TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 137 



On the Diversity of Measures in the Corn-Markets of the United Kingdom. 

 By J. TowNE Danson, F.S.S. 



Taking the current circulars ot upwards of twenty firms engaged as corn-factors in 

 as many of the principal corn-markets of the kingdom, Mr. Danson enumerated the 

 various measures upon which the prices were quoted, some having reference to capa- 

 city onl}', some to weight only, and some to both ; and the weights used Varying with 

 nearly every change of locality. In London the bushel of wheat and all other grain 

 is determined by the imperial measure. In Liverpool a bushel of wheat means 70 lbs, ; 

 in Birmingham, 62 lbs. ; in Gloucester, 60 lbs. ; and in Newcastle-on-Tyne, 63 lbs. 

 Again, in Birmingham, a bushel of barley means 49 lbs. ; in Gloucester, 50 lbs. ; in 

 Leeds, ."525 lbs. ; and in Newcastle, 56 lbs. ; and to extend the field of comparison only 

 extends the variety of measures to be dealt with. The following evils were specified, 

 as resulting from this want of uniformity in these markets, where, since the promul- 

 gation of the Imperial Measures Act, it is vulgarly supposed that tolerable uniformity 

 has existed: — " 1. That in almost all cases in which a seller or buyer of agricultural 

 produce has occasion to resort to more than one market, he is compelled to deal with 

 more than one mode of ascertaining the quantity sold ; and that, while such differences 

 answer no good purpose whatever, they check the freedom of commercial intercourse, 

 afford facilities for the commission of fraud, often cause mistakes and disputes, and 

 always involve trouble and loss of time. 2. That the quotations by which producers, 

 dealers, and the public seek to inform themselves of the variations of the price of the 

 same commodity at the same time in different parts of the kingdom (in order to their 

 equalization by the legitimate action of trade), are deprived of a great part of their 

 proper utility, in consequence of the weights or measures quoted for each locality being 

 very commonly unintelligible in most others. 3. That the inconveniences thus arising 

 are increased precisely in proportion as the commercial intercourse of each locality 

 with every other in the kingdom is promoted, by the improvement of road and postal 

 communication ; and, hence, are now much greater than they were when reported on 

 by the Parliamentary Committee of 1833 ; and are growing greater year by year." 



On the Connexion between Slavery in the United States of America and the 

 Cotton Manufacture in the United Kingdom. By J. Towne Danson, F.S.S. 



Mr. Danson argued in favour of five propositions, which may be thus expressed: — 

 1. That cotton, from the conditions of climate necessary to its culture, cannot be 

 grown in Europe ; but that, with the single and not important exception of the facto- 

 ries in the New England States of America, it is, and must long continue to be, 

 manufactured almost exclusively in Europe. 2. That the present supply is chiefly 

 raised, and for the present must continue to be raised, by slave-labour — seeing that 

 while for fifty years we have sought over the whole earth for cotton, we have during 

 that time continued to obtain from the slave States of the American Union a continually 

 increasing proportion of our entire supply. 3. That two-thirds in number at least of 

 the slave population of the United States have been called into existence, and are now 

 directly or indirectly maintained, for the supply of cotton for exportation. 4. That 

 of the cotton thus exported, three-fourths at least in value are raised for, and sent to, 

 this country alone. And 5. That of the entire quantity we import, four-fifths at least 

 in value are thus derived from the United States. Each proposition was supported by 

 tabular accounts extracted from the public records of this country and the United 

 States, and the conclusion was expressed thus : — " That hence, in the present state of 

 the commercial relations of the two countries, the cotton-planters of the United States 

 are interested, to the extent of two-thirds at least of their entire exportable produce, 

 in the maintenance of the cotton manufacture of the United Kingdom ; and that, 

 reciprocally, the cotton manufacturers of the United Kingdom, and through them the 

 entire population of the kingdom, are interested, to the extent of more than four-fifths 

 of the raw material of that manufacture, in the existing arrangements for maintaining 

 the cotton culture of the United States." 



