LORD HILLSBOROUGH TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT.

MY LORD,

St James's, 1st Dec. 1779.

As one of the principal objects of my attention on coming into my office, was the critical and alarming state of Ireland, I have carefully read the several letters that have passed between your Excellency and Lord Weymouth upon that subject.

I observe that, on the 18th of May last, it was strongly recommended to your Excellency "to direct your most serious thoughts to that important matter, and to transmit your opinion, together with such information and materials as might lead to the forming of a proper judgment on a point of such serious concern as the welfare of the kingdom of Ireland."

On the first of June His Majesty's pleasure was signified to your Excellency, that you should make this important subject. the immediate object of your closest attention.

In consequence of these requisitions, your Excellency writes on the 27th of May, that you had communicated the Address of the House of Lords to several persons of the first rank and consequence in Ireland, and desired them to deliver their sentiments and opinions to your Excellency in writing thereupon, and that you had also made the same communication to the Commissioners of His Majesty's revenue, desiring them immediately to take the important matter into their consideration, and prepare, and lay before your Excellency, to be transmitted for the information of the House of Lords, such states of the trade and manufactures of Ireland, as would show in what particulars and proportions they have declined, with their opinion of the causes thereof, and how the same might be best remedied, together with all such materials as might enable their Lordships to form a proper judgment on a point of such high concern, as the welfare of the kingdom of Ireland.

On the 8th, 16th, and 23d of June, and on the 4th and 12th

* Lord Weymouth had retired from the office of Secretary of the Home Department, and was succeeded by the Earl of Hillsborough.

of July, your Excellency transmitted the several sentiments and opinions, as given to your Excellency in writing, of the great and considerable persons before mentioned, together with a copy of the Report of the Commissioners of the Revenue, and twelve inclosures referred to in the said Report.

The Report and its inclosures are very material, and contain much useful information on this important subject; but I cannot conceal from your Excellency, that I felt myself much disappointed in finding that in so long a time as from the 12th of July last, to the month of November, all correspondence between your Excellency and my office has subsided, upon a subject so interesting to the peace and welfare of both kingdoms; nor has your Excellency, from the first communication of the Lords" Address to this time, offered any opinion of your own on this weighty consideration; although I doubt not that you have applied yourself closely to it, and taken every method to enable yourself to form one, the communication of which, and the materials on which it is founded, could not fail of being very important to the king's servants, in a discussion of matters of so delicate and difficult a nature.

The several circumstances that have since intervened, make that opinion and those materials still more desirable; and I have His Majesty's commands to instruct your Excellency to convey to me, for His Majesty's information, your opinion on the several points which it may be proper to concede to Ireland, in order to relieve that kingdom from its present difficulties, promote the industry of its inhabitants, restore tranquillity, and confirm and increase that loyalty and affection to the king's person and government, which have so long distinguished the subjects of that kingdom. Your Excellency will at the same time have in your contemplation, the effects which the concessions proposed may have upon the interests of this kingdom, which must be equally the object of that paternal care and solicitude which his Majesty extends to every part of his dominions.

THE LORD LIEUTENANT TO LORD HILLSBOROUGH.

MY LORD,

Dublin Castle, Dec. 9. 1779.

I received the honour of your Lordship's letter of the 1st instant, and would not delay one moment to return my answer to the several matters of importance therein contained.

And first, I beg leave to acquaint your Lordship, that having, in consequence of Lord Weymouth's letter of the 18th of May last, directed my serious thoughts to the important matters therein mentioned, I transmitted to his Lordship, in various dispatches to the 12th of July, every material, and every information, which occurred to me as being in my power to obtain, and which, I thought, would lead his Majesty's ministers to the forming a proper judgment of the commercial distresses of this kingdom, together with the general sentiments of the best informed and most understanding persons upon the subject.

I must further observe, that Lord Weymouth having informed me, in his letter of the 18th of May last, that he trusted he should soon be enabled to write to me fully upon the subject, and not having had the honour of hearing further from him thereon, I naturally concluded his Lordship's silence arose from the materials I transmitted having been found sufficient and satisfactory to his Majesty's servants.

To this supposition, and to my not having received any subsequent information of sufficient authority for me to communicate, your Lordship's candour will attribute the chasm of correspondence alluded to between your office, and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. And your Lordship will have observed, that the several letters between the 1st of June and the 12th of July, mentioned by your Lordship, were written by me since the last which I received from Lord Weymouth upon that subject.

As to the not having offered any opinion of my own, I beg leave to add, that after having transmitted every material which might enable me to form one, it remained for me to wait the hearing more fully from Lord Weymouth, agreeably to the

expectations conveyed in his letter, before I could pretend to advance any sentiment, except such as must obviously have occurred to his Majesty's servants upon reading those materials. But difficult and delicate as it is, I must give it as my opinion, that an effectual extension of trade is essential to restore tranquillity, and relieve the distresses of this kingdom, and that the whole of that extension should be made at once. The great and considerable benefits expected to operate most immediately upon the freedom of trade desired by Ireland, would be the power of exporting woollens to all the world except Great Britain, and the direct import and export of all commodities to and from the plantations. As to all other points desired by Ireland, in their addresses for a free trade, it is represented to me, that their effects would neither be very considerable nor immediate, and consequently little likely to interfere with the commerce of Great Britain. I submit it, therefore, supposing these assertions are founded, whether, if the Parliament of Great Britain shall think proper to open the woollen and plantation trade to Ireland, it would be advisable to retain the restrictions in those other points, the removal of which would fill up the measure of the demands of Ireland.

In regard to the effects which such measures may have on the interests of Great Britain, my absence from that kingdom, and total want of every document and information which must be furnished by persons there, deeply conversant in its trade and manufactures, render me very unequal to the task of deciding how far her commerce might be affected by the extension of that of Ireland; yet, I will venture to say, that her loss by indulgence must be very considerable, to counterbalance that which she must incur, from the indisposition of Ireland, consequential to the continuance of the present restrictions.

I have the honour to be, &c.

BUCKINGHAM.

LORD HILLSBOROUGH TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT. St. James's, Dec. 25, 1779.

MY LORD,

I am to acquaint your Excellency, that a proclamation will be forthwith issued here, in consequence of an order of his Majesty in council, offering a reward for the apprehending and convicting any persons that shall convey arms, ammunition, provisions, or any other aids to the enemy; and it is his Majesty's pleasure, that your Excellency and council in Ireland do cause a like proclamation to issue in that kingdom. I will not fail to transmit to your Excellency the order of council, for your guidance herein, as soon as I receive it from the council office.

Inclosed I send you, for your Excellency's information, a copy of a second letter of intelligence, from Mr. Gordon, relative to the contract for provisions with Messrs. King and Cormack, of Cork, and I am confidentially informed, that the value of the provisions contracted for amounts to no less a sum than 60,0001. sterling. It will easily occur to your Excellency, that the present critical situation of Ireland renders it difficult to his Majesty's servants here to determine upon any measures to be taken, in order to prevent this important and dangerous supply from being conveyed to the enemy. I have it, therefore, in command from his Majesty, that your Excellency should take the most effectual means to that end, which may be adopted with prudence at the present time, and made consistent with the important political considerations which you must not for a moment lose sight of; and I doubt not that your Excellency will exert the same endeavours to prevent the exportation of provisions for the use of the enemy from any port in Ireland. I have the honour to be, &c. HILLSBOROUGH.