use their utmost diligence, to hinder the exportation of wool from Ireland except to be imported hither, and for discouraging the woollen manufacture and encouraging the linen manufacture of Ireland, _to which we shall always be ready to give our utmost assistance_.' "His Majesty thus replied to the Commons[47]:--'_I shall do all that in me lies to_ discourage the woollen manufacture in Ireland _and encourage the linen manufacture there_, and to promote the trade of England.' "Stronger declarations could not well be made than in these Addresses and answers, that if the Irish would come into the compact of giving up their then great staple of woollens to England, and cultivating the linens in lieu thereof, they should receive '_all the countenance, favour, and protection for the encouragement and promotion of their linen manufacture to all the advantages their kingdom was capable of_,' that the Commons would always be ready to give their utmost assistance, and his Majesty would do all that in him lay _to encourage the linen manufacture there_; and they had the effect of inducing the Parliament of Ireland to accede, as will appear from what follows. "The Lords Justices of Ireland say, in their speech to the Irish Parliament, the 27th September, 1698:[48] 'Amongst those bills there is one for the encouragement of the linen and hempen manufactures. At our first meeting we recommended to you that matter, and we have now endeavoured to render that bill practicable and useful for that effect, and as such we now recommend it to you. The settlement of this manufacture will contribute much to people the country, and will be found much more advantageous to this kingdom than the woollen manufacture, which, being the settled staple trade of England, can never be encouraged here for that purpose; _whereas the linen and hempen manufactures will not only be encouraged, as consistent with the trade of England, but will render the trade of this kingdom both useful and necessary to England_.' "The Commons replied: 'We pray leave to assure your Excellencies that we shall heartily endeavour to establish a linen and hempen manufacture here, and to render the same useful to England, as well as advantageous to this kingdom; and we hope to find such a _temperament_ in respect to the woollen trade here that the same may not be injurious to England.'[49] In pursuance of this answer they evinced that _temperament_ most effectually by passing an Act[50] for laying prohibitory duties on the export of _their own_ woollen manufacture--thus accepting the national compact and fully performing their part of the agreement, and by that performance giving an incontrovertible claim to Ireland upon England, and consequently upon Great Britain, for a perpetual encouragement of the linen manufacture '_to all the advantage and profit that Ireland should at any time be capable of_.'