WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 



If we ftate the amount of woollen goods exported to bo port of wool was ftriftly prohibited. All the former 

 about one-third of our own confumption, or from one-third prohibitions were evadable by licences, which were readily 

 to one-fourth, which is probably more correft, this would granted for r.oney. It is from this reign, therefore, we 

 make the total value of manufaftured woollens to exceed muft date ; fie prohibition to export wool, as forming an 

 thirty millions annually. Of the woollen goods exported, the eftabliihed law of the land ; and it is not unworthy of re- 

 quantity confumed on the European continent fcarcely ex- mark, that immediately after this period, and to the time of 

 ceeds three millions fterhng in value, and a great part of that the revolution in 1688, our woollen manufattures were in a 

 amount given in the preceding account was for army cloth, very declining ftate, which proves that they had not derived 

 Hence it appears, that a very fmall proportion of the gene- much benefit from the nieafure. The policy of admitting 

 ral population of Europe is indebted to this country for its the export of wool has been again recently agitated in par- 

 woollens including under the term both woollen and worfted liament, and has renewed the alarm of the manufafturers. It 

 coods. The increafed demand for woollens of every de- is not b) precedents drawn from former ages, but folely by 

 fcription in England arifes partly from the increafe of popu- the wifdoni and juftice of the meafure, as applicable to one 

 lation but more from the increafing demand for articles of prefent condition, that a queftion of this kind (hould be deter- 

 luxury or convenience. In the middle of the laft century, mined. With refpeft to fhort or clothing wool, we believe 

 carpets were fcarcely to be feen in the country, except in that a permiffion to export it would not produce the leait 

 the houfes of the nobility ; at prefent almoft every houfe in effeft, as we ab-eady import thefe wools from almoft every 

 England, except thofe of cottagers and the labouring claffes, nation in Europe ; it is not, therefore, probable, that 

 has carpets fpread in fome of the rooms. The confumption foreigners would give a better price for them than our 

 of worfted yarn in articles of furniture, and in the hnings of own manufafturers can afford. With long combing- 

 carriages, and what is called horfe millinery, is very great ; wools, the cafe is fomewhat different, as by the acknow- 

 add to which the people of England are better dreffed than ledgment of the French themfelves, thefe wools are wanted 

 they were formerly. We may from all thefe caufes ftate, to mix with and improve their own. We apprehend, how- 

 that the home confumption of woollens, in proportion to ever, that as ..'uch is exported at prefent clandeftinely in the 

 our population, is double that of any other nation in Europe, form of woril -d yarn, as the market may require, the free 

 To prove tliat we do not over-rate the proportion of woollens export of cotton yarn giving great facihty for evading the 

 confumed at home, it may be fufficient to ftate, that the Weft penalty, by packing them together. The permiffion to ex- 

 Riding of Yorkftiire alone manufaftured, in the year 1817, port wool to Ireland, which was granted in 1800, has not 

 nearly twice as many pieces of cloth as were exported in that been attended with anyone of the fatal effeftswhichourmanu- 

 year ; but few woollen broad-cloths are made for exportation fafturers anticipated ; nor do we apprehend, that permitting 

 in the weft of England, the manufaftures there being prin- the free export of wool under certain duties would be found 

 cipally fine and fuperfine cloth for home confumption, the to injure our own woollen trade. 



value of which per yard on the average is much greater than In taking this view of the fubjeft, which we truft is an 



that of the Yorkfhire cloth. In the prefent ftate of Europe, impartial one, we readily admit that the permiffion to ex- 



wethinkit an encouraging circumftancetoour woollen manu- port wool, were it granted, would not be attended with any 



fafturers, that fo large a proportion of their goods are con- permanent benefit to the landed intereft. A fmall pamphlet 



fumed at home, where the demand will remain certain ; and on the fubjeft, recently publifficd by John Maitland, efq., 



again, that the United States of America take fo confider- contains the following judicious obfervations : — " The manu- 



able a part of our exports, as from the increafing population fafturer of our native wool claims from government the 



of thefe ftates, we may expeft that the demand will be in- prefer\'ation of it for his ufe ; for by thejlatute laiu'of the land, 



creafing for many centuries, and will foon exceed what it he is confined to Its foil for the exprefs purpofe of •working up the 



will be in the power of this country to fupply. wool which grows upon it. This wool cannot, therefore, 



In the year iBoo, the woollen manufafturers of England upon any juft or moral principle, be permitted to go out of 



were greatly alarmed at the liberty which was intended to the country in an unmanufaftured ftate, without allowing 



be granted, of exporting wool to Ireland, and petitioned the manufafturer to follow it, or without obliging the 



parliament againft the meafure. The grounds on which grower and exporter of it to maintain him and his children." 



their alarms refted, were partly the preference given to the This is fo obvioully juft, that whenever the export of wool 



Irifh, and partly the fuppoied facihty that would be is admitted, we cannot any longer, as at prefent, prohibit the 



afforded to fmuggling wool to the continent. Several woollen manufafturers from emigrating and carrying their 



manufafturers and wool-dealers from different parts of the induftry to the beft market. " The wool," as Mr. Mait- 



kingdom were examined before the two houfes of parlia- land elfewhere obferves, " does not on an average compofe 



ment ; but neither in their evidence, nor in the fpeeches of more than one-fix th part of the value of the animal on 



the learned council, who were heard in fupport of the peti- which it grows ; and the manufafturer, by obtaining this 



tioners, can we trace any comprehenCve or enlightened views fixth part, at fuch a moderate rate as may enable him to fell 



of the fubjeft. The objeftions urged againft the export of his goods, when manufaftured at a reafonab',' profit, infures 



wool were grounded principally on the praftice of former to the owner of land a mora! certainty of obtaining the full 



reigns, particularly thofe of Edward III. and queen Eliza- value for the remaining five-fixths, and receiving an ample 



beth : but the fafts we conceive were in oppofition to the price alfo for all the other produftions of his ground." The 



ftatements ; for during the whole of the latter reign, in which truth of this obfervation we know to be fully proved in the 



our woollen manufaftures were in a highly flouriffiing con- Yorkftiire markets. Whenever there is any confiderable 



dition, the export of wool was freely admitted, on the depreflion of the woollen trade, it is always attended with a 



payment of certain duties ; and during the reign of Ed- decreafed confumption of animal food, fupphed pi-incipally 



ward III., the prohibition to export wool under heavy from Lincolnftiire, and the counties which produce the 



penalties was confined to denizens and foreigners, in largeft quantity of wool. Should the permiiTion to export 



order to fecure a larger amount of duties to the king, wool be attended with any effeft in diminiftiing our own 



the former paying lefs duty on exports than natives ; manufaftures, the refult would be higlily injurious to the 



nor was it till the reign of Charles II. that the ex- land-owner, who would then have to find new cuftomers for 



his 



