an applicant refused to be appointed a factor; Dublin, and desire them to maintain it them. and he believed there was no factor to whom selves, and the servants belonging to it, at their more rooms had not been assigned than he own expense, so as to rid the public altogether of wanted. He could not well speak with regard the building as a source of public expense. He to what ought to be the rate of charge, but would leave the factors in that case to regulate with regard to the principle of charge, his mind their own concerns in whatever way they liked. was completely made up. He did not under- In short, he meant to say generally, that he stand why a factor in Dublin should not be would separate the Linen Hall from the Linen compelled to pay for his room, or why he should Board, and give it to the linen trade of Dublin; have such an advantage over any other factor that was, as much of it as they wanted for their in any other place; it was not only desirable, own business. To what body he would convey in point of revenue, that he should be made to it would be matter of arrangement hereafter. pay, in order to lessen the expense to the public; There might be, and he was sure there would but he really thought it would be but an act of be, some practical difficulties in carrying into justice to the other members of the trade in other effect any good arrangement, upon which he places. There might be about thirty unassigned was not prepared to enter; and therefore, for rooms in the Linen Hall, or more, but it seldom the present, he would wish to content himhappened that all the rooms assigned to factors self with this, as a general principle,--that he were occupied. The linen factor's trade of would separate the Linen Hall from the Linen Dublin was not so extensive as it had been; Board, if not in the way of government, at many circumstances contributed to this. In the least in the way of expense; and he would first place, it was accounted for by the practice give it to the trade, and say, “There is a large which the English merchants had got into of" house; occupy it as your own, and do with it late, and which had been already alluded to in" as you please; but you must pay your ofthe earlier part of his testimony, of coming over "ficers for taking care of it." In answer to the to the bleach-greens in the north of Ireland, question, "If that principle was adopted which and buying up the linens there, even before the " you now recommend to the Committee, do not process of bleaching was completed, and of" you think it would prevent the possibility of course before it ever arrived at the Linen Hall "favouritism taking place by the Board, as it in Dublin: another reason why the factorage" is at present regulated?" Mr. Corry replied, trade of Dublin was on the decline, was, that a "If the question implies a suspicion that greater export of linen took place now from the" favouritism does exist, or has existed, in report of Belfast than did formerly, owing to the " spect to the distribution of rooms, I beg to rapid and easy communication by means of " say, that I know of no instance of the kind steam with different parts of Scotland and other" that deserves to be noticed. I have been for places. Upon the whole, he should say that" many years the confidential officer of the the factorage trade in the Linen Hall of Dublin" Board, and I do not believe there is a single was declining; but the want of the northern" factor in the Hall who has not more rooms linens was in some measure beginning to be" than he requires." When any rivalry took supplied by those that were coming in from the south and the west. The coarse trade was partly supplying the absence of the fine. The principle by which factors were admitted into the Linen Hall was as follows: The person wishing to be appointed a factor addressed the Linen Board by memorial; on which an inquiry was made, through one of their officers, as to the fitness, character, or connexions of such person, and whether he was likely to follow the trade in the Hall; he was then appointed a factor, and rooms were allotted to him on the first vacancy. There was a Linen Hall at Belfast, supported, he believed, entirely by voluntary subscription. He could not say, from personal knowledge, what was the principle by which factors were admitted there to sell linen; but he believed that a person wishing to follow the trade applied to the Committee to rent a room to him. He had already said, that he did not see any reason why a different principle should be adopted in keeping up the Linen Hall in Dublin from what was adopted in Belfast; but he would go farther: he would give up the Linen Hall to the linen trade of

