foreign cloths: in some descriptions of low cloths, the foreigners are nearly on a footing, and in some instances, perhaps, superior to us."

'Speaking of the finer cloths, is the competition such as to render an additional duty on the importation of foreign wool, likely to injure the export trade?"—"I have no doubt, speaking on my oath, that it would be fatal to the foreign cloth trade of the country. I would say further, that it would be equally injurious to coarse manufactures of all kinds made of English wool. The competition now with foreigners is as nearly balanced as possible; and the disturbing operation of attacks of that description would necessarily enable the foreigner to buy his wool cheaper than we should do it in this country; the result would be, that foreigners would, by such a premium, be enabled to extend their manufactures, to the exclusion of British manufactures of all descriptions."

In another part of his evidence, Mr. Gott says, "If 2 pieces of cloth at 10s. a yard were put before a customer, one made of British wool, the other of foreign wool, one would be sold, and the other would remain on hand: I could not execute an order with it. If any person sent to me for cloth of 7s. or 8s. a yard, and it were made of English wool, it would be sent back to me, and I should resort to foreign wool or foreign mixed with British, to execute that order."

On Mr. Gott being asked whether, in his opinion, the price of British wool would have been higher, had the duty of 6d. per lb. on foreign wool been continued, he answered,—" My opinion is, that the price of British wool would have been less at this time; the demand for British wool would have been very much less. British manufactures would have been shut out of every foreign market; and the stock of wool would have accumulated, as it will do if ever that duty be imposed again."—(Mr. Gott's Evidence, pp. 292, 293.)

The view taken by Mr. Gott of the effect of the importation of foreign wool on the price of British wool was supported by the concurrent testimony of all the manufacturing witnesses examined by the committee. Blankets, flannels of all sorts, baizes, carpets, bearskins, &c. are made principally of English wool; and the command of foreign wool enables the manufacturers to use a considerable quantity of English wool in the manufacture of certain descriptions of cloth, which, if made entirely of it, would be quite unsaleable. On Mr. Goodman, a wool-stapler of Leeds, being asked whether, if a duty were laid on foreign wool, it would force the use of English wool in the manufacture of cloths, from which it is now excluded, he answered,-" Certainly not: we could not get people to wear such a cloth; they want a better, finer cloth; it is so much handsomer in its wear, and so much more durable."―(Report, p. 241.) Mr. Francis, of Heytesbury, declared that there was no demand for cloth made wholly of British wool; that it was principally applicable to the manufacture of blankets, baizes, &c.; and that the exclusion of foreign wool would only injure the manufacture, without raising the price of British wool.-(p. 268.) Statements to the same effect were made by Mr. Webb (p. 270.), Mr. Sheppard (p. 294.), Mr. Ireland · (p. 319.), and, in short, by every one of the witnesses conversant with the manufacture.

The history of the manufacture since 1828 has completely confirmed the accuracy of the statements made by Mr. Gott and the other witnesses. Its progress from that period down to the present time has been one of uninterrupted prosperity; and so far from having been injured by the immense importations that have been made of foreign wool, the price of British wool is higher at this moment (March, 1834,) than at any former period! We believe, indeed, that it has now attained an unnatural elevation; and that its extreme high price, by making a corresponding addition to the price of cloth, will react on the manufacture, and will, consequently, by occasioning its depression, lower wool to a more moderate level. Foreign Wool imported into England.—A very great change has taken place, within the course of the present century, both as respects the quantity of foreign wool imported, and the countries whence it is derived. Previously to 1800, our average imports of wool did not much exceed 3,000,000 lbs., mostly brought from Spain; the wool of which has long maintained a high character. In 1800, our imports amounted to near 9,000,000 lbs. ; and they have since gone on gradually increasing, till they now amount to between 25,000,000 and 40,000,000 lbs. Instead, however, of being principally derived from Spain, as was the case down to 1814, the greater part of this immense supply of foreign wool is now furnished by Germany. The late king of Saxony, when elector, introduced the breed of Merino sheep into his dominions, and exerted himself to promote the growth of this valuable race of animals. His praiseworthy efforts have been crowned with the most signal success. The Merino sheep seem to succeed better in Saxony and other German states than in Spain; and have increased so rapidly, that the Spanish wool trade has become insignificant compared with that of Germany! The importations of German wool were quite trifling during the war-amounting, in 1812, to only 28 lbs. ; but since the peace they have increased beyond all precedent. In 1814, they amounted to 3,432,456 lbs. ; in 1820, they were 5,113,442 lbs.; in 1825, they reached the enormous amount of 28,799,661 lbs. ; but this being a year of overtrading, they declined, in 1826, to 10,545,232 lbs. They have since, however, recovered from this depression; and, in 1833, amounted to 25,370,106 lbs. (There is a very good account of the German wool trade in the Foreign Quarterly Review, No. xi. art. 8.)

