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tleman's exertions furmounted every ob

facle.

We find in the proceedings of Parliament, that the fame feflion he propofed bounties the export of all filk, and mixed filk manufacture, to reimburfe the duty paid on the import of the raw material. He likewife propofed a bounty of fixpence an ounce on the export of gold and filver plate manufactured here. Thefe feveral meatures took place, and we are now indebted to him for the full paffion of all their advantages.

Many people were not a little furprized, at feeing a gentleman fo apparently in the confdence of goverment, turning his whole thoughts to promote the trade of this kingdem, and carrying into effect, without deFate, measures which were to leffen the beeditary revenues But it is to be obferd, that henerally gained the concurrence of government to his meafures, before he pippofed them, and as they meftly paffed without debate, his great merit has often had the fortune to pafs unnoticed.

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It is very well known that in the fummer of 1779, Lord Buckinghamshire defired the. opinion of many gentlemen of this kingdom, on its real fituation, with a view to tranfmit fuch opinions to the English minifter. Mr. Fofter was not backward on this occafion of delivering his fentiments in the most nly and unequivocal manner. He defired a roTAL FREEDOM OF TRADE, in full and explicit terins. This was four or five months before the parliament addreffed for it. His whole opinion breathed the fentiments of a warm Irifhman; and it is only to be lamented that his friends did not make this fact nire public.

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J. When the foffien opened, and the free trade was voted, he brought forward several new meatures for our manufactures and commerce. The bounties on, the export of cur linens and fail-cloth stand the foremofl, and he devifed a tax to pay them with, that of all others ought now to be the mofi approved, a univerfal protecting duty of five per cent addition to the duties on all imported goods. In this bounty toe, he wifely exceeded that in Liten; for he extended it to printed Lens and cheques. He at the fame time obtained between 7 and Ɛocol. a year to be paid out of the hereditary revenue, to encourage the growth of flaxfeed in this kingdom; he further encouraged it by a duty of éd. per gallon on imported linfeed oil, and applied the produce of this duty to the very object of producing flaxfeed.

Lutth, linen trade was not his only atten tion. Ly allowing the merchant to ware, eufe his tol acco and Lond the duties, he kid the foundation of this kingdom extendJpg its trade to America, and being the em

porium for foreign countries in the great ticle of American produce.

He introduced that well-known partne flip bill, which was rejected in Englan but which by perfeverance in the fucceedin feffion he obtained, and which is now be ginning to operate, and will prove a mo active fund for extending trade and mani facture.

We fhall never forget the pleasure wit which we heard him on Mr. Grattan's de claratory motion, early in the debate, an the firft on the fide of the houfe where h fat, with the British fecretary at his fide o the treafury bench, manfully declare in ex plicit terms, that English laws did not ɓing Ireland. The doctrine, though true at al times, was then new, and particularly from one who might be flyled a fervant of the crown.

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An occurrence foon after happened, which fhewed thic fincer'ry of his declaration. Ar entry of raw fill outwards was offered a the cuflem Houfe, a British law forbad- its export, but there was no Irish law that did His off ce under the crown was that of Cuftemer of the Port of Dublin, held during pleafure. The entry was offered at this of fice, and like a true Irifman, he fald, Le knew no law but the law of the ir parliament, and admitted the entry we ever have men of fuch principles te bil all offices under the crown!

To encourage the experts of our piri - he introduced the claufe, giving a fail drawi of all the excife duties; a matter long and anxioufly wifhed for, and now effectuady fettled by the regulations he propofed.

He was the mover of the bill to regulate the wages in the filk trade; for the benefit of which, every filk weaver is now indebted to him.

Early in the fame feffion of 1779, he mentioned a National Bank as a favourite object for this kingdom :-but he opposed and defeated an attempt that was then made to ellablifh a Bail; under that title, because the fubfcribers would not agree to discount for the trade at five per cent. we remember his fating the impoffibility of this kingdom ever meeting Britain at foreign markets, while she paid only five, and we fix per cent. for money.. In the next feffion the Bank was efiablished on his plan, and by the mode of fubfcription which he devised, debentures rofe from feventy-eight to ninety-fix.

i The fcheme of treafury bills was his-he improved upon the Exchequer Bills of England, and the nation feels the advantage in every day's negotiation.

We cannot pafs over the fugar business, and though we cannot take upon us to fay, what duty was right, we will do this juftice,

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that

1785.

