The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-18 00:00:00

MANUFACTURES
IN. BELGIUM

AND CORN. LAWS.

Though a check has been given to trade and manufac-
tures in Belgium by one of those periodical panics which
visit every commercial country, every circumstance leads
to the inference that it can b• only of a temporary na-
ture. The population of Belgium exceeds four millions
—the oil is rich—the country abounds in mines of iron
and coal, indispensable for a manufacturing nation—food
is cheap, and combined with these advantages, the me-
chanical skill of the people is such, that at no distant
period England must find Belgium her most formi-
dable rival. Since her separation from Holland, and
the establishment of Railroads, the progress she has
made in raising articles of commerce, till lately almost
peculiar to England, is quite astonishing. The latest
account we have seen of the state of that country, is to
be found in Chambers Journal, a publication of modest
pretensions, but containing at times articles of great
importance in what relates to the moral character, in-
dustry, and happiness of the lower classes. The author
visited the country towards the close of last year, and
from personal observation, as well as from authentic
documents, has furnished some facts which would con-
vince, if any thing could convince, our Aristocracy, of
the dangerous game they are playing in upholding the
Corn-laws. As few of them may see this publication,
we take the liberty of extracting from it a few state-
ments for their admonition

COTTON.—The manufacture of Cotton goods is in-
creasing rapidly in consequence of the general introduc-
tion of the best kinds of machinery and of steam power.
It already gives employment to 122,000 workmen, and
the total annual value amounts to more than three mil-
lion sterling.
FLAX.-1n the year 1836, the total value of linen
sold in the Belgian Markets amounted to four millions
sterling, and at present there are upwards of 400,000
persons employed in the manufacture of this article
alone.

Woot.—The Woollen cloths are preferred to the
French, and those of the black dye are in colour supe-
rior to the English. In Vervier alone in 1833, 40,000
workmen were employed, and the products of their
labour amounted to one million sterling ; but Vervier is
only one town out of eight that carry on this manufac-
ture of woollen cloths on a large scale.
IRON AND LEAD.—In Liege and its environs, inclu-
ding- Namur, there cannot be fewer than 20,000 men
employed in the iron trade. Locomotive machinery,
power looms, and, indeed, machinery of every sort, are
manufactured to a great extent there and at seven other
towns. Iron mines abound in the Southern provinces
in conjunction with coal, and Hainault alone produces
more coal than the whole of France.

SUM TOTAL.—A satisfactory proof of the increase of
manufacturing establishments in Belgium is afforded by
the number of licences which were issued between 1830
and 1838. In the province of Antwerp, the number
was 171, in Brabant -259, in West Flanders, 209, in
East Flanders 159, in Hainault 698, in Liege 260, in
Namur 57, in Limburg 129, and in Luxemburg 20 ;
making a total of 1,962 new manufactories, in which are
constantly to be found in operation 400 steam engines.
CONCLUSlON.—lndependency of any advantage which
Belgium may derive from this anticipated trade with
the upper regions of Germany—laying its railways
entirely out of the question—it is indisputable that it
will speedily prove, if it is not already, a formidable
rival to England both in manufactures and commerce.
In the manufacture of many articles, it has already at-
tained an equal skill ; in returns from this source it
must already be not far behind Great Britain, in propor-
tion to its size and population. Taking its efforts in
conjunction with those of its Prussian neighbours, we
may be perfectly assured of the fact, that the long-
boasted supremacy of England in all kinds of industrial
operations is about to pass away, or at least to be di-
vided with other countries. ,

CORN-LAWS.

DIVISION IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON

THURSDAY.
MINORITY
PRESENT-14.
EARL. •
Radnor

MARQUIS,
DI eadalbane

LORDS,
Hatherton
Holland
Langdale
Seaford
Vernon

EARLS.
Albemarle
Durham

Loans.
Brougharn and Vaux
Calthorpee
Kinnaird

Fitzwilliam
Dlinto

mmns,
Bedford

PROXIES —lO.
EARLS.
Carlisle
Derby
Leicester
Suftblk

LORDS.
Clonrurry
Denman
Godolphin

Grafton

MARQUIS.
Westminsta•

MAJORITY
PR ESENT-111,

EA RLS.
Tan kery il le
Cowper
Stanhope
Harrington
`Warwick
Hardwicke
Delawarr
Bathurst
Digby
Meat h
Mountcash el
Longford
Wicklow
Clare
Rosslyn
Wilt m
Gosford
Harrowby
Verul am
Bradford
Beauchamp
Eldon
Falmouth
St raclim Ate
Cawdor
Lichfield
Ripon
Yarborough
Brecknock
VISCOUNTS.
Beresford
Falkland
Hereford
Gage
Hawarden
Lismore
Melbourne
Melville •
PR. MILS-113.

Middleton,
Sidney
Strang ford

BISHOPS.
Bath and Wells
Bangor
Chester
Lol.don

LORDS.
Willoughbyd'Eresby
Vaux
St. John of Bletso
Saye and Seie
Teynham
Colville
Sondes
Foley
Grantley
Montagu
Kenyon
Carrington
Li ford
Cionbrock
Ro,smore
ltedesdale
Ellenborough
S tndys
Hill
Colchester
Maryborough
Forrester
Rayleigh
Bexley
Wharncliffe
owley
Stuart de Rothsay
Poltimore
De Lisle
Sudely

EARLS.
Malmesbury
Shannon
Charlemont
Lucan
Belmore
Bandon
Donoughmore
Celedon
Cray, n
Clancarty
Powis
Charleville
Orford
Lonsdale
liarewood
Brownlow
St. Germain's
Morley
(Bengali
Sheffield
Grey
Somers
Munster
Granville
VISCOUNTS
Arbuthnot
Strathallan
De Vesci
Doneraile
Ferrard
St. Vincent
Sidmouth
Exmouth
Gort
Combermere
Canterbury

LORDS.
Forbes
Saltoun
Sinclair
Reay
Boston
Dynevor
Walsingham
Bagot
Southampton
Rodney
Braybrooke
Douglas of Douglas
Thurlow
Rolle
Bayning
Wodehouse
Arden
Dunally
Alvanley
Rivers
Lynedoch
Churchill
Harris
Glenlyon
Ravensworth
Delamere
Feverstam
Fitzgerald
Heytesbury
Skelmersdale
Wallace
Wynford
Segrave
De Saumarez
Western
Abinger
Ashburton
Carew

LORDS.
Clinton
Willoughbyde Brok e