CALICO-PRINTING 579 



exported. Her intelligent statesmen of that day rapliod, that the money expended 

 in the purchase of cotton was the product of French industry beneficially employed, 

 and they therefore took immediate measures to put the cotton fabrics upon a 

 footing of equality. Meanwhile the popular prejudices became irritated to such 

 a degree, by the project of permitting the free manufacture and sale of printed 

 cottons, that every French town possessed of a chamber of commerce made the 

 strongest remonstrances against it. The Kouen deputies declared to the Government, 

 ' that the intended measure would throw its inhabitants into despair, and make a 

 desert of the surrounding country ' ; those of Lyons said, ' the news had spread 

 terror through all its workshops:' Tours 'foresaw a commotion likely to convulse 

 the body of the State : ' Amiens said, ' that the new law would be the grave of the 

 manufacturing industry of France ; ' and Paris declared that ' her merchants came 

 forward to bathe the throne with their tears upon that inauspicious occasion.' 



The Government persisted in carrying its truly enlightened principles into effect, 

 and with manifest advantage to the nation, for the despair of these manufacturing 

 towns has been replaced by the most signal prosperity. 



France probably produces at the present time nearly 5,000,000 pieces of print per 

 annum, which, considering the quality of many of them, may be considered a very 

 important manufacture. 



The great disadvantage under which the French printers labour is the higher price 

 they pay for cotton fabrics and fuel above that paid by the English printers. 



The repeal, in 1831, of the consolidated duty of 3%d. per square yard upon printed 

 calicoes in Great Britain is one of the most judicious acts of modern legislation. By 

 the improvements in calico-printing, due to the modern discoveries and inventions in 

 chemistry and mechanics, the trade had become so vast as to yield in 1830 a revenue 

 of 2,280,000?. levied upon 8,596,000 of pieces, of which, however, about three-fourths 

 were exported, with a drawback of 1,579,000?. 2,281,512 pieces were consumed in 

 that year at home. When the expenses of collection were deducted, only 350,000?. 

 found their way into the Exchequer, for which pitiful sum thousands of frauds and 

 obstructions were committed against the honest manufacturer. This reduction of 

 duty enables the consumer to get this extensive article of clothing from 50 to 80 per 

 cent cheaper than before, and thus places a becoming dress within the reach of 

 thousands of females in the humbler ranks of life. Printed goods, which in 1795 

 were sold for 2s. 3d. the yard, may be bought at present for 6d. The repeal of 

 the tax has been no less beneficial to the fair dealers, by putting an end to the 

 contraband trade, formerly pursued to an extent equally injurious to them and 

 the revenue. It has, moreover, emancipated a manufacture eminently dependent 

 upon taste, science, and dexterity from the venal curiosity of petty excisemen, by 

 whom private improvements, of great value to the inventor, were in perpetual 

 jeopardy of being pirated and sold to any sordid rival. The manufacturer has now 

 become a free agent, a master of his time, his workmen and his apparatus ; and 

 can print at whatever hour he may receive an order; whereas he was formerly 

 obliged to wait the convenience of the excise officer, whose province it was to measure 

 and stamp the cloth before it could be packed an operation fraught with no little 

 annoyance and delay. Under the patronage of Parliament, it was easy for needy 

 adventurers to buy printed calicoes, because they could raise such a sum by drawbacks 

 upon the export of one lot as would go far to pay for another, and thus carry on a 

 fraudulent system of credit, which sooner or later merged into a disastrous bankruptcy. 

 Meanwhile the goods thus obtained were pushed off to some foreign markets, for 

 which they were, possibly not suited, or where they produced, by their forced sales, 

 a depreciation of all similar merchandise, ruinous to the man who meant to pay for 

 his wares. 



Calico-printing was first practised in Scotland in 1738, twenty-six years previous 

 to its introduction into Lancashire. The following sketch of the early Lancashire 

 printing is taken from Mr. Potter's pamphlet: 'The trade was established in 

 Lancashire in 1764, by Messrs. Clayton, of Bamber Bridge, near Preston ; the cloth 

 that was printed being made with linen warp and cotton weft, and produced princi- 

 pally at Blackburn ; this was the reason of many printers settling near Blackburn, 

 which was for a long time the great seat of the print trade. The introduction 

 of power-loom cloth caused the migration of a considerable print trade to Stock- 

 port, Hyde, Staleybridge, and North Derbyshire. The Claytons were followed 

 by Mr. Robert Peel, who entered into the cotton business, and added to it the 

 printing business. He carried on the business for some years at Brookside, near 

 Blackburn, aided by his sons. The eldest son afterwards branched off from his 

 father's concern, and established himself at Bury with his uncle, Mr. Haworth, and 

 Mr. William Yates. 



'During the period 1796 to 1821, the Forts, Hargreaves, and Thompsons fairly 



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