Memoirs of the Right Honourable John Fester.

that when the government with whom he was clofely connected, carried the duty at fve fillings, he declared his difapprobation; frpported the recommittal of it, and voted for nine fhillings.

Hs attention to commerce was univerfal; thew of the laft feffion, to guard our maartures from being diftrelled during the War, by allowing the import of filk, ba Fila, and various materials of manufactures, from all countries, and in all ships, was his. -The law to prevent the export of tools and machinery, in the wool, fiik, and cot fon trade was his.-The law to continue trade with the captured iflands was his. In fhort, look over the proceedings of parliament, and we shall fee him active for the public good, in almost every page.

If we view him further; we fhall fee his endeavours for the public good fill more confpicuous; the duties on tobacco are kept one-fourth lower than in Britain.——— American fhips are admitted to entry as our own-full drawbacks are given of every duty paid on every article as on import. All theie introduced by him, for the avowed purpofe of making Ireland the landing place between Europe and America-of allowing her an affortment for all foreign markets, wherewith to fell her own manufactures, and of giving her the full advantages of her advanced fituation between the Old and New World.

Our breweries long looked in vain for a tax on British beer; this he undertook, and facceeded to the full amount of all our tics. To ferve the infant cotton manufactures he obtained a duty of 6d. per yard On calicoes. If the price of iron wire is encreated, it is not his fault; it was a young and fpirited undertaking, and he protected it by a large duty on Dutch wire. Our attempts to make vinegar were crushed by French importations; he procured an additional duty of 40s. a ton. The gold manufacture is regulated by a bill of his framing, and encouraged by a removal of all taxes. The calculations of duties were rendered more eafy by being freed from discounts on imports, and the removal of those very difcounts is a large and extenfive protecting daty; this meafure was alfo his. The boanties on linens have been extended by him to all linens of whatever breadths, that every foreign market may be fuited, ad 29,0col. are granted on his motion pay bounties on the fale of our manufactures. But above all, he has effected that for us, which no country, we know of poffeffes, a good fyftem of corn Iras; the old corn laws prohibiting the impart till the price was far beyond the poor manufacturer's reach, 36s. the barrel for

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wheat. Mr. Fofter's bill allows the import at 27s, that is, the old law allowed corn to rife to 368. Mr. Fofter provides that it fhall never exceed 27. Mr. Fofter's bill will, when corn is dear, give the manufacturer as much bread for 275. as he could get before for 36s. and the mafter will of courfe be able to employ thirty-fix men, where before he could only employ twenty-seven; bit Mr. Fofter's bill will probably never let it rife to twenty-feven as in former days of pienty, all owing to his exertion. But his bill not only does all this, but like a good and humane friend to the poor, he oppofed with fuccefs, that raiftken scheme of a few individuals, of getting a bounty to carry away by fea, from the induftrious inhabitants of Dublin, all that corn and flour which the nation pays fo much money to bring to Dublin, by land carriage for their use.

On the confideration of thefe plain facts, and the importance of their confequences, could it be imagined by any perfon impreffed with common fenfe or gratitude, that the originator of fo many benefits, fhould experience the return of the moft fcurrilous abufe, and the worft malignity of falfhood? No man ever promoted the intereft of Ireland more, nor perhaps fo much; but for` the mere fingle charge that he voted against a protecting duty, the prefs teemed with libels, without the falleft foundation for fuch licentioufnefs. When all the North, and almost all the South and the Weft agreed with him, that the ableft friend of the nation fhould be loaded with popular abuse, can be only accounted for in popular error; and it will become equally a matter of aftonishment, why he alone out of fo large a majority fhould be cenfured, and numerous others, who never rendered their country a fingle fervice, affect the aim of popularity? The fact is, that where a protecting duty could be laid, without hurting the general intereft, he was the foremost to promete protecting duties. His taxes on English beer, on wire, on callico, and other manufactures, ftill continue to be protecting duties. His tax of five per cent. on the du ties on all imports, is a protecting duty. His abolition of the difcounts of fix and five per cent. is another protecting duty. The moft malicious tongue that ever pronounced him an enemy to protecting duties, could not fhew any man who had laid on fo many.

