LINEN TRADE IN IRELAND. (Hansard, 17 December 1830)

Sir Robert Bateson
rose to present a Petition, and as it was neither on slavery nor on the repeal of the Union, he hoped to obtain the attention of the House. He regretted much at not seeing any of his Majesty's 1308 Ministers present. He recollected that on a late occasion some observations had been made relative to the absence of Ministers at the hour of half-past three. He approved of such observations, as he thought it was important that they should be present while petitions from the country were being presented. The petition came from a person of the name of Alexander Barlow, a linen merchant residing in Dublin. He stated, that the trade in linen was rapidly decreasing, in consequence of the importation into Ireland of cotton-twist, duty free, which caused the linen manufactories in Ireland to decline. Although he was not averse to the principles of free trade, about which some political economists talked so much, he was quite sure that on the present occasion the want of protection, with regard to the importation of cotton-twist, was a cause of very serious distress to Ireland. Previous to the year 1826, there was a protecting duty under the auspices of the Linen Board. He was ready to admit that there might have been jobbing carried on in this Board, but at the same time he was convinced that that Board, and the duty on cotton, which had originated with it, were of some utility to Ireland. This Board had been since abolished, and the consequence was, that the great manufacturers were enabled to make large fortunes, to the loss and detriment of the working classes. He considered that mill spun yarn, and the importation of foreign flax, tended much to the ruin of the trade in Ireland. This had been denied by a certain political economist, but he (Sir R. Bateson) would not give great credence to the opinions of that person, as he had heard him say, that absenteeism was no injury to Ireland, and that it made no difference whether the rents of that country were spent in Ireland or at Constantinople. On the whole, he was quite of opinion that such doctrines as had been advocated by that gentleman, would, if brought into operation, be very ruinous to Ireland. The petition which he had to present was the first of many, which after the recess, would be presented on the same subject. In conclusion, he wished to make one observation. Much had been said in the House against the system of agitation carried on in Ireland; to prevent that, let the House give employment to the poor, and protection to the staple trade of that country.

§ Mr. Maberly
thought, that the doctrines urged by the hon. Member would be highly injurious to the country. What! did the hon. Gentleman recommend that a duty should be put on cotton; on the very article which was the principal source of employment to the poor in the country? He rather thought that a bounty should be granted for its importation. The hon. Gentleman had said much about the failure of the linen trade in Ireland. The reason of this, in his opinion, was, that Ireland did not apply that skill of which she was capable to the improvement of her manufactories, and, in consequence, her trade in linen had emigrated to Scotland and Yorkshire. He agreed with the hon. Member, that the system of agitation carried on in Ireland tended much to injure that country. No sooner was one subject over than another was started, and the people were kept from applying themselves to procuring permanent employment.

Sir R. Bateson
said, unfortunately they had little or no capital in Ireland. If the hon. member for Abingdon would introduce his, the people there would feel most happy.

O'Gorman Mahon
said, the hon. Baronet laboured tinder a strange confusion of ideas, for he had recommended that the two most important subjects, as regarded England and Ireland, namely, the Slave Trade and the Repeal of the Union, should be deferred for less important considerations. It had been truly stated, that the linen trade of Ireland had declined, but that, he thought, was owing to the quantity of absentees. He assured the House that there was no risk in investing capital in Ireland, where it was quite as safe, and indeed safer, than in England. The great evil in that country was want of capital, which, if invested there, would promote industry and prevent agitation. Much had been said by the hon. member for Abingdon about agitation in Ireland, but he must deny that any existed there, if by that term was meant any thing that led to rebellion and insurrection. To be sure, if it was merely meant that people felt warmly when their interests were concerned, there was no occasion to deny that; but in other respects, the whole of Ireland was in a state of the profoundest tranquillity; and he would take upon himself to say, that that tranquillity had emanated from the agitation that had pre- 1310 viously existed on the question of religion, and when agitation was called for and necessary. The consequence of what had then been done was, that now the Orangeman and Catholic were daily shaking hands, and feuds on the score of religion had entirely ceased.

Mr. Alderman Waithman
complained of these discussions upon petitions. He had been attending three or four nights running to present a petition, and had always found, from hon. Gentlemen indulging in such long speeches, that before his turn came, the time allotted by the House for the presentation of petitions had elapsed. He must claim the right, on the part of the people, of having their petitions heard, if he sat there all night.

Mr. Hume
said, the cause of the decay of the linen trade in Ireland was the restriction under which it laboured, and for this Irish Members were principally to be blamed; for he recollected when, seven years ago, bounties and such restrictions were taken off the linen trade in Scotland, he and other Members, amongst them the hon. Baronet, the member for the Queen's county, predicted that the Scotch linen trade would flourish, and the Irish trade decay, and such turned out to be the fact. It was to the removal of those restrictions that he attributed the start which the Scotch trade had taken, and he was sure the best way would be, to leave that and all other trades and occupations to themselves.

Mr. Cutlar Ferguson
said, that with respect to what had just dropped from the worthy Alderman, he thought that unless some other arrangement was made, the petitions of the people might as well be at once thrown aside. He had attended five days in his place to present a petition, and though he had always been down at the House by twelve or one o'clock in the day, and set his name down immediately, he had no opportunity of so doing. He therefore trusted that the rule for public business to commence at five o'clock, which was now existing, would undergo some modification and restriction.

§ The Speaker
said, it would be well for hon. Gentlemen to bear in mind what really was the rule adopted by the House. The rule was, that he should attend at three o'clock, and that the public business of the day should commence at five o'clock. After the public business was disposed of, 1311 however, an opportunity would be afforded to hon. Members to present such petitions as had not been received before five o'clock. He had never failed, after the public business was finished, to go through the remainder of the list in his hands, and the hon. Gentleman's name was one of those called over by him last night.

Mr. Cutlar Ferguson
said, he had not the least idea that his name would have been called over at half-past one o'clock in the morning.

§ Sir M. W. Ridley
had heard the Speaker call over the names, and he (Sir M. W. Ridley) was the only one out of twenty who answered. It was by the inattention of Members, not the want of opportunity, if they were unable to present their petitions.

Mr. Alderman Waithman
said, he was absent on account of illness; and it would be impossible for hon. Members to avoid indisposition, if they were required to attend till a late hour in the morning.

§ The Speaker
said, that although the hon. Gentleman might be incapacitated by ill health from attending, he could assure the House that it was possible to bear the fatigue, for if any one was compelled to attend, he was.