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240 ANNUAL REGISTER the lord lieutenant and council, or the king who had the naming of them, with his council of England, the proposer to the two houses of the laws to pass, at least of those that should be so devised before the meeting of parliament. But the great doubt was, as there were no express words depriving the lords and commons of their former rights, whether, when the parliament was once met, they had not still the old right of beginning other bills, or whether they were not restrained to the acts so certified and returned. By the preambles of some acts, soon after made, expressing that they were made at the prayer of the commons in the present parliament assembled, one would be inclined to think that the commons, after assembling the parliament, had proposed these laws. Certain it is, the latter opinion, supported by the ministers of the king and his lawyers, gained ground. For, in the twenty-eighth of Henry the Eighth's reign, an act was made suspending Poyning's law with respect to all acts already passed, or the be passed in that parliament; the passing of which act was certainly a strong confirmation of what was before doubtful against the house of lords or commons in Ireland, whether they could bring in bills different from those transmitted by the council, since here they both consented to the suspension of the act, to make valid the laws they had passed or should pass in that parliament, without that previous ceremony. But in the reign of Philip and Mary, by which time this opinion, before doubtful (for so it is mentioned in the act then made) was, however, to be maintained, and strengthened, as it added power to the crown. The act we at present live under was made to prevent all doubts in the former, which was certainly framed in words calculated to create such doubts, to be extended in favour of the prerogative. This provides, that as many causes and considerations for acts not foreseen before, may happen during the fitting of parliament, the lord lieutenant and council may certify them, and they should pass, if they should be agreed to by the lords and commons. But the great strokes in this new act were two, the first explanatory of part of the former in Henry the Seventh's reign, that is, that the king and council of England should have power to alter the acts transmitted by the council of Ireland; secondly, the enacting part, that no acts but such as so came over, under the great seal of England, should be enacted; which made it clear, that neither lords or commons in Ireland had a right to frame or propose bills to the crown, but that they must first be framed in the privy council of Ireland, afterwards consented to, or altered by the king, and the same council in England, and then, appearing in the face of bills, be refused or accepted in toto by the lords and commons here. It is true, that both lords and commons have attempted, and gained an approach towards their antient rights of beginning bills, not in the name, but under the name of Heads of Bills, to be transmitted by the council; but as the council are the first beginners of acts of parliament, they have assumed a power of modelling these also. The legislature of Ireland is, For the YEAR 1772. 241 is, therefore, very complicated. First, the privy council of Ireland, whom though they may take the hint from the lords or commons, frame the bill; next, the king and council of England, who have a power of alteration, and really make it a bill, unalterable, by sending it under the great seal of England; then the two houses of lords and commons, who must agree in the whole, or reject the whole; and if it passes all these, it is presented to the king for his assent; which, indeed, is but nominal, as it was before obtained." --- Travels, by Joseph Marshal, Esq; 3 vols. octave. Some doubts have been entertained of the authenticity of this work; nor can we positively say whether there ever did exist such a person as Mr. Marshall; nor indeed is that material: for if a traveller was chosen to oblige the world with his observation, and that those observations are worthy of an enlightened curiosity, it is very little material, whether the author is or is not a gentleman of a good estate in any particular country of England. But undoubtedly it is material, whether the facts are founded, upon which the writer reasons; and in justice to our readers, we cannot but inform them, that some doubts are entertained even on this head; yet still the manner and plan of travelling is so well conceived, that we hope it will at least be an example to travellers, to inform themselves thoroughly of those points, in which our country may be interested to have instruction; so that with all its incorrectness of style, and with whatever doubts there may be of it authenticity, we think it very worth the attention of the curious and intelligent reader, who cannot be displeased with the truly patriotic course of life of a Danish nobleman, whose good sense has established plenty, trade, and happiness in one of the before wildest parts of that kingdom. "Here, said the count, is a little town, every house of which I have built myself, and filled them with manufactures. We entered it; he shewed me the fabrics which he had established; they were chiefly of wool: there were great numbers of spinners, combers, and weavers; they made coarse cloth, worn by the poor people of all this country. The manager of the works was an Englishman from Essex, who, I suppose, the count had brought with him when he was upon his tour through England. I am no judge of these sort of works, but the people, native Danes, as well as the Englishmen, carry on their work with quickness and intelligence. The count informed me, that he had four hundred hands employed upon woollen goods alone; that he wrought up all forts of clothing, which found a ready market in this country; that is, such as all the country men and women wore. I asked him how he succeeded as to profit? He replied, very indifferently, if I speak as a manufacturer; for had I been a mere master of it, I should have been ruined. What this is owing to, I know not; but I suppose, to my not being able to give that attention to the business which a man would do who is to make his bread by it. However, Sir, continued he, VOL. XV R
