nd Smith respectively. To
Eden he writes:--

MELVILLE, _30th October 1779_.

MY DEAR SIR--I received yours last night and have sent it
this morning to Smith. When I see or hear from him you shall
hear again from me upon the different parts of your letter.
The enclosed is a copy of my letter to Smith, which will
show you what are my present crude ideas upon the subject of
Ireland.--Yours faithfully,

HENRY DUNDAS.

His letter to Smith is as follows:--

MELVILLE, _30th October 1779_.

DEAR SIR--I received the enclosed last night from Mr. Eden.
The questions he puts would require a Volume to answer them
in place of a Letter. Think of it, however, and let me have
your ideas upon it. For my own part I confess myself little
alarmed about what others seem so much alarmed. I doubt much
if a free trade to Ireland is so very much to be dreaded.
There is trade enough in the World for the Industry both of
Britain and Ireland, and if two or three places either in
South or North Britain should suffer some damage, which, by
the bye, will be very gradual, from the loss of their
monopoly, that is a very small consideration in the general
scale and policy of the country. The only thing to be
guarded against is the people in Ireland being able to
undersell us in foreign mercates from the want of taxes and
the cheapness of Labour. But a wise statesman will be able
to regulate that by proper distribution of taxes upon the
materials and commodities of the respective Countrys. I
believe a Union would be best if it can be accomplished; if
not the Irish Parliament might be managed by the proper
distribution of the Loaves and Fishes, so that the
Legislatures of the two countrys may act in union together.
In short, it has long appeared to me that the bearing down
of Ireland was in truth bearing down a substantial part of
the Naval and Military strength of our own Country. Indeed,
it has often shocked me in the House of Commons for these
two years past, when anything was hinted in favour of
Ireland by friends of giving them only the benefit of making
the most of what their soil and climate afforded them, to
hear it received as a sufficient answer that a town in
England or Scotland would be hurt by such an Indulgence.
This kind of reasoning