424 Tradesman and Merchant — Commercial Population 



more ease, and in less time;^ the brokers on the stock-, corn-, and 

 coal-exchanges, and the underwriters at Lloyd's eclipsed the merchant 

 exporter. The financier outran the merchant. 



Roughly speaking, the latter and greater part of the eighteenth 

 century was one of decentralization with reference to English com- 

 merce. It was the period of the rise of provincial towns and outports, 

 especially in the north, into commercial importance. According to a 

 calculation by the Census of 1801 the population of London was prac- 

 tically constant from 1700 to 1750, rising from 674,350 to 676,250 only; 

 whereas most of the other towns and cities grew by leaps and bounds. - 



One cause of this decentralization was the natural limitation of 

 growth. The expenses attaching to the London trade increased 

 faster than the facihties for profit. The carriage of goods; the gains 

 of factors packers, porters; the charges for hallage, lighterage, wharf- 

 age; and the port charges, were higher in London than in other ports. 

 It likewise cost more to victual and man ships in the port of London.^ 

 The cost of living was higher there.^ The port became crowded and 

 many inconveniences were engendered.^ 



A second cause was that the customs duties were unequally col- 

 lected. Smuggling w'as connived at by customs officials in the out- 

 ports while there was a more vigorous enforcement of the customs 

 laws in London. This was said to cause a migration of merchants 

 and traders to the outports, and retailers bought rather from the out- 

 port merchants since they could offer lower prices.*^ It was alleged 

 that the administration enforced customs laws more strictly in some 

 ports than in others so as to procure parliamentary influence.'' 



The conveniences of navigation were better in some outports. 

 Some were situated advantageously for trade to particular parts, as 

 Hull to Holland, Bristol to America, etc.^ The passage of the English 

 Channel and the demurrage in the Thames were undesirable. In 

 time of war, the ships sailing from London were much exposed to the 

 enemy. ^ 



1 Gent. Mag., 1748: 10 is one of a host of references that might be given to show 

 that stock-jobbing detached London from the mercantile interest. 



2 Anderson, III, 298. 



' "Opening the Trade," 4. 



< "Increase and DecHne," 17; Gent. ^lag., 1748: 408-10. 



'" Capper, Port and Trade, 143 et seq. 



•^Gent. Mag., 1748:408. 



' "Increase and Decline," 21. 



* Capper, Port and Trade, 117. 



nbid., 21. 



