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ON THE 


A D v A r A 6 LT 


; WHICH, THIS COUNTRY DERIVES FROM 


A FREE AND UNFETTERED IMPORTATION 


5 4 


$872 116133 3 | $0 00 at or r ns 


RAW MATERIAL OF COTTON WOOL; 


4 


On the: ae of diſtri: the preſent Syſtem: by. any 


Burthens or Prohibitions tending to check its Admiſſion 
into the Country. 


HE combination which is aid to be forming by two great 
commercial bodies in this kingdom, for the purpoſe of checking the 


free importation of cotton wool, is of ſo alarming a nature as to excite the 
juſt and immediate jealouſy, not only of the cotton ſpinners and manufacturers, 


but alſo of every true friend to the ſolid and real intereſt of the Britiſh Empire. 
The object of the: propoſed combination is ſaid to be for the purpoſe of 


-confining the importation of cotton wool to the Eaſt India and Turkey 
Companies for the Afiatic growths ; and to the Welt India * for 


the growth of the Britiſh iſlands. | 
It has generally been admitted as a maxim as fund” as it is obvious in 
ee. policy, that, in a manufacturing country, the raw materials 


neceſſary to promote every branch of national induſtry ſhould be as free as 


air, and admiſſible from every country in the world. And hence the 
wiſdom of the Britiſh Government was manifeſted in the admiſſion of cotton 
wool, duty free from all quarters ; and this too at a period when the manu- 


facture was of little importance. 


Since the year 1773, when cotton mills firſt came to be in uſe, the im- 
portation of this raw material has increaſed from 2, 559,829 pounds, por- 
ducing about 880,00gl. ſterling in manufactured goods, to about 3 3, ooo, ooo, * 
equal to more than 22 * millions of pounds ſterling, when wrought up into 
the varidub fabrics to which it is applied, ſo that * a proper allowance is 


made for all the raw materials uſed in the different branches of the cot- 


ton manufacture, by manufacturing the importation of this year, there would 


remain to the nation, for the labour of the people alone, a clear yearly profit 
of more than five millions ſterling. 


Next to the advantages derived from ingenious machinery, much of the 
proſperity which has attended the aſtoniſhing and rapid progrels of this 


minder has e Proceeded, not only _ from the many 


7 


| channels 
*CorTox imported and retained for conſumption: in Great Britain for 
_ 5 the years hereafter mentioned 
eee A | Value in manufactured goods 
Namely, 19973 285,559,829 —. ". © 
cee 1783 [a 9,546, 179 . 3,000,000 o © 
"2784" © 11,280,238 3.750, 00 ,0 © 
bags ron 19 5 17,992, 3 5, ooo o © 
Lot) e 159775, 867 | 0,500,000 o © 
$941 [0 £10131 1787 . 22,638, 944 8 | 7,000,000 O © 
wo oi 62/74 192 297880» 20, 606848 OD 6,000,000, 0 9 
C 32000, %%,/,ʒ; F000, 0 o 


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to check its introduction“: Now let us examine for a moment Gut Spud be 


- wool, ſo neceſſary to the moſt profitable branch of this manufacture, by being 
rendered leſs acceſſible would be ſtill more an object of f nn dan- 


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channels which were opened for . proper qualities of the raw 
material; but alſo from the circumſtance of the foreign growths being beſt 
adapted to the fine fabrics of muſlins, which have of late made fo. conſi- 
derable a progreſs; and which is ſo exceedingly important in a national 
point of view, as to produce in many inftances from 5 to 10,000 per cent. 
on the value of the raw, material, and this for labour alone.. .. .. .. 

To check or to impede by any legiſlative reſtriction a re of wech 
importance to the country, could be conſidered in no other light than a ſpecies 
of national robbery, which is to be hoped will neyer be committed ;—and yet 
the object of the application now ſaid to be going forward, is tantamount of 
this : for it goes to the eſtabliſhment of-a ſyſtem whereby foreign cotton ſhall 
not be admitted at all, or if admitted, to pay a diſcriminating duty ſufficient 


the conſequence of ſuch a meaſure,——— 8 c 3 

By limiting the importation of coarſe cotton, an | artificial ſcarcity. would 
be created by ſpeculations, and the value would unavoidably be enhanced to 
the cotton ſpinner. The manufactured goods would of conſequence in- 
creaſe in price, and would thereby be prevented from ſupporting the com- 
petition, and becoming any object of commerce abroad: and the fine cotton 


gerous in the extreme, to its future ſucceſs, —— _ 

Io elucidate the ſubject it may be proper to deſcend to ome arti re- 

lative to the aggregate importation of this raw n. ne: tho, various uſes to 

which it is applied in the manufacture. 

