810 
TRADE. 
much less objectionable, if formed on 500,000 
packs at 10/, 10?. per pack, which will make 
the value of the wool 5,250,000/. ; to this 
must be added at least 500,000 /. for the value 
of Spanish wool imported, and the manu- 
factured value of the whole will be 
1*7,250,000/. That the total value of the 
manufacture cannot exceed this sum will ap- 
pear highly probable from the exports. The 
value of woollen goods exported from Great 
lft'itain in six years, was as follows: 
III ] 794 
.£.4,390,920 
1795 
5, 172, §84 
1796 
6,01 1,133 
1797 
4,936,355 
1798 
6,499,339 
1799 
6,876,939 
The average is 5,647,928/. Most of the. 
custom-house values of goods exported are 
greatly below their present value, but not so 
much so in this article as in some others ; 
they are found, however, to be about thirty- 
eight per cent, below the actual value, and 
this addition being made to the average 
amount, the value of woollen goods exported 
will appear to be 7,794, 1 40/. The value re- 
tained for home consumption may be nearly 
equal to the value exported, although in quan- 
tity tile former may greatly exceed the latter, a 
very considerable proportion of which con- 
sists of superfine and second cloths, whereas 
the consumption of fine woollens in Great 
Britain has much diminished of late years, 
from the general use of Manchester manu- 
factures of cotton in clothing, particularly 
for waistcoats and breeches. The whole 
value of the manufacture thus appears to be 
about 15,588,000/. and, as a medium between 
this sum and the amount before stated, it 
may be taken at 16,400,000/. Deducting 
from this amount at the rate of 10 per cent, 
on the cost of the goods for the profits of the 
manufacturer, including the interest of his 
capital, there remains 14,909,090/. consisting 
of the cost of the material, and the wages of 
labour; the value of all the wool employed, 
we have seen, is about 5,750,000/. and includ- 
ing the cost of some other necessary articles, 
the materials cannot be valued at less than 
this sum ; the remainder therefore, or 
9,159,090/. is the amount of workmanship, or 
the wages of all the persons employed in the 
manufacture. It is scarcely possible to 
assume with precision an average rate of 
wages, with respect to any manufacture, as 
they vary in different parts of the country, 
and the proportion of the different classes of 
persons employed is in no instance known 
with certainty. In the West, where the 
woollen- manufacture has been for some time 
past in a very depressed state, few workmen 
get above 14.?. per week, and many much 
less from not being fully employed ; in York- 
shire good workmen earn from 16«. to 1 8,y. 
per week, children 3,?. older children and 
women from 5?. to 6.?. and old men from 9?. 
to 12 s. If, on taking all classes together, 
8.?. per week is not thought too high, it will 
appear that the whole number of persons em- 
ployed does not exceed 440,340. 
The value of the leather-manufacture was, 
some years ago, stated at 10,500,000/. and 
from the state of the trade of late, particular- 
ly those branches of it which supply military 
accoutrements, harness, sadlery, carriages, 
combined .with the high price of skins of 
most kinds, it cannot be supposed less than 
that sum at present. Deducting 954,545 /. 
for the profits of capital employed, and 
3,500,000/. for the cost of the raw article, 
there remains 6,045,455/. for the wages of 
persons .employed therein, which, at 25/. 
per annum for each person, makes the num- 
ber employed 241,818. 
The cotton-manufacture was formerly of 
little importance in this country, in compari- 
son with its present state. The total quantity 
of cotton-wool imported into England, on an 
average of five years, ending with 1705, was 
1,170,881 pounds, and even so late as the 
year 1781, it amounted to only 5,101,920 
pounds. About that time, however, the 
British calicoes, which had been introduced 
some years before, had arrived at some de- 
gree of perfection, and the branch of muslins 
being added, in which great improvements 
were soon after made, the whole manufac- 
ture experienced such a rapid and great in- 
crease, that previous to the commencement 
of the war with France, the consumption 
of cotton-wool amounted to upwards of 
30,000,000 pounds per annum. I11 the years 
1793, 1794, and 1795, the import was con- 
siderably less, but during the succeeding five 
years was as follows : 
In 1796 
1797 
1798 
1799 
.1800 
31.280.000 lb. 
23.175.000 
31.592.000 
35.689.000 
56.010.000 
The average is 35,549,200 pounds, the 
value of which, when manufactured, cannot 
be less than 1 1,000,000/. allowing for a con- 
siderable quantity exported in a partially ma- 
nufactured state. The total quantity of Bri- 
tish calicoes and muslins printed in England 
and Wales in the year 1800 was 28,692,790 
yards, and in Scotland 4, 176,939 yards, the 
duty on the whole amounting to 479,350 /. 
