the carcafe more than to the fleece, for his reimbursement; a very minute difference, he said, in the price of meat was a fource of far greater gain or lofs to him than ever fo great a difference in the value of therefore, would not have the fame wool. The high price of wool, effect in increafing its production, duce of mines, or fruits of the as it would in increafing the proearth, or any article which was not connected and dependent on another, as wool was. of the evidences which had been Mr. Wilberforce then took notice examined, and remarked what Mr. and particularly the former, who Rawdon and Mr. Hustler had said, had itated that he was unable to fupply himself with the wool he wanted, and added, that he had been under the neceffity of returning orders for the manufactured article, from his not being able to procure procure the raw fabrication of it. material for the Wool, he faid, had long fold at a higher price in Ireland than in England, which would operate as a strong inducement to its exportation. The freight of wool from many parts of England was confiderably lefs to Ireland than to many manufacturing parts of Yorkshire. Mr. Wilberforce likewife remarked to the committee, that Ireland had by no means been inattentive to the encouragement of her woollen manufacture. Premiums had been offered, inftitutions formed, and other measures adopted among them. After going on to a confiderable length, he concluded by faying, that he did not confider himself, on this occafion, as the advocate of one, but of both of thofe refpectable bodies of landed and commercial interefts; for, in truth, their interefts were the fame; and if he had not been confcious of detaining the houfe too long, he might have enlarged on the benefits which the agricultural parts of his own, and other counties, derived from the increafed population and profperity of the manufacturing diftrict. The chancellor of the exchequer followed Mr. Wilberforce through moft. of his arguments. He faid, however warmly he might feel in favour of the liberal principle which ought to exift in the event of an incorporate union between the two countries, viz. that there fhould be a free and commercial intercourfe between them; and however anxious he was for the full application of that principle, ftill if he was convinced, either by the evidence which had been adduced at the bar, or by the fpeech of his honourable friend, that there was any reasonable ground for apprehending thofe con fequences, which had been predicted to that great limb of the profperity of Great Britain, (he meant the woollen manufacture) he certainly would not hesitate to deviate from that principle of the propriety of the adoption of which he was now fo firmly convinced. But after the most minute investigation which he had been able to make upon the fubject, he was fatisfied, that to permit the exportation of the raw material to Ireland might gradually, in the courfe of time, be productive to Ireland, but even upon the principles of the petitioners themselves could not cause the least mifchief to the manufacturers of England. If the effect of permitting the exportation of the raw material to Ireland fhould be, as had been stated, that of transferring any portion of manufacture to Ireland, it would only be gradually, and in the courfe of a great number of years. The chancellor of the exchequer added, that his honourable friend had contended against permitting the exportation of wool to Ireland, becaufe the effect of it would be to transfer the whole of the manufacture to Ireland; and in another part of his fpeech he objected to it, because, he faid, it would be highly injurious to England, without being productive of any great advantage to Ireland. The committee muft fee, that both thefe arguments could not be founded, becaufe, in the queftion of the transfer of a manufacture, it was impoffible (fuppofing the demand to continue) that England fhould lofe without Ireland gaining in the fame proportion. In order to form a correct estimate, how far this manufacture could be the subject of transfer, and how far this article had a tendency that way, it would be neceflary to confider in what markets Ireland could rival us. There There were but three markets in which fhe could rivalus-in her own, by fupplying as much of the manufacture as was neceffary for her own confumption, in foreign markets, or in our own markets. Upon this the chancellor argued with great ability, to fhow that in none of thefe he could fupplant us. tioners, that in Hampshire, by the introduction of South Down theep, the breed had confiderably increafed. It had been contended, that the practice of inclosure tended to diminish the quantity of wool: the fallacy, he said, must be obvious upon the first view, that whatever had a tendency to the multiplication The next queftion was, with re- of fheep must have a tendency to an gard to the principle on which this increafe of the growth of wool; fince article was founded, viz.