The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-22 00:00:00

PRICE sd.

which they have given evidence by the establishment
of admirable schools of art, which now exist in most
of the great cities of Prussia)---but we do not desire
that your manufactures should be of premature, for
that is unhealthy, growth ; we would much rather
that capital should •flow in its natural currents, be-
cause it is certain in that way to be most productive and
beneficial."—(Applause.) In Prussia and Saxony, and
the manufacturing parts of Germany, a very extraor-
dinary state of things exists, which gives them much
advantage in the contest with you—if one must use
such a word as " contest," for I confess I am not very
willing_ to employ it. There is there a great union of
agriculture with manufactures, where Germany pro-
duces more cheaply than Great Britain, for the labourer
ecialin take
eeryhmoe his
cannotbe workma detosehbissercvoietteat,get,e aenbde3wp•herema
produc-
tion. Now, it is a very extraordinary thing in that
manufacture in which the Germans have the most ad-
vantage, and are the most distinguished—the linen
manufacture, that of 250,000 looms which exist in
Prussia, only 40,000 give habitual employment to the
people, and the other 210,000 looms are associated with,
or made subservient to, an agricultural li!e._(Hear,
hear.) No doubt this gives the Prussian labourer a great
advantage, because, when he is not employed at his
loom, he is engaged in his garden or his field ; and be
associates healthful enjoyments with profitable labour.
Now, though the manufactures of Germany, as I shall
afterwards show, have obtained a wonderful develop-
ment under the present syitem, yet still has agriculture
progressed in a greater proportion ; for everywhere you
see the workings of the intelligent and productive powers
of human industry when directed by sound judgment.
In 1816, for example, there were in the whole of the
Prussian Staves eight millions of sheep. In 1837, time
number had increased to fifteen millions. But that is
not the only point of interest showing how much know-
ledge brings with it of improvement in every depart-
ment. In 1816, there were only 700,000 Merino sheep
in that country ; but, in 1837, the race had been so
much improved, as well as increased, that there were
then 3,600,000 Merino sheep.
It must not be forgotten, that in this Manufacturing
struggle with other nations we started first ; we pos-
sessed great advantages, such as the advantages of
priority, the advantages of abundant capital, the ad-
vantages of aptitude, gained by a great experience of
communication with the universal world ; the .advan-
tages of a most laborious population and of a most rest-
less activity. We had better roads than ether nations ;
we were the first to introduce railways ; our canals were
models for the improvements of other people ; but, gen-
tlemen, gradually all these advantages are passing away.
—(Hear, hear.) Other nations are also progressing
in the march of improvement, treading rapidly on your
heels, following your example, and, less encumbered
than you—(Hear)—are making much greater average
progress. I will mention only one fact,—that since
the peace, in Prussia only, three thousand miles of
chaussees, or superior roads, have been completed.
Now, gentlemen, I will call your attention to the pro-
gress of that manufacture with which your are more
especially concerned. In the year 1828, Prussia im-
ported 38,566 cwt. of raw cotton ; in 1837, she imported
240,315 cwt.—(Hear.) I speak of raw cotton, imported
for the purpose of manufacture. She imported of cot-
ton yarns, in 1828, 93,511 cwt. ; and, in 1837, she im-
ported* 229,745 cwt. Now, though no doubt that is a
great increase in the market for cotton yarns, yet it
won't escape your observation, that, while the increased
importation of raw cotton has been 600 per cent., or six-
fold, the increase of the importation of cotton yarn has
only been 250 per cent , or 24-fold.—(Hear.) But you
must not believe, that even this is likely to continue ;
for the same influences which have gradually excluded
you from the market for your piece goods, are in opera-
tion, and will by-and-bye reach the market for yarns.
—(Hear, hear, hear.) You cannot continue where you
are. Things must be greatly better or greatly worse.
There was at the late meeting at Berlin, a violent
demand for increased duties on cotton yarn. It was
resisted no doubt by the delegates from a majority
of the states, and successfully resisted. But why ?
Because they believed that the presence of commis-
sioners from different countries opened a door to a
better and a brighter prospect ; because they deemed
that at last there was some reason to hope that their
friendly propositions would no longer be repudiated,
but seriously considered and accepted. That is the
futurity which is in your hands.--( Hear.) In Saxony, in
1830, there were 68 spinning factories, and they emp!oy( d
361,200 spindles. In 1837 there were 121 spinning esta-
blishments, employing 490,325 spindles. I now speak
of Saxony alone, which, as you are aware, is a very
small portion only of the German union ; and the
last account that I could obtain of the number of
spindles in work was 750,000.—(Hear.) In Saxony
',me, of stocking-frames in 1815 there were 9,000 ; in
number exceeded 20,000. In this particular
e industry you see the operation of the
d 1 eBp3a7r Li; n t u.
been explaining—this association
system which I have
fieM with the labour of the
of the productions of the . .
' feel aboveall things
is, that they
stocking-frame. What I shoulka,
desire f
that our labourers should know arm .
Lave been greatly deluded by this questt:.n °I money
wages. If tey would ask themselves what the; could
obtain for the wages they receive, and what they
economise and lily by, they would see that the condi-
tion of the labourer, receiving only 3s. or 4s. a week,
but able out of thate3s. or 4s. to lay aside every week
ed. or Is. is in a far better condition than others,
though they receive 20s. a week, out of which they
can make no economy, lay nothing aside for the future.
I hold in my hand at this moment the smallest coin
in the British empire. This a quarter of a farthing, in-
tended for the Cingalese, the inhabitants of Ceylon.
If that coin gives to the resources of that remote island
more enjoyment than that which is the coin of the com-
mercial league, and which represents the opulence of
twenty-six millions of men, the condition of the Cinga-
lese is far preferable to the condition of the European,
who, getting this larger. coin, can lay aside nothing
out of it for his future assistance. Now, what has
been going on in Germany is really this :---These la-
bourers are scattered over the country ; they start in
early life; they obtain a stocking-frame, we will say, and
they rent a small house, for which they pay probably
30s. to 40s. a year. Their average gains, perhaps,
don't exceed from 3s. 6d. to 4s. a week ; but, inas•
much as by the labour of their hands in their fields or
gardens, they can provide for themselves and their
families, in almost every case a portion of their earn-
ings is laid aside. They are almost universally frugal
and prudent, because, as I said before, they are univer-
sally instructed.—( Hear.) In a few years a labourer
there is able to economise 4/. or 51. sterling, with which,
if he cannot buy a house, he can do so, by borrowing
141. or 16/. on mortgage—for you are aware, that, on
the Continent, there are not those impediments in the
transfer of property which we find here.—(Hear, hear.)
He is then enabled to come into the possession of a
house and a little land, and in the course of a few
years he redeems the debt, and there is he, in the pos-
session of prcperty out of which he lives, and which
gives him food. He has probably a cow to give him
milk. and pigs which give him meat for his holidays—
for you are aware that the consumption of animal food
on the Continent is not what it is here—and he be-
comes really an independent man. I mention this to
show, that the money amount of wages is not at all
what it is believed to be by the labourers in this coun-
try ; that that which determines their condition, by
which the quantity of wages is regulated, is on very
different principles, by the quantity of supply and de-
mand ; and that they, under a system of free trade,
would be fixr greater gainers than they are in their pre-
sent condition.