N. B.-The wool from slaughtered sheep and carrion not mentioned in this Table; but allowed for above.

II. Account of Sheep and Lambs' Wool imported into Great Britain from Foreign Parts in the undermentioned Years; specifying the Countries whence it was brought, and the Quantity brought from each, with the Rates of Duty and the Produce of the Duty.

L.

31,522,859
8. d.

Of British
Possessions.

Per lb.

1819, to 5

Jan. 1823 1d.

From 5 Jan.

1823, to 10

Sept. 1824 3d.

1824, to 10

Dec. 1824 Id.

1824, to 5

July 1825 1d.. From 5 July 1825, free.

6d. per lb.

6d.

3d.

1d.

1-2d. per lb. on wool not of the value of 18.1 per lb.

1d. per lb. on wool of the va lue of 1s. per lb. and upwards.

27,666,350 39,066,620

Amount of duty L. s. d. L. 8. d. L. s. d.
L. s. d. L. s. d.
132,580 4 3 181,860 19 6 163,799 16 7 120,420 8 0 102,031 2 3 137,855 18

received

III, Account of the Quantities of British Wool and Woollen Yarn, exported from the United Kingdom in 1833; specifying the Countries to which they were sent.

IV. Price of Southdown Wool per lb. from 1784 to 1833, both inclusive.

The breed of sheep that was carried out to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land has succeeded remarkably well; and Australia promises, at no distant day, to be one of the principal wool-growing countries of the world. The imports into Great Britain have been rapidly increasing. In 1833, they amounted to 3,516,869 lbs., while the imports from Spain only amounted to 3,339,150 lbs. The Spanish flocks suffered severely during the campaigns in Spain; and the best Spanish wool does not now bring more than the price of the best German wool.

[The value of the wool imported into the United States, in the year ending September 30th, 1839, not exceeding 8 cents per pound, amounted to $527,620, and, exceeding that rate, to $171,918, both together not much exceeding the value of the wool produced in Massachusetts alone. This amounted, in 1837, to $539,689.-Am. Ed.]

WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE, the art of forming wool into cloth and stuffs. This has always ranked as an important branch of national industry; and, until it was recently surpassed by the cotton manufacture, was decidedly the most important of all the manufactures carried on in England.

Rise and Progress of the British Woollen Manufacture. Exports.-There can be no doubt that the arts of spinning wool, and manufacturing the yarn into cloth, were introduced into England by the Romans,-the inhabitants being previously clothed only in skins. From the period of the Romans quitting England, down to the 10th century, there are no notices of the manufacture; and those relating to the period from the 10th to the 13th century are but few and imperfect. It is certain, however, that the manufacture of broad cloths was established soon after the year 1200, if not previously.-(Smith's Memoirs of Wool, vol. i. p. 17.) But the woollen manufactures of Flanders being at this period, and long afterwards, in a comparatively advanced state, English wool was exported in large quantities to Bruges and other Flemish cities, whence fine cloths and other products were brought back in exchange. Edward III. took the most judicious measures for improving the English manufacture, by inviting over Flemish weavers, fullers, dyers, and others, and protecting them from the assaults of the rabble. Shortly after the first emigration of Flemings, or in 1337, an act was passed, prohibiting the wear of any cloths made beyond sea, and interdicting the export of English wool.-(Ibid. vol. i. p. 25.) But in these turbulent times such restraining acts were little better than a dead letter; and this, indeed, was soon after repealed.—(Ibid. vol. i. pp. 32. 39.) From this remote period the manufacture has always been regarded as of primary importance, and has been the object of the especial solicitude of the legislature. It may be doubted, however, whether it has derived any real advantage from the numberless statutes that have been passed in the view of contributing to its advancement. With the exception, indeed, of the prohibition of the export of English wool, which was finally put a stop to in 1660, the other acts, being mostly intended for the regulation of the manufacture, could not be otherwise than mischievous; and the benefit derived by the manufacturers from the prohibition was more apparent than real; inasmuch as it occasioned a diminished growth of wool, at the same time that it was impossible to prevent its clandestine exportation. Mr. Smith has proved that the manufacture made a far more rapid progress during the reign of Elizabeth, when wool might be freely carried out of the kingdom, than it ever did during any equal period subsequent to the restriction on exportation. Foreign wool began to be imported in small quantities in the 13th century.

At first, the manufacture seems to have been pretty equally distributed over the country. In an insurrection that took place in 1525, more than 4,000 weavers and other tradesmen are said to have assembled out of Laneham, Sudbury, and other towns in Suffolk. The manufacture had been previously introduced into Yorkshire. In 1533, an act was passed (34 & 35 Hen. 8. c. 10.), reciting, "that the city of York afore this time had been upholden principally by making and weaving of coverlets, and the poor thereof daily set on work in spinning, carding, dyeing, weaving, &c.;" that the manufacture, having spread into other Farts, was "thereby debased and discredited;" and enacting, as a remedy for this evil, that henceforth "none shall make coverlets in Yorkshire, but inhabitants of the city of York!"

