T 1/494/12 - Petition of Inhabitants 1772

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To the Right Hon'ble The Lords Commissnrs of His Majesty's Treasury

The Petition of the Merchants, Inhabitants of the Isle of Man whose Names are thereunto subscribed

Humbly Sheweth

That the Parliament of Great Britain, having enacted diverse penal Statutes for the Suppression of the illicit Trade formerly carried on from this Isle. The Inhabitants dutifully submitted thereunto, humbly hoping that when the End proposed by the said Statutes was accomplished, whatever was found therein prejudicial to fair Trade & Honest Industry would be repeal'd.

That it is notorious to every person acquainted with the present State of the said Island, that no sort of illicit Trade hath been carried on to or from thence for these several years past; And it can be shown that in its present Circumstances every Trade of that sort is more impracticable there, than is any other part of his Majesty's Dominions.

That nevertheless the aforesaid Statutes (tho' their Object no longer exists) continue in force. And such is their extreme Rigor & severity as tends to extinguish Commerce, & in a great measure operate Desolation in this unhappy Island.

That your Petitioners lately attempted to promote the Fishery of Herrings on the Coasts of this Isle, having built Houses for the purpose of curing red & white Herrings. But finding themselves absolutely prohibited from shipping the smallest parcel of Salt for the preservation of Fish on Board the Boats employ'd in purchasing them in the warm Months of Juky and August when the Fishery is commonly most successfull, and being excluded from carrying their cured fish to Market either in Britain or the British Colonies. They are apprehensive that they will be obliged to abandon this Undertaking with considerable Loss.

That your Petitioners from having the Advantage of fine water, set up a Manufacture of printing Linen & Cotton Cloths. And having imported a parcel of those Goods into the Port of Liverpool, & tender'd the same for payment of His Majesty's Duties; the said Goods were seized on the Pretence that the Cotton was not the Produce of the Isle of Man, tho the same had been regularly imported from Britain, being the Produce of the British Colonies. And your Petitioners were put to a greater Expence than their real value, in recovering their said Goods by way of Compromise before the Courts of Exchequer, and meeting with such Checks & Difficulties will be obliged also to drop this Undertaking with Loss, nor are they able under such Discouragements to bring any Manufactures to their Perfection.

That by a Clause of the Act of the 5th of His present Majesty all Vessels bound from Great Britain & Ireland to foreign parts are condition'd under high Penalties, not to take on board any Goods by way of Stores ot provisions at this Island. And tho' it is well known the Object of this Restriction was to prevent Ships trading to Africa from taking on Board certain Goods formerly lodged here for that Trade. And tho there have been no such Goods in this Isle for several years past, nor can any now be imported, Yet the Restriction still subsists to the no small Hardship of your Petitioners, who, on this acct are obliged to hire Vessels to carry such Goods as are destined for foreign parts to be transshipped within the Ports of England or Ireland at an expence which no trade can support.

That your Petitioners are prevented from importing any Goods of British Manufacture in order that an assortment of the Produce of the Isle might furnish a proper Cargo for the foreign Markets. Because no part of the Duty payable in this Isle on importation. And it is certainly a singular Hardship on every Importer of Goods into this small Island, that in several Instances he is not allowed to re'export his Goods, without the Loss of the whole Duties paid at Importation.

That to enumerate the many Hardships under which your Petitioners labour would greatly exceed the Limits of an ordinary Memorials. They beg Leave howeverb to acquaint your Lordships that the Inhabitants of this distest Island have heretofore had repeated assurances of His Majesty's favour & protection, & been promised all such Immunities in trade as were not inconsistent with the Interests of Great Britain & prejudicial to his Majesty's Revenue. - On which Acct they have been at great Expence in sending up Commissioners & employing persons in London to sollicit their Affairs, but hitherto without Effect - That their Miseries daily augment. Restrained & excluded from all Commerce their Manufactures & Fisheries necessarily decline. The People have to migrate to foreign Parts in quest of Bread - That the Value of Land decreases and many Houses in the several Towns are actually falling to the Ground for want of Inhabitants, & will shortly become an [ lost ] of Ruins. Beset with these [ ] Distresses, destitute of funds & unrepresented in Parliament. Your Petitionrs as their last Resource implore your Lordships Protection. Humbly praying that in Compassion to their Sufferings you would have the Goodness to recommend their Case to the Consideration of the British Parliament in order to obtain a Mitigation of the aforesaid Statutes and such Relief in the particulars here set forth & all others as to the Wisdom of Parliament shall seem meet. And that the Inhabitants of this unhappy Island, who have never made any publick Complaints or studied to excite any popular Clamour on the Subject of their Grievances, tho' but too severely felt, may be restored to the like Condition and granted the like Immunities in Trade as are enjoyed by his Majesty's Subjects in other parts of his Dominions in the like Situation & Circumstances. And more especially that the people and Inhabitants of this Isle may be allowed the same Bounty & encouragement in their Herring Fishery, with liberty to import the Fish and Manufactures of this Isle into Great Britain, & the Plantations in like manners as others of his Majesty's British Subjects are entitled unto - And that they may be also allowed to ship & take on board their Herring vessels a small parcel of Salt upon bonds sufficient to cure their cargo of Herrings as is daily practised & done in all the parts of Great Britain.

Dated in the Isle of Man this 20th January 1772.

Signed George Moore, John Frissell Jr, John Taubman, Philip Moore, Jas Oates, Philip Finch, Thos Durie, Edw Moore, Lewis Geneste, Wm Bridson, Robt Caesar, Hugh Cosnahan, [Jno Brew?]

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