place with regard to an application for rooms, a reference was always made to the Chamberlain, an officer of the Board, who was in immediate custody of the building; he was not an inte rested person either way, and his opinion was asked as to the extent of accommodation that each party possessed, and the comparative extent of business done by them respectively, so far as it might be known to him, thereby to guide the Board in their decisions. And here let him add, that a considerable degree of diffculty had often arisen with regard to the appropriation of rooms among the factors in the Linen Hall, not from favouritism on the part of the Board, but from a want of candour on the part of the factors. They sometimes got au unauthorised possession of a portion of the Linen Hall that was allotted to country dealers, persons who came up to Dublin to sell their own linens, and a much more numerous class of people formerly than they were now; but the possession of those rooms was seldom acknowledged by them when they came to ask for more of the rooms in another portion of the Linen Hall which was intended for the use of

factors: all this was the subject of a long re- of the building allotted to the sale of linen yarn port from him to the Linen Board, which the was forty-three. They were afforded to factors Committee might have, if they required it. nearly in the same way as the linen rooms. As The number of persons who attended the to having any idea of the expense that the Linen Board now was considerably less than erection of those buildings might have cost-the what was the number of attending persons Linen Hall, and the Linen Yarn Hall, he really formerly. The change in the political con- could not undertake to say what the expense of dition of the country would account for the a building was which was opened first in the decrease of number. He should say the average year 1728. He had no idea of what the erection number of persons attending for the last three of such a building might cost now; but very years was about four or five at each meeting. considerable sums of money had been expended As to, whether he conceived that if an offer was upon that building within the period of his made to the trade of taking the Linen Hall, and knowledge of it. There were no instances of supporting it in future at their own expense, the rooms in the Linen Hall being occupied as they would accept that offer, they would rather residences. There never had been any such inno alteration was made in the present arrange- stances. There were residences attached to ment, which provided every thing for them at situations under the Board, which residences the public expense. And as to, if the alter-were contiguous to the buildings. He had native was put to the linen factors, that they attributed the prosperity of the linen trade of must in future either give up the accommo- Ireland in a great measure to the laws that dation they had in the Hall, or take the building had been passed for regulating it, during the off the hands of Government, and support it infancy of the manufacture. The first law themselves, which he thought they would ac- that he had stated to have produced any concept, their sentiments should be placed to small siderable effect was the Act of 1763. That account, if the interests of the public required Act arose out of the frauds that were found to the proceeding. They might separate, to be exist. The proceedings of that day described sure, and each might take a warehouse in town those frauds to have been very general. Duties on his own account; but then he must pay for it, upon foreign linen had existed in England, to and the interest of each required them all to be protect the British and Irish linen manufacture, together. He could not suppose, therefore, that from a very early period. He supposed that they under those circumstances they would abandon were in existence prior to that Act of 1763. a building they could have for the mere expense When asked, “Supposing that those protecting of maintaining it in their own way. He knew" duties were in existence prior to the year 1763, of no linen factors in Dublin without accommo- "and that the amount of duty was so great as to dation at the Linen Hall. There were many 66 operate nearly as a prohibition of the use of factors who had offices outside the Linen Hall," foreign linen, would not that system of fraud but all of them had rooms within it. The" that prevailed in Ireland be put down by refactors could afford to pay a moderate rent" pealing those protecting duties, and opening without imposing any charge upon the con- a fair competition between foreign linen and signors. He did not think the law went the Irish linen in the English market?" Mr. length of compelling the factors to sell their Corry's answer was, that the presence of foreign linen in the Hall; it did with regard to yarn. linen or foreign yarn might be calculated to imThere was a law, certainly, that supposed prove the native fabrics by the force of compeall linen to be sold in public market; but whe-tition. This might be true in the abstract, but ther, in that view of the law, it might be said he could not speak of the policy of admitting that the merchant was compelled to sell in the them in other respects. When asked, "If, in Dublin Linen Hall, was more than he could" point of fact, the duties upon foreign linen imsay. When asked, "whether, inasmuch as he "ported into Great Britain prior to 1763 were to "had stated that the sale of linen in Dublin had" a very large amount, must they not have opedecreased, from the nature of the trade, he was "rated, in some degree, as a protection of the not of opinion that it was likely to decrease" fraudulent practices that prevailed in Ireland, “there still more ?" He observed, that the fine" by preventing the natural competition that trade from the north might decrease; but then" would have taken place ?" He answered, that there might be a corresponding increase of the means of improvement, through the effect of the coarse trade from the south and west. competition, might be said to be denied by exThere were parts of the Linen Hall of Dublin, clusive laws; but while he admitted that the whole of which he considered as at present generally, he was not able to go on with that more than sufficient in size for the linen trade reasoning. He was not prepared to say, that that was transacted in it, which might be use- the application of the principle of political fully converted to other public purposes. There economy to the linen manufacture of Ireland, was an establishment, exclusive of those rooms thereby repealing all descriptions of protecting for the accommodation of the linen cloth, for the duty to which the introduction of foreign linen accommodation and sale of linen yarn. The into that country was liable, would be beneficial number of rooms contained in that proportion to the manufacture of Ireland. He would go