This may be taken as a fair specimen of the commercial legislation of the time. Indeed, it was enacted, nearly at the same period, that the manufacture should be restricted, in Worcestershire, to Worcester and 4 other towns. Worsted goods, so called from Worsted, now an inconsiderable town in Norfolk, where the manufacture was first set on foot, were produced in the reign of Edward II., or perhaps earlier; but Norwich soon after became, and, notwithstanding the competition of Bradford, probably is still, the principal seat of this branch of the manufacture. In an act of Henry VIII. (33 Hen. 8. c. 16.), worsted yarn is described as "the private commodity of the city of Norwich." In 1614, a great improvement took place in the woollen manufacture of the west of England, by the invention of what is called medley or mixed cloth, for which Gloucestershire is still famous. During the reign of Charles II., there were many, though unfounded, complaints of the decay of the manufacture; and, by way of encouraging it, an act was passed (30 Car. 2. st. i. c. 3.), ordering that all persons should be buried in woollen shrouds! This act, the provisions of which were subsequently enforced, preserved its place on the statute book for more than 130 years!

Towards the end of the 17th century, Mr. Gregory King and Dr. Davenant-(Davenant's Works, Whitworth's ed. vol. ii. p. 233)-estimated the value of the wool shorn in England at 2,000,000l. a year; and they supposed that the value of the wool (including that imported from abroad) was quadrupled in the manufacture; making the entire value of the woollen articles annually produced in England and Wales, 8,000,000l., of which about 2,000,000%. were exported In 1700 and 1701, the official value of the woollens exported amounted to about 3,000,000l. a year. Owing to the vast increase of wealth and population, the manufacture must have been very greatly extended during last century; but the increase in the amount of exports was comparatively inconsiderable. At an average of the 6 years ending with 1789, the official value of the exports was 3,544,160l. a year, being only about 540,000/. above the amount exported in 1700. The extraordinary increase of the cotton manufacture soon after 1780, and the extent to which cotton articles then began to be substituted for those of wool, though it did not occasion any absolute decline of the manufacture, no doubt contributed powerfully to check its progress. In 1802, the official value of the exports rose to 7,321,0127., being the largest amount they ever reached till 1833, when they amounted to 7,777,952l. During the last few years, indeed, every branch of the manufacture has been in a state of unexampled improvement and extension. It was supposed that the high price of wool would give it a temporary check; but such has not hitherto been the case. During the 6 years ending with 1835, the official and real values of the woollen manufactures exported from the United Kingdom have been as under :

Value of the Manufacture. Number of Persons employed.-The most discordant estimates have been given as to both these points. For the most part, however, they have been grossly exaggerated. In a tract published in 1739, entitled Considerations on the Running (Smuggling) of Wool, the number of persons engaged in the manufacture is stated at 1,500,000, and their wages at 11,737,500l. a year. Dr. Campbell, in his Political Survey of Great Britain, published in 1774, observes,-"Many computations have been made upon this important subject, and, amongst others, one about 30 years since, which, at that time, was thought to be pretty near the truth. According to the best information that can be obtained, there may be from 10,000,000 to 12,000,000 sheep in England, some think more. The value of their wool may, one year with another, amount to 3,000,000.; the expense of manufacturing this may probably be 9,000,000l., and the total value 12,000,000l. We may export annually to the value of 3,000,000l., though one year we exported more than 4,000,000l. In reference to the number of persons who are maintained by this manufacture, they are probably upwards of 1,000,000. Sanguine men will judge these computations too low, and few will believe them too high."—(Vol. ii. p. 158.) But the moderation displayed in this estimate was very soon lost sight of. In 1800, the woollen manufacturers objected strenuously to some of the provisions in the treaty of union between Great Britain and Ireland, and were allowed to urge their objections at the bar of the House of Lords, and to produce evidence in their support. Mr. Law (afterwards Lord Ellenborough), the counsel employed by the manufacturers on this occasion, stated, in his address to their Lordships, on information communicated to him by his clients, that 600,000 packs of wool were annually produced in England and Wales, worth, at 117. a pack, 6,600,000.; that the value of the manufactured goods was 3 times as great, or 19,800,000l.; that not less than 1,500,000 persons were immediately engaged in the operative branches of the manufacture; and that the trade collaterally employed about the same number of hands.—(Account of the Proceedings of the Merchants, Manufacturers, &c. p. 34.)

It is astonishing that reasonable men, conversant with the manufacture, should have put forth such ludicrously absurd statements. We have already seen that the quantity of woo