[PDF]Observations on the manufactures, trade, and present state of Ireland. Part the first

J


The

Robert E. Gross
Collection

A Memorial to the Founder
of the


Business Administration Library
Los Angeles


t


OBSERVATIONS


ON THE


MANUFACTURES, TRADE,


AND


PRESENT STATE OF IRELAND,


OBSERVATIONS


ON THE


MANUFACTURES,
TRADE,


AND


PRESENT STATE


IRELAND.


By JOHN LORD SHEFFIELD.


Non Hoftem, inimicaque Cnftra,

Argiviim, veflras Spes Uritis


PART THE FIRST


DUBLIN:

Printed by J. ExfiiAW, for the Company of ncokfcllfrj


M DCC LXXXV.


ADVERTISEMENT.


A HE following Obfervationsconfift prin-
cipally of materials, which were intended to
be employed in another work. Such reputa-
tion as might have been acquired by attention
to ftyle, ornament, and arrangement, is fa-
crificed for the fake of ftating, while it is
not too late, to the People of Great Britain,
as well as to thofe of Ireland, fome fads,
very interefting to them, and the knowledge
of which pollibly may be of fcrvice with re-
fped to the queftions that are immediately
to come before the Ligiflature,


As


ii A D V E R T I S £ M E N T.

As it is the management of thefe times
to conceal from the Public the meafures
that are intended, and as Minifters are fatif-
fiedwith carrying certain qneftions through
Parliament without troubling themfelves
about farther confiderations, the Author can
only reafon on the general notoriety of thofe
meafures J and he fhall be happy if at leaft
part of that, to which it is faid the Govern-
ment of the two kingdoms is pledged, may
not prove true. A wifh to ferve both
countries could alone have induced him to
undertake as difagreeable a talk as has ever
fallen to his lot; and when he adds, that he
is fenfibie how much of what he ilates is
likely, till well underftood, to be difpleafing
to many in both countries, and unlikely to
fuit their prejudices, he, on thofe Accounts,
hopes he may claim fome fort of merit.
The Manufadurers of Britain v/ill not be

fatisfied


ADVERTISEMENT. iii

fatisfied with all his doctrines ; but in this
he muft acquiefce for the prefent, as the ex-
perience of mankind tells us, that he who
does not go every length with thofe who are
interefted in a queftion, unavoidably rifks
their good opinion.

In refpe^l to Ireland, it is painful to him
in an extreme degree, to feem even to the
moft prejudiced and unreafonable, to take a
part againft her in the propofed arrangement
with Britain, although it be only in the fin-
gle point relative to the alteration of the
Navigation Ad j (for he cannot confider
Proteding Duties as the wifh of that coun-
try at large ;) but he is convinced that tlie
generality of the People of Ireland are not
aware of the whole extent of what Has been
defired on that liead. He thinks them more
rcafonablc. than to form fuch a wiHi^and is
a 2 furs


W ADVERTISEMENT,

fu re that when the confequenccs of the pro-
pofed alteration are laid before them, that
generofity of character, for which they are
diftinguifhed, muft prevent their continuing
to a£k it •, and it is only by ftating the cafe
of Britain ftrongly, that they are likely to
fee how unreafonablc their claim is. If he
were even to conHder the matter merely as
an Iriihman, who only cared for one part of
the empire, without the leaft regard for thp
good and advantage of the whole, he would
not wifh the meafure to take place ; becaufe,
if Britain fhould be furprifedinto it, and the
alteration which is defined {hould ignorantly
and inconfiderately be made, he knows (he
muft reclaim the concefTion fhe bad made.
He moft ardently wifhcs that fuch a mortifi-
cation may be fpared to Ireland, and that
the confequenccs which would refult from
it, may be prevented ; and it is from this

wifh


ADVERTISEMENT. v

wifh he is induced to take a part in the qucf-
tion. If merely from the fear of rifldng
the unfavourable opinion of the People of
that Country, he fhould withhold the infor-
mation which is in his power, or decline to
ftate matters which they ought to know, he
fliould feel himfelf unworthy to belong to
them J and he ihould think it difhoneft, in the
higheii degree, to enter on the fubjed, with-
out the refolution to treat it with the utmofl
.impartiality. If he had prejudices, they
would probably be in favour of Ireland j and
perhaps their foundation might be traced
to the indignation he has formerly felt on
the treatment of that country. He is, how-
ever, equally intcrefted in the welfare of
both countries ; and if he could fufped him-
felf of partiality to either of them, he mod
affuredly would have avoided the fubjedt.
His fituation in refpe
ought


vi ADVERTISEMENT,

ought to prevent his being prejudiced ; at
leafl it is fuch as have ferved to give him
fome knowledge of the interefts of each.
He can have no motive for taking part againft
either : his defire was to reprefent the real
date of Ireland, as far as he could j to
prevent mifchievous, idle, or unavailing cla-
mour, and to counterad the defigns of thofe
whofe object is to miilead and dupe the
people.

