No. 124] 107 



of the custom-house. They have stood shoulder to shoulder with 

 them. They have sought the establishment and success of the manu- 

 facturing interest, and their votes and influence have mainly insured 

 it. They have, in doing so, made few stipulations for themselves j 

 but in this small boon that has been extended to them, they trust the 

 word of promise will be kept to the sense. 



A respectable eastern paper, the Boston Courier, of a late date, 

 estimates there is in operation from 25 to 50 per cent more machine- 

 ry than there was at the beginning of 1843. It is supposed there 

 was on hand, at the beginning of 1843, at least half a year's clip of 

 old wool, and the clip of 1843 was unusually large. It is also stated 

 that tlie quantity of pulled wool had accumulated at the beginning of 

 the last year to a great and unusual extent, owing to the falling off 

 in the manufacture of flannels and other fabrics, in which it is prin- 

 cipally used. The stock of every description is now said to be nearly 

 consumed, except a moderate but fair supply, mostly in the hands 

 of the manufacturers ; and within the last sixty days wool has ad- 

 vanced considerably. It is now worth from 33 to 55 cents. It 

 would thus appear that while the quantity of American wool likely 

 to be in market during 1844 must be nearly one-half less than it -was 

 in 1843, there is machinery in operation to consume from 25 to 50 

 per cent more than was consumed during that year, or sufficient to 

 consume almost twice the clip of 1844. There will hence be a de- 

 mand for wool, and this demand will go on increasing from year to 

 year ; and the question is, who shall supply it — whether our own 

 farmers and wool-growers, our own lands and sheep, or whether, fail- 

 ing to supply our own consumption with all our territory and ad- 

 vantages of soil and climate, we must import our wool from foreign 

 countries 1 To show that this demand and consumption is likely to 

 continue to increase, it appears from a note appended to a very able 

 address lately delivered before the American Institute by the Hon. 

 James Tallmadge — being an account of British woollen manufactures 

 exported in 1841, made to Parliament — that Great Britain exported 

 in that year of woollens to the amount of £5,748,673 ; that of this 

 she sent to the United States £1,521,980, or over $7,000,000 worth, 

 being over one-quarter in amount of the whole British exports of 

 woollens. The amount she sent to the United States in 1842, as ap- 

 pears by the late report of the Secretary of the Treasury, is $5,457,- 

 721. There is no doubt it has been much less in 1843, during the 

 operation of the tariff. Who can doubt it will every year diminish — 

 that the same thing will take place in reference to this branch of 

 manufacture as has in reference to the cotton, hardware, &c., and 

 that we shall supply ourselves 1 



The aggregate amount imported from all countries of woollen ma- 

 nufacture in 1842, was $7,437,543. It is the largest item of our 

 imports at this time, except silks, which exceed nine millions. It 

 leaves our woollen manufacturers a fine margin, and they will dimi- 

 nish the amount of these imports at a rapid rate. Those engaged in 

 the importing of foreign cloths see that this must be the result. A 

 member of a large Philadelphia firm, exclusively engaged in this 



