Theoretical claims of the English Parliament notwithstanding, internal affairs were subject to the local legislature. In commercial matters, however, the power of the larger kingdom was unquestioned. Whatever benefit could be derived from Cromwell's Navigation Act was shared by Ireland, and there was free trade between the two islands. But after the Restoration Irish members came no more to Westminster, and the usurper's enlightened policy was abandoned. In 1663, by the 'Act for the encouragement of trade,' as it was absurdly called, Ireland was excluded from the colonial trade, and the importation of Irish cattle into England was forbidden between July 1 and December 20 in each year. All depended on grass, for the days of turnips and feeding cakes were still far off, and this was the season when stock were in good condition. A fine of 20_s._ was imposed for every beast landed notwithstanding, half to the King and half to the informer, for the influx of Irish fat cattle was considered 'of infinite prejudice to most counties in England.' Among the peers Anglesey only protested, and he had a strong case, though his first reason was the amazing one that the Act allowed free export of money and bullion which the wisdom of our ancestors had always restrained. But he also maintained the rights of people in Ireland 'they being by law native Englishmen but debarred from the English markets,' thus giving a monopoly to some of the King's subjects to aid ruining others. It was erroneously supposed that English rents were depreciated by Irish cattle. Petty showed how impossible it was for imported cattle, whose gross value was 132,000_l._, to affect seriously a rental of 8,000,000_l._, which had fallen by one-fifth. Pepys more truly attributed the depression of agriculture to the low price of wheat. Shaftesbury, though he swelled the partisan chorus against Irish cattle, told the King that the mischief was really owing to depopulation, the plague and the Dutch war having added at least a quarter of a million to the normal number of deaths. There was also a constant stream of emigrants to the American colonies, where they might 'enjoy the liberty of their mistaken consciences.'[63] [Sidenote: The Canary Company.]