COTTON-WOOL, 



217 



preceding' year, it being estimateql (which the ^o^b^y 

 official accounts will hereafter give more correctly) ^ March issa. 

 to have amounted to nine hundred thousand 

 packages, equal to two hundred and sixty-two 

 millions of pounds-weight. 



36. The importation of the year 1830 was about 

 two hundred and fifty-two millions of pounds, so 

 that the import of the year 1831 has exceeded that 

 of 1830 by ten millions of pounds. 



37. The consumption of 1831 has more than 

 kept pace with the imports, the deliveries from 

 the warehouses being computed at two hundred 

 and seventy-five millions of pounds,* including 

 about twenty- three millions, chiefly Indian cotton, 

 exported to Foreign Europe. 



38. The prices have, however, been mostly upon 

 the decline throughout the year 1831 ; and although 

 the stocks of cotton in the hands of the importers 

 are understood to have been much smaller at the 

 close of that year than in any of the ten years pre- 

 ceding, the prices were, and still continue, consi- 

 derably below those current at the conclusion of 

 the year 1830. The general opinion however is, 

 that some advance may be expected to take place 

 this year. 



39. The 



* The quantity of cotton consumed in Great Britain, on an 

 average of three years ending 5th January 1830, was two hun- 

 dred and eighteen milHons and a half of pounds. See Parha- 

 mentary papers, 17th June 1830. 



