"The most remarkable cure performed upon a human being was on the perfon of Lady Baird of Sauchtenhall, near Edinburgh; who having been bit by a mad dog, was come to the length of the hydrophobia; upon which having begged that the Lee Penny might be fent to her house, she used it for fome weeks, drinking and bathing in the water it was dipped in, and was quite recovered. This happened about the year 1700; and the fact is very well attefted by the Lady of the Laird of Lee at that time; relating also that she and her husband were entertained at Sauchtenhall by Sir Baird and his lady for several days in the most fumptuous manner, on account of the lady's recovery by the Lee Penny. "N. B. The Lee Penny has been examined by a lapidary, and found to be a stone, but of what kind he could not tell." P. 383. A fmall map of the places vifited by this entertaining traveller, feems to be the only thing neceffary to make the publication in a high degree entitled to attention; but as it is at prefent, we recommend it without fcruple, fince it cannot be perufed without amufement, nor confulted without benefit. ART. XI. The Political Economy of Inland Navigation, Ir rigation, and Drainage; with Thoughts on the Multiplication of Commercial Refources, and on the Means of bettering the Condition of Mankind, by the Conftruction of Canals, by the Improvement of their various Capacities for Commerce, Transfer, Agriculture, Household Supplies, and Mechanical Power, and by the unlimited Extenfion thereof into the remoteft Interior of Great Britain, and of foreign Parts. By W. Tatham, 4to. 500 pp. 11. 6s. Faulder. 1799. THIS volume confifts principally of a republication of papers, or extracts from other works written on the fubject, to which the author has occafionally added his own reflections and obfervations. The first part contains general obfervations on the advantages of inland navigation, with a fhort sketch of the hiftory of the canals in China, Ruffia, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, and Spain, taken from Mr. Phillips's Hiftory of Inland Navigation, with a very fcanty portion of original matter. The next is entitled, "Facts and Calculations refpecting the Population and Territory of the United States of America, communicated to the Author by an American Gentleman," and feems intended to invite emigration to that country, which the author describes as rapidly increafing in wealth and populouf nefs. nefs. At the end of the year 1790, the United States were found to contain, he fays, about four millions of inhabitants; and, by a table here given, of the prefent ratio of increafe, he finds that, by the year 1834, the number of inhabitants will exceed eighteen millions. This rapid increase in population may be expected, the author thinks, as the neceffary refult of the general fruitfulness of the country in articles of commerce, and of the facility in bringing forward the produce of the remoteft interior parts of the country, by means of their rivers, many of which are navigable for feveral hundred miles. But this facility of intercourfe between the coaft and the interior of the country might be improved, he adds, by making communicating canals, branching in different directions, which the inhabitants, notwithstanding their wealth and populousness, are not yet, it seems, capable of carrying into effect. This brings the author to the next fection, or part, containing " A Project for employing the furplus Population, Capital and Finance of this Country, in forming Canals, and encouraging Inland Navigation in foreign Countries, particularly in America." The advantages propofed by this plan, befides that of cementing a more intimate connection and clofer union between the different nations of the earth, are, to procure fuch parts of the produce of America, as lie at too great a distance from the fea, or great navigable rivers, to be brought into ufe without such asfiftance. These being imported into this country raw, or unmanufactured, would, he thinks, abundantly remunerate us for the expence incurred in procuring them. But the furplus population, and finance of this country, if any fuch there are, might be more profitably employed, we prefume, in cultivating our own heath and wafte-lands, and extending canals or inland navigation here, than by transporting them to America, or any other foreign country. The next fection treats of the comparative value of the dif ferent plans that have been proposed for extending the advantages of canal or inland navigation. The author gives the preference to that projected by Mr. Fulton*, propofing narrow cuts for small boats, admitting the cargoes, or the boats themfelves, to be shifted, by means of machinery, from one pond or piece of water to another, and thence avoiding the expence of locks. This, however, could only be practised on a small fcale, where boats carrying four or five tons are used. Such canals might be useful as branches of communication between small towns or villages, fituated only a few miles distant from See Brit. Crit, vol. ix. p. 142. fome fome navigable river, or larger canal, on entering which, the lading from the fmall craft might be moved into larger barges, On this fubject we perceive no new obfervations, the whole being nearly a tranfcript from Mr. Fulton's work. "To thofe," the author fays, "whofe fituations entitle them, or whofe leifure may enable them to make a proper use of detail knowledge on this very interefting fubject, I beg leave to recommend the perufal of Mr. Fulton's ingenious and philanthropic treatise, with that of Mr. Chapman, who has followed him; contenting my felf with fuch extracts from thofe authors, as may enable ftrangers to comprehend the new fyftem, fufficiently for comparison, and form fome idea of the terms and advantages of adopting it, in fuch of its shapes as may fuit the particular subject of operation." P. 86. Mr. Fulton's plan is certainly eligible, and to be preferred, where the goods to be carried are capable of being divided into fmall parts, as the labour, time, and expence, confumed in Shifting the cargoes, would be abundantly compenfated by the favings in making and keeping the canal in repair. But a canal that should exclude large pieces of timber, which could not be carried in his boats, would in many parts of the country lofe more than half its value. In fuch countries, the principal trunk must be made capable of bearing barges carrying from forty or fifty tons. Such barges are particularly required on canals entering the Thames, and bringing goods to London, afterwards