As. 2>\d. Upon the supposition that the duty 
is one-tenth of the value, the value of this 
description of goods printed in 1800, will be 
4,793,502/. The quantity of white calicoes 
and muslins made in Great Britain, is pro- 
bably much greater than that of the printed; 
and though they do not incur the expence of 
printing and duty, yet as a greater proportion 
of them are fine goods, the value of them is 
probably rather above 3,500,000/. There 
are many other branches of manufacture 
which consume large quantities of cotton, 
though it is difficult to form an idea of the 
precise amount j thus the hosiery branch was 
stated some vears ago to employ 1,500,000 
oounds, and "it has certainly since increased 
considerably • the ,same quantity was said to 
requnxxfvf or canu 'je-w'uh« , and it will 
probably be a'V e Tolerate estimate to 
value all the cot|L Abatis manufactured in 
any other way tlrem in muslins and calicoes at 
2,800,000/. The total value of the manu- 
facture will thus appear to be, as before 
stated, about 1 1,000,000/. Deducting from 
this sum 1,000,000/. for profits of capital at 
ten per cent, and 4,443,650/. for cost of the 
raw material at 2 s. 6d. per pound, there re- 
mains 5,556,350/. for wages, which, if divid- 
ed at the rate of only 16/. per annum for 
each person, on account of the large propor- 
tion of women amt children employed, 
makes the whole number 347,271 persons. 
The silk-manufacture was formerly of 
greater extent than at present, but has not 
4 
experienced any very considerable fluctuation 
for some years past :. the quantity of raw and 
thrown silk imported in three years p.eceding 
the 5th January 1797, was as follows: 
In 1794 906,686 lb. 
1795 985,659 
1796 758,970 
The average of these three years is 
883,438 pounds; and though the quantity in 
1797 was. still less than in 1796, the impor- 
tation has since been greater, and the usual 
quantity cannot be stated at less than 900, 00T 
pounds, the value of which when manufac| 
lured is about 2,700,000/. The cost of th J 
silk to the manufacturer, if raw and throwi| 
are taken together at only 28?. per pound! 
amounts to 1,260,000/. and the profits of thaj| 
manufacturer 245,454/. at the rate of ten pet 
cent, on the cost when manufactured. Ifci 
may be said that though this is the usual 
profit charged by the manufacturer in thil 
and some other branches, in casting up this 
selling price of his goods, they are frequently 
sold much under this price; which must ha 
admitted : but, as an advantage is taken 01 
most of the component parts of the price be 
fore the ten per cent, is laid on, it is pro 
bably not less than this rate on the whole 
in this and in most other manufactures. Th 
number of persons employed in the silk-ma 
nufactory has been stated at 200,000 an< 
upwards, but there appears no reason to be 
lieve that it exceeds 65,000 of all descrip 
tions. 
The linen-manufacture of Great Britain i 
chiefly confined to Scotland, though sorer 
branches of it are carried on in Mancheste 
and other parts of England. The exporta 
tion of British-made linen duty-free, was a] 
lowed in 1717, but the bounties on exporta 
tion were not granted till 1743, in wliic 
year the export was 52,772 yards. On a 
average of seven years of peace from 1749 t< 
1755, the export of British-manufacture 
linens had increased to 576,373 ;ards; and i 
continued to increase greatly during the sue 
ceeding period of war, the average" of seve 
years, ending with 1762, being 1,356,64 
yards. The average of the next seven year 
was 2,423,378 yards ; but in consequence c 
the commercial embarrassments of the yea 
1773, this manufacture declined very muct 
and in the beginning of 1774, it is said ther 
were not much more than half the weaver 
employed throughout Scotland and the nort 
of England. In the course of a few years 
revived again, and in the year 1783 the er 
port amounted to no less than 14,298,00 
yards. The total quantity of British line 
exported during three years ending wit 
1779, was as follows : 
In 1797 14,533,000 yards. 
1798 20,744,000' 
1799 21,204,000 
The value, estimated at the current price! 
of linens exported, on an average of thre 
years preceding 5th January 1799, w< 
1,278,734 /. ; therefore, if the quantity retaine 
for home consumption is not greater than th 
export, the value of the whole must be uj 
wards of 2,500,000/. ; and it probably will n< 
exceed the truth if the yearly value of th 
whole of this manufacture in Great Britaii 
with the thread, and other branches of th 
flax trade, is stated at 3,000,000/. That 
is not of less extent, may be presumed froi 
| the following account of the quantities < 
