tended by France to destroy Britain altogether. In the 3d volume of the "Quarterly Review," pp. 5063, in examining a work intituled " Effets du Blocus continental sur le commerce, les finances, le credit, et la prosperité des Isles Britanniques," par Sir Francis D'Ivernois, seconde edition,-October, 1809—are to be found the following facts and observations: "That Ireland, when once amalgamated with Great-Britain, could not fail to advance with increased rapidity in her career of improvement; that the introduction of new wants and new luxuries would rouse to exertion that part of her population whose previous indolence was connected with their poverty; and that the easy and advantageous sale of her agricultural and manufactured produce at the richest market in the world, must foster and encourage the industry already excited, was long foreseen; and the Union alone is sufficient to account for the principal part of that prosperity which she has attained. Yet she has derived benefit from the French blockading system. The most flourishing of her manufactures was in ordinary times exposed to the competition of German and other foreign linens; and her agricultural produce, as grain, salted provisions, hides, tallow, &c. was encountered at the English market by rival articles from Poland, America, or Russia. Through the operation of the French blockade she exchanged competition for monopoly. The natural effect of the Union was to increase both the exports and imports of the poorer country; that of the blockade was, by contracting the usual supply of the British market, to increase the exchangeable value of Irish produce at that market. Both these effects have taken place in a remarkable degree. In 1806, at the close of which the Berlin decree was issued, the exports of Ireland amounted in real value to In 1807, to £9,314,854 10,110,385 The net public revenue of Ireland, on an average of three years preceding the Union, namely, 1796-78, was In 1808, £1,860,797 6,174,561 "These facts, taken from accounts submitted to Parliament, are sufficiently striking. It would be difficult to find in the annals of history any other country, whose exports have increased in value one third in two years. But the increase of the public revenue is the best evidence of the growing opulence of Ireland; because it has been more than tripled in the course of ten years, not by the imposition of direct taxes, to which all are compelled to contribute, but by taxes on consumption, which can only be rendered productive by increasing the faculties of the consumers. Neither the land-tax nor the property-tax are known in Ireland; and the few direct taxes imposed in 1804, have not added more than one-fiftieth part to the public burdens. The state of a revenue levied on consumption is perhaps the only test of the activity or stagnation of that internal commerce on which the wealth of nations principally depends; because the progress of population, of agriculture and the other useful arts, and the gradual accessions, to the national capital by roads, canals, buildings, &c. are seldom revealed to the public, except by the contrivances of fiscal ingenuity. Those who consider that Britain's whole commercial intercourse with foreign Europe has hitherto amounted to no more than one-sixth of her very extensive trade; and that this intercourse is apparently incapable of utter annihilation, will not look forward with much anxiety to her future prospects. We know not how long the other nations of the world will be compelled to renounce the advantage of bringing their superfluous produce to the most profitable market; but we do not believe that Britain, whose inhabitants are the most opulent and industrious, because the freest and most enlightened of mankind, will be the ultimate victims of this system of forbearance. On a final settlement of accounts, Great-Britain will be found to have suffered much less than any of the nations associated for her destruction. The very unsatisfactory state of American commerce and revenue has been revealed in the late communications to Congress; and the distress of the agricultural as well as the manufacturing classes in France, in consequence of the annihilation of her foreign trade, and of the interruption to all intercourse between her maritime provinces, is frankly avowed in the official reports to the French government. There cannot be a more striking contrast to these plaintive confessions, than that exhibited in the address of the city of London to the king, on the 25th October, 1809: It is a proud subject for your majesty's faithful citizens of London to record, that in the midst of all our unexampled struggles, your majesty is enabled to say now, as at the commencement of your majesty's reign, that your majesty can see with joy of heart the commerce of these kingdoms, the great source of our riches, and fixed object of your majesty's never-failing care and protection, flourishing to an extent unknown in any former war.” The quantity of linen-cloth exported from Ireland in the years ending 5th January, 1807-1810, inclusive, was as follows: The net public revenue of Ireland, on an average of three years preceding the Union, namely, 1796-78, was In 1808, £1,860,797 6,174,561 "These facts, taken from accounts submitted to Parliament, are sufficiently striking. It would be difficult to find in the annals of history any other country, whose exports have increased in value onethird in two years. But the increase of the public revenue is the best evidence of the growing opulence of Ireland; because it has been more than tripled in the course of ten years, not by the imposition of di rect taxes, to which all are compelled to contribute, but by taxes on consumption, which can only be rendered productive by increasing the faculties of the consumers. Neither the land-tax nor the property-tax are known in Ireland; and the few direct taxes imposed in 1804, have not added more than one-fiftieth part to the public burdens. The state of a revenue levied on consumption is perhaps the only test of the activity or stagnation of that internal commerce on which the wealth of nations principally depends; because the progress of population, of agriculture and the other useful arts, and the gradual accessions, to the national capital by roads, canals, buildings, &c. are seldom revealed to the public. except by the contrivances of fil ingenuity. Th who consider that course with fore no more than and that this inexos 27apter to renounce the advantage r we do not believe that man VINS ZETE the most open, and indusTM TOU and most euigiene o malikIÐ. 97 mate victims of this systen 61 final settlement of account found to have sufferet muci to nations associated jo ne vestrUTI10. lic Face ute. satisfactory state of American “ompe has been revealed 1 tim ia com termas of London to the king, on the Inte |