During this delirium o popular intemperance, his whole conduct was marked with that fortitude and intrepidity, which diftinguishes a great mind from the general level of human understanding. is knowledge of mankind, and numerous examples in the Hiftory of the world, gave him a confidence, A 2

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fhat when the calm inveftigation of reafon hould fucceed political delufion, his real tharacter would be known, and gratitude fucceed the prejudice fomented by public m freprefentation.

tegrity. At the very time, that cald was unremitting in charging him with bei the enemy of his country, he might calm fay with the philofopher,

"I fhall fo live as to belie the affertion."

Indeed the event has proved the juftness of this obfervation, and established the truth of If Mr. Fofter was abused, at that time that well-founded maxir, that excellence is his life, in which he was moft carneft to re be known by comparison. Thus did it ap der his country every fervice, yet the refle pear when it was rumoured abroads that Mr. tion muft occur to him, that his fituation w Mr. Fofter now official Minifter of Finance not fingular. The ill-fated De Witts, aft WIS to expect a competitor for the laying the foundation of their country Chair of the Houfe of Commors on the in- greatnefs, were facrificed to popular prej tended vacancy; for even those who before dice. Sir John Barnard within the prefer had been loudest to condemn fömme part of century, was several times borne about i his political conduct, ftarted up in his behalf triumph, by the very people who afterward on this occafion, and fent forth a general qurned him in effigy. The idolized Willian alarm, left the powers which the Chancellor Pitt, was abufed and infulted when create of the Exchequer was univerfally known to Earl of Chatham. Ancient hiftory abound poffefs, fhould be fuperfeded it that chair, by with fuch inftances. When limoleon ha inferior abilities. There was a latent affec- crowned his country with conquefts and tion in the public mind that fhewed a confci- peace, and found himself publicly traduce dufness of worth, which pleaded, however by Demanetus of Syracufe, he exclaimed tha obfcured, for MERIT AND VIRTUF. It" the Gods had favoured hiin, fince it wa was in confequence of this mental conviction, that we faw him placed in the chair with all "the acclamations of general fatisfaction:

Let the prefent appearance of the Liner and, Yarn Halls, and the rapid profperity of our ftaple manufacture, bear witness to the character of that illuftrious individual, whofe hand taught the edifice to rife, and the loom to flourish. He forefaw with great clearness of judgment, the vast advantages the linen trade would derive from a manufacture of home made afhes, for bleachers ufe; the very countries on which the flaple manufacture depended, for its bleaching materials, were thöfe which were the rivals to the Irish linen trade, and made it fubject to very great embarraffments: A ftriking example of which happened in the year 1780; when bleaching ftuffs rofe to fuch an enormous price, that the whole linen trade were filled with apprehenfions for the evil confequence it was threatened with. In the surfe of his enquiries he found, that above 100,000l. was annually fent out of the kingdom for afhes, that might be kept at home, circulating through the tenantry and landed intereft of this country. He therefore arranged and brought forward a fyftem for thefe purposes, which has hitherto answered his, and the expectations of the Linea Trade; the quantities now made, and the refineries eftablished in feveral parts of the kingdom, efectually regulates the price of athes at the prefent, and when fully extended muft prove a great annual faving to the nation, and render the Linen Manufacsure totally independant of foreign markets for its bleaching materials. Let the reform he has made, and the regularity he has eftablished

very departinent, bear witness to his in

the conftant tenor of his prayers, that th Syracufans might enjoy fuch liberty, as to fpeak freely and with impunity, whateve they thought of others." "Themiftocles, at ter his career of glory, was told by Timecreon, the post, that, "For three talents he called men from banishment, murdered others, and became profligate enough to laugh at his own villainies." Cleon and Яicibiades, in the virtuous exercife of power, were treated in the fame manner at Athens. Al most every person that can read, is acquainted with Amilar inftances in the Roman hiftory.

Though as Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, Mr. Fofter is removed from that fcene of action, which was formerly devoted to business; which gave daily proofs of that aftomishing amplitude of mind that embraced every object, and comprehended all that is admirable in the fateiman, and feful in the citizen; yet his example muf be followed in the fenate, while there exifts a regard for good fenfe and genius. It will be remembered, by thofe who are emulous of his celebrity, that in the difcuffion of every fubject, his mind was fo folid, and his opinion fo well founded, that he spoke no thing but what was well thought and correct, nothing but what had all the nerves and fngth his argument was capable of bearing. To him might be truly applied, what Cicero faid of Thucydides: "He abounds fo with matter, that his thoughts are almoft equal in number to his words, and he is fo expreffive and close in what he delivers, that it is hard to fay, whether his words fet off his fubjects the moft, or his fubject his words." Hence that vigour of difcourfe, that profoundaefs of reasoning, that cafy unravelling

1786. The Unexpected Interview; or, Memoirs of the conftant Theodore, &c.

of the most difficult points, that firmness of firoke, colour, and expreffion, which outftript all competition.