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no such length; and he begged to repeat what | any injury. To the following question: “As he had already said on that subject, that it was "the principles of political economy lead to that in the hands of Government, and that he was open and free market by which all persons are not competent to speak of it. When asked," enabled to buy every thing where it can be "whether he conceived that the Irish manu- "cheapest made, would not the general result to "facture would be able to compete with the "the public, by relieving the linen trade from "foreign manufacture without a protecting" prohibitory duties, be, that they would have "duty?" He answered, that, upon general" their linen cheaper, and consequently be in principles, he would say that competition might" that degree benefited?" Mr. Corry replied, lead to improvement; but he could not pursue "The inference supposed by the question may the subject farther than to say he should be" be a very fair one; but I know nothing of sorry the linen trade of Ireland should suffer" political economy."

ABSTRACT of an Account of the reputed Value of BROWN, or UNBLEACHED LINENS, sold in the Linen Markets of Ireland, in the Years 1821, 1822, 1823, and 1824, taken from the Returns of the Seal-masters of Brown Linens, and the Local Inspectors, in the Service of the LINEN BOARD of IRELAND.

ULSTER......... 2,066,122 16 8 2,127,529 16 4 1,968,180 16 62,109,309 10

24,027 2 11

16,535 4 2

TOTAL

2,538,012 19 2 2,677,345 8 9 2,411,871 16 51 2,580,709 42

• No Returns from these places.

Extracts from Two Memorials to the Treasury," for sale in Ireland must be reeled, or wound from the Linen Merchants of Dublin, concerning the Linen Laws and Bounties.

1.

"in certain prescribed forms and lengths, to "which foreign linen yarn does not conform, "such foreign linen yarn is liable, upon im"That there are certain regulations in the "portation into Ireland, to be seized and confis"linen trade of Ireland, which, though formerly "cated. We have found, upon inquiry, that "they may have been useful, yet, under the exist-"foreign linen yarn has been in recent in66 ing circumstances of the trade, are at present stances as much as twenty-five per cent

highly detrimental, especially in the sale of "cheaper than Irish linen yarn, and whilst the yarn; that in consequence, the manufactures" British linen manufacturer has been enabled "to import and convert it into linen cloth to very

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weaving. The official returns of the bounties "paid upon the exportation of linen cloth clearly

