The Revolution 361 



inkstand be crammed instantly into the throat of the first 

 member that pronounces the word com. 



Prohibition oj the Export of the raw Materials of Mamifactures. — 

 The last information I have had from France is a confirmation 

 of the intelligence our newspapers gave, that the National 

 Assembly had ordered a decree to be prepared for this prohibition. 

 It seems that the master manufacturers of various towns, taking 

 advantage of the great decline of the national fabrics, made 

 heav}^ complaints to the National Assembly; and, among other 

 means of redress, demanded a prohibition of the export of cotton, 

 silk, wool, leather, and in general of all raw materials. It was 

 strenuously opposed by a few men, better acquainted than the 

 common mass with political principles, but in vain; and orders 

 were given to prepare the decree, which I am assured will 

 pass. As I have, in various papers in the Annals of Agriculture, 

 entered much at large into this question, I shall only mention a 

 few circumstances here to convince France, if possible, of the 

 mischievous and most pernicious tendency of such a system, 

 which will be attended with events little thought of at present 

 in that kingdom. As it is idle to have recourse to reasoning 

 when facts are at hand, it is only necessary to describe the effect 

 of a similar prohibition in the case of wool in England: — i. The 

 price is sunk by it 50 per cent, below that of all the countries 

 around us, which, as is proved by documents unquestionable, 

 amounts to a land tax of between three and four millions sterling, 

 being so much taken from land and given to manufactures. 

 2. Not to make them flourish; for a second curious fact is, that 

 of all the great fabrics of England that of wool is least prosperous, 

 and has been regularly most complaining, of which the proofs are 

 before the public; the policy therefore has failed; and because 

 it fails in England it is going to be adopted in France. The home 

 monopoly of wool gives to the manufacturers so great a profit 

 that they are not solicitous about any extension of their trade 

 beyond the home product; and to this it is owing that no foreign 

 wool, Spanish alone excepted (which is not produced here), is 

 imported into England. The same thing will happen in France; 

 the home price will fall; the landed interest will be robbed; 

 and the manufacturer, tasting the sweets of monopoly, will no 

 longer import as before: the fabric at large will receive no 

 increase; and all the effect will be to give the master manu- 

 facturer a great profit on a small trade: he will gain, but the 

 nation will lose. 3. The most flourishing manufacture of 

 England is that of cotton, of which the manufacturer is so far 



