In the General Report of Scotland (vol. iii. Appen. p. 6.), the number of sheep is estimated at 2,850,000; and allowing for the increase that has taken place since 1814, we may, perhaps, estimate the total number of sheep in that part of the empire at this moment at 3,500,000.

According to Mr. Wakefield, there is not a single flock of breeding sheep in the whole province of Ulster.—(Account of Ireland, vol. i. p. 341.) And though there be considerable flocks in Roscommon and other counties, we believe that, if we estimate the whole number of sheep in Ireland at 2,000,000, we shall be a good deal beyond the mark.

On the whole, therefore, if we are right in these estimates, the total number of sheep in Great Britain and Ireland may be taken at about 32,000,000. This estimate is 10,000,000 under that given by Dr. Colquhoun for 1812; but that learned person assigns no grounds whatever for his estimate, which is utterly inconsistent with all the really authentic information on the subject. It is curious enough to observe the German statistical writers referring to Dr. Colquhoun's statements, as if they were of standard authority. They would be about as near the mark, were they to quote the "Arabian Nights" in proof of any disputed historical fact.

British Trade in Wool.-From 1660 down to 1825, the export of wool was strictly prohibited. A notion grew up towards the end of the 17th, and continued to gain ground during the first half of last century, that the wool of England was superior to that of every other country; that long wool could not be produced anywhere else; and that, if we succeeded in keeping the raw material at home, we should infallibly command the market of the world for our woollen manufactures. In consequence, innumerable statutes were passed, the enactments in some of which were the most arbitrary and severe that can be imagined, to prevent the clandestine exportation of wool. Mr. John Smith was one of the first who, in his excellent work, entitled Memoirs of Wool,* exposed the injustice and absurdity of this system, by proving that whatever advantages the manufacturers might gain by preventing the exportation of wool, were more than lost by the agriculturists. But in despite of Mr. Smith's reasonings, which were enforced by many later writers, and which experience had proved to be in all respects accurate, the prohibition of the exportation of wool was continued till 1825, when Mr. Huskisson happily succeeded in procuring the abolition of this miserable remnant of a barbarous policy. The improvement of machinery, by enabling short or clothing wool to be applied to most of those purposes for which long or combing wool had been exclusively appropriated, had annihilated the only apparently tenable argument on which the prohibition of exportation had ever been vindicated; and even this, it will be observed, applied only to a small proportion of the whole wool produced in England.

Down to 1802, the importation of foreign wool into Great Britain had been quite free; and, being the raw material of an important manufacture, the policy of allowing it to be imported free of duty is obvious. In 1802, however, a duty of 5s. 3d. a cwt. was laid on all foreign wool imported. In 1813, this duty was raised to 6s. 8d.; and in 1819, Mr. Vansittart raised it to the enormous amount of 56s. a cwt., or to 6d. per lb.! Had English wool sufficed for all the purposes of the manufacture, such a duty would have been less objectionable; but the very reverse was the case. The use of foreign wool had become, owing to the deterioration of British wool, and other circumstances, quite indispensable to the prosecution of the manufacture: and as our superiority over the foreigner in several departments of the trade was by no means decided, it is plain that the imposition of a duty which amounted to about 50 per cent. upon the price of a considerable quantity of the wool we were obliged to import, must, had it been persevered in, have ruined the manufacture. It occasioned, indeed, during the period of its continuance, a considerable decline of the exports of woollens, and was productive of other mischievous effects, from which the manufacture suffered for a considerable period after it was repealed.

The evidence as to the absolute necessity of employing foreign wool, taken before the Lords' committee, was as decisive as can well be imagined. Mr. Gott, of Leeds, one of the most extensive and best informed manufacturers of the empire, informed the committee, that, in his own works, he used only foreign wool. On being asked whether he could carry on an export trade to the same extent as at present, if he manufactured his cloth of British wool, Mr. G. replied, that, in certain descriptions of cloth, "he could not make an article that would be merchantable at all for the foreign market, or even for the home market, except of foreign wool." We subjoin a few additional extracts from the evidence of this most competent witness.

"Can you give the committee any information with respect to the competition that now exists between foreigners and this country in woollen cloths?"—"I think the competition is very strong. In some instances, the foreigner has, probably, the advantage; and in others, the superiority of the British manufacture, I think, has greatly the advantage; and that would apply, I should say, particularly to the fine cloths of Great Britain compared with This learned and accurate work contains a great deal of information with respect to the progress of manufactures and commerce in England,

foreign cloths: in some descriptions of low cloths, the foreigners are nearly on a footing, and in some instances, perhaps, superior to us."

