The Industrial Revolution

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1027928145

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-159926

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Cunningham, William http://d-nb.info/gnd/128907487

Title:: The Industrial Revolution

Place of publication:: Cambridge

Publisher:: The University Press

Year of publication:: 1922

Scope:: xxii S., S. 404-886

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

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248 LAISSEZ FAIRE AD. Je The Irish famine was the direct occasion of breaking down the policy of agricultural protection; the importation of food-stuffs was temporarily encouraged for the sake of the starving peasantry; but the complete abandonment of the The repeal Corn Laws proved to be a very serious blew to the more of the Com energetic elements in the population. The Irish farmer and Tried stock raiser had had an advantage, since the Union, over an advan- the agriculturists of other regions, in supplying the English tage in the . Englis, market; but under the system of Free Trade this advantage market: was lost; the prices of produce fell rapidly. Numbers of the peasantry were forced to migrate; on numerous estates, which had been burdened with obligations, the rents fell so much that their nominal owners were hopelessly impoverished. It is idle to speculate as to the remedy which might have been most wisely brought to bear on this disastrous state of affairs; but the direct application of the results of English experience to the Irish problem seems to have done and the more harm than good. In 1860, it seemed that agriculture State has , Sq. , neither Tight be made to flourish if all restrictions were removed, so suocceded 43 to allow the ready transfer of land; if it passed under the ing capital: control of wealthy men, who could apply capital to develop, and introduce, improved methods of tillage, there appeared to be good reason to believe that Irish agriculture would re- cover, as English had already done, from the first effects of exposure to free competition. But the social conditions and traditions of Ireland rendered it exceedingly difficult to carry through an effective reform of the methods of agricultural production ; the habits of the peasantry were unfavourable to improvement, either by spirited proprietors, or enterprising tenants. As the proprietary changed, the land passed into the hands of owners who abandoned serious attempts to initiate progress, and had less scruple in accepting rack rents than the easy-going men they had displaced. The Irish cottiers had neither the independence, nor the foresight, which were necessary? to make the system of free competition tolerable. After some experience of laissez faire, in con- ditions to which it was inappropriate, there was a sudden re- version to a svstem which seemed altogether an anachronism. } Nicholson. Princinles of Political Economy. IL. 167.

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