BELFAST. 



433 



Belfast, of Ireland in 1635, and whose journal is in the 

 """V " * possession of Gei. ral Vallancey, mentions, that Lord 

 Chichester had a stately palace at Belfast, which^ 

 was the glory and beauty of the town, and which* 

 was his chief residence. Through the interest of 

 this nobleman, also, the custom-house was removed 

 from Carrickfergus to Belfast by the Earl of Staf- 

 ' ford in 1638, for which a compensation of 2000 

 was paid to the corporation of Carrickfergus. In 

 1648, Belfast was taken possession of by Colonel 

 (afterwards the famous General) Monk, for the 

 Parliament of England; yet, so late as 1726, it 

 appears to have been a small place of little conse- 

 quence. But situated in the centre of two populous, 

 industrious, and intelligent counties, it is now become 

 one of the most interesting objects in Ireland to the 

 political economist. Its inhabitants are celebrated for 

 their hospitality, taste, and public spirit ; and its mer- 

 chants have extended their commerce to every part of 

 the trading world, except where exclusive privileges to 

 .. chartered bodies mark the bounds of their extension. 



The town is well built, mostly of brick, and the 

 streets are broad, straight, and well lighted. The 

 bridge over the Lagan is about 2560 feet long, with 

 twenty one arches, eighteen of which are in Down, 

 and three in Antrim ; the channel dividing the two 

 counties running under the third arch. It was built 

 about the time of the Revolution at the joint expense 

 of both counties, and cost 12,000. With regard 

 to size, Belfast is generally reckoned the fourth, and 

 with respect to commerce it is the third, town in Ire- 

 land, being next to Dublin and Cork. Vessels of 

 200 tons, half loaded, used to come up to the quay, 

 there being about ten feet water at spring tides ; but 

 now the water is from nine to thirteen feet deep, ac- 

 cording to the time of the moon, having been deepen- 

 ed by the exertions of the ballast corporation. Con- 

 venient docks have also been lately erected for build- 

 ing and repairing vessels. Those vessels that cannot 

 come to the quays, lie at Carmoil pool, (the place of 

 heaps offish,) about three miles from the town, where 

 there is secure anchorage for large ships. The West 

 Indian and American trade, before the late restric- 

 tions on commerce, was very considerable. Their 

 chief exports are linen, butter, beef, pork, oatmeal, 

 &c. The value of Irish goods exported from Belfast 

 during the year 1809 amounted to 1,910,909, 5s., 

 6f which linen formed the greatest part. In 1775, 

 the gross customs amounted, according to Mr Young, 

 only to 64,800, including the excise on tobacco 

 and foreign spirits ; but ever since it has gradually 

 increased, except during the year 1798, and in the 

 year ending the I Oth October 1809, amounted to 

 377,439, 16s. \\{<i. The excise of Belfast in 1796 

 was 9097, 13s. ^\A. ; but previous to the stop- 

 page on distilleries, it had risen to 22,165, 3s. 6d., 

 exclusive of Carrickfergus and Templepatrick, which 

 walks are included in the same district. The duty 

 on licences, in 1801, amounted to 4309. Though 

 the increase, as in other places, must be partly attri- 

 buted to the increase of duties, yet the extent of 

 trade must also have been considerable. The popu- 

 lation in 1782 was about 13,105: At present (1810), 

 it i3 estimated at 30, 000 including Ballymacarret, the 

 suburbs on t ! ie Down side of the Lagan. There were, 

 in 1791, 695 looms, the greatest part of which were 



VOt. IU. PART III 



employed in the linen and cotton manufacture. There 

 are also manufactories of glass, sugar, earthen ware, 

 &c. The public buildings are not many. The white 

 linen hall is large and commodious ; and the exchange, 

 over which there is a good assembly room, is a hand- 

 some building, situated near the middle of the town. 

 The foundation was laid in 1769 : It was erected at the 

 expence of the late Marquis of Donegal!, and cost 

 4000. There is a barrack, healthfully situated, 

 which contains about 800 men ; and near it has been 

 lately erected an artillery barrack. The houses of 

 public worship are ten ; an established church in Do- 

 negal! street, a handsome structure, but rather small 

 for the parish ; six dissenting meeting-houses, four 

 of which are presbyterian ; a quaker meeting-house ; 

 a methodist meeting-house ; and a Roman catholic 

 chapel. There are many charitable institutions ; the 

 principal of which is called The Belfast Incorporate 

 Charitable Society, or poor-house and infirmary, 

 which was built by subscription and lotteries. The 

 foundation was laid in 1771 : It cost about 7000, 

 and was incorporated by act of Parliament in 1 774. It 

 is a large commodious building, healthfully situated, 

 in which about 300 of various ages are maintained 

 and clothed, and the young educated. There are 

 also a lying-in hospital, a fever hospital, a dispensary, 

 a charity school for boarding girls, a day school for 

 boys and girls, a Sunday school of great utility, and 

 a school of industry for the blind ; none of them very 

 extensive, but sufficiently so for such an industrious 

 country. In the beginning of 1809, a house of in- 

 dustry was established, similar to the Hamburgh 

 plan described by Mr Voght, for the purpose of abo- 

 lishing mendicity, and assisting the industrious poor, 

 which promises to be of incalculable benefit to the 

 town. In such a place as Belfast, many commercial 

 institutions might be expected j and, accordingly, 

 we find a chamber of commerce, a ballast office cor- 

 poration, two insurance offices, a police committee, 

 &c. &c. There is also a book society called The 

 Belfast Society for promoting Knowledge, which pos- 

 sesses about 2000 volumes, a cabinet of minerals, and 

 several philosophical instruments. There is another 

 book society, under the title of The Belfast Society 

 for acquiring Knowledge, nearly as extensive as the for- 

 mer. A Literary Society has also been lately esta- 

 blished, whose chief object is polite literature, science, 

 and antiquities, fasciculi of which are occasionally 

 published. There are a great many other societies 

 similar to the above, but they are too numerous to be 

 mentioned. An academy, for the education of the 

 higher class in this town, was founded by the inhabi- 

 tants in 1786, and has been hitherto under the direc- 

 tions of a presbyterian minister ; but the advantages 

 of it are not confined to any sect. In 1807, another 

 academy was opened, which is under the direction, 

 also, of one of the presbyterian ministers, and i .. ell 

 attended. The private schools are innumerable. But 

 that which most entitles the inhabitants of Belfast 

 to the gratitude of their countrymen is the Academi- 

 cal Institution, or A'etu College, the foundation stone 

 of which was laid on the of July 1810. A subscrip- 

 tion was opened in 1808, for the purpose of establish- 

 ing a college on the following extensive plan : Large 

 schools are 4 j be built and endowed for educating boys 

 for every department of life ; and professorships are 

 3i 



Belfast. 



