XXX 



REPORT ON 



Report. Government, the necessity of using every en- 

 deavour to increase the quantity, and improve the 

 quality of the finer threads (or sizes) of the filature 

 provision. It has been already stated, that the 

 entire silk importations consisted of two general 

 descriptions, the country wound and the filature 

 wound : the former being purchased of the natives 

 in its prepared state ; the latter, for the most part, 

 reeled from cocoons bought by the Company's 

 agents, in winding-houses possessed or hired by 

 the Company. A considerable and permanent 

 extension of the consumption of Bengal raw-silk 

 in Europe was considered to depend chiefly upon 

 the improvement and augmentation of the filature 

 assortment, especially in the description suitable 

 to be thrown into organzine and fine tram. 



The great distress of the silk manufacturers of 

 Great Britain in 1808,* from the almost entire 

 cessation of the imports of Italian silks, called 

 upon the Court in that year for some extraordinary 

 efforts to increase the Indian supply. The Bengal 

 Government was accordingly directed to place the 

 Company's filatures and cocooneries in a state 



which 



* In May 1808, the Silk trade held a meeting at W^eavers' 

 Hall, at which the resolution quoted in the Appendix C vvas 

 passed. 



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