158 REPORT—1858. 
this reproach, in the negligent or dishonest use sometimes miade of statistics, to call 
upon us for the exercise of great caution, so that in the first place we may be stre we 
have got all the facts that are essential, and in the next place that we draw from them 
sound and accurate conclusions. The statist ought to remember how liable are loose 
and defective masses of figures to be used by both sides in contioversy, each picking 
up such as suit hit wherewith to pelt his antagonist. It is valuable to collect facts, 
but it is still more useful to ascertain that they are exact and complete, and then so 
to arrange them that they may serve to build up some useful structure. A statist 
ought to lay a charge upon his conscience, as though he were sworn ii the form of 
our old oath to speak “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Nor 
can we be too careful to reason fairly and soundly from the facts we may amass; fot 
it is the facts of the statist and the doctrines founded upon them by the economist, 
which, to a great extent, guide our practical legislation, and thus affect the great in- 
terests of society. I cannot refrain from expressing my conviction, that as the science 
we cultivate has been shown to be favourable to humanity, so it is no less favourable 
to freedom. Within the last quarter of a century how busy has it been in knocking 
off all sorts of fetters from human energies ! 
It is, indeed, opposed by the interests which restrictions have created, sometimes 
manufacturing, sometimes agricultural; but in England at least its march in the path 
of freedom has been rapid and steady; and we may say of it, vestigia nulla retror- 
sum, 
On the Woollen Manufacture of England, with special reference to the Leeds 
Clothing District. By Enwarp Bains. 
The author commenced his paper by observing that it was suitable, when the British 
Association honoured Leeds with a visit, that its members should receive some account 
of the great branch of manufacturing industry of which Leeds was the ancient seat, 
and which prevailed here on a larger scale than in any other part of England or of 
the world. It was peculiarly desirable that such an account should be rendered to 
this Section, because, notwithstanding the an tiquity of the manufacture, its economy and 
statistics were by no means well ascertained. Though a large part of the raw mate~ 
rial was grown at home, we had absolutely no reliable statistics of the amount of this 
famous product of the British Isles. It was hoped, therefore, that the present attempt 
to ascertain the facts connected with the woollen manufacture might not bewithout 
its use; and also that it. might derive some additional interest from indicating re-" 
markable modern changes in this department of industty, and explaining some pecu- 
liarities which at first sight perplexed the political economist. The woollen manufac- 
ture of Yorkshire was prosperous and advaneing; but it could not fail to have been 
noticed that its progress was less rapid and extraordinary than that of other textile 
manufactures; and it might be well to show that this was to be ascribed to circum- 
stances inherent in the nature of the fabric, and not to indifference and apathy on the 
part of those engaged in this branch of industry. The difference between the 
woollen and the worsted fabrics consisted chiefly in the woollen yarn being very 
slightly twisted, so as to leave the fibres at liberty for the process of felting, whilst the 
worsted yarn was hard spun and made into a much sfronger thread. The feebleness 
of the woollen yarn made it more difficult to be woven by the power-loom than either 
worsted, cotton, linen, or silk, none of which was susceptible of being felted. The 
processes of the woollen manufacture are more numerous and complex than those of any 
other of our fextile manufactures, and are performed by a much greater variety of ma- 
chines and of workpeople. It was pretty obvious, the author remarked, that there must 
be proportionate difficulty in effecting improvements which would tell materially on the 
quantity or the price of the goods produced. There was still another fact which re- 
tarded the advance of the woollen as compared with other manufactures, namely, the 
higher price of the raw material, wool being about three times the market price of 
cotton and flax. Nor could sheep’s wool be augmented in quantity so rapidly as raw 
materials which merely required the cultivation of the soil. But the economist might 
inquire how is it that the wotsted manufacture has of late years increaséd so much 
more rapidly than the woollen, seeing that if uses the same raw material, sheep's 
wool? It was to be ascribed in part fo very remarkable improvements made within 