It will give him great fatisfadion, if now,
or in future, thefe Obfervations Hiould lead
to cool and difpaffionate examination, and in
the end, to the mutual advantage of Great
Britain and Ireland. He has ftated many-
fads i he has freely obferved upon thofe
fads J and he hopes what he has remarked
will give rife to refledions more ufeful and

important.

The


ADVERTISEMENT. vii

The Tables will give a more correQ idea
of the ftate of Manufadures and Trade than
could have been formed without them. A
greater detail relative to parts of the Fifhe-
ries, to particular Manufadures, and to the
trade to fome countries, which, however,
may not at prefent be of much confequencc,
fhouldhave been given, if there had been
more time ; but it being declared, that the
very bufinefs, which is the principal objed.
of thefeObfervations, is immediately to be
difculTed, the information herein contained,
fuch as it is, if delayed, would have come
too late. If there had been leifure for the
purpofe, the author would have informed
himfelf more fully on fome other points,
and the whole of what he now offers,
might have appeared in a more iinifhed
ilate.

The


vlii ADVERTISEMENT.

The author takes his leave, by wifhing hiS
exertions, in favour of the great points which
were the objeds of the Navigation Laws,
may not be confounded with narrow reftric-
tions relative to Manufadures and Commerce
in general. He is rather difpofed to difcoun-
tenance and diffuade all reftraints, except
thofe which are neceffary to fupport the Bri-
ti(h Marine, to make Britain the mart of
commerce, and to fecure to her Dominions
the only return (he can reap for the great ex-
pence of her foreign fettlements, namely,
the monopoly of their fupply.

Sheffield Place,
Jan. 25, 1785.


U B § E R-


OBSERVATIONS


ON THE


MANUFACTURES, TRADE,


AND


PRESENT STATE OF IRELAND.


i HE extenfions given in the courfe of the
laft fix years to the trade and commerce of
Ireland, are fo recent in the recolledion of
both kingdoms, that it would be fuperfluous
toftate them in detail, notwithftanding that
they form the ground work of the following
Obfervations. Jt would be equally fuper-
fluous to record, as the fequel of that detail,
the exprefTions ufed by a warm-hearted peo-
ple, in the firft flow of their fentiments,
under a change of circumftancesj mod aufpi-
B clous,


a OBSERVATIONS.

cious, it may be hoped, not only to them,
but to the profperity of the whole Britifh
empire, of which they form a confiderable
part. Ireland had been placed by the hand
of Providence in an advanced fituation be-
tween the two Continents, with excellent
harbours towards the prevailing winds, and
with the bleffing of a fertile foil, and tem-
perate climate J butfhe had neverthelefs long
laboured in an inefficient and helplefs pover-
ty, under a fyrtera of redraints equally perni-
cious, unwife, and unjuii — It is natural, that
the minds of her people fhould be elated on
the emancipation of their induftry and acti-
vity j and perhaps a confiderable period mull
elapfe, before they fettle fufficiently, either
to afcertain the intrinfic value of their late
acquifitions, or to adopt the means of apply-
ing thofe acquifitions to the befl: effed : the
beft habits of exertion are not fuddenly to
be expeded, though they may gradually be
formed by the natural progreflion of a free
commerce, and the foftering attention of a
wife and fettled government.

From fuch attainments alone can refult
that increafe of flock and capital, which

will


OBSERVATIONS. 3

will be efTentially neceflary, before Ireland
can avail herfelf of half her advantages. In
the mean time, many of her people feem
difpofed rather to fcek farther fpeculative and
theoretical claims, than to cultivate the folid
benefits which they adually poffefs ; whilft
others are rifquing and prejudicing the prin-
cipal ftaple of their country, by forcing its
weak capital into too many and new branches.
Thefe unfteady and extravagant attempts
have a tendency not only to check trade,
but to provoke retaliation.

It is now well known among commercial
nations, that manufadures, forced, and fup-
ported by bounties and prohibitions, cannot
iong thrive, and are not only a lofs to the
community, in proportion to their expcnce^
but are farther pernicious, by tempting away
hands from the thriving manufactures. By
aiming at too many things at once, Ireland
will fucceed in noncj but by purfuing cer-
tain ftaple articles that beft fuit her, (he may
bring them to that perfedion which will
command the markets. A country, of the
extent of Ireland, cannot exped to prevail
inevery manufadure; fhc may tri/ieinmany,
B 2 but


4 OBSERVATIONS.

but (he can excel at foreign markets in few ;
and thofe, under proper management, may
be amply fiifficient to give both employment
and affluence to her people — It is the abun-
dance of a manufadure, and the general
eftablifliment of it in a country, that makes
it both cheap and good.

