at Newtown-Smith, and the intended street to the new court-house, which, with many other private buildings in progress, add considerably to the extent and appearance of the town. From these pleasing prospects of improvement, it is painful to turn to the shamefully neglected state of the streets, which, for many years past, have been perhaps the worst paved, and least attended to, of any other in this country. From the numerous holes in the pavement, and the heaps of accumulated dirt with which they are almost continually filled, many streets are often nearly impassable, particularly in dark winter nights, when it is absolutely hazardous to venture abroad. Surely these are subjects which require the most serious and immediate attention. Although much has been said about the misapplication of the tolls and customs, which by the charters were to be applied "to the walling and paving of the town," yet it should be considered that there is not now, nor has there been for many years past, (since the unprincipled alienation of the corporation property,) any other fund whereout to defray the salaries of the mayor and the other municipal officers. The only remedy, therefore, for this daily increasing evil appears to be that of a local tax, to be imposed by authority of parliament, for paving, lighting and cleansing the streets, and for establishing a sufficient police to keep a nightly watch. The advantages which the inhabitants, after a little experience, would find themselves to enjoy, would be so considerable, and the rateable contribution on each individual so trifling, that it is hoped this salutary and indispensible measure may be speedily carried into effect, with prudence, economy and zeal, for the improvement and interest of the town. 4. Population. The population of Galway is much greater than, from a superficial view of the place, would be immediately supposed." This circumstance has given rise to various contradictory computations on that head. In a former page (192, note) a view of these different statements has been given; and although the estimate there made of the inhabitants of the town and county of the town, at 40,000 souls, has been by some esteemed as overrated, the part belongs to the family of Darcy of Kiltolla, half the under story to the reverend James Ffrench, and the remainder of the house to Mr. Patrick Francis, by purchase from the late celebrated dean Kirwan. A small shop nearly opposite the Exchange is the estate in fee of Miss Chawner, of Tipperary, and the remainder of the house belongs to Mr. Rickard Burke in fee simple. The fee of another shop, in the same street, is vested in Mr. Dominick Ffrench; that of the remainder of the house is in the Joyes' family. In the old building in High-street, commonly called the Salmon-house, the stone stairs leading to the new coffee-room, with two adjoining closets, is the estate of Edward Jones, esq. of Roscommon, and the remainder of the same house belongs in fee simple to Mr Montgomery. An apartment at the rear of Lynch's castle, in Shop-street, is the estate of colonel Anthony author has not as yet heard sufficient. Ffrench; the rest of the building is the fee property of the Staunton family. There are many other similar tenures throughout the town, and they are generally held under distinct original titles. In the following return of the population of the town and county of the town of Galway, taken under the Census Act of 1812, (communicated to the author by his highly esteemed friend, W. Shaw Mason, esq. to whom the regulation of the census was committed by government,) every town-land, street, lane, &c. in the county of the town is described. From the confession, however, of one of the persons by whom it was made, no doubt remains of its having been deficient in the number of inhabitants. The people in the vicinity of the town, apprehensive that a military ballot, or some similar project, was in view, evaded giving a true account; reasons to induce him to alter that calculation: on the contrary, when the rapid increase for the last seven years shall be considered, and that the return under the Census Act of 1812 was confessedly deficient, it is still thought the most accurate estimate of the population of Galway (including the county of the town) at the present day. II. CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT. 1. Corporation. THE corporation of "the town and county of the town of Galway" is at present little more than a name: the ancient state and insignia of that formerly proud and opulent body have been entirely laid aside; the old and creditable offices of alderman, chamberlain, burgess, &c. have fallen into disuse, and its possessions have been alienated; so that it now seems to be upheld by the respectable family in which it has become almost hereditary, merely for the valuable patronage which it confers,' and for the parliamentary representation of the town, The patronage here alluded to is very considerable: the several offices and places in the immediate gift or recommendation of the head of the corporation, with their annual value or income, are said to be as follow, viz.: parliamentary representation; warden of the collegiate church, 1000l.; two vicars, 751. each; governor, 400l.; mayor, 550l.; recorder, standing salary 45l. 10s. annual value of office not ascertained; two sheriffs, standing salary 157. each, annual value of office computed at about 2001.; clerk of the peace, standing salary 201. annual value of office about 100l.; deputy ditto, about 300l.; port collector, 600l.; pro ditto, 100l.; port surveyor, 500/.; land waiter, 600l.; tide surveyor, 140.; collector of excise, 600l.; pro ditto, 80%.; two surveyors of excise, 400; supervisor of hearths, &c. 2001.; gaugers, 400/.; tide waiters, boatmen, &c. 400l.; distributor of stamps, 400l.; superintendant of fisheries, 150l.; weigh-master for kelp, butter, &c. 150/.; pilot and dock master, about 2007.; water bailiff, 1.; clerk to collect light-house duty, 80.; town major, 1007.; barrack master, 300l.; coroner and gaoler, 2001.; four serjeants at mace, 41. each; sword and mace-bearers, 41. each. The salaries of the mayor, recorder, sheriffs and town clerk, above stated, together with 227. 