The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-04-28
4 BLACK RECORD,
How Many of the Industries of Ire.
land Have Been Crushed by
Action of
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

l. Ia u Olt4 1lOl1 w EOlN M LIN 1
Ubiquitous Laws Made the Land o1
Prosperity Land of
Famine.
It may be interesting to inquire how
many of those who now discuss the
best measures to promote and expand
the Irish woo]len trade know nothing oi
how a great woollen industry first
sprang up in Ireland, how it became the
staple resource Of several thousands OF
the population, and how, when the fears
and the jealousy Of English traders had
been awakened by it's success, it was
stamped out Of the land by the British
government, says the Dublin Freeman IS
Journal. The work may be said to have
been begun by Wentworth afterwards
Earl of Straford-when he came over to
Ireland as deputy in 1888. In pursuance
OF his policy of thorough" he resolved
to crush the fourishing woollen industry,
Rearing it would seriously inter ere with
the English woollen trade. At the same
time he saw that the Irish soil was en-
inently suited for growing fax, and by
way OF compensation, be laid the found
alton OF the linen manufacture. For
many years it was sorely hampered, and
the war of the revolution all but abolish
ed it Meanwhile the WOODEN trade was
gradually recovering from the effect of
tie blow which Strsfford had struck at
IL, One circumstance gave it vast inn
petus, and drove thousands of the peo-
ple to rely ON it for their bread. The
navigation act of 1850, as amended in
1858, excluded Ireland from the colonial
market. Ireland was famed for her
pasture, and immense herds OF cattle
shipped across the channel from day to
day. This trade in cattle became SO OK
tensive that the English landowners be
gan to fear that the rents in England
would become seriously deprecated il it
were allowed go on. Accordingly laws
were passed prohibi ing the importation
from Ireland into England of cattle,
sheep and swine, of beef, pork, bacon,
mutton, butter and cheese. The effect
of this Atrocious Statute can easily be
conceived; for the moment it completely
dried up the front OF Irish prosperity.
The amended navigation act forbade all
the carrying trade in Irish built ships
with the colonies under the penalty Of
forfeiture Of ships and cargo; and during
the reign of William it was provided
that NO goods of any kind could be i'm
ported directly from Ireland to the col
onies Thus Irish commerce was an
initiated.
In this supreme crisis, Irish wool
came to the rescue. Irish wool has long
been famed as the best wool in the
world; and Irish traders perceived in the
days we are dealing with that an oppor-
tunitY of striking mine in it was offer
ed to them. The trade had gone on
thriving, as we have said, nothwith-
standing the repressive measure of
STAFFORD; but now it was extended by
leaps and bounds. In the reigns Of Hen
ry VIII and Of Elizabeth, Legislative
measures were directed against the ex-
port Of wool from ireland, for the ship
ping away OF the raw material had, in
the words of the statute, "been the cause
OF dearth Of cloth and idleness of many
folks and tended "to the desolation
an6 ruin of this poor land.'
The amended navigation act did what
those laws have failed to do. Large
numbers of manufactures came over
from England, Scotland and even the
continent; employment was given to
many thousands of men; and the prohi-
bition of the export Of cattle was all but
forgotten in the enthusiasm of the WOOL
len trades Never before, perhaps, in the
whole course Of Ireland's conquered his
tory, did her future look more promis-
ing; and it may be said with equal truth
that never before did England get SO
great an opportunity of making and
keeping the sister country at once pros
porous and happy. The English Parlis.
ament must have seen that; but they
were ss ready to give Ireland stab now
as when they yielded to the English
landowners, and ruined her shipping
and cattle trade. And they did give the
stab. In. 1897 bill was introduced into
the English Parliament to restrain the
Importation Of woollen manufactures
from Ireland. The object Of this fer
ocious measure was to annihilate the
Irish woouen trade. England ct that
time Ind her woollen trade, too, and the
English traders oonsid dered that Ireland
was becoming 9 idable rival. So
they tiittionsd 20 hsve their competitor
destr A n sss 81 S6s..