Page:William Petty - Economic Writings (1899) vol 1.djvu/258

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160
The Political Anatomy


It is absurd if the Legislative Power be in Ireland, that the final judgment of Causes between man and man, should be in England, |33| viz. the Writs of Error should remove Causes out of Ireland, to[1] the King's Bench in England. That the final determination of Admiralty-Causes[2], and of some Causes-Ecclesiastical, should be also ended in England; nor that men should know whether the Chancery of England have jurisdiction in Ireland; and whether the Decrees of Chancery in one Chancery, can be executed in the other.

As for Inconveniences, it is one, That we should do to[3] Trade between the two Kingdoms, as the Spaniards in the West-Indies do to all other Nations; for which cause all other Nations have war with them there.

And that a Ship trading from Ireland into the Islands of America, should be forced to unlade the Commodities shipt for Ireland in England, and afterwards bring them home; thereby necessitating the Owners of such goods to run unnecessary hazard and Expences.

It is inconvenient that the same King's Subjects should pay Customs as Aliens, passing from one part of the same their own King's Territories to another.


The chief Objection against the remedy of these Evils is; |34|

That his Majesty would by the Union lose much of his Double-Customs. Which being true, let's see what the same amounts unto; and if it be sufficient to hinder the remedy of these Evils, and if it be irreparable by some other way.

Ann. 1664. which was the best year of Trade that hath been these many years in Ireland, when neither Plague nor Wars impeached it, and when men were generally disposed to Splendor and Liberality[4], and when the Act for hindring Cattel coming out of Ireland into England, was not yet made[5]; nor that made for unlading in England Ships bound

  1. S, 'into.'
  2. Cf. Fitzmaurice, 247.
  3. 'we should do to' is not in S.
  4. S, 'libe and.'
  5. By 15 Charles II., c. 7 (1663) a duty so high as to be practically prohibitive had been placed upon the importation of Irish cattle between 1 July and 20 December. On 18 October, 1665 a bill was introduced into the House of