MANUFACTURES. 



the value of this description of goods 

 printed in 1800, will be 4,793,502?. The 

 quantity of white calicoes and muslins 

 made iu Great Britain is probably much 

 greater than that of the printed ; and 

 though they do not incur the expense of 

 printing- and duty, yet as a greater pro- 



ijortion. of them are fine goods, the va- 

 ue of them is probably rather above 

 3,500,000?. 



There are many other branches of ma- 

 nufacture which consume large quantities 

 of cotton, though it is difficult to form 

 an idea of the precise amount; thus the ho- 

 siery branch was stated some years ago to 

 employ 1,500,000 pomvis, and it has cer- 

 tainly since increased considerably; the 

 same quantity was said to be required for 

 candle-wicks ; and it will probably be a 

 very moderate estimate to value all the 

 cotton that is manufactured in any other 

 \vay than in muslins and calicoes at 

 2,800,000*. The total value of the ma- 

 nufacture will thus appear to be, as be- 

 fore stated, about 11,000,000?. Deduct- 

 ing from this sum, 1,000,000?. for profits 

 of a capital at ten per cent, and 4,443,650?. 

 for cost of the raw material, at 2s. 6d. 

 per pound, there remains 5,556,3501. for 

 wages, which, if divided at the rate of 

 only 16?. per annum for each person, on 

 account of the large proportion of women 

 and children employed, makes the whole 

 "number 347,271 persons. The silk-ma- 

 nufacture was formerly of greater ex- 

 tent than at present, but has not experi- 

 enced any very considerable fluctuation 

 for some time ; the average quantity of 

 raw and thrown silk imported in three 

 years, preceding the 5th January 1797, 

 was 883,438?.; the value of which when 

 manufactured is about 2,700,000/. The 

 cost of silk to the manufacturer, if raw 

 and thrown are taken together at only 

 28s. per pound, amounts to 1,260,0007. and 

 the profits of the manufacture 245,4541. at 

 the rate of ten per cent, on the cost when 

 manufactured. 



It may be said, that though this is the 

 usual profit charged by the manufac- 

 turer in this and some other branches, in 

 casting up the selling price of his goods, 

 they are frequently sold much under this 

 price ; which must be admitted : but, as 

 an advantage is taken on most of the com- 

 ponent parts of the price before the ten 

 per cent, is laid on, it is probably not less 

 than this rate on the whole, in this and in 

 most other manufactures. The number 

 of persons employed in the silk-manu- 

 factory has been stated at 200,000 and up- 

 \vards, but there appears no reason to be- 



lieve that it exceeds 65,000 of all descrip- 

 tions. 



The linen manufacture of Great Britain 

 is chiefly confined to Scotland, though 

 some brandies of it are carried on in Man- 

 chester and other parts of England. The 

 value estimated at the current prices, of 

 linens exported, on an average of three 

 years preceding 5th of January, 1799, 

 was I,2r8,734/. therefore, if the quantity 

 retained for home consumption is not 

 greater than the export, the value of the 

 whole must be upwards of 2,500,000?.; 

 and it probably will not exceed the truth 

 if the yearly value of the whole of this 

 manufacture in Great Britain, with the 

 thread, and other branches of the flax 

 trade, is stated at 3,000,000/, The linens' 

 which most of the families in Scotland 

 make for their own use are not stamped, 

 and consequently are not included iu 

 these returns, which must therefore be 

 less than the quantity actually manufac- 

 tured by several millions of yards ; and 

 the value stated is certainly much below 

 the actual selling prices. There is no 

 account kept of the linen manufacture in 

 England ; and as it is considered as an ob- 

 ject of subordinate importance, its annual 

 value is probably under 1,000,000?. but 

 even if it is somewhat less than this 

 amount, it will appear that the total value 

 of the manufacture, rated at the current 

 prices, cannot be less than the sum be- 

 fore stated, or 3,000,000?. The number 

 of persons employed in it is probably not 

 less than 95,000. 



The hemp-manufacture at present ex- 

 ceeds 1,600,000/. per annum, but is less 

 in time of peace ; the persons employed 

 in it are probably about 35,000. 



The paper-manufacture lias been great- 

 ly advanced of late. A hundred years 

 ago scarcely any paper was made in this 

 country but the coarse wrapping pa- 

 pers ; and for a long time most of the 

 superior kinds continued to be import- 

 ed ; the export is, however, at present 

 considerable. The annual value of the 

 manufacture, at the present high prices 

 of the article, cannot be less than 

 900,000?. and the number of persons em- 

 ployed in it 30,000. 



The glass-manufacture was much im- 

 proved in the course of the last century, 

 particularly in the article of plate-glass, 

 and it has greatly increased of late years ; 

 it may now amount to 1,500,000/. per an- 

 num, and the persons employed in it to 

 about 36,000. 



The potteries, and manufactures of 

 earthenware and porcelain, advanced 



