218 Mr. Roper on the Commercial System of Great BTttaln. [Api'il i, 



tarily pay a per ccntage on more than demonstrate that the ex])ort of them is 



tlio tine value, and as tlie goods are yearly augmented, and it is in showing 



Jiablo to seizure If they are considered this that the value of tiiese documents 



as undervalued, this column may be mainly consists. It is not rn/ue so much 



regarded as a near approximation to the as quantihj which they exhibit; and this 



market-price. The disparity between is generally the only purpose tor which 



the two columns is very striking; the they are used. They are not, then, in 



exports of the produce of the United this respect delusive. True, my oppo- 



Kingdom being thus stated in the last nent will say, our exports increase 



return: — yearly ; but we must not look to exports 



OfficiulVabie.DcclaredVal. alone to ascertain a flourishing state of 



For the year ending— trade; it is the imports which mark its 



Jan. .5, 1821 . . ^^38,395,535 o£36,424,652 t,ue value and condition. It is not by 



]8sa. . . .40,831,744 36,659,631 ^^^^.^^ jg ^^ul out, but by what isbrought 



1823.. ••44,236,533 36,968,964 home in exclian-e, that a nation is bene- 



From what I have said respectmg the g^,^,^. ^^ .,„ i„ji,ijual trader is not 



mode pursued m compilnig these ac- pn^iched by the quantity of goods he 



counts, It IS evident that a very great ^.„, ^^j,^ ^^^^ . „,.,^ .^,^,„^. ^^,,5^,, ,,g 



increase lu the quanti y of British pro- ,,isposes of at a profit, and gets paid for. 



duce exported must have taken place Undoubtedly true, I admit; but how 



in these three years; and it is curious^ ^^^ ,,e j^agine men would persevere in 



that an mcrease m official value of sending goods to markets where they 



nearly six millions should be accompa- ^^^^ o„, jj ^^ j,,^^ ^t ^ ,^,3, -^ ,,jg 



nied by a rise ol only 540,000/. m the jj^ ^^^s not attempt to explain, and ho 



declared value. On comparing the ^^,3 ,^4,^, }„ ^^t doing so; for it 



different items composing these totals j^ ,^j,o,|j irreconcilable with the princi- 



Jt will be found that the principal ,^,3 „,,ip,, i„|,uence mercantile men ir» 



cause of the diflercnce betvveen the two ^ j „f „,g ^.^^u^ .'There can 



columns is m the article of cotton ma- ^e no trade unprofitable to the public, 



iiufactures which appears as follows:— (^^y gj^ Jy^,^^^^y N^rth in 1691;) for, 



,«.. ^^Tno^l".'* 1" Jon fi'"* if »"y P^«^c so. ""en leave it off; and 



1821. .• .20,509,929 13,690,116 1 '^ ^1 11 .■ • n 1 i- 



1822 ... . 21 639 493 13 786,958 «b«'-ever he traders thrive the public 



1823. . . . 24,566 91 9 14,534,253 of which they are a part, thrive also.' 



This difference is easily accounted (P'scourses on Trade, Jkc London 



for by the wonderful machinery intro- I691.)-Every rationai man will surely 



duccd into this manufacture, which has '•'»''•' <^'"'e "^ ''is o\vn interest, and is its 



effected so great a reduction in its cost, o"'? FT'-''' sua'.^l'""- , He seeks that 



In hardwares and cutlery the difference f mployment lor his pro.luetive acuities, 



is very great also, but in an opposite ['is talent, and his capita which affords 



direction him the largest return. "It is his own 



Official Value. Declared Value, a'lvantage, indeed, and not that of the 



1821-. •• •• 342 654 779 955 society, which he has in view. But the 



J822 455194 1050,475 study of bis own advantage naturally, 



1823 534,900 1,145,466 or rather necessarily, leads him to prefer 



In the linen manufactures exported, that employment which is most advan- 



there is a nearer approximation:— tageous to the society." (Wealth of 



Official Value. Declared Value. Nations, book 4. chap. 2.) If he find 



1821 •••• 1,935,185 1,653,803 one employment yield an insufficient 



1822 .... 2,303,442 1,981,464 return for the capital and skill he de- 



1823 .... 2 594,782 2,192,761 votes to it, (insufficient, I mean, as 

 "While in the last of what may be compared with the ordinarv rate of pro- 

 called our staple manufecuires, wool- fit ;„ the society,) he gradually with- 

 Jens, the declared again exceeds the draws from it, and turns his capital 

 official value : — and industry into another and more pro- 



Official Value. Declared Value, fjtable channel. He will not persist in 



1821 •••. 4,363,973 5,583,430 pursuing a business which not only does 



182? :::: ^^^ ttli^tl "f. f'^ "'r 'H' ---°"/.^»-"' .^7 



' ' ' ' which yearly diminishes his capital, 



rrom the whole of these accounts, then. Yet this is actually the proposition 



it is plain that the consumption of contended for by your commercial ex- 



Biitish raanulactuies is rapidly increa- positor. He looks at the Custom House 



sing in foreign countries : both columns papers, and nothing else ; and comes at 



once 



