y
of the lower class of people there is, in a great measure, owing to _a
want_ of judicious taxes; that a land-tax will enrich her tenants; that
taxes are paid in England which are not paid there; that the colony
trade is increased above 100,000_l._ since the peace; that she _ought_
to have further indulgence in that trade; and ought to have further
privileges in the woollen manufacture. From these premises, of what she
has, what she has not, and what she ought to have, he infers that
Ireland will contribute 100,000_l._ towards the extraordinaries of the
American establishment.

I shall make no objections whatsoever, logical or financial, to this
reasoning: many occur; but they would lead me from my purpose, from
which I do not intend to be diverted, because it seems to me of no small
importance. It will be just enough to hint, what I dare say many readers
have before observed, that when any man proposes new taxes in a country
with which he is not personally conversant by residence or office, he
ought to lay open its situation much more minutely and critically than
this author has done, or than perhaps he is able to do. He ought not to
content himself with saying that a single article of her trade is
increased 100,000_l._ a year; he ought, if he argues from the increase
of trade to the increase of taxes, to state the whole trade, and not one
branch of trade only; he ought to enter fully into the state of its
remittances, and the course of its exchange; he ought likewise to
examine whether all its establishments are increased or diminished; and
whether it incurs or discharges debts annually. But I pass over all
this; and am content to ask a few plain questions.

Does the author then seriously mean to propose in Parliament a land-tax,
or any tax for 100,000_l._ a year upon Ireland? If he does, and if
fatally, by his temerity and our weakness, he should succeed; then I say
he will throw the whole empire from one end of it to the other into
mortal convulsions. What is it that can satisfy the furious and
perturbed mind of this man? is it not enough for him that such projects
have alienated our colonies from the mother-country, and not to propose
violently to tear our sister kingdom also from our side, and to convince
every dependent part of the empire, that, when a little money is to be
raised, we have no sort of regard to their ancient customs, their
opinions, their circumstances, or their affections? He has however a
_do