t 800. ae 29 abs 
- MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. 
ALTHOUGH the Cuftom-houfe valuation of the exports and imports is well known to be 
far below their actual value, the following comparative ftatement deferves attention, as it 
fhews an increafe during the laft three years, which, in a period of war le{s peculiar than the 
prefent, would have been thought very remarkable. Tosal value of the Exports of Great Bri- 
tain in 
1781 £ 11,342,000 1790 4, 20,120,000 1797 4, 28,917,000 
1782 13,017-0G0 1791 2257325000 1798 2,655,000 
1783 15,468,000 1792 24,905,000 1799 35,991,009 
It fhould be remembered, that although the difference between the value in thefe accounts, 
and the current price, is daily becoming greater with refpect to almott every article of com- 
merce, they are by no means the lefs proper for comparifon, for as the articles are valued: at 
the fame rate now as formerly, the increafe or decreafe that appears muft arife wholly from the 
quantity of goods, as it is not affected by their price. The total value of the /ports during the 
above periods was as follows 
1781 £ 12,724,000 1790 ff 19:131,000 1797 jf, 20,014,000 
1732 10,342,000 17Q1 19,670,000 1798 27,358,090 
1733 13,122,000 1792 19,659,000 1799 2.9,945,000 
That the moft valuable part of our foreign commerce, or that which gives the greateft em. 
ployment in this country, has kept pace with our trade in foreign commodities will appear from 
the value of Britif> manufultures exported, which has greatly increafed notwithitanding the ex- 
hautted ftate of many parts of Europe, which formerly were markets for our goods, and the ad- 
> 
vance of almott all: kinds of materials and workmanthip. Value of Britifh manutactures exported 
: P P 
in 1781 £ 7,633,900 1799 jf 14,921,000 1797 £ 1,903,000 
1782 9; 1 10,000 1791 16,810,009 1798 19,772,000 
1783 10,4.10,000 £792 18,337,000 1799 24,084,000 
A variety of facts refpe€ting the Lewanr or Turkey trade, have been made public by F. 
Beaujour, late French conful at Salonica. His reprefentation of the Englif commerce in thofe 
parts contains fome particulars not generally known, but trom his defire to exhibit the com- 
merce of his own country in as favourable a view as poflible, and from his refidence confining 
his attention more to the ports of Greece than to Smyrna, the port mott frequented by Englith 
traders, his account certainly cannot be admitted as a complete view of the trade between this 
country and Turkey: The exports from England to Greece aré {tated to confift of woollen 
cloths, chalons, calicoes, tin, lead, raw and wrought iron, clock and jewel work, and fome colo- 
nial commodities. The woollen cloth trade was formerly very confiderable, but began to de- 
cline about the year 1731, at prefent, the annual demand is, in value, of light thick woollens 
about 3040l- of woollen cloth of fuperior quality of 14,800!. Fhe chalons, a particular kind of 
ferge, appear to be an article likely co be extended beyond its prefent amount, which is ftated at 
36,0001. The confumption of fore:gn calicoes is diminithing on account of the improvement of 
their own manufacture, while that of muflins is rapidly increafing; the value of thefe arucles is 
about 20,0001. The value of Englifh tin, about g,gool.; of lead, 3,400l.; befides a confiderable 
“quantity of {reall fhoé for fowling ; of raw and wrought iron 20001. ‘Whe wade in Englifh clocks 
and watches is very great; there are fold annually at Salonica 30 dozen of watches; as many 
in the Morea; 300 dozen at Conftantinople ; 400 dozen in Syria, and 250 dozen in Egypt, pro- 
ducing in the whole about 266,400l. The value of jewels and trinkets is eftimated at only 
4000l. The colonial commodities which the Englifh fell in Greece, are 4 barrels of white gin- 
ger, 30 barrels of pepper, 4 barrels of fugar in loaves, from 12 to 1g barrels of indigo, 3 or 4 
barrels of cochineal, a {mall quantity of logwood, and fome barrels of cofiee; the latter article 
may be extended if due attention be paid to the quality of the coffee fent, that of Martinico ap- 
pears to have the preference. 
For fome time paft great complaints have been made by perfons in the Manchefter trade againit 
the exportation of cotrom twiff, which they confider as a principal caufe of the decline of their 
trade, and therefore would have prohibited, or made fubjet to a duty with a view to the fame 
effet. This opinion however appears to have been taken up oma very partial view of the dubject, 
It-is a known fa&, that none of the lower numbers of water twift have been exported; and yet 
it fo happens that the part of the manufa@ture for which this quality of twilt is required has been 
in a more depreffed ftate than other branches, The muflin and calico trades, on the contrary, 
have been in a rifing condi:ion, although the major quantity of twift exported has been of a qua- 
lity and finenefs proper for the manufacture of thefe articles, and has actually been applied 
abroad tothefe purpofes; but if it were true that the trade has {uffered a decreafe in confequence 
of the exportation of twift, exactly the reverfe of this muft have taken place; the heavy artie 
cles would have been in great demand, and muflins and calicoes would have met wiih no dale, 
There does not therefore appear any reafon for afcribing the prefent {tate of the trade to the cx- 
portation of twift, and any duty thereon would only operate as a bounty for the ere<tion of mills 
abroad; if by means of fuperior machinery or greater capital we can jupply foreigners with twitt 
on advantageous terms, it would certainly be impolitic to compel them to {pin it themfelves. 
The f/k trade, which for fome time pat has been ina more favourable {tate than moft other 
manufactures, is at prefent very dull, exceptin the article of farinets for which there is a good 
demand. The very high prices of ail kinds of raw and thrown 4ilks, particularly P edmonts, is 
a difadvantage to the manufacturer, which may be reduced, but cer:ainly will not be wholly re= 
moved, by she prefent importation from Kamburgh, The quantity of Gik which during lone 
mouths 
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