



8 A. D. 1784. 



foreign trade, feem almoft to have forgot, that foreiga trade can only be 

 fupplied from the 7Y^/wfl<5^rt;/ff of capitals, commodities, and manufadures, 

 over the demand for home confumption ; and, facrificing the greater ob- 

 jcft to the lefTer, precipitately pufhed all kinds of goods to America and 

 other countries *, and were much difappointed at finding their remit- 

 tances flow and precarious. The-confequence was, that the manufac- 

 tures of the country, which, next to agriculture, ought to be the firft ob- 

 je<fl of attention, as the bafis of all trade, wereilarved for want of capit- 

 al ; and the operative manufadurers, with the lower clafles of the com- 

 munity in general, were in the greatefl diftrefs, and confequently dif- 

 contented and riotous. While things were in this iituation, a great 

 number of the people, mifapprehending the caufe of the diftrefs, and not 

 adverting that a retaliation on the part of Great Britain muft inevitably 

 ruin their linen manufacture, took it into their heads, that, if foreign ma- 

 nufadures, including Britifh, could be entirely fhut out by high duties, 

 thofe of Ireland could not fail to flourifli. The confequence was, that a 

 general outcry was raifed for protecting duties, as they were called, 

 which was fucceeded by the adoption of non-importation agreements in 

 every part of the country. So general was the voice of the people in 

 favour of this expedient, that even the grand jury of the city of Dublin, 

 who had ufually been under the influence of the court, on this occafion 

 gave their findion to the popular agreement : and the parliament of 

 Ireland, though they refuied to enad the proteding duties, laid duties 

 on Britifli refined fugar, beer, wire, and printed calicoes, in order to 

 give a preference to their own manufadures of thofe articles. It was, 

 however, fcarcely pofTible, that every one fhould refift the temptation of 

 advantage to be reaped by breaking through the non-importation agree- 

 ment. But thofe who ventured to tranfgrefs, as foon as they were dif- 

 covered, were fubjeded by the populace to the American punifhment of 

 tarring and feathering f . A magnificent coach was alfo fmeared over 

 with tar, and covered with feathers, becaule it was made by Mr. Hatchet 

 of London : and it was faid to have been in agitation to treat the lord- 

 lieutenant himfelf with a drefs of this new fpec.ies of Irifh manufadure. 



Great exertions were afterwards made by the parliaments of both king- 

 donis to produce a regular and permanent fyftem of commercial regula- 



* Mai!v of the Iriili '-aods exported were of old as the expedition of Richard I to ihs Holy 



fuch defective quality, owing to the infant ftate of land. The dofe, when adminiilered according to the 



nioft of the manufactures, that the charafter, and royal prefoription, was much more fevere than the 



confequently the interell, uf Irifh manufadures and modern democratic application ; for King Richard 



commerce were very much injured by their pre- ordered that thieves ihould have io;/i«^ pitch poured 



mature appearance in foreign markets. [See over their heads, and then be covered with feathers, 



JValhr's EJay onlhemanufaaur:sDfIrelaml,p.']'].'] as a mark to kuov/ them by ; befidcs which they 



f I call It an American puuilhmeat in compli- were to be call onfhore on the firil land to be feeu 



ance with the general belief of the Americans be- afterwards. \_Hoveiiat, inter Sirip:. prji BsJam,f. 



ing the inventors of It. liut its origin is at kail »s 379 b.J 



