393 
various kinds, containing large per centages of bleached jute, 
are of very superior quality. 
De la Rue's oxide of zinc papers and iridescent papers 
were shewn, and much admired. Mr. Durden also exhibited 
to the meeting a series of samples of new fibrous materials, 
lately collected on the Western Coast of Africa, by Mr. Lilley, 
of Birkenhead, who has patented some useful machinery for 
preparing the plantain fibre for manufacturing purposes. The 
examination of one of these specimens, suggested to a gentle- 
man present the application of the waste peelings of the 
withey (large quantities of which are grown on the chair- 
man's estate in the immediate neighbourhood), as also the 
liquorice root of Pontefract, as capable of furnishing good 
materials for paper making. 
The Chairman having mentioned that he had in his 
possession a book printed many years since composed of 
papers made of various vegetable fibres, such as some of those 
mentioned in the communication before the meeting 1 , in- 
quired if Mr. Durden could afford any information as to 
the reason why these fibres had not been brought into use 
before. 
Mr. Durden, after premising that he was unconnected 
with the paper manufacture, replied that, independently of 
the circumstance that the supply of linen rags had formerly 
been more in a ratio with the paper consumed, the operation 
of the Excise laws had doubtless interfered to prevent the 
introduction of many of these materials into use. When the 
duty was 3d. per lb. on first class and ljd. on second-class 
papers, all the latter were required to be made of certain 
fixed materials as rope or cordage, &c. ; hence an absolute 
restriction was imposed on the manufacture, and which con- 
tinued until the equalisation of the duty to ljd. per lb. on 
paper of all sorts manufactured. There could be no doubt 
that it would be far better for the interests of the paper 
