ARISTOCRAT. (bowing). Madam, my zealous, though humble, services are ever at your command: and, in my endeavours to lay before you my own opinions, I throw myself on that indulgence, which I have always regarded as forming the most interesting peculiarity of your disposition. To proceed then. From the official return of 1841,* we find that the number of males of 20 years and upwards, employed in the cottonmanufacture of Great Britain amounted to 138,112. I assume and I believe it is not disputed—that at least three-fifths of all the cotton goods manufactured, are disposed of at home; and therefore we may say that, of these 138,000 men, 83,000, or three-fifths, are employed in manufacturing for their fellow-countrymen; and 55,000, or two-fifths, for foreign and colonial markets. We find from the returns lately issued by the Board of Trade, that the declared value of the exports of the year, was Of Cotton Manufactures £20,188,874 Total Value of Cotton Goods Exported... £26,890,794 PROTECTION. But remember, Sir, you are taking the exports of 1849, while you have the population of 1841. * See Porter's Progress of the Nation, page 74. † See the Marquis of Granby's Speech on the Address, 1st of February, 1850. ARISTOCRAT. True, Madam; but as my argument will presently lead me to consider the agricultural population, I prefer taking the same tables for both classes of work-people: and therefore I quote the last official tables I can find. If you prefer adding any per centage-say 15-to both classes, it might possibly be more correct: but it is not at all material. However, the export of cotton goods has not increased 15 per cent. since 1840; for the declared value of cotton manufactures and yarn exported in 1840 amounted to £24,668,618.-15 per cent. upon which would be £3,700,291.-together, £28,368,909: or £1,478,115. more than the declared value of the boasted exports of 1849; the returns for which year I have just quoted. Therefore if you will permit me, I will, in this instance, adhere to the official tables, as I find them in Mr. Porter's very useful book. * PROTECTION. I have not the least objection; nor should I have interrupted you at all, but that I imagined you had spoken inadvertently. ARISTOCRAT. of I am delighted to feel myself under the eye such an intelligent scrutineer. Well, Madam, you * See Porter's Progress, page 181. have a large sum to dispose of; no less than £26,890,794 exported in cotton goods. What are inclined to have home in return? you PROTECTION. (smiling). Why, you know, I am rather partial to wheat ARISTOCRAT. Just so I will be your factor; without charging you any commission. Let me see now: at the present average price of 38s. per quarter, 14,000,000 of quarters of wheat will come to £26,600,000. Yes, Madam, we can just manage PROTECTION. it. What 14,000,000 quarters! Why Mr. McCulloch told me, only the other day, that all the broad lands of once merry England did not produce more than 14,000,000 of quarters of wheat.* ARISTOCRAT. Mr. McCulloch, Madam, is so pains-taking that I think you may quite rely on the correctness of his figures. PROTECTION. But it seems to me incredible. 55,000 men, aided by machinery, produce goods equal in value to all the wheat grown in England! Impossible, * See McCulloch's "Treatise on Taxation," page 389. surely. Why, how many men does the raising of this quantity of wheat give constant employment to at home? What information does your friend Mr. Porter give you on that head? ARISTOCRAT. Mr. Porter officially assures me that, of male adults, there were in 1841, in England alone, You understand, Madam, that I take the census of 1841 in this case, as in the former one; and I think it is impossible not to be struck, at the first glance, with the extraordinary insignificance of our Manufactures as compared with our Agriculture, for securing the employment, and consequent wellbeing of our labouring population. But when you consider how many of the second and third class are employed as carpenters, and masons, and bricklayers, and blacksmiths, and wheelwrights, and harness-makers, and the like, I think it not unreasonable to estimate the entire number employed in, or dependent upon, Agriculture, in England alone, at very nearly two millions and a half of male adults. In Scotland too, the proportion may be considered about the same; while in Ireland, those engaged in Agriculture are 66 per cent.-two-thirds of the whole population. * Porter's Progress, &c., page 71. PROTECTION. But remember, if you please, it is wheat that we are now exchanging for cotton. Can you tell me the number of men engaged in the production of that grain alone? ARISTOCRAT. I have taken some pains, Madam, to arrive at the truth; but it is difficult to do more than take a fair estimate. I merely assume an approximation to the fact; which, if not strictly correct, will yet leave "ample room and verge enough" for my argument. Accuracy in this respect is not attainable; as you can well imagine, when you consider that, in the "four-course-shift," the occupier generally looks to the crop of wheat for remuneration, from the commencement of the course, and that Labour is divided with a view to that, during the whole period. Then again, the number of acres of wheat is greatly increased within a recent period; wheat being much more generally sown, in place of barley, after turnips or other roots, upon mixed soils and light lands, as well as upon long fallows or clay lands. I fear, I weary you, Madam. PROTECTION. No, indeed I am all attention, I assure you : but to whom did you apply for information? D |