66 of Ireland are not placed on equal terms with "the rest of the United Kingdom, which your great advantage, and with great profit, the "memorialists conceive is contrary to the spirit "Irish manufacturer has been wholly excluded "of the Act of Union; that the coarse linen trade" from this trade, and a large portion of our "of Ireland is, in consequence, on the decrease," necessitous population consequently deprived "while that of Great Britain is on the increase, "of a very extensive source of employment in "(notwithstanding that wages are lower in "Ireland than in Great Britain); your memo"rialists, therefore, pray your Lordships will show that the British manufacturers export "direct the Lords of the Privy Council for "coarse linens to a far greater extent than the "Trade, to cause an inquiry to be instituted" Irish manufacturers, a fact which we conceive "into the laws regulating the linen trade of " clearly shows the disadvantage Ireland la"Ireland, with a view of proposing to par"bours under in this respect. The regulations "liament some measure, if expedient, and " to which we allude equally prevent the immore especially that an inquiry may be insti- "portation into Ireland of British mill-spun "tuted as to the regulations touching foreign 66 yarn, that article not being generally made "and mill-spun yarn; and whether, and to up according to the forms required by the "what extent, the alterations which have been" Irish regulations. We beg leave to state, "recently made in the laws of Great Britain" that there are numerous statutory regulations "can with advantage be extended to Ireland." with respect to the importing and branding "Your memorialists hope they may not be "of flax-seed, the reeling and winding of linen "understood in the slightest degree as casting 66 yarn, the sealing, folding, and lapping of any reflection on the Honourable Linen" both brown and white linens, and the nature Board, or their respective officers; on the" and extent of the duties now discharged by contrary, they feel that the grants which are "the inspectors appointed in the various linen given to the Linen Board from year to year, "markets, under the authority of the Linen " and the bounties, premiums, and encourage-" Board, which many individuals engaged in

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ment which they are thereby enabled to give" the trade consider as generally useless, and to the linen trade, are highly useful.” "in many instances as both vexatious and in"jurious; but as considerable diversity of

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2.

By the existing law, all foreign undressed" opinion prevails upon these subjects amongst "flax is admitted into Great Britain and Ire-" the persons engaged in the trade, we do not "land at the low duty of 5d. the hundred "feel ourselves at liberty to offer to their Lordweight, and foreign linen yarn at a duty "ships any opinion upon the subject, or which "of Is. per cwt., whilst foreign-dressed flax" could be considered by them as the senti"remains subject to a prohibitory duty of "ments of the trade at large. With respect, “10%. 16s. 8d. per cwt.: considerable advan-" however, to the importation of foreign-dressed tages to the linen trade of Ireland would, in" flax, and the mischievous tendency of the

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our opinion, result, if foreign-dressed flax" local regulations which prevent the importa"could be imported at a rate of duty similar" tion of foreign and British linen yarn, we to that upon undressed flax, it being in some "beg leave to state, that the opinion of the "instances superior to Irish-dressed flax; the "trade, as far as we have an opportunity of competition alone which would thereby be" obtaining an accurate knowledge of it, is "created on the part of the Irish flax dresser" unanimous and unequivocal. It may, perwould, we doubt not, be in the highest de-"haps, not be irrelevant to refer in this place gree favourable to the interests and to the" to petitions presented during the two last improvement of the linen trade. With re- "sessions of parliament, from the linen trade spect to the regulations affecting the importa-" of Dublin, praying for the imposition of a “tion of foreign linen yarn, it appears evidently" duty upon foreign linen yarn, equivalent to, "the intention of the legislature, that it should" or countervailing the bounty paid upon the "be freely imported into Ireland as well as "exportation of the same linen yarn when con“into Great Britain, at the low duty of 1s. per "verted into cloth: although the sentiments cwt.; but in consequence of existing local" of a large body of the trade remain unregulations, whereby all linen yarn exposed" changed with respect to that subject, still, as

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"the legislature seems to have decided that no | The total number of souls is stated by him at "such duty shall be imposed, we trust it will 1,034,102.

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66 appear to their Lordships the more necessary on that account, that Ireland should be "placed (as to the importation of foreign linen "yarn) precisely upon the same footing as "Great Britain, and allowed a full participa"tion in the advantages which the latter "country has reaped from this branch of its "trade, and which can only be done by a repeal or suspension of those local regulations, to "the operation of which, with respect to foreign "linen yarn, we have already alluded.”

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POPULATION.

Abstract of the Answers and Returns made pursuant to an Act of the United Parliament, passed in the 55th Year of the Reign of his late Majesty George 3d, intituled, "An Act "to provide for taking an Account of the "Population of Ireland, and for ascertain"ing the Increase or Diminution thereof."

