206 REPORT — 1861. 



of mastery. Indeed, so very popvdar was this ^ame, that a match at foot-ball was 

 upon one day in the year tolerated by the inhabitants in the streets of Bolton. The 

 whole of this is now given up. The game of cricket is becoming a popular one, and 

 others equally harmless in their character are being introduced. Seventy j^ears ago, 

 Sunday-schools had made but slight progress. There were but few pei-sons who 

 could read, still fewer who could write ; and when any one received a letter, he had 

 to cany it away, perhaps a good many miles, to find a scholar who coidd read it. 

 At the present time, Sunday-schools aboixnd, day-schools are numerous, and the 

 affair of carrying away a letter in search of a scholar may now with much compla- 

 cency be put down as among the reminiscences of seventy years ago. 



On the Influence of Density of PopiiJatlon on tJie Fecundity of Marriages in 

 England. By R. H. Bakewell. 



A Glance at the Cotton Trade. By Thomas Bazlet, M.T. 

 A century ago the popidation of Manchester was below 30,000, whilst now 

 350,000 persons reside m and occupy it. Popidation and wealth have wonderfully 

 increased and ramified to other places ; but now, in the zenith of prosperity, a 

 mysterious hand has written upon our walls the words of caution and of admonition. 

 During the last fifty years upwards of 20,000,000,000 pounds weight of cotton from 

 all sources have been consumed in Great Britain, and the value would be probably 

 not less than £750,000,000 sterling, or might equal a sum of the amoimt of our 

 National Debt, the chief supply having been obtained from the United States of 

 America. Upon a fair computation, the import of that material, which has so 

 largely employed the capital and labour of this countiy, has yielded a profit of not 

 less than £1,000,000,000 sterling to the people of the United Kingdom within that 

 period. The wonder is, that so large a supply of cotton coidd be procured from 

 that one source, the United States ; and when we reflect that this country possesses a 

 monopolyof the vast extent of teiTitory foimd in the whole world capable of producing 

 this raw material, the inference is most palpable, that there has been developed the 

 most successful agricultural industiy in the States of America which has been 

 ever either contemplated or realized ; whilst in British colonies and dependencies 

 apathy and neglect have prevailed. If the legislature had little sympathy with the 

 great industry of Lancashire, the interests of our foreign possessions might have 

 induced our rulers to stimidate productions in them which woidd have foimd com- 

 pensating markets at home. Tlie advocates of large and of independent supplies of 

 raw cotton, from all possible sources, have never desired Governmental favours, their 

 object having been to promote the removal of repressing obstacles, and to procure, 

 by the aid of a soimd colonial policy, at least a fair share, in proportion to the ex- 

 tent of om- foreign possessions, not only of cotton, but of every other product which 

 they might more abundantly have yielded. During the last year the consumption 

 of cotton in Great Britain was 85 per cent, from the United States, 8 per cent, from 

 other foreign sources, and 7 per cent, from British territoiy. The present position 

 of the trade is most precarious and dangerous. Existing stocks and prospective 

 supplies of cotton may enable the niiUs to be worked into the spring oi next year, 

 at moderately fuU time; but afterwards, unless supplies be received from the 

 United States, independent sources can only furnish the means of keeping the mills 

 at work little more than one day in the week. With the gi'owth of this industry 

 5,000,000 of our population have become, directly and indirectly, dependent upoii 

 it for their subsistence ; and the productiveness of their capital and labour, inclu- 

 ding the raw material, was for the last year nearly eighty million poimds sterling. 

 Of this large value twenty-five millions of cotton manufactm-es were absorbed in 

 the consumption of the people of the United Kingdom, and there remained for 

 exportation fifty-five millions. The estimated capital engaged in its fixed and 

 floating investments is two hundred million pounds. Now, when we contemplate 

 the vast interests involved in this surjirising trade, seeing that the people employed 

 and connected with it exceed the population of the kingdom of Belgium, of Holland, 

 and of Portugal, — that the national treasury receives from it an amazing sum in aid 

 of the expenses of the State, — that a commercial marine of unparalleled magnitude 

 derives .support from it, — that the comfort and happiness of the labourers employed 