Taking the laſt two years, and alſo the preſent ys: year, c on an average, a 1 

quantity will be found to amount to about twentz=tazee CAR of en 
Of this quantity the Britiſh as) are CN 


to produce, about” - = $800,000 
The Turkey cotton n arab. an 
7 } Poe: A 
eircuitouſſjyj I a! 
— —i, $00,900 
The French and Spaniſh cotton, of American growths,gy 500, ooo . 
The Portugeuſe ſettlements, ditto ditto 4, Soo, ooo 
The Dutch ſettlements, ditto - ditto 10, ooo 


The Ine of F. rance and the Eaſt Ladies, about, 7 s IR : 


Ee we: 
Total pounds to be applied to the various parpols of 


the manufacture, os ig. 5 + Jener, o 


Thus it would appear, that 9 of the x — cotton, nearly. one 
half of all the cotton beſt adapted to the conſumption of this country, is com- 
poſed of foreign growths, imported partly from the continent of Europe, and 
in part circuitoully through the medium of our ilands in the Weſt-Indies. 
It is well known, that not an ounce of cotton imported from our own 
iſlands, or from Smyrna, by the Turkey Company, is applicable to any 
of the very fine branches, from whence the largeſt pro portion of national profit 
is derived: and yet the object of the propoſed application to govern- 
ment is, to. cut down,” root and branch, theſe reſources, from whence the 
ſupplies for this advantageous branch of induſtry are drawn. A 

To the manufacturers, it would be a ſerious evil indeed, to be prevent- 
11 from e fine cotton from whatever quarter, it can be found. 


4 — — * 4 — — 


42 bre n 8 ate from France, is 1 kde Mick a duty of 4s re cent. which is not 


— a ſufficient inducement to a eircuitous tranſit b 
1 h frou of th 8 but —__ conſidered as a 


4 


Turkey 


8 1 
Turkey Company.— =If theſe: two .bodies,' the Weſt-India Planters and Le- 
vant Merchants, could ſhew clearly, that by adopting their ſyſtem, ſuffici- 
ent quantities of cotton, fit for all the purpoſes of the manufacture could 
be obtained in ſueh abundance as to prove too unwieldy. for the inter- 
ference of ſpeculators, or for any contingency calculated to raiſe the price 
above its true level, then there might be ſome grounds for argument upon 
the ſubject: but as this is morally impoſſible, and as there is every rea- 
ſon to expect, from the renovated ſtate of the manufactures, that the whole 
extent of the importations, as now eſtimated, will ſoon be required, 
and perhaps more, why ſhould the legiſlature interfere in the limiting or 
reducing the quantity ? if it is really found, after the manufacture is once 
more reſtored to its: former vigour, and all the cotton mills and Jennies 
in full work, that the quantity of cotton ſtill cannot be wrought up, it 
will at laſt find its true level, and the importation of the ſurplus from foreign 
countries will ſoon be reduced and accommodated to the demand. 
It is therefore earneſtly to be wiſhed, that before theſe reſpectable bo- 
dies, the Turkey Company, and the Weſt-India Planters and Merchants 
ſolicit from government any check or prohibition, on any ſpecies of cotton 
uſed in the manufactures the matter ſnould be well conſidered; for neither 
our own iſlands nor Smyrna, can furniſh a ſubſtitute to anſwer the 
| fame. purpoſes as the cotton of the growths of Brazil and Demerary in 
America; Bengal, Surat, and the Iſle: of France, in the Eaſt- Indies; 
all which are become indiſpenſibly neceſſary to our manufactories; 
and without which they cannot be carried on, either to their preſent 
extent, or with half the national advantages which reſult from them. 
It is hoped therefore, when the ſubject is better underſtood; that every 
idea of an application, tending to limit the channels by which cotton 
wool may be obtained from all parts of the world, will be dropt; or 
if it is not, that the n of government will ſee the national injury 
with which ſuch a meaſüre is pregnant; and that, on this Ae and obvious 
ground, it. will be rf as dangerous and impolitic. 
I. Becauſe e Eaſt-India Company, notwithſtanding what was e 
from that reſpectable body, have not hitherto imported one ounce of the fine 
cotton wool fit for our manufactories, and there can be no ſecurity that they will 


ingly beyond any articÞk of commerce in which that Company is engaged. 
II. Becahſo the Turkey Company imports only a very coarſe ſtaple, 


e national benefit is derived. | 
III. [Becauſe the Weſt-India importations, 3 3 in e 


nufactures lately introduced, and now proſecuting with fo. much ſucceſs. 
IV. Becauſe the whole cotton imported from Smyrna, and raiſed in our, Welt 
India iſlands, when put together, is not equal to two thirds of the conſump- 
tion when the trade was at its full extent: — and is not at all applicable to 
many branches of the manufacture. Under ſuch circumſtances, would it 
not be exceedingly unwiſe and impolitic to eſtabliſh any ſyſtem whatever, by 


be enhanced by alimited importation —by a duty impoſed—or by a reduction 

of the quantity neceſſary for the conſumption. 