The Irifh have been reprefented as being
lazy, and not difpofed to labour : they
are, however, of an adive nature, and ca-
pable of the greateft exertions j and of as
good a difpofition as any nation, in the fame
ftate of improvement: their Generofity, Llof-
pitality, and Bravery, are proverbial : intel-
ligence and zeal in whatever they undertake
will not be wanting : but it has been the
fafhion to judge of them from their out-
cafts. The Highlanders of Scotland, in
their flate of nature, are alfo faid to be
indolent. That men who have very little
to do, fliould appear to do little, is not
flrange-, but who thinks them indolent,
when brought into fituations where they
can a61 ? The Highlanders, indeed, have
flill lefs rcafon for indolence than the
Irilh i the country of the former with diffi-
culty


OBSERVATIONS. 5

cultv can fubfift them, while the plentiful
foil of Ireland encourages idlenefs, — Perhaps
the chcapnefs of the common food, potatoes,
may be juilly deemed a caufe of idlenefs^ and
confequently detrimental to manufadures; a
fmall garden of potatoes will fubfifl a family.
Few countries have become completely in-
duftrious, till the price of provifions was
comparatively high. In how many towns,
even of England, where the manufacturers
can acquire a fubfiftence, without daily la-
bour, do numbers of them confume the
Monday and Tuefday in idlenefs? The com-
mon people of Ireland have not had the en-
couragement they might have had, if an un-
fortunate difference of religion had not pre-
vailed, and if it had not been thought a ne-
ceifary policy, not to bring forward the mafs
of the people who differed from the reformed
church, but more efpecially becaufe their
principles were fuppofedto behoflile not on-
ly to the eftablifhed religion, but to the efta-
bliihed government. Lately, the fevere laws
againft Roman Catholics have been repealed,
and many unnecefTary reflraints removed ;
Reftraints which had fliamefully lafted too
long, and can only be accounted for by the

acrimonv


6 OBSERVATIONS.

acrimo.ny of the times in which they were
impofed. At prefent, perhaps, the improve-
ment of Ireland is as rapid as any country
ever experienced, nor will any thing check
it, but the weaknefs of human nature, an
ill-founded diffatisfadion, and an extrava-
gant difpofition to innovation and change.

Jealoufies in trade between England, Scot-
land, and Ireland will ever occur. Such jea-
Joufies in fome refpedis Simulate ufeful com-
petition, and in the end improve manufac-
tures, and promott; trade. In the fermen-
tation and progrefsof fuch jealouiles, appeals
will frequently be made to the Legiilature,
^nd the interference of the Legiflaturs, when
obtained, will generally prove mifchievous
to tlie great interefts of commerce, without
giving fatisfadion to any of the contending
parties, in fuch ioilances, however, much
good may be done by wife and diligent Mi-
nillers, who think it their duty to watch,
to inquire, and fully to inform themfelves.
Prejudices may be removed, miftakes may
be expofed, and fometimes ufeful regulations
may be introduced. This remark has been
fuggefled by the prefent circumftances of

Ireland :


PRrOTEGTING DUTIES. 7

Ireland: it has been already hinted, that
(he aims at more than iier capital can poflibiy
fiipport, or in which ihe' can pofTibly juc-
ceed : feme of her pqople have been iguo-
rantly ea^er in profeiiing an unfriendly 6\C-
pofition to BritiiTi manufadures, and perhaps
perfuade themfeives, that under the term
'.^' Frotedlng Duties*," they can conceal
thi^ir real meaning — the introdudioa of
a -plan of prohibitory duties. Happily, a
condderable proportion of the country thinks
differently; and her Parliament, after a
full inveftigation, rejeded the meafure, by
a great majority. Yet, many ftill retain
the difpofition to occupy themfeives, and
diilurb others, with attempts to introduce
the mifchievous fyfleni. A war of pro-
teding duties and bounties, would an-
fwer to neither country ; it would be ex-
tremely prejudicial to both; it w^ould be
ruinous to Ireland. The duty propofed
would be prohibitory. If Ireland prohibits
the ftaple manufad u re of Great Britain, mea-
fures of a fimilar tendency would inevitably

* The duties propofed were fo high as to be prohibi-
tory of Britifljj ajid therefore protedling Irifh woollens.

and


8 PROTECTING DUTIES.

and foon take place, refpedting the ftaple
manufadure of Ireland. Even by doing
much lefs, the great article of trade, on which
Ireland depends, he^ linen manufadnre,
.would be ruined ; merely the placing Irifh
linens on the fame footing as foreign, would
almofl: entirely prevent the ufe of them in
England, and be ten times more prejudicial
to Ireland, than her prohibition of Englifh
"woollens would be to Great Britain Mea-
fures, too, might be purfued in that line,
which would forward and alTift the interefts
of Great Britain, in the north of Europe.
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