Page images
PDF
EPUB

66

Ireland: it has been already hinted, that she aims at more than her capital can poffibly fupport, or in which the can poffibly fucceed: fome of her people have been ignorantly eager in profeffing an unfriendly dif pofition to British manufactures, and perhaps perfuade themselves, that under the term Protecting Duties," they can conceal their real meaning the introduction of a plan of prohibitory duties. Happily, a confiderable proportion of the country thinks differently; and her Parliament, after a full investigation, rejected the measure, by a great majority. Yet, many ftill retain the difpofition to occupy themselves, and disturb others, with attempts to introduce the mischievous fyftem. A war of protecting duties and bounties, would anfwer to neither country; it would be extremely prejudicial to both; it would be ruinous to Ireland. The duty propofed would be prohibitory. If Ireland prohibits the ftaple manufacture of Great Britain, meafures of a fimilar tendency would inevitably

* The duties propofed were fo high as to be prohibitory of British, and therefore protecting Irish woollens.

and

and foon take place, refpecting the staple manufacture of Ireland. Even by doing much less, the great article of trade, on which Ireland depends, her linen manufacture, would be ruined; merely the placing Irish linens on the fame footing as foreign, would almost entirely prevent the use of them in England, and be ten times more prejudicial to Ireland, than her prohibition of English woollens would be to Great Britain. Meafures, too, might be purfued in that line, which would forward and affift the interests of Great Britain, in the north of Europe.

But while prohibitory duties might bring real evils on Ireland, they would fail of anfwering the end intended: they encourage contraband trade; and no laws could prevent the fmuggling of British manufactures into Ireland: the near neighbourhood and great intercourfe give a facility, which could not be obviated; nor could non- importation agreements last long. Ireland would foon be tired of the impofitions of her own manufacturers, who would immediately avail themselves of the opportunity, and who have raised the clamour for the purpose of exacting

exacting an additional profit from the con fumer; fhe would foon find she cannot supply herself, and that efforts which may fall heavily on her in other refpects, will serve her in no respect, but would greatly raise the price to her people of that effentially neceffary article, cloathing.

Those who examine with a jealous eye the advantages resulting to Great Britain from her supplying Ireland with certain articles, fhould obferve the prodigious quantity of linen with which Ireland fupplies Great Britain; the value of which, in the year ending the 25th of March, 1782, exceeded all the imports into Ireland of the growth, produce, and manufacture of Great Britain it amounted to 24,692,072 yards, value 1,646,1381. 2s. 8d. Irish money *; befides.

:

* See the table No. I. The author inadvertently took the year of the greatest export, but the average of four years, ending the 25th of March, 1778, and previous to the exports of Ireland being hurt by her nonimportation agreements, (which they were) was in value 1,455,990l. 75. 51d. In confequence of thofe agreements, and other circumftances, the value of linen ex

[blocks in formation]

fides linen yarn, to the amount of 169,1261, 105. In the fame year, all the imports into Ireland, of the produce and manufacture of Great Britain, amounted to 1,486,3171. 2s. 4d.; of which the quantity and value of woollens was as follows, and it happened to be the year of the greatest import :

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

And it is farther worthy of notice, that, in the fame year, when Ireland exported

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

ports fell, in 1781, to 961,455. The next year, 1782, however, as ufually happens on fuch occafions, it increafed, and to the great amount above mentioned.

Moreover

Moreover it may be obferved, that Ireland does not grow a fufficiency of wool of a proper fort, if fhe thould manufacture the whole of it, to fupply her own consumption of woollens; and that she could not get the fame articles cheaper from any other country than from Great Britain. At the fame time, a great proportion of the linens which Great Britain takes from Ireland might be got cheaper from the north of Europe: and Ireland fhould remember, that, of all her exports in the fame year, viz. 1782, Britain alone took 2,699,8251. 13s. 8d. How trifling, comparatively, the remainder of her exports, will appear under the head of her general trade.

The year 1783 was not exactly the period when we should have expected the woollen manufacturers of Ireland to be moft clamorous, and that they should enter upon the moft violent measures. Unprejudiced people, at least, will think that the complaints were ill timed; and the following account of the exports of woollens will prove it. It

Exclufive of frize, flannels, ftockings, and mixtures of woollens, and hats.

C 2

fhould

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »