atifing (would to God, that none more afflicting to Italy, to Europe, and the whole civilized world had arifen!) from our impolitick and precipitate defertion of that important maritime station. As to fugar,* I have excluded it from the groceries, because the account of the customs is not a perfect criterion of the confumption, much having been re-exported to the north of Europe, which used to be supplied by France; and in the official papers which I have followed, there are no materials to furnish grounds for computing this re-exportation. The increase on the face of our entries is immense during the four years of war, little short of thirteen hundred thousand pounds.

The increase of the duties on beer has been regularly progreffive, or nearly fo, to a very large

1791

£. 4,413,781

£. 5,679,249 £.1,265,468

Increafe to 1791

1,044,053 4 Yrs. to 1791 £4,392,725 £.1,286,524

There was a new duty on Sugar in 1791, which produced in 1794 £.234,292, in 1795 £.206,932, and in 1796 £•245,024. It is not clear from the report of the Committee, whether the additional duty is included in the account given above.

VOL. VIII.

Cc

amount.

Yrs. of Peace.

Yrs. of Peace.

Yrs, of Peace.

amount.*

It is a good deal above a million, and

is more than equal to one-eighth of the whole produce. Under this general head, fome other liquors

are included, cyder, perry, and mead, as well as

£. 7,067,185

1791

£.8,351,433 £284,248

1,880,478 4 Yrs. to 1791 £.7,186,234 £.1,165,199

Increase to 1791

The additional duty of 1795 produced that year £.730,871,

and in 1796 £.394,686. A fecond additional duty which produced £.98,165 was laid in 1796.

SWEETS.

vinegar, and verjuice; but these are of very trifling confideration. The excife duties on wine, having funk a little during the two firft years of the war, were rapidly recovering their level again. In 17955 a heavy additional duty was imposed upon them, and a second in the following year; yet being com pared with four years of peace to 1790, they actually exhibit a small gain to the revenue. And low as the importation may feem in 1796, when con trafted with any year fince the French treaty in 1787, it is still more than 3000 tons above the ave rage importation for three years previous to that period. I have added sweets, from which our fac titious wines are made; and I would have added spirits, but that the total alteration of the duties in 1799, and the recent interruption of our diftille ries, rendered any comparison impracticable.

In 1795 an additional duty was laid on this article, which produced that year £.5,679, and in 1796 £.9,443, and in 1796 a fecond to commence on the 20th of June; its produce in that year was £.2,325.

The ancient staple of our island, in which we are clothed, is very imperfectly to be traced on the books of the Custom-house: but I know, that our woollen manufactures flourish. I recollect to have seen that fact very fully established, last year, from the registers kept in the Weft-Riding of Yorkshire. This year, in the weft of England, I received a fimilar account, on the authority of a respectable clothier, in that quarter, whose testimony can less be queftioned, because, in his political opinions, he is adverfe, as I understand, to the continuance of the war. The principal articles of female dress, for fome time paft, have been muflins and callicoes.* These elegant fabricks of our own looms in the east, which ferve for the remittance of our own revenues, have lately been imitated at home, with improving fuccefs, by the ingenious and enterprising manufacturers of Manchester, Paisley, and Glafgow. At the fame time the importa

This table begins with 1788. The net produce of the pre ceding year is not in the report whence the table is taken.

tion from Bengal has kept pace with the extenfion of our own dexterity and industry; while the fale of our printed goods, of both kinds, has been with equal steadiness advanced, by the taste and execution of our defigners and artists. Our woollens and cottons, it is true, are not all for the home market. They do not diftinctly prove what is my prefent point, our own wealth by our own expence. I admit it: we export them in great and growing quantities: and they, who croak themselves hoarfe about the decay of our trade, may put as much of this account, as they chufe, to the creditor fide of money received from other countries in payment for British skill and labour. They may fettle the items to their own liking, where all goes to demonstrate our riches. I fhall be contented here, with whatever they will have the goodness to leave me,

Increase to 1791

£.810,066.193,222

1791. 191, 489 4 Yrs. to 1791 .666,333 £143,733

Thefe duties for 1787, are blended with feveral others. The proportion of printed goods to other articles for four years, was found to be one-fourth. The proportion is here taken.