LINEN TRANSIT DUTIES.

HC Deb 22 May 1817 vol 36 cc826-30

Mr. Finlay

, in rising to draw the attention of the House to the state of the Linen trade, lamented that his intentions had given rise to any agitation in Ireland. He trusted, however, he should be able to show on what slight grounds those apprehensions were founded. Foreign linens, he observed, on being taken out of warehouses for home consumption, were subjected to a duty of 7½, and if intended for exportation, were loaded with an additional duty of 15 per cent., making altogether 22½. This duty had been wisely imposed by parliament, when this country enjoyed the monopoly of the trade of the world; and if affairs had so continued to the present time, he would not now propose its removal. The Irish manufacturer complained, that the removal of those duties would be highly disadvantageous to them. This he denied to be the fact; for their repeal would not induce people to purchase foreign linens, at an additional expense, which they must do, if they preferred them to those manufactured in Ireland. The general commerce of the country was injured by this system, and the manufacturers of linen in England and Ireland, were particularly affected by it. He could show, that the removal of this tax would assist the manufactures and commerce of the country, generally, and that it would be especially serviceable to the linen manufacturers. There was a prejudice in the colonial market against Irish linens, which could only be done away by removing those duties. By this means Irish linens, which were now scarcely to be seen in the colonial markets, would find their way to it, and a competition would take place between that and foreign linens, which would probably remove the existing prejudice. The hon. gentleman then moved that a "copy of a memorial of the merchants engaged in the import and export trade of the city of London, to the lords commissioners of his majesty's treasury, respecting the transit duties on foreign linens, presented on the 7th of May, 1817, be laid before the House," also, for a "copy of a memorial of the governor and court of the Russia company, respecting the transit duties on foreign linens be laid before the House."

Mr. Knox

did not mean to oppose the motion, as it tended only to produce inquiry. The question lay within a very narrow compass. It was known that there was a great prejudice in the minds of the South Americans against Irish linens; not, he believed, because they were inferior to the foreign linens, but because a fair comparison was not made between them. In consequence of this the Irish linen merchants imitated certain marks that were affixed to the German linens, and sent them into the market thus disguised. He was averse to the removal of those duties. If the burthen on the import of foreign linens were taken off, not a yard of Irish linen would be bought; nothing but that of foreign manufacture would be purchased. It might be said, that the prejudice of the South Americans would soon be removed, when the Irish article came in fair competition with the foreign. But what, in the mean time, was to become of the Irish manufacturer? They knew very well that this trade had been increasing in Ireland, during the last few years, under the operation of these transit duties which certainly afforded a presumption that they were useful. This increase some persons attributed to the war, but they had no right to do so. The trade had increased since the conclusion of hostilities, and the opening of the continental ports to us, in a great degree. In 1812, 35,000,000 of yards were exported; in 1813, 37,000,000; and in 1815, 40,000,000. It was clear that such an increase could not have taken place if the transit duties were ruinous in their nature.

Mr. Robinson

was decidedly of opinion, that it would be beneficial to the general interests of the country, and, in no ways injurious to the manufacturer, if those duties were repealed. He was always friendly to the measure, and so little did he contemplate the objections which had been urged against it, that he had laid a memorial before the linen board of Ireland, thinking the proposition of a repeal of the transit duties would be immediately acceded to; but he found their feelings on that subject were very different from his; they treated the measure as one calculated to do the greatest possible injury, and as rather intended to serve the interests of private individuals, than those of the country in general. The whole of their argument was founded on the supposition, that those duties prevented the foreign linens from coming into our markets. This was the fact, in 1810, when we had all the trade of the world; but now, when the ocean was covered with the Hags of all nations, what was there to prevent foreign vessels proceeding directly to those markets, which we formerly supplied? It was said, the foreign merchant could not do this, because it was out of his power to command an assorted cargo. But every practical merchant in that House knew that that this was an erroneous supposition. The foreign merchant could half fill his vessel at Hamburgh with linens; he might then proceed to an English port, take in whatever other articles he pleased, and sail at once for South America. In the last year, the duties on foreign linens exported amounted to 4,000l.—in the preceding year they were 22,000l.; which showed that the foreign linens, in spite of our efforts, had found their way, direct, to the colonial market. The duty was inoperative; it produced no good for the Irish manufacturer; but, on the contrary, a great deal of mischief. Though there might be a prejudice abroad against Irish linens, yet it was well known that many other articles, the manufacture of these countries, were highly estimated in South America. These articles would certainly be introduced to a much greater extent, if, inconsequence of the transit duties being taken off, they were shipped from this country along with foreign linens. With, respect to the "innocent deception," the "pious fraud," that was spoken of; namely, the assimilating, by an imitation of certain marks, Irish to German linens, he was sure it would be carried on much better if the assimilated pieces were mixed with a quantity of linens, really foreign. But it would be a great misfortune, if any fraud were necessary. He believed the Irish linen was as good, for many purposes, as the foreign; and he conceived it was much better to have the bad or good qualities of the manufacture, fairly put to the test, through the medium of competition, than to have recourse to deception or artifice of any kind.

Mr. Peel

desired, in this stage of the debate, to intimate his intention of moving for another production from the board of linen trade of Ireland. He laid claim, on the part of that country, to all that favour which could belong to, or be deserved by local interests. If ever local interests were binding upon a legislature, the engagements under which the English parliament had come to the Irish were obligatory and imperative. Manufactures might safely be left to the calculation of their own profits; but it was an object of national policy to decide between their contending claims. That this was a fair subject for political consideration was manifest, from the total and separate amount of the different exports from Ireland during the last year. The total amount of these exports was 6,400,000l., of which the one half was of linen manufactures; whilst that of her raw commodities diet not exceed 1,500,000l. The House also was bound to recollect the origin of the linen trade in Ireland in the year 1696, and by what means that country was induced to sacrifice to it her woollen manufactures. This was done in conformity with the earnest wishes and solemn engagements of the English government at that period. Here the right hon. gentleman read the addresses of the two Houses, and the answers from the throne relative to this sub- ject. That the success of this manufacture was still progressive would appear from a statement of the accounts for the last five years, which amounted successively to 2,310,000l., 2,519,000l., 2,861,000l., 2,882,000l., and, notwithstanding the last year of extraordinary difficulty and embarrasment, to upwards of 3,000,000l. He had good reason to believe that the manufacture was still extending itself; and was the more convinced from the present circumstances of the flax trade, that the present was a most unfortunate period for commencing any experiments upon it.

Mr. Marryat

supported the motion, on considerations derived from an intimate knowledge of the transit trade in this article, and on the general ground that much of what was called Irish linen was in fact of foreign manufacture. He had no doubt that it was for the interest both of Great Britain and Ireland that these distinctions should be done away.

Mr. V. Fitzgerald

referred to the policy of foreign powers, and particularly of the Prussian government, in defence of the prevailing system.

Mr. Curwen

, after briefly adverting to the state of the flax trade, declared it to be his sincere opinion, that a greater injustice had never been practised by one country towards another, than by England towards Ireland, by the extinction of her woollen trade.

Sir J. Newport

hoped that the subject would be brought forward early in the next session, that thus the people of Ireland, interested in the linen trade, might see the House were disposed to do them justice, and to defend their interests.

The motion was agreed to.