A REPLY TO THE TREASURY PAMPHLET, ENTITLED "THE PROPOSED SYSTEM OF TRADE WITH IRELAND EXPLAINED" [with:] A LETTER FROM AN IRISH GENTLEMAN IN LONDON, TO HIS FRIEND, IN DUBLIN, ON THE PROPOSED SYSTEM OF COMMERCE by [O'Beirne, Thomas] - 1785

London: Printed for J. Debrett, 1785. Two volumes. 90,[10];[4],35,[5]pp. Octavo. Extracted from bound volume. Some foxing and dust-soiling, faint stamps of a defunct mercantile library, title to first item detached and second and third leaves partially detached, otherwise good-very good. First editions of these two tracts. The first, written in reply to Rose's pamphlet, has, on occasion, been misattributed to Edmund Burke. The present copy of the first title is inscribed at the top of the title: "To Mrs. O'Beirne from The author. T.L. O'Beirne," with the concluding signature being in a different ink. Ten pages bear corrections, including several of substance exceeding the errata, in the same hand and ink as the inscription. The second item also bears corrections in the same hand on six pages, several of them constituting revisions of the text, and at the conclusion appears the signature "T.L. O'Beirne" in the same ink as the signature on the title of the first volume. O'Beirne was born in Farnagh, and as a protestant convert, was appointed Chaplain to Lord Howe's fleet. Prior to his assuming the Bishopric of Ossory, he published a well- known vindication of Howe, a considerable number of political works, as well as poetry and some adaptations of French dramas. He married in 1783, and in 1798 was translated to the see of Meath, where he remained until his death. Black perpetuates the misattribution of the first title to Burke, though this copy would seem to lay that question to rest; Goldsmiths conjecturally attributes it to O'Beirne; Kress reports both attributions without prejudice. The DNB clearly attributes it to O'Beirne. KRESS B946 & B920. GOLDSMITHS 12936 & 12937. BLACK 1365 & 1403. ESTC T2691 & T37857.