But how has your legislation been operating on
Germany? These are times in which you must go to
them, and crave a supply of food. It is obvious to every-
body that England must he an importing country;
that her means of agricultural production do not go on
progressively with the increase of her population ;
and that the only question is, on what conditions shall
you be purchasers of food ? Now, how do you purchase
it? What the labourer in Germany, this frugal and pru-
dent man, does is this :—He having always a supply of
a little money in his pocket,—is enabled at low or aver-
age prices to provide food for himself and his family.
But when. you send for this food to Germany, what is
your condition ? You have a Legislature which decides,
that the highest prices of your own markets shall
afford encouragement to the lottery of agriculture in
other countries—(Hear)—and when you have prices
starvation
prprices,
theyou Englishdecide
agri-
culturist, -
culturist, but for the foreign producer.—(Hear,
that
tehaeaynashatialsllynohtigbh;
forthe
benefit
hear.) But, as I said before, this is a calamity for
Germany ; this produces a reaction of evil there ; this
influx even of gold disturbing their exchanges, embar-
rassing their merchants, and involving their capitalists
and banks in that earthquake which has been shaking
your credit, and which, reacting upon theirs, is to
them ama fortune as it is to you. The question really
on what condition shall you receive food from Ger-
many ? Shall you receive it calmly, quietly, reason-
ably, in payment for the manufactures which you send
to them ? or shall you go to them only in the moment
of perturbation, of anxiety, of starvation, and say," Now
we must have food at any rate, and we will pay any
price, though the very foundations of society should be
shaken by the transaction Hear," and applause.)
No doubt, gentlemen, you have had some
compen-
sation for the loss of trade in piece goods by the in-
crease of the demand for cotton twist ; for I see that,
in 1834, while 204,000 cwt of cotton twist paid duty in
Germany, in 1837 as much as 324'00 cat. was ad-
mitted to entry for home consumption in that part of
the Continent. But I cannot .tase language too strong