In the Kingdom of
IRELAND.
THE Linnen Manufacture in Ireland, being a Subject so much discours’d of the last Sessions of Parliament, I humbly presume to offer some Thoughts how it may best be carried on.
But, before I enter upon it, I will consider the State of that Kingdom, with respect to its Foreign Trade; the Ballance whereof I take to be against them, and must therefore be supplied, by carrying out their Coin, which is already grown so scarce, that ’tis to be fear’d, in a short time there will be little left.
To explain this, I will lay down some of those Steps, by which the Ballance of Trade daily alters to their Prejudice.
1st, The great Fall of their Products, viz. Wool, Tallow, Hides, Beef, &c. which are abated in their Prices above one Third of what they yielded before the War; so that should the same Quantities of those Commodities be bought up for Exportation, as formerly there were, yet they would not amount to the Value they then did.
2ly, The Ports of Spain, France, and Flanders, which were their great Markets, being now shut against them, the Profits which they made by their Foreign Trade in the Times of Peace, over and above the first Value of the Commodities exported, are also lost to the Kingdom.
3ly, The Prohibiting the Exportation of their Woollen Manufactures, whereby their People were employed, and their Labours sold to Foreign Nations, hath very much lessened the Ballance of their Foreign Trade,
4ly, The great Sums of Money spent in this Kingdom by the Nobility and Gentry of Ireland, who come over hither for Pleasure, or necessary Attendances, on the Court, Parliament, or private Affairs, and send hither their Children for Education; the Purchases they have lately made of the Forfeited Estates; and the yearly Remittances thence for the Rents of Lands belonging to the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, do all make against them.
5ly, The great Consumption of Commodities among them from this Kingdom, which, though it encreases our Trade, and makes it our Interest to Support that Kingdom, must be allowed to be a Prejudice to them.