reputans” till the whole shall be completed. It certainly will have strong claims to be called your work. I never found time till this morning to afford an attentive and connected perusal to your speech, which gives every requisite explanation with clearness, force, and eloquence. I trust that, at the opening of the new century, you will transfer your activity to a larger scene of action, and will employ the energy of your mind upon the great interests of our new Empire.

The attack of the woollen people is not very alarming: their advertisement is a foolish and untenable objection to the circulation of raw materials and produce through different parts of the same kingdom. If they had confined their claim to a more speedy abolition of the duties subsisting on woollens, they might have embarrassed us more.

I foresee great trouble and delay in the settlement of the countervailing duties, and have just epistolized Mr. Pitt respecting them. When we talk of allowing each country to settle its own Countervailing Duties, we do not seem to be sufficiently aware that those duties hinge upon a principle of jealousy. If the quantum on any article be stated by us higher than it ought to be, it will operate pro tanto as a prohibition on your imports, and also as a bounty on our exports, and so vice versa as to the Countervailing duties which may be settled by you. It is a task of great difficulty in some of the articles, even with all possible disposition to conciliation and good faith. We must go doggedly to work upon it: for surely these duties must appear in the Act of Union; at least, I fear that they cannot well be left to be settled afterwards by Commissioners. It will be contended by the Opposition to the general measure that Ireland is dragooned and bayonetted into it. We shall also have much teazing on the Representation article and its preparatory machinery.

I have received a note from Lord Darnley,' to say that he 1 John, fourth Earl: his Lordship claimed in 1829 the Dukedom of Lennox, being descended from Catherine, sister of the sixth Duke.

approves every part of the measure, except the anomalous predicament of the Irish Peers, and the limited prerogative of the Crown, which ought to have been either totally restrained or quite free. I have known him less correct in his opinions than he is in this instance.

Mr. Pitt scolds me when I mention the word delay, and therefore, I retain a tacit sentiment respecting the course of our progress. I suspect that the new Income Bill which the Treasury have brought in will occasion much ill temper and debate: but I say this merely from the perusal of it, as I have not had occasion to see others since it was printed.

You see that Buonaparte is making incredible efforts to open the campaign with some impression of success, and that he is collecting around him and his Government every individual, of whatever party, who possesses the best abilities.

I am, &c.,

Lord Auckland to Lord Castlereagh.

AUCKLAND.

Palace Yard, April 17, [1800.]

My dear Lord-I shall omit many particulars which you will learn by this post from Cooke. I returned to town yesterday, and dined alone with Mr. Pitt, and sat with him till 11 o'clock, discussing your Articles, and the course of proceeding to be adopted. We appointed Cooke, with Messrs. Frewin and Jackson, to meet us this morning, and had three hours' conference with them on the old and eternal story. But Mr. Pitt finds himself so much indisposed, that he cannot risk the possible fatigue of a long debate, and must have recourse to a little medical discipline. He has, therefore, postponed the Irish business till Monday next. His disorder is merely of that bilious kind which often affects him, and which a little attention removes. I am sorry for the apparent delay, though I hope that, in the result, we shall advance as fast as if this interruption had not taken place for the Countervailing

Duties are preparing, and all the other details are putting into shape.

It is possible that unforeseen circumstances may arise; but, so far as we can yet see, and after a most careful examination of the Articles, we find no material difficulty. Nor do we think that it will be necessary to make any substantial alteration in the propositions, or indeed to make any change, except what you may strictly argue to be consonant to the meaning of your Parliament, and such as would pass if made in a money Bill sent from the Lords to the Commons. We think that our two Houses here may advance concurrently, (and without communication or messages) as was done in the Scotch Union, only, as on that occasion, the House of Lords must be a few days behind the Commons in the course of the proceeding. The Parliamentary Commission, in the former instance, certainly makes a material difference in the cases: still we may avail ourselves of the precedent. A few days will show more, and will also ascertain whether the woollen opposition is likely to create delay: the various petitions, of which we have as yet any account, do not desire to be heard by counsel.