We cannot conclude this sketch with a finer compliment to this exalted fenator than the following elegant lines, written on his being elected to the chair:

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN FOSTER,

THE clouds that overcaft thy days are
gone;

Thy country in THY honours, feels its OWN.
Long tried by factious men, in faction's fire,
Thy fterling gold runs pure while they ex-
pire,

And mounting o'er the afhes they have
thrown,

Rifes, the genuine metal of the fun.

Tho' on the billows of fedition toft,
Envy muft own thee ftill HIBERNIA's boaft.

O glorious! full to my prophetic eyes,
Through thee I fée HER future wealth arife;
See round YOUNG IRELAND other nations
court

The crowded harbour, and the fplendid port.
Euch burden'd navies on the Tyrian main,
Your proud Phoenician fathers fought in

vain;

Tho' Tyre and Carthage, whence the Irish fprung,

Once called the empire of the waves their

own.

Let flaves who bafk in hotter climates boast
The ripening diamond, and the golden coaft,
Call warmer funs to beam upon the EAST,
The fun of FREEDOM fhines but in the
WEST.

O! born to bear through oppofition's tide,
The fwelling canvas of commercial pride;
To lend the ufeful arts thy guiding hand,
And turn the glebe of a neglected land;
When future travellers, induced by famej
On the tall obelifk fhall trace thy name,
And ask what honours did his country give
To him who bade its arts and commerce live,
Grateful pofterity fhall proudly own
The PEOPLE placed him in the PEOPLE'S
Throne.

The Unexpected Interview ; or Memoirs of
the confiant Theodore and the adorable
Leonora.

5

At about fifteen years of age; Theodcre's uncle, who was a colonel in the army, procured him a pair of colours, and he did honour to his corps by his fervice the laft war in Germany. Even at this tender age he felt, as it were, by inftinet, a kind of impulfe, that told him we were born not for ourselves alone, but for the good of the community. The idea of a citizen of the world may appear romantic, especially as we find from every fresh difcovery, made by travellers and circumnavigators, that we are ftill unacquainted with a great part of it; the idea, therefore, to have any proper application, muft be accepted in its confined ferife, and we shall only fay with the Roman,

Dulce et decorum eft přo pátria mori. But however fweet it may be to die for the fake of one's country, Theodore, as great a patriot as he was, thought it much tweeter to live, in expectation of one day enfolding his lovely Leonora in his arms.

Strange are the viciffitudes of this mundane ftate. His uncle, who underftood tactics better than politics, or the fineffes of flock-jobbing, imprudently went into the Alley. Being honeft and of upright fentiments himself, he thought the reft of mankind were actuated by the fame principles; but not having ftudied in the school of the Millilippi or South Sea years, he met with aftrange fluctuation of flocks, that levelled his fortune to a very flender ftipend. His nephew, whom he had fixed on for his heir, and was confidered on the very point of enjoying it, was judged a competent match for any woman in England.

Leonora's father took quite the oppofite road; he availed rimfelf of all the tratagems and manœuvres that could be brought into play-he had one of the writers for the Dutch Gazettes in conftant pay, the conjectural articles had the defired effect, and hè concluded and broke as many treaties as broke half the fpeculators in the Alley. Aftoand out of the Alley, as it were by magic, nished at the intelligence, they waddled in not fufpecting the puppet-manager behind the fcenes.

At

Thus Duplicitus laughed and grew fat, refolving to finalize his family by a peerage, and that Leonora fhould never yield her hand to any thing beneath a coronet. Tacir infancy brought up in the fame mortual pais daughter. To prevent fuch an “HEODORE and Leonora were from the fame time he was not ignorant of the Ttheir brought or were from paffion that prevailed between Theefamily, being diftant relations: an habitual union, he at one time ruminated upon placintercourfe as playfellows and conftant companions, cherished a flame which in its early ing her in a conv.t; but his fentiments of progrefs they were neither of them acquaint the danger of her becoming a convert to the the hypocrify of the Romish religion, and ed with, perfuafion, prevented his taking this step; and he refolved to make her a prifoner in his ♦wn house." Here Leonora pined in defpair

'Till a figh gave the omen and faid it was love?

for feveral fiicceffive months, till the aid of the faculty was neceffary, who pronounced that nothing but exercife and the air could reftore her to health. Duplicitus did not much approve of this doctrine, but finding the whole female neighbourhood were exafperated against him, giving him every appllation that could indicate his barbarity, he, at length, confented, imagining he could confide in a truly domeftic, whom he appointed to attend her.

