112 REPORT—1846. 
been 9/. 8s. 2d., the quantity of British iron exported was 268,328 tons. The 
price in the following years fell rapidly, and the demands from other countries 
increased as rapidly. In 1843, when the average price is represented by 
5l. 15s. 5d. per ton, the exports were 448,925 tons. In 1844 the quantity was 
slightly increased, viz. to 458,745 tons, although the price had advanced to 
6l. 19s. 2d. per ton; but in 1845, the further advance in the average declared 
value to 9/. 18s. 11d. per ton, reduced our foreign shipments to 351,978 tons, 
or by more than 23 per cent. 
It is worthy of remark, that we now export largely, more largely than in 
former periods we ever imported from the same quarter, iron in its crude 
state, and articles manufactured with the same, to the countries whence we 
once drew the largest proportion of what was used by us. In 1844 our ship- 
ments of iron, in its various forms, to the north of Europe amounted to 
178,635 tons, equal probably to 200,000 tons of pig-iron; and in 1845, not- 
withstanding the great speculative demand and rise in price at home, our 
shipments amounted to 140,006 tons, equal probably to 160,000 of pig-iron. 
In those two years the whole of our colonies and dependencies took from us, 
in 1844, '78,594 tons; and in 1845, 60,683 tons. 
Our largest customers are found in the United States of America, and it 
is probable that they will long continue to be so, unless the citizens of those 
states in which materials for producing iron are found should be unduly 
stimulated to increase their home production through the existence of high 
prices in this country. An increased demand from that quarter is expected 
when the more liberal tariff recently passed at Washington shall come into 
operation, but it is clear that the realising of that expectation must depend 
greatly upon the state of markets in this country (see Appendix, No. 11). 
A writer of the protectionist school, in an article inserted in the ‘ National 
Magazine,’ published in New York in July 1845, states that the make of iron 
in the United States in that year from 540 blast-furnaces would amount to 
486,000 tons, and that the domestic supply would ere long be brought to 
meet the entire wants of the country. New furnaces and rolling-mills are, 
according to this writer, being erected in every direction, and those works 
that had been inoperative and unproductive, from the low prices of iron in 
1843 and 1844, were again at work, so that it might soon be unnecessary to 
import a ton of the metal from Europe. With a moderate price in England 
we need not put much faith in this assertion, which was put forth as an in- 
ducement to Congress to add to the high protection then afforded by the 
tariff, but which is now reduced. 
France, notwithstanding the exorbitant duties charged on importation, 
takes from us a considerable and constantly increasing quantity of this metal 
(see Appendix, No. 12), and although the production of pig-iron in that 
country has increased from about 220,000 tons in 1831 to about 420,000 
tons in 1843, and is still increasing, the want of a sufficient supply of this 
all-important metal is severely felt in that country, and the high price is 
found to weigh grievously upon various branches of industry. In particular 
a cry has been raised, which it is expected may be successful, in favour of 
the admission, free of duty, of plate-iron suitable for ship-building, but the 
eagerness now shown to obtain this concession will be much abated should 
the price of the material advance in any great degree in England. At this 
time we are certainly not in any condition to meet the demand that might 
come upon us should that concession be made by the French Chambers. 
With the exception of England, Sweden appears to be the only country 
which has or can be expected to have any disposable quantity of iron for export- 
ation, and it does not seem likely that we shall be a customer for any, except 