"Speaking of the finer cloths, is the competition such as to render an additional duty on the importation of foreign wool, likely to injure the export trade?"—" I have no doubt, speaking on my oath, that it would be fatal to the foreign cloth trade of the country. I would say further, that it would be equally injurious to coarse manufactures of all kinds made of English wool. The competition now with foreigners is as nearly balanced as possible; and the disturbing operation of attacks of that description would necessarily enable the foreigner to buy his wool cheaper than we should do it in this country; the result would be, that foreigners would, by such a premium, be enabled to extend their manufactures, to the exclusion of British manufactures of all descriptions."

In another part of his evidence, Mr. Gott says,-"If 2 pieces of cloth at 10s. a yard were put before a customer, one made of British wool, the other of foreign wool, one would be sold, and the other would remain on hand: I could not execute an order with it. If any person sent to me for cloth of 78. or 8s. a yard, and it were made of English wool, it would be sent back to me, and I should resort to foreign wool or foreign mixed with British, to execute that order."

On Mr. Gott being asked whether, in his opinion, the price of British wool would have been higher, had the duty of 6d. per lb. on foreign wool been continued, he answered,—" My opinion is, that the price of British wool would have been less at this time; the demand for British wool would have been very much less. British manufactures would have been shut out of every foreign market; and the stock of wool would have accumulated, as it will do if ever that duty be imposed again."—(Mr. Gott's Evidence, pp. 292, 293.)

The view taken by Mr. Gott of the effect of the importation of foreign wool on the price of British wool was supported by the concurrent testimony of all the manufacturing witnesses examined by the committee. Blankets, flannels of all sorts, baizes, carpets, bearskins, &c. are made principally of English wool; and the command of foreign wool enables the manufacturers to use a considerable quantity of English wool in the manufacture of certain descriptions of cloth, which, if made entirely of it, would be quite unsaleable. On Mr. Goodman, a wool-stapler of Leeds, being asked whether, if a duty were laid on foreign wool, it would force the use of English wool in the manufacture of cloths, from which it is now excluded, he answered,-" Certainly not: we could not get people to wear such a cloth; they want a better, finer cloth; it is so much handsomer in its wear, and so much more durable."-(Report, p. 241.) Mr. Francis, of Heytesbury, declared that there was no demand for cloth made wholly of British wool; that it was principally applicable to the manufacture of blankets, baizes, &c.; and that the exclusion of foreign wool would only injure the manufacture, without raising the price of British wool.-(p. 268.) Statements to the same effect were made by Mr. Webb (p. 270.), Mr. Sheppard (p. 294.), Mr. Ireland (p. 319.), and, in short, by every one of the witnesses conversant with the manufacture.

The history of the manufacture since 1828 has completely confirmed the accuracy of the statements made by Mr. Gott and the other witnesses. Its progress from that period down to the present time has been one of uninterrupted prosperity; and so far from having been injured by the immense importations that have been made of foreign wool, the price of British wool is higher at this moment (March, 1834,) than at any former period! We believe, indeed, that it has now attained an unnatural elevation; and that its extreme high price, by making a corresponding addition to the price of cloth, will react on the manufacture, and will, consequently, by occasioning its depression, lower wool to a more moderate level. Foreign Wool imported into England.—A very great change has taken place, within the course of the present century, both as respects the quantity of foreign wool imported, and the countries whence it is derived. Previously to 1800, our average imports of wool did not much exceed 3,000,000 lbs., mostly brought from Spain; the wool of which has long maintained a high character. In 1800, our imports amounted to near 9,000,000 lbs.; and they have since gone on gradually increasing, till they now amount to between 25,000,000 and 40,000,000 lbs. Instead, however, of being principally derived from Spain, as was the case down to 1814, the greater part of this immense supply of foreign wool is now furnished by Germany. The late king of Saxony, when elector, introduced the breed of Merino sheep into his dominions, and exerted himself to promote the growth of this valuable race of animals. His praiseworthy efforts have been crowned with the most signal success. The Merino sheep seem to succeed better in Saxony and other German states than in Spain; and have increased so rapidly, that the Spanish wool trade has become insignificant compared with that of Germany! The importations of German wool were quite trifling during the war-amounting, in 1812, to only 28 lbs. ; but since the peace they have increased beyond all precedent. In 1814, they amounted to 3,432,456 lbs.; in 1820, they were 5,113,442 lbs. ; in 1825, they reached the enormous amount of 28,799,661 lbs. ; but this being a year of overtrading, they declined, in 1826, to 10,545,232 lbs. They have since, however, recovered from this depression; and, in 1833, amounted to 25,370,106 lbs.-(There is a very good account of the German wool trade in the Foreign Quarterly Review, No. xi. art. 8.)