The exhibition of Britiſh muſlins which has been made at the General Hall 

in Biſhopſgatc Street, proves inconteſtably what this country can do, if properly 

| - encouraged. = —— 

From the fudden and unparalleled riſe of this manufacture: from the per- 

:  feQtion to which it has been ONE in ſo very ſhort a period, what 
8 hy 


DOTT 


hes 


do it, although it is clear, that the ſuperior qualities would yield a profit exceed- 
by no means fit for theſe branches of the manufactures from eh, the 


to the Smyrna cotton, is ſtill by no means applicable to the finer ma- 8 


which the price of a raw material, ſo neceſlary to a growing manufacture, ſnould 


22. ͤ ͤ we ohet cows 


141 | 
may we not expect from this branch of trade? Having rivaled every 
other country in the world already in a vaſt variety of fabrics, is it not 
reaſonable to hope, that with proper encouragement, this country may be able, 
Y 1 to ſupply all Europe, and even part of Aſia and Africa, in a very few years 
a with fine cotton goods? No man will for a moment examine the progreſs that 
has been made in the Britiſh callicoes and muſlins, and afterwards entertain a 
1 1 doubt upon the moſt rational grounds, that this will not be the caſe if the ma- 
1 nufacturers meet with common encouragement, and are permitted to find the 
—_— - | raw material where it is to be obtained beſt and cheapeſt;—This is the ground 
| work upon which inland induſtry flouriſhes in every country in the world. 
but, of all others, the cotton manufacture ſeems to claim the pre-eminence over 
moſt other branches, from the extent of . the national benefit attached to it.— 
For in the finer fabrics; and particularly the muſlins, the value of the finiſhed 
goods ariſes almoſt from labour alone, for the raw material bears no ſort 
I of proportion, when it is conſidered, that a fingle pound of fine cotton, 
1 wWwowpxrth five ſhillings, may be raiſed. in value, fo as to draw from foreign 
W | countries, ot retain at home what otherwiſe would have gone abroad; a ſum 
W || | equal to from five to twenty guineas, and in ſome inſtances more money; and 
il this principally from the labour of women and children, who formerly produ- 
ced little to the ſtate, and were in many inſtances a burden. Let us ſuppoſe, 
for example, that in conſequence of the foſtering hand of government, and by 
means of a general public exhibition, whereby the foreigners of all nations are 
invited to examine the quality and fabrics of our cotton manufactories, and by 
1 | aſſimilating the ſales periadically to their habits, the demand ſhould/'gradually 
; 1 i increaſe for the conſumption of France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Ruſſia, 
yi! i 5 and the Northern countries of Europe, and alſo Turkey, Egypt, and Africa, ſo 
4 | as to reach fix milliams ſterling above the preſent amount. — The probability i is, 
i that, the — af et raw: materiale would not exceed a cpm in n 
Al ledig Aang 3 out of the . of U women and ahilliveiy aided 
by | by ingenious machinery, and thereby creating a new and unexpected 
1 N reſourde which did not exiſt before, and which was not in the con- 
ws 15 empire. of any perſon ten years ago, as a thing poſſible to exiſt. 
i 1, T@#thoſe' therefore who are accuſtomed to con üer ſubjects of this kind, 
1 | 3 hs r anxious for their country's proſperity, and for theſe new - reſources: 
„ | which ariſe out of the improved induſtry of the people, it muſt be a very pleaſ- 
ot e ing reflection to ſee ne ſources of wealth ſpring up every. day, and all ranks of 
Hs | men interoſted i in the public proſperity, and who have it in their power to be 
inſtrumental in aſſiſting tte national induſtry, cannot fail to be ſtimulated with 
5 To . a deſire to give a preference to the home manufacturers, as the beſt and ſureſt 
means of encreaſing the ſolid wealth and 1 ofthe RL) rar in 1 5 
N and energy to che exertions of the ſtate. 1 1 un 


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