Mr. Dobbs, in the second part of his Essay on the Trade and Improvement of Ireland, published in 1731, gives an account of the number of houses in the years 1712, 1718, 1725, and 1726. The calculations on which they are formed are taken from the returns of the hearth-money collectors, and give the following results at an average of six souls to a house :for 1712, 2,099,094,-for 1718, 2,169,048,for 1725, 2,317,374,-and for 1726, 2,309,106.

In the year 1731, an inquiry was instituted by order of the House of Lords, of Ireland, for ascertaining the population thereof, through the medium both of the magistracy and of the established clergy. On reflecting on the state of Ireland at that period, when large tracts of the country were not subject to the jurisdiction of the former of those classes, or to the influ ence of the latter, the result of an inquiry made by either of them, when unsupported by the authority of an act of the legislature, must be deemed far from satisfactory. The number of souls is stated to have been 2,010,221.

Several subsequent attempts were made to ascertain the population, all of which rest on the same basis as that just stated. Their results gave, in the year 1754, a population of 2,372,634,-in 1767, of 2,544,276,—in 1777, of 2,690,556,—and in 1785, of 2,845,932.

In 1788, an inquiry was instituted by Mr. Gervais Parker Bushe, one of the Commission

Substance of the Preliminary Remarks. The first attempt worthy of notice, to ascertain the population of Ireland, was that made by the celebrated Sir William Petty. The circumstances in which he stood, with respect to this country, gave him great local advantages towards the solution of a question, to the investigation of which his mental powers and habits of study peculiarly qualified him. He had superintended the great Territorial Survey of Ire-ers of the Revenue, the result of which is publand, instituted during the Protectorate, for the distribution of forfeited property; the importance and accuracy of which may be estimated from the consideration that, though undertaken for a special and limited object, and therefore not pervading the whole country, it still, after a lapse of more than two centuries, continues to be the standard of reference in the courts of judicature, as to points of disputed property, and the only authentic source of information, as to the minuter subdivisions of the land, as well as to many circumstances relating to local taxation. His estimate, taken in the year 1672, gives a total of 1,100,000 souls*.

lished in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. Like the preceding attempts, it is founded on the returns of the hearth-money collectors; and the details stated in Mr. Bushe's memoir prove, that he considered this basis to stand in need of much correction and amendment. The total is computed by him to amount to 4,040,000.

From a return of the number of hearths made to the Irish House of Commons in 1791, the population is estimated at 4,206,612.

In the subsequent year, Dr. Beaufort published his Ecclesiastical Map of Ireland. The memoir which accompanies it affords a vague The result of a subsequent attempt, made estimate of the population of each county, averby Captain South, in the year 1695, appears in aged, according to difference of local circumthe Transactions of the Royal Society of Lon-stances, at from 5 to 6 souls to a house. The don. It is not easy, from the brief and unsatis- total thus amounts to 4,088,226. factory memoranda there given, to ascertain the value of the data on which his calculation rests.

In the course of his calculations to ascertain the actual number of the people, at the period at which they were made, Petty introduces another, as to the numbers living in Ireland previously to the civil war of 1641; which, from a variety of ingenious suppositions, he estimates at 1,466,000. A previous conjecture was made by Moryson, who visited Ireland under Lord Mountjoy, at the close of the reign of Elizabeth. This writer states, that at the ter

mination of the war which his patron had just brought to a successful issue, the total of souls left did not exceed

700,000.

Major Newenham, in his Inquiry into the Progress and Magnitude of the Population of Ireland, published in the year 1805, endeavours to correct the inaccuracies of the hearth-money returns, by a variety of ingenious calculations, formed on other bases. His corrected estimate gives a total of 5,395,456 souls.

In 1812, an act passed for taking an account of the population of Ireland, and of the increase or diminution thereof: it was chiefly copied from that of 1810 for Great Britain, to the provisions of which it adhered in all the prac