A. D. 1773. 547 



The flagnatlon occafioned by this decUne may have contributed to 

 induce fome of the people concerned in the manufadure to leave the 

 country. It was given in evidence before the houle of commons (in 

 March 1774) by Meflieurs Anderfon and Goldy, that 600 out of 1,800 

 fpinners had emigrated from one diftricl in Sutherland, and propor- 

 tional numbers from other places. From the evidence of thcfe gentle- 

 men it appeared, that fome of the linens made in the year 1771 (till re- 

 mained then on hand ; that the duUnefs of the demand had funk the 

 average price from 12^^ which it was in 1769, to 9^^^" in that year; 

 that in four fliires, which include Glafgow and Pafley, out of 6,000 looms 

 2,500 were unemployed, and in general a third part, or more, of the looms 

 were unemployed throughout Scotland and the north of England. 



Mr. Paine, the governor of the bank of England, was alfo examined in 

 the houfe of commons upon the fubjed of the foreign linen trade. He 

 ftated the quantity of foreign linens imported in the 

 year 1772 at 27,000,000 yards, 

 and in 1773 at 17,000,000. 

 He eftimated the quantity of foreign linens exported to be from 

 7,000,000 to 10,000,000 of yards annually, and the annual confumption 

 of them at home to be about 18,000,000 of yards. 



The decline of the manufidure and importation of linens was the 

 necelTiiry confequence of the difproportionately large quantities made 

 and imported in the year 1771, when a fpirit of overtrading was too 

 generally prevalent. The failures which enfued in 1772, and the glut 

 of linens on hand of the fabric and import of 1771, together with the 

 loaded (late of the foreign markets from the too great exports of 1770, 

 1 771, and 1772, effectually abridged the powers of the manufacturers, 

 and the demands, as well as the abilities, of the exporters*. 



For feveral years paft the officers appointed by the committee of Brit- 

 ifh merchants trading to Africa, and thofe of the Dutch Welt-India 

 company fettled on that continent, had been engaged in diipiites upon 

 matters of commerce and pofleflion. The Dutch governor of St. 

 George d'el mina claimed an exclufive right to trade with the Portii- 

 guefe veflels, which brought lirazil tobacco to the coall ; which was 

 denied by the Britiili officers, who infilled that the Portuguefe fhould 

 be at liberty to deal with whom they plealcd, and aflertcd, tliat it would 

 be impodible without that article to trade with the Negroes. The 

 Dutch alfo claimed the property of the foil whereon a Bricifli fort was ered- 

 ed at AppoUonia, contrary to the flipulation of a convention in the year 

 I 708, wherein the Kiver Ancobrc is lixcd as the utmoll boundary of coun- 

 try with which the Dutch have any connection. There were alio other 

 difputes about the liberty of fome roads, and the property of fome villages. 



• Sec tlie progrcfs of tlic linen trade from the year 1743 till the year 1771 in p. 515. 



