will no longer do. But I find, in
place of asking yours, I am giving you my opinion. So
adieu.--Yours sincerely,

HENRY DUNDAS.

To this manly, but somewhat inconsistent letter, acknowledging the
full right of a people to make the most of what their soil and climate
afforded, but yet afraid to give them the whole advantage of their
cheapness of labour, Smith sent the following reply, probably on the
1st of November:--

MY DEAR LORD[305]--I am very happy to find that Your
Lordship's opinion concerning the circumstance of granting a
free trade to Ireland coincides so perfectly with my own. I
cannot believe that the manufacturers of Great Britain can
for a century to come suffer much from the Rivalship of
those of Ireland, even though the Irish should be indulged
in a free trade. Ireland has neither the skill nor the stock
which would enable Her to rival England, and tho' both may
be acquired in time, to acquire them completely will
require the opperation of little less than a Century.
Ireland has neither Coal nor wood; the former seems to have
been denied to her by nature; and though her Soil and
Climate are perfectly suited for raising the Latter, yet to
raise it to the same degree as in England will require more
than a Century. I perfectly agree with your Lordship too
that to Crush the Industry of so great and so fine a
Province of the Empire in order to favour the monopoly of
some particular Towns in Scotland or England is equally
injurious and impolitic. The general opulence and
improvement of Ireland must certainly, under proper
management, afford much greater Resources to Government than
can ever be drawn from a few mercantile or manufacturing
Towns.

Till the Irish Parliament sends over the Heads of their
proposed Bill, it may perhaps be uncertain what they
understand by a Free Trade.

They may perhaps understand by it no more than the power of
exporting their own produce to the foreign country where
they can find the best mercate. Nothing can be more just and
reasonable than this demand, nor can anything be more unjust
and unreasonable than some of the restraints which their
Industry in this respect at present labours under. They are
prohibited under the heaviest penalties to export Glass to
any Country. Wool they can expo