AND TEE DUKES OF RICHMOND. 139 



own produce in return ; but this turned out to be a 

 mere imaginary equivalent, inasmuch as, for e very- 

 pound of wool exported by them, one hundred and 

 four pounds of foreign wool were imported, and the 

 consequence was, that it reduced the price of British 

 wool to less than it was in 1777. It was rather 

 remarkable that the quantity of British cloth ex- 

 ported after the reduction of the duty upon foreign 

 wool, was considerably reduced, as during the five 

 years succeeding that period it decreased to the 

 amount of 81,735 pieces upon the quantity exported 

 in the five preceding years. 



It was this eff'ort that prompted the Duke to pro- 

 pose the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire 

 into the present state of the wool trade, believing the 

 British wool grower had not the same protection as the 

 owner of any other staple manufacture, and he could 

 see no reason why he should not have. The duties 

 upon copper, timber, bark, and iron, were higher than 

 those upon wool, which were only about 3i per cent. 



His Grace claimed it as an act of justice to be 

 permitted to prove before a Committee that these 

 statements were correct. 



The motion was agreed to, emanating as it did 

 from one who produced such forcible reasons for what 

 he advocated. 



When the Catholic Emancipation Bill was brought 

 forward in 1829, his Grace strenuously opposed it. 