158. for bread to be distributed in the church, and the lodgings of the judges of assize (111.7s. 6d. annually) are defrayed out of the produce of the tolls and customs, which lately set for 700l. a year. The powers and privileges which the corporation of Galway formerly possessed, and to which it is still legally entitled, will be found, upon inspection of the charters contained in the appendix, to have been of a most extensive nature; of these the following was not the least conspicuous: Admiralty of the Bay. By the charter of Henry VIII. the corporation obtained a grant of the port and bay, or arm of the sea which enters between the islands of Arran, and from thence runs or flows into the town. Queen Elizabeth afterwards granted that every mayor should be admiral within the town and franchises, over the islands of Arran, and from thence to the town, on both sides of the water, as well by sea as by land, and fresh waters, with all jurisdictions belonging thereto; and also that the corporation should be entitled to all wrecks of the sea, forfeitures, fines, &c. arising by reason of such admiralty; which were thenceforth accordingly enjoyed, and were afterwards confirmed by the charter of Charles II. which restored to the cor poration all privileges contained in any former grants. In 1687, it was resolved in council, that the old privileges, particularly that of the admiralty of the bay, should be included in the new charter of James II. This the king not only refused to concede, but even inserted a clause saving the rights of the lord high-admiral. This charter soon becoming void, the old jurisdiction was again revived; but the vice-admiral of Connaught frequently interrupted the corporation, and complained to the lords of the admiralty of the claims made by the town to this jurisdiction. In 1701, the secretary of state endeavoured by letter to deter the mayor from persisting in the right; but the corporation having still continued to exercise it, prince George of Denmark, lord high-admiral of England, presented a memorial to queen Anne in council for a quo warranto against the town. Her majesty accordingly, by order dated 4th December, 1704, referred the matter to the duke of Ormond, who, on the 7th of March following, directed the attorney and solicitor-general of Ireland to examine and report on the occasion. They accordingly issued their summons, and a common council having been immediately called in the town, it was resolved to defend the right, and forthwith to lay their title before these law officers; whose report does not appear to have been favorable, for proceedings were soon after commenced. In answer to these, the town-sheriffs returned, that the admiralty was held under several charters; and a voluminous plea to that effect was soon afterwards put in, which still remains of record in the office of the Treasurer's Remembrancer of the Exchequer. After this no further proceedings were taken; and the mayor has been ever since left at liberty to assume, if he pleased, the empty title of admiral of the bay. When Galway was a place of commerce, with numerous ships daily crowding into its harbour, this office was one of importance and emolument; but when that commerce ceased, and but a solitary vessel sometimes visited this neglected port, no wonder that the privilege, though before so carefully guarded, should gradually sink into decay: Accordingly, not the least mention is made of it for more than a century past, except on a solitary occasion, in the year 1745, when a whale, which happened to be stranded on the island of Mynish, in the bay, was taken by Mr. John Digby, proprietor of the islands of Arran, who extracted from it a considerable quantity of oil. This oil was seized by the mayor, who claimed it as admiral of the bay, and as a royalty or franchise belonging, under which is commanded by means of the non-resident freemen. The decay, however, of such incorporations, according to the celebrated Adam Smith, Dr. Paley, and other high authorities, is not to be regretted. They were originally formed in times of necessity, and soon became universally distinguished for monopolizing and intolerant principles, Even still, though the mighty, and evermoving machine of society has altered the situation of mankind, and changed the state of human affairs, these associations, with very few exceptions, retain the gloom and bigotry of former ages, and seem to be the last and favorite retreats of prejudice and intolerance. If, therefore, the peace and good order of cities and towns could be preserved by domestic and resident magistrates, under the direct control of the government of the country, there would not be much reason to regret the decline of these feudal institutions. 2. Courts-Municipal Regulations necessary. For the numerous, though at present dormant or obsolete, privileges of the corporation of Galway, the reader is referred to the charters which will be found in the appendix. The mayor and recorder keep a court of record, which takes cognizance of civil pleas to any amount; and also hold sessions, at stated periods, for the trial of personal misdemeanors: but felonies and daily increasing crimes of magnitude are referred to the general assizes, which are held twice a year in the town. The want of an efficient police and a more active magistracy is loudly complained of by the principal part of the inhabitants, who to this deficiency entirely attribute the many street and house robberies which have been recently committed. That some municipal regulations are necessary seems to be conceded on all sides; and it is, therefore, hoped that the proper authorities will take such speedy means to remedy these defects as the nature of the evils complained of, and the circumstances of the town so urgently require. III. COMMERCE, TRADE AND MANUFACTURES. 