1825.] 
been gradually diminishing. Foreign 
demand for British sugar has decreased 
in proportion as foreign states have 
found supplies in their own colonies ; 
and the large premium or bounty has 
nearly ceased to be an inducement to 
purchase for the foreign markets. I am, 
therefore, satisfied that the increase of 
£440,000 in the duty on sugar is not 
Only prima facie evidence of increased 
comfort to the British people, but that 
it arises entirely out of the improved 
condition of the middling and lower 
classes of society, and that this is capa- 
ble of the most satisfactory proof. To 
afford this proof, I conceive it will be 
only necessary to shew, that the im- 
portation from the West-Indies has not, 
for many years, materially varied—that 
the foreign demand for refined sugar 
has fallen off since the peace more than 
one-half, and for raw sugar has nearly 
ceased—and that the importations, after 
supplying this much-reduced demand, 
are nearly consumed, at home, within 
the year. Sugar can hardly he said to 
be an article of actual necessity to the 
lower orders; and, therefore, in hard 
and difficult times, they would, in a 
very great measure, do without it: yet 
when they have full employment, and 
Air Beds. 
135 
sugar can be had at a moderate price, 
any family man will admit that they may 
make it not only an article of comfort, 
but one of great luxury; and I think 
* A.L.L.” has been particularly un- 
happy in selecting it to support his ar- 
gument. I beg, Sir, to refer you to the 
subjoined statement, in proof of an im- 
mense increase of the home consump- 
tion of sugar since the year 1816, as 
well as of the gradual decline of the 
export both of raw and refined sugar : 
and I will say, in conclusion, that I am 
so convinced that the condition of the 
people of this country has been very 
greatly improved, that it tends very 
much to enhance my own happiness. 
Being myself a commercial man, em- 
ploying at times many labouring people, 
I have seen with pleasure the gradual 
improvement in their condition; and I 
firmly believe we are going on to further 
improvement, and that there are hap- 
pier-days in store for us all. 
I sincerely hope your correspondent 
“A.L.L.” will soon take this more ~ 
pleasing view of the matter, and remain, 
Your’s &c. 
Tuomas Rankin. 
Bristol, Jan. 27, 1825. - 
INCREASE of the HOME CONSUMPTION of SUGAR since 
the Year 1816. 
‘Casks of Sugar} Raw Sugar \stock on hand 
Year. imported exported on 3lst Dec. Refined Sugars exported from London. 
into London. | from London. in each Year. 
1816 185,530 21,450 52,226 |) 
ath eects Taos Aten 70,000 to 80,000 hogsheads an- 
1819 180,404. 5,280 59,393 |.$ Dually, till after the year 1819, when 
1820 .| 176,309 6.173 51.588 it began to fall off; and 1823 and 
1821 | 178,033 2,558 | 44,217 | | 182has below. 
1822 156,801 2,305 48,028 
1823 162,498 2,150 38,068 40,570 hogsheads. 
1824 169,063 352 42,416 31,770 ditto. 
N. B. The above statement is taken 
from regular printed documents, with 
which all practical men are familiar.—Compare with the Tables, Supplement, p. 638. 
a - 
To the Editot of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
_ any improvement occurs in 
the arts, it generally happens, 
that an observation, tending to the very 
same point, can be found in some 
neglected publication. 
There are men who have. great 
talents of original conception, and yet 
never can ensure the adoption of their 
improvements. This may arise from 
obscure expression, or want of force of 
character to attract public attention; 
or from not knowing the proper chan- 
nels and methods for bringing new views 
forward; or from selecting a period 
when the publie mind is otherwise en- 
gaged, or when the invention is less . 
desired, or valuable, or applicable ; or 
from presenting an improvement encum-~ 
bered with impracticable details, which 
no kind hand will attempt to remove. 
I was lately struck with these ideas, 
on meeting with a simple and ingenious 
suggestion presented in a most absurd 
form. The writer proposes to use com- 
pressed air’ as a substitute for feathers 
in 
