DUT¥ IMPOSED ON IMPORTED WOOL. 



57 



mitted by our government, and it was not till 1803 thai 

 any one thought of laying a duty upon it. This duty 

 was at first comparatively light, amounting only to a 

 halfpenny a-pound, and it continued under a penny 

 a-pound, till 1819, when Mr Vansittart raised it to six- 

 pence. The impolicy of this measure is evident, when 

 we consider, that we were losing our ascendancy in this 

 manufacture, that our export of woollen goods had been 

 decUning for three years previous to 1819, and that 

 the competition was becoming every moment more se- 

 vere. This tax was much dreaded by our merchants, 

 who, clearly perceiving the state of matters, warned 

 Mr Vansittart, by representing to him, in the strongest 

 terms, the fatal influence it would have upon our trade. 

 Its effects are best exhibited by its disastrous influence 

 on the foreign trade in woollens, which fell off" about a 

 fourth in value, almost immediately after the imposi 

 tion. The following table places this in the clearest 

 point of view : — 



Declared value of woollens exported. 

 I81( 



I 



The opinions of our merchants ought to have formed 

 the best of all beacons in pointing the course to be 