to proceed to Deptford, Blackwall, &c. where fmall boats could not be fafely fent. The author next gives two plans, propofed by the late Mr. James Sharp, the one for making a canal to extend from Brentford upwards to Bolter's Lock, on the Thames; the other to go from Moorfields, in the direction of the River Lea, and communicating with it, to Waltham Abbey. They were both approved by the City of London, and bills preferred in Parliament, for leave to make them; but the bills were reje&ed. "Both canals were intended to become free to the public, as foon as the money advanced for the works fhould be defrayed by the tolls, except fuch finall proportion of toll as might be neceffary for repairing the works; fo that no private property was to be made of these two great public highways, though the city was to guarantee the repayment of the fums borrowed. Perhaps there never were two propofitions," our author goes on to fay, "more perfectly difinterested, and generously intended for the public or national advantage, than thefe two plans, which were approved and adopted by the city of London, without any view of peculiar advantage or intereft whatsoever, except what was equally open to the public, fo that the city, on this occafion, has left on record a noble example for all other corporations and privileged focieties." P. 134. But But thefe canals, particularly that from Bolter's Lock to Brentford, could not have been made without doing so much local injury as was thought more than a balance for the advantages propofed from it. For the trade, with the water neceffary to fupply that cut, being diverted from its ufual channel, the bed of the Thames, which was then, and continues to be, embarraffed with numerous fand-banks, and other obstructions to navigation, would in a courfe of time, it was feared, have become impaffable, and the trade to Windfor, and all the other towns and villages on its banks, been annihilated. Of thefe, and many other objections, which were made at the time, and which were the reafons inducing Parliament to reject the bills, the author takes no notice. The author next proposes a plan for infulating London. The idea, he fays, was thrown out by Mr. James Sharp, but the plan left by that gentleman is here altered and enlarged, to make it correfpond with the prefent enlarged capacity of the metropolis. Next follows, "A Collection of Tracts on WetDocks, for the Port of London, with Hints on Trade and Commerce, and on Free-Ports." The author feems to have been very diligent in collecting all the publications that have appeared on this interefting fubject. He declines, however, deciding on the merits of the different plans that have been propofed. "Situations," he fays," are to be found on the river, capable of making wet-docks, of any fize, for loaded and for light fhips. In the point of choice, thofe fhould be preferred which would in the first inftance unite the most immediate benefits, and leffen the oppofition of intereft and of prejudices. Experiment will confirm the utility of them; and when one has once been made, others in time will follow. Difficulties will present themselves to every scheme, but no inconvenience can be against any fo ftrong, as the great burthen and disadvantage which the commerce of London fuftains from the want of an extenfion of quays and wet-docks. It is fincerely to be wished, that contending interefts in favour of particular fpots may not caufe a mifcarriage in the first outfet, but join to put the fyftem in motion, as the growing commerce of London will be found capable of adopting them all." P. 141. Plans of inclined planes, for facilitating the paffage of veffels from higher to lower levels, or, the contrary, to fuperfede the ufe of locks, from defigns by Mr. Fulton, with alterations fuggefted by this author; alfo of the different fchemes for making wet-docks, and of the proposed canal for infulating London, are added, which contribute much to the value of the volume. ART. ART. XII. Speech of the Right Honourable John Fofier, Speaker of the Houfe of Commons of Ireland; delivered in a Committee of the whole Hofe, on Thursday the 11th of April, 1799. 8vo. 11 111 pp. 2s. 6d. Robinfons. 1799. THE HE much-agitated question on the expediency of a legislative Union of Great Britain and Ireland, has appeared to us of fuch importance, not only to the present age but pofterity, that we have deemed it our duty to allot a confiderable space to the most interesting publications on that fubject; nor can we, on a review of our conduct, find any reafon to regret having, in fome inftances, detailed at length thofe arguments which claimed attention, from the character and talents of the authors, or derived ftrength from their own intrinfic merit. The first (if not the laft) of thefe confiderations, intitles the Speech before us to a full examination. Our readers cannot require to be told, that the gentleman by whom this Speech is faid to have been pronounced, after having been, for many years, an active and confidential friend to adminiftration, has declared a determined and irreconcileable oppofition to an Union; or that he and his friends treat the very propofal as an attempt against the liberties and independence of their country. His fentiments indeed on a former occafion, had given fome reason to suppose he might not be adverse to the measure in question, and they were accordingly cited and applied with great dexterity in the celebrated Speech of Mr. Pitt, To dbviate fuch an interpretation, and thus repel the charge of inconsistency, is, in part, the purpose of the Speech before us, which we fhall examine with a proper refpect to the gentleman whofe name it bears, but with that freedom, which, in the cafe of every work submitted to public criticism, our acknow ledged duty demands. The Speech, after some cavil (for we cannot call it by a better name) at an expreffion of Lord Caftlereagh, goes into the quef tion, whether the settlement of 1782, was or was not to be confidered as final between Great Britain and Ireland? To prove the affirmative, the Right Honourable Gentleman cites the Meffage of his Majefty to the Parliaments of both Kingdoms, in April, 1782, with the Addrefs of the Irish House of Com mons in confequence, a Speech of the Duke of Portland (then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland) to the Irish Parliament, and the Addrelles of the Houfe of Commons thereon, together with his Majesty's Answers to thefe Addreffes, and other public do cuments of the like nature. The proceedings in Great Britain on |