The conftant Theodore was in the inte rim in the utmoft diftrefs: his letters remain éd unanswered, and his billets were intercepted. Thus plunged in mifery, he was driven to defpair, and more than once meditated fuicide- yet his noble foul fpurned the thought, judging it beneath the dignity of man, and, like a true foldier, determined to keep his poft, however irkfome it might be. In this heroic fentiment he braved all calamity, and waited for fome propitious moinent that might alleviate his fate.

The unfortunate Theodore's only folace was to roam about the purlicus of Leonora's prifon-houfe- but in vain could he catch a glance, or gain the flighteft intelligence of her, except that he was immured in a remote part of the dwelling that was in acceffible.

After Leonora was released from her confinement, and permitted to take an airing, Fortune or the Parcæ prevailed, and they had a moft unexpected interview, that gave now life to their almoft extinguished exift

ence.

Where am I? furely Paradife is round me,
And ev'ry fenfe is full of thy perfection.
To hear thee fpeak night calm a madman's
phrenzy,

Eat to behold the beauties of those eyes,
Might make him rage again with love as

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A Call to Humanity:

Ah, little think the gay licentious prota Whom pleasure power, and affluence round!

*

Ah, little think they when they dance al
How many

Shrink into the fordid ruft of cheerlefs
verty!
THOMSON

What is divinity above,
Such is humanity below.

A

Generous humanity, that prompts not only to feel but to endeavour to leviate the diftreffes of others, is a vir that gives its poffeffor, in fome meafure, likeness to the Creator. This humanity was that touched the divine breaft with Herous fentiments towards finning norta to this we are ifidebated for all the happin we have, the comfort we know, or t bleffings we enjoy.

How amiable then the perfon, how e dearing the difpofition, which has this h manity for its leading characteristic! Such one kindly fympathizes with his brother diftrefs, and with the kind hand of affil ance endeavours to draw him out from th pit of misfortune.

At a feafon like the prefent, when pinchi ing cold, and still sharper hunger, invade the dwellings of thousands, an addrefs to the feelings of humanity may by fome be though unneceffary:-would heaven it were fo! But, alas, how many are there who, though the funfhine of plenty, yet refufe even a nurfed in the lap of fortune, and baking in feanty pittance to the child of want!

Such was the gay, the fathionable Cleora. Foreigners, who had no other merit than the I their motions, boafled her unbounded benefhrillness of their voice, or the agility of volence, while with the moft rigid parfimony the denied the fmalleft relief to her own countrymen when in diftrefs.

He could procted no farther, though, actording to the actor's phrafcology, well ftudied in the fpeech. The fequel of this hiftoriette is but fhort. Their nuptials were not far diftant-Duplicittis had lately eat and drank at fo many city feafts, that a pletho ric ftaté chlied, and neither the fons of Efculapius or Galen could afford him any relief- he fell a martyr to what was good and cheap eating. He died inteflate, upon the prefumption that a will was the harbinger of death, and the happy pair, unexpectedly, lived to reap the fruits of duplicity and Change-alley.

It is time to leave tln to give full fcope to their felicity, and to approve the maxim,

that

An equal fate betides, The wretch who digs it, and the wretch that hides.'

How unlike this to the character of Ifabella! Touched with every scene of real diftrefs, fhe wept with foft emotion at each tale of woe, and gently fympathized with thofe under misfortune. Her means of doing good were ample, and the extended that power to the utmost: while the denied the turdy beggar and the idle vagrant, fhe failed not relieving the truly diftreffed. Her entrance difpelled the gloom of unhappiness, want filed from before her, the pining figh gave way to the whispers of gratitude; in her prefence merit railes its declining head, and the fimiles of hope bloom freth at her approach. Imitate, then, the conduct of Ifabella; ye fons of plenty, and ye daughters of profperity, emulate this bright example. How many are there even now in

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