60 BRITISH WOOL TRADK. 



merce. Mr Gott of Leeds, in his evidence before the 

 Lords' Committee, on being asked if he could carry on 

 to the same extent as at present, if he manufactured his 

 cloth of British wool, replied, that, in certain descrip- 

 tions of cloth, " Ae could not make art article that 

 would be merchantable at all for the foreign ma?'k€t, 

 or even for the home market, except of foreign wool." 

 He then proceeds to state, that though the competition 

 is very strong in every department of the manufacture, 

 yet that foreigners are decidedly superior to us in some 

 description of low cloths. The following question was 

 then put, and plainly and emphatically answered ; — 

 " Speaking of the finer cloths, is the competition such 

 as to render an additional duty on the importation of 

 foreign wool likely to injure the export trade ? I have 

 no doubt, speaking on my oath, that it would be fatal 

 to the foreign cloth trade of the country. I would 

 further say, that it would be equally injurious to coarse 

 manufactures of all kinds made of English wool. 

 The competition now with foreigners is as nearly 

 balanced as possible, and the disturbing operation of 

 attacks of that description would necessarily enable the 

 foreigner to buy his wool cheaper than we should do 

 it in this country ; the result would be, that foreigners 

 would, by such a premium, be enabled to extend their 

 manufactures to the exclusion of British manufactures 

 of all descriptions." In another part of his evidence 

 Mr Gott says, " If two pieces of cloth at 10s. a-yard 

 were put before a customer, one made of British wool, 

 the other of foreign wool ; one would be sold, and the 

 other would remain on hand ; I could not execute an 

 order with it. If anv oerson sent to me for cloth at 