Mr. Pitt is very solicitous that you should have the further details completed as soon as you may think it prudent to meet the Irish Parliament again respecting them-I mean, as to your Countervailing duties, without which, till settled by you, and adopted by us, and also as to our Countervailing duties, vice versa, we cannot come to a conclusion respecting the Articles; and farther as to your Representation Act, without which we cannot propose the Act of Union. In all these matters and considerations, I recur to my original opinion that the arrangement is farther from its close than we all wish, and than some of us expect.

I stated a doubt to-day, which may force us on both sides. to an additional article in the 10 per cent. Schedule. Woollens, silks, and cottons, are all subject to a protecting duty, as separate manufactures. I fear that the mixed manufactures

having those materials must also be subject to a protecting duty if not, I foresee much alarm and objection, and indeed an apparent inconsistency in the whole system. How can it be said that the cottons shall be specially guarded, but that, if a little silk be mixed with these, they shall go quite free-or that apparel shall pay 10 per cent. if made up, and nothing if not made up? It is difficult to foresee the general course of the business till after the first debate on it in our House of Commons. Believe me to be, &c.,

AUCKLAND.

The Right Hon. J. Beresford to Lord Castlereagh.

Derry, April 18, 1800. My dear Lord-Your first letter, dated the 10th, I did not receive until the 15th, owing to its being directed to Newtown Limavady, which never arrives regularly, nor ever will, until it comes by Derry instead of Coleraine.

You ask me what do I think would be the effect of taking off all duties on Woollens between the two countries. My opinion is, that it would be very advantageous to Ireland; for our Wool, I have always understood, is long and coarse, fit for combing, and used in coarse Woollens and New Drapery, the price of which is very low, and on which 74d. and 21d. are prohibitory Duties. I think our best chance of Export is on New Drapery, perhaps to the value of 20d. a yard, on which 24d. will act as a bar to Export.

Your letter of Wednesday arrived here at two yesterday, and I received it in the Jury Room, where I have the honour of presiding. All things seem quiet this whole city and county, except about twelve gentlemen, are strong Unionists; so we shall have no stir.

I am very happy that it occurred to me to give in a Schedule of the articles to be countervailed and not the Duties, foreseeing that there might be difference of opinion: we have now avoided a great hobble. I conceive that a discussion in

Parliament upon the quantum of countervailing Duty would be attended with great difference of opinion and delay, and that the Speaker would be able to give us much trouble on that point. I am, therefore, inclined to think that those Duties would be best settled by Commissioners.

Now to advert to Rose's letter-but, first, I must premise that the Duties stated were submitted for consideration, and not as the positive Duties. We kept the Duties out of the Schedule for the very purpose of consideration.

The first article Mr. Rose mentions is Silk: he says the arrangement would operate as a complete prohibition of the article, for the reasons contained in his letter, and he mentions some Table sent over some months ago, containing the Duties on the several species of manufactured Silks. I never saw or heard of such Table. I took a copy of the Memoir of Messrs. Frewin and Jackson upon the Countervailing Duties, and, as you had no copy, I gave one to Cooke. In this paper these gentlemen were totally silent on the Duties which ought to be laid on Silk: they mention the articles, and leave a blank for the countervailing Duties. We therefore took up a general principle, upon an inquiry what quantity of thrown Silk was used in manufacturing a b of Silk, and that was stated as a principle to direct. I can have no doubt that we may be mistaken, but we had no ground to go on but inquiry, and it was impossible to go into the Duties of each particular species of Silks, neither is it worth while.

It would answer no purpose to go into argument on this article at this time; but it is not of the mighty consequence which seems to be conceived, as may be seen by the statement of the importation of raw and manufactured Silk made by me in my speech.

Mr. Rose says, there is no provision made for mixed goods, such as poplins, &c., as in the Tables sent from England. We considered these goods as Irish Exports, and conceived the Countervailing Duties would be laid on in Britain, and what