1. Decline of Commerce-Causes. IN several parts of this volume the former extensive commerce of Galway has been mentioned; and the causes of its decline have been so distinctly pointed out, that it is considered unnecessary to repeat them here: it is esteemed equally so to spend much time in refuting the illiberal aspersions attempted to be cast on this ancient, respectable and long persecuted town, by a recent English tourist of some celebrity, who, from "report," thought proper to attribute its decline to want the charter of Elizabeth, to the corporation. A common council was held, and resolutions were entered into to support this claim; but Mr. Digby having issued a replevin, and regained the property, the point was abandoned, and those privileges, which were once esteemed so important, have never since been heard of. Mr. Gilbert Wakefield. The words of this traveller are as follow:-" Galway has declined much of late years, in consequence, according to report, of the bad faith of its merchants, and want of punctuality in their payments. But however this may be, it is certain that it is a place of very little trade, although it enjoys an admirable situation, of principle in its merchants-an imputation which almost every page in this work incontestibly proves to be unfounded. Had this gentleman but for a moment reflected on the past situation of this too frequently misrepresented country, he would have perceived that the decay of this, and of many other places in Ireland, is entirely attributable to civil commotions, to penal laws, and to the many mercantile restrictions imposed in favor of England for the two last centuries. It is, therefore, hoped that he may consider it an act of justice to a respectable class of individuals to retract what might have been perhaps inadvertently advanced, but which certainly affects the credit of a work, otherwise deserving well of Ireland. 2. Exports and Imports. m The commerce of Galway has, it is true, long since disappeared; but the causes of its decay have been already detailed. Wine, formerly its principal article of traffic, is no longer imported in any quantity;' and the provision trade, which formerly flourished here, has long since deserted this port. Commerce has of late been chiefly confined to the export of corn; and for this branch, which commenced about the year 1805, the town is peculiarly well circumstanced, from its local situation and great facilities for water carriage. Since that period, the agriculture of the interior has been much improved, owing to the encouragement given to the farmers by the merchants of the town. The wheat and barley brought to market are esteemed of a highly superior quality; but the oats is in general of a very inferior kind. It has been calculated that, for some years past, the export of corn from this port averaged annually about 6000 tons. Kelp is also an old and considerable article of trade." It is principally and almost every advantage that could be desired.”Thus, in a very flippant paragraph, qualified by the commonplace phrase, however this may be," has this gentleman thought proper to describe the mercantile body of a respectable town, When from sources such as these our English neighbours collect their information, and form their opinions of Ireland, is it any wonder that numberless prejudices against this country should exist in the minds of that liberal and otherwise enlightened people? It is, however, to be hoped that the day is not far distant when they shall be undeceived, when ignorance and illiberality shall yield to justice and to truth, and when that union of interest and affection, which ought to subsist between both countries, (and which is so essentially necessary for their mutual well-being,) shall take place, and indissolubly connect the two islands for ever. Latocnaye, a French emigrant, who travelled through Ireland in 1797, attributed the decline of trade in Galway to a humorous cause, somewhat different from that of Mr. Wakefield, but equally credible. "A wine merchant," says this lively traveller, "told me the cause, in his opinion, of the decay of trade in Galway." "Before they knew how to make wine in France," said he, "it was made here in Galway." "What!” said I,“ sure there were "but never vines in this country." "No," said he, m The great cattle fairs of Ballinasloe (by far the most extensive in these islands) were, it is said, originally established at that place from its contiguity to Galway. These famous marts have subsisted from a very early period, although no patent for holding them appears on record before 8th June, 1757, when Richard Trench, esq. of Garbally, obtained a patent for holding two fairs, on 15th May and 15th July, in every year. Once, however, established, they have ever since continued, although the cause of their origin, viz. the provision trade of Galway, has long since ceased. The manufacture of kelp commenced in the neighbourhood of Galway about the year 1700, and the late Andrew French and his grandfather were the first that exported it from the town. In 1762, the former gentleman stated, before a committee of the house of commons, that the usual load of a boat was from five to ten or twelve tons; and that he had known one boat to make |