Restrictions on Irish Trade and Manufacture
Above: Restriction on Irish Trade
Ireland enjoys great natural advantages of soil and climate; and towards the end of the seventeenth century, in spite of wars and other troubles, several brandies of manufacture, trade, and commerce were prospering, But the English traders and merchants fancied that Irish prosperity was their loss, and in their short- sighted jealousy, persuaded the English parliament to ruin the trade of Ireland (except that in linen) by imposing restrictions.
This legislation was generally the work of the English parliament alone; but sometimes the Irish parliament followed in the same direction; and in obedience to orders from the other side, passed acts destroying their own trade. All this was the more to be wondered at, seeing that the blow fell almost exclu- sively on Irish Protestants; for at this time the Catholics were barely able to live, and could hardly attempt any industries.
The English ” Navigation act” of 1660, as amended in 1663, prohibited all exports from Ireland to the colonies; and also, in the interest of English graziers, prohibited temporarily the import of Irish cattle into England. In 1666 this last prohibition was made to be permanent. These acts almost destroyed the Irish cattle and shipping trades; and the people, being- unable to find a market for their horses and cattle, fell into great distress.
The Irish, driven from cattle rearing, applied themselves to other industries, especially that of wool, for which the country was well suited. We have seen that Wentworth crippled the trade (546) : nevertheless it began to flourish again : but this also was doomed. The English cloth dealers, fancying that it injured them, petitioned in 1698 to have it suppressed : and king William, in the speech from the tin-one, promised to discourage the Irish wool trade, to encourage the Irish linen trade, and to promote the trade of England.
Accordingly, in 1699, the Irish parliament, under directions from the other side, helped to ruin their own country by putting an export duty of foul- shilling’s in the Ib. on fine woollen cloths, and two shillings on frieze and flannel. At the same time the English parliament passed an act prohibiting the Irish from exporting either wool or woollen goods to any ports in the world, except Eiverpool, Milford, Chester, and some ports on the Bristol Channel. Moreover, no woollens were to be shipped to these from any Irish ports, except Drogheda, Dublin, Waterford, Youghal, Cork and Kinsale.
This was the most disastrous of all the restrictions on Irish trade. It accomplished all that the English merchants looked for : it ruined the Irish wool trade. It is stated that 40,000 of the Irish Protestants were immediately reduced to poverty by it; and 20,000 Puritans left Ireland for New England. Then began the emigration, from want of employment, that con- tinues to this day. But the English parliament pro- fessed to encourage the linen trade; for this could do no harm to English manufacture.