1. Number of Sheep and Quantity of Sheep's Wool produced in England, according to Mr. Luccock's Tables, revised by Mr. Hubbard, and made applicable to 1828.

N. B.-The wool from slaughtered sheep and carrion not mentioned in this Table; but allowed for above.

II. Account of Sheep and Lambs' Wool imported into Great Britain from Foreign Parts in the undermentioned Years; specifying the Countries whence it was brought, and the Quantity brought from each, with the Rates of Duty and the Produce of the Duty.

III. Account of the Quantities of British Wool and Woollen Yarn, exported from the United Kingdom in 1833; specifying the Countries to which they were sent.

IV. Price of Southdown Woo! per lb. from 1784 to 1833, both inclusive.

The breed of sheep that was carried out to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land has succeeded remarkably well; and Australia promises, at no distant day, to be one of the principal wool-growing countries of the world. The imports into Great Britain have been rapidly increasing. In 1833, they amounted to 3,516,869 lbs., while the imports from Spain only amounted to 3,339,150 lbs. The Spanish flocks suffered severely during the campaigns in Spain; and the best Spanish wool does not now bring more than the price of the best German wool.

[The value of the wool imported into the United States, in the year ending September 30th, 1839, not exceeding 8 cents per pound, amounted to $527,620, and, exceeding that rate, to $171,918, both together not much exceeding the value of the wool produced in Massachusetts alone. This amounted, in 1837, to $539,689.—Am. Ed.]

WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE, the art of forming wool into cloth and stuffs. This has always ranked as an important branch of national industry; and, until it was recently surpassed by the cotton manufacture, was decidedly the most important of all the manufactures carried on in England.

Rise and Progress of the British Woollen Manufacture. Exports.-There can be no doubt that the arts of spinning wool, and manufacturing the yarn into cloth, were introduced into England by the Romans, the inhabitants being previously clothed only in skins. From the period of the Romans quitting England, down to the 10th century, there are no notices of the manufacture; and those relating to the period from the 10th to the 13th century are but few and imperfect. It is certain, however, that the manufacture of broad cloths was established soon after the year 1200, if not previously.-(Smith's Memoirs of Wool, vol. i. p. 17.) But the woollen manufactures of Flanders being at this period, and long afterwards, in a comparatively advanced state, English wool was exported in large quantities to Bruges and other Flemish cities, whence fine cloths and other products were brought back in exchange. Edward III. took the most judicious measures for improving the English manufacture, by inviting over Flemish weavers, fullers, dyers, and others, and protecting them from the assaults of the rabble. Shortly after the first emigration of Flemings, or in 1337, an act was passed, prohibiting the wear of any cloths made beyond sea, and interdicting the export of English wool.—(Ibid. vol. i. p. 25.) But in these turbulent times such restraining acts were little better than a dead letter; and this, indeed, was soon after repealed.-(Ibid. vol. i. pp. 32. 39.) From this remote period the manufacture has always been regarded as of primary importance, and has been the object of the especial solicitude of the legislature. It may be doubted, however, whether it has derived any real advantage from the numberless statutes that have been passed in the view of contributing to its advancement. With the exception, indeed, of the prohibition of the export of English wool, which was finally put a stop to in 1660, the other acts, being mostly intended for the regulation of the manufacture, could not be otherwise than mischievous; and the benefit derived by the manufacturers from the prohibition was more apparent than real; inasmuch as it occasioned a diminished growth of wool, at the same time that it was impossible to prevent its clandestine exportation. Mr. Smith has proved that the manufacture made a far more rapid progress during the reign of Elizabeth, when wool might be freely carried out of the kingdom, than it ever did during any equal period subsequent to the restriction on exportation. Foreign wool began to be imported in small quantities in the 13th century.

At first, the manufacture seems to have been pretty equally distributed over the country. In an insurrection that took place in 1525, more than 4,000 weavers and other tradesmen are said to have assembled out of Laneham, Sudbury, and other towns in Suffolk. The manufacture had been previously introduced into Yorkshire. In 1533, an act was passed (34 & 35 Hen. 8. c. 10.), reciting, "that the city of York afore this time had been upholden principally by making and weaving of coverlets, and the poor thereof daily set on work in spinning, carding, dyeing, weaving, &c.;" that the manufacture, having spread into other parts, was "thereby debased and discredited;" and enacting, as a remedy for this evil, that henceforth "none shall make coverlets in Yorkshire, but inhabitants of the city of York!"