-the pro- wool, like every other article, must priety of permitting the free com- depend, in a great measure, on the munication of a raw material from encouragement that was given to one part of an united kingdom to its production. But, to fay no more another. As a general principle, this upon the fubject, he would ask the had not been denied; but his ho- committee to confider another, and nourable friend had ftated, that it to examine what was likely to be was applied only to this article of the effect of the union, in the view wool; but this statement, he faid, of the operation of the capital. It was not correct, for the principle muft, he faid, appear to any man, was not applied to the article of that the effect of a redundancy of wool alone. The policy that capital in Ireland would be to imgrounded all thefe articles was to prove the infant agriculture of that make the intercourfe between the country. Who could doubt, he two countries, with refpect to raw faid, but that that which had hapmaterials, and the whole of the pened to Scotland after the union trade between the united kingdoms, would happen to Ireland after the as free as poffible. With refpect to union; that although, by this allowthe comparative price of the raw ma- ance of importation into Ireland, terial in the two countries, he begged we conveyed a part of our wealth to to inform gentlemen, that at this mo- Ireland, yet that we should be amment the price of it was fomewhat ply repaid by the increafe which higher than it was in Ireland.it would create in the agriculture of His honourable friend had not adverted to this in the courfe of his fpeech, but had merely ftated, that fome time ago it was cheaper in England; but it appeared from concurrent teftimony, that its price had been regularly increafing in England for the last ten years. It had been stated, that the growth of wool could not be increafed, and that particuJarly that of fine wool was confined to a few spots, and to a particular breed of fheep. Now the fact appeared in evidence, from fome of thofe gentlemen who were called in as witneffes in favour of the peti that country? After enlarging upon Mr. Wilberforce rofe in confe- rived from the exportation of wool into that kingdom could only be derived from what Great Britain fuffered by fuch diminution of her natural produce. The chancellor of the exchequer contended that this argument was not conclufive. Mr. Henry Lafcelles conceived a great advantage would refult from the union to England, but a much greater to Ireland. He was, how ever, of opinion, that Ireland could be fufficiently benefited without this facrifice, which we were called upon to make of the native produce of the wool, by exporting it out of the country. On thofe reafons he would agree with the amendment. After fome more defultory debate, the question was almost unanimoufly called for. The committee divided on Mr. Wilberforce's amendment. Ayes 53-Noes 153. A converfation then took place on receiving the report. The chancellor of the exchequer propofed the next day. Mr. Tierney was for fome delay, and propofed Monday. The chancellor of the exchequer, however, moved, "that it fhould be received the next day," Mr. Tierney moved an amendment, "that it fhould be received on Monday." The houfe divided on the amendment--Ayes 13-Noes 58. On Friday, May 2, the queftion being put for receiving the report of the committee on his majefty's meffage, Dr. Lawrence ftated, that he would not oppofe the bringing up of the report; but felt it his duty to move, that the confideration of it fhould be postponed to that day fix months. Mr. Douglas then brought up the report, and the refolutions were read a first time. On the queftion for reading them a fecond time, Dr. Lawrence faid, he would trouble the clerk with reading the fourth article of the act of union; which being done, the honourable member proceeded in a long detail of argument to fhow the impolicy of a union with Ireland at the prefent crifis. In calling the attention of the houfe to the general outlines of the treaty, he adverted to the reports which had gone abroad refpecting the reafon of his oppofition to it. It had been faid, that he opposed it in confequence of his being disappointed in an expected preferment in the line of his profeffion. To this the doctor faid, he never folicited government upon that point, and probably that he had not done fo arofe principally from his entertaining thofe fentiments which he had all along expreffed refpecting the meafure. In the articles with Scotland, (with a few exceptions which funk into nothing in the comparifon) there was a complete communication of advantages, and identification of circumftances; but was there any part of the arrangement with Ireland to which this character applied? In arranging the proportions of contribution, important errors had been committed: we were to pay off our debts, while fhe would continue to run in debt. How was the house to proceed in cafes of controverted elections in Ireland? Were the neceffary witneffes to be brought over to this country; or was a committee to be fent over thither with full powers to determine queftions both of law and fact? By the arrangement relative to the fpiritual lords, it would sometimes be in the power of the government to influence the decifion of the upper houfe; for |