The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-27 00:00:00

Here is undeniable proof of a considerable increase in
the export of our principal manufactures ; and, more-
over, the real increase is greater than the apparent in-
crease, owing to the value of money having been greater in
1839 than in 1838. Can it, then, be disputed that the year
1839 was one of manufacturing and commercial prospe-
rity ? Unfortunately it can, and the reverse can be proved
to demonstration by the same Parliamentary Return from
which the share facts have been extracted. When I first
saw the statement of our increased exports, and saw it
quoted as a proof of our national prosperity, I confess I
was perplexed, becausri I was absolutely certain that
the country, instead of being prosperous. was great-
tie reverse. I was anxious to examine the offic;al
return for myself ; and when I did so, the mystevy
was solved. I hold the return in my hand. It is
headed " Trade and Navigation," and contains utt4er
six different heads a statement of the imports and ex-
ports of the last two years, and of the shipping en .-
ployed in oar trade for those years. Having found tixtt
the exports had b. en correctly quoted by Mr. Sandet s
and others, I turned to the imports, in order to sae tho
quantities of the raw materials of our principal manu-
factures which had been entered for home consumption,
knowing that the quantity of raw material consumed
! was the only infallible criterion of what bed been doing
by our manufacturers. I turned first to the article o f
cotton wool, and looked, not to the imports ',for that
might be delusive), but to the quantity catered for home
consumption ; and there I found that, so far from there'
having been an increase in the quantity last year, as might
have been inferred from the goods exported, there was a ,!
most important falling off. The quantity of cotton wool
entered for home consumption in the year 1838 was
460,756,0131b5. weight ; whilst in the year 1839 it was
only 355,781,960%5., or lees by 105,000,0001b5. ; and
though the spinners had larger stocks of cotton on hand
at the beginning of 1839 than at the beginning. of 1840,
yet it is certain that the quantity spun and manu-
factured last year fell greatly below that of the previous
year. For four months, frcm the end of March to the
end of July, the weekly consumption was only about
half the average weekly consumption of the previous
year. I turned next to the quantity of sheep's wool, ,
and found that there, also, instead of t.n increase in
the quantity entered for home consumption, there had
been a decline, the quantity entered in 1838 being
56,415,4601b5. weight, and the quantity in 1839
being 53,221,2311b5. This is foreign and colo-
nial sheep's woo!. Of the quantity of British and
Irish wool consumed we have no returns, nor can any
be obtained ; but we have very extensive consumer; of
that article in the room, from Bradford and Halifax,
and I am sure they will bear me out when I say that
the qivantity of British wool consumed in 1839 was very I
considerably less than the quantity in 1838. Again, '
turning to the raw material of linen and linen-yarn, r
far from an increase, corresponding with the increase in
the export of goods, there appears a material decline. I
The quantity of flax entered for consumption having
been 1,625,830 cwt. in 1838, and 1,228,894 cwt. in
1839. In the raw materi..l of the silk manufacture also,
tile quantity entered for home consumption in the year ,
1839 appears to have been below that of the precious
year ; in 1838 the quantity of raw silk was 3,683,739
lbs., and in 1839 it was 3,483,3631b5. ; of thrown
silk the quantity was 243,5701b5. in 1838, and
229 9411b5. in 1839 ; in silk waste, knubs, and husks
there was a slight increase—from 960,1471h5. in 1838,
to 1,044,3351b5. in 1839. Again, we have seen that
there was an increase in the export of hardwares and
cutlery ; but on turning to the raw material, namely, I
the first quality of iron, which we import from abroad,
and which, therefore, is contained in this list of imports
it appears that the quantity of iron entered for home P
consumption, instead of increasing, declined. In 1838
there was 19,318 tons of iron entered ; and in 1839
there was only 18,437 tons. Again, in the article
of oil, which is so extensively used in our clothing
manufactures as to be reckoned in the light of a re
7v
material, there was a decline in every description ; iu
train, blubber, and spermaceti oils, from 28,014 tuns in I
1838, to 22,348 tuns in 1839 ; in palm oil, from 276,809
ewt.to 266,427 cwt. ;in cocoa-nut oil, from 38,781 ca-' .
to 15,541 cwt. ; and in olive oil, from 2,037,987 gallons
to 1,815,692 gallons. Lastly, I mention the article of I
dyes and dyeing stuffs, in all of which there was a de-
cline, except in the articles of cochineal and logwood,
which were specially wanted for a large quantity of
army clothing ; in cochineal, the quantity entered for
consumption was 202,0871bsain 1838 ; and 492,0631b5. I
in 1839 ; in logwood, 14,107 tons in 1838, and 17,937
tons in 1839 ; but in indigo there was a decline from
.
3,020,5621b5. in 1838, to 2,719,5031b5. in 1839 ; lac
dye, from 633,8691b5. to 539,5991b5.; in madder, from
109,385 cwt. to 97,645 cwt.; in madder-root, from
83,725 cwt. to 81,219 cwt.; and in shut-nee, from
208,251 cwt. to 171,222 cwt. I thus present the '
quantities above-mentioned in the tabular form :
RaW MATERIALS OF 3fANUFATURES—QUANTITIES ENTERED
FOR ROME CONSUMPTION IN 1838 AND 1839.

Years ernii
1839.

460,756,0131
56,415;460
1,625,830!

3,653,739
243,570
960,147
19,318

28,014
276,809
38,781
2,037,987

20'2,087
3,020,56'2
633,869.
14,10 T

,ng Jan. 5,
1 1840.

355,7:7;1,960
53,221,231
1,23,E,94

3,483,363
229,941
1,044 ,335
18,437

22,348
266,427
15,541
1,815,692

492,068
2,719,.503

109,385
83,725
208,251

539,599
17,937
97,64 b
81,219

171,222
ibili ty of

nd tl