GLASGOW. (COMMERCE.) 



469 



ried on, were chiefly of articles adapted to the de- 

 mands of the Virginia merchant. The war, there- 

 fore, which broke out between the American colonies 

 and the mother country, gave a dreadful shock to the 

 prosperity of the city. Long credits, of 18 months or 

 more, had usually been given to the colonists, and 

 when hostilities commenced these remained unpaid, so 

 that the ruin of many of the richest merchants ensued. 

 Even the peace with America, which took place in 

 1783, did not renew to its former extent the commer- 

 cial intercourse between this city and that country, 

 for it opened the ports of the United States to all 

 Europe; so that France, Holland, &c., instead of re- 

 ceiving their tobacco through Glasgow, imported it 

 themselves direct from America. 



Although, however, the most important channel 

 of the trade of the city was thus cut away, yet the 

 commercial spirit of her merchants had, by habits 

 of business, gained too much strength to be thus 

 destroyed, and the loss of America only tended to 

 change the direction of its activity. The cotton, 

 trade now attracted their attention, and has ever 

 since continued to form the staple manufacture of 

 the city. The West India colonies belonging to 

 the other European powers having, for a time, passed 

 into the British possession, in consequence of the 

 war of 1793, the city of Glasgow took a large share 

 in the trade. 



A correspondence was opened by the Glasgow 

 merchants with the United States, after the introduc- 

 tion of the cultivation of the cotton plant into the 

 Southern states, which tended to increase this trade. 

 In order to facilitate the interchange of American 

 cotton and British manufacture, establishments, 

 connected with Glasgow houses, were formed at 

 Charleston and New Orleans. The trade with the 

 United States continues still to be prosecuted with 

 vigour; and traffic, to a very considerable extent, has 

 also, for a long time, been carried on with the Bra- 

 zils, Buenos Ayres, Caraccas, Canada, and Nova 

 Scotia. 



As will be seen, when we come to speak of its 

 manufactures, Glasgow is the chief seat of the cot- 

 ton trade ; and, accordingly, almost all the cotton 

 wool consumed in Scotland is imported at the Clyde. 

 The direct imports from America were, in 1832, 

 as follow : from Charleston and Savannah 23,856 

 bales ; New Orleans 10,367, and other places in 

 North America 4,053. The imports from South 

 America were also considerable ; for, exclusive of 

 those from Brazil, which are not stated ; those from 

 Demerara and Berbice amounted to 1,208. From 

 the West Indies the imports were 164, and, from the 

 East Indies, 10,277, which, added to 5,109 from the 

 Mediterranean, gives, for direct imports from foreign 

 parts, 55,034 bales. This great quantity of cotton 

 was not, however, adequate to the demand of the 

 manufacturers, as, in addition, 6,495 bales were im- 

 ported from London, and 17,413 from the port of 

 Liverpool. 



In 1696, a branch of the Bank of Scotland was 

 established here, but recalled in the year following for 

 want of encouragement. A like attempt was made in 

 1731 with similar success. The Ship Bank was the 

 first that belonged to Glasgow, and was established in 

 1749. The Glasgow Anns Bank was established in 

 1753; the Thistle Bank in 1761 ; a branch of the 

 Royal Bank in 1783 ; the Glasgow banking company 

 in 1809 ; the Provident Bank in 1815; the Glasgow 

 Union Bank in 1830 ; and the Western Bank in 1832. 

 The Merchants' Bank, Thomson's & Watson's Banks, 

 were established after the Thistle Bank, but have 

 ceased to do business ; as likewise the Arms Bank. 

 There are various branches from other banks. 



The Chamber of Commerce was established in 1783, 



the object of which is to watch over the interests and 

 promote the commerce and manufactures of the city. 

 The business of the chamber is managed by thirty 

 directors. 



As the commerce of the city extended, it was found 

 necessary, not only for foreign, but more particularly 

 for inland and coasting trade, to increase the facilities 

 Tor the transfer of goods. We have seen that, about 

 the middle of the seventeenth century, the river was 

 rendered more navigable by cutting away some fords 

 about twelve miles below the city, but, in the course 

 of the next century, this was found insufficient, and, 

 in 1755, an application was made to John Smeaton. 

 the eminent engineer, to report on the best means <A 

 deepening the Clyde, who proposed that a lock 

 should be made at a ford a few miles from Glasgow, 

 in order to secure four and a half feet of water at 

 the Broomielaw quay. This proposal was not adopted, 

 notwithstanding its having been sanctioned by act of 

 Parliament. James Watt surveyed the river, and, 

 along with Dr Wilson, of the University, and Mr 

 Barrie, reported that between the quay at Glasgow 

 and the entrance of the Kelvin into the Clyde, two 

 miles down the river, there was, in several places, 

 not more than two feet of water. An act of Parlia- 

 ment was procured, and, in 1775, Mr Golborn, of 

 Chester, had, by an arrangement of jetties, enabled 

 vessels drawing more than six feet of water, to come 

 up at high tide to the Broomielaw ; and, in six years 

 after, by the management of the same engineer, ves- 

 sels drawing seven feet could come up to the quay. 

 Reports were afterwards drawn out by Mr Rennie, 

 Mr Telford, and others, and such improvements were 

 made, by banking and dredging, that, in 1806, a ves- 

 sel of 150 tons arrived at the Broomielaw, direct 

 from Portugal. In 1816 the river was so far improved 

 that vessels drawing nine and a half feet of water 

 could come up to the quay ; and, in ten years after, 

 the deepening was carried to such an extent that the 

 river was rendered navigable for vessels drawing 

 eleven feet of water, so that vessels of 270 tons could 

 discharge their cargoes at the Broomielaw. By the 

 operation of four large dredging machines, and two 

 diving bells (see Diving bell and Dredging-) , the river 

 has been greatly improved within the last few years. 

 With such spirit have these improvements been car- 

 ried on, that, in 1831, vessels drawing thirteen and a 

 half feet of water arrived at Glasgow ; and, in the 

 spring of the present year, 1835, a ship arrived at 

 the Broomielaw drawing sixteen and a half feet, 

 the depth of the water being now eight times greater 

 than it was a century ago. The improvement and 

 extension of the quay or harbour kept pace with the 

 deepening of the river. The extent of the quay, 

 when it was first built in 1688, is not exactly 

 specified ; but, in 1792, 360 feet were added 

 to its length, and five years afterwards 360 feet 

 more : and, by successive additions, the length of 

 the quay, on the north side of the river, is at present 

 3340 ; and of that on the south side 1260 feet. Oper- 

 ations are now going on to widen the river between 

 the two quays, and also to extend the length of the 

 quay on the south side to Springfield. An idea may 

 be formed of the extent of shipping at the Broomie- 

 law at the present day, and a convincing proof of the 

 effect of the improvements on the river, from the 

 fact, that, during the period from July 9th, 1833, to 

 July 8th, 1834, 4527 vessels arrived at the Broomie- 

 law, amounting in all to 211,464 tons. During the 

 same period, fifty-four steam-boats were plying on 

 the Clyde, and made 7391 trips and 876 half-trips, 

 the tonnage amounting to 616,059J tons. The ship- 

 ping has even increased since that time, and it is 

 worthy of remark that the increase consists chiefly 

 of vessels of the greatest tonnage. 



