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Extracts from Burke's earlier writings, with notes by C.E. Moberly
Extracts from Burke's earlier writings with notes by CE Moberly Author:Edmund Burke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: III. SPEECH IN GUILDHALL, BRISTOL, 1780. . The main topic of this generous and noble speech is one of the saddest in English history—namely, that of our lo... more »ng jealousy and repression of Ireland ; and some details regarding this are necessary before it can be fully understood. Two points must be clearly distinguished ; first, the commercial jealousy which constantly tried to crush every attempt made by the Irish to rise from their miserable poverty; and secondly, the bigotry which produced the penal laws against Roman Catholics as such. We read in the life of Clarendon (ill., 704) a most singular account of a parliamentary debate, in the year 1664, on the importation of Irish cattle. According to this high authority, the general feeling of insecurity, and the depression of trade in that year, had caused a depression of 25 per cent, in the rents of land. A cry immediately arose that the Irish were underselling the English proprietors of stock ; and a bill to prohibit the importation of Irish cattle was accordingly introduced into the House of Commons. It was remonstrated against most strongly by the Irish government; who vainly urged that 100,000 people in Ireland lived and paid their rents solely by this trade; and that if it were hindered there would be no means left for carrying on the government there, and a new rebellion must be the consequence. Other remonstrances from English counties which were particularly interested in the Irish trade were equally vain. The House of Commons passed the measure with such enthusiasm that they actually went themselves in a body to present it to the House ofLords. There it was passed at once; and the terrible and smiting effect of the act in Ireland is shewn by Sir W. Petty's estimate that it destroyed at one blow half the trade of Irel...« less