The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-27 00:00:00

BRUSSELS.

The eviclence of Mr. Alexander, representing the House of
Cockerill, of Seraing, contains some comparative cyphers and
calculations which may not be uninteresting to Manchester
readers, and which tend to prove the impossibility of the
Belgians ever being able to compete with England in the finer
numbers. Accordine. to Mr. Alexander, Belgium consumed
in 1834 six millions of kilogrammes of raw cotton (12,750,000
lbs.) at 2f. 20c. per kilogramme, making 13,200,000 francs,
the value of which is quadrupled by manufacture, giving a
total of 52,800,000 francs thus expended. Raw cotton,
thirteen millions; dyeing materials, seven millions; work-
men's wages, twenty millions ; coals, light, and repairs,
I,4oo,ooefrancs ; interest of capital, at 5 per cent., 2,640,000
francs. Depreciation on thirty-four millions ; capital engaged
at 5 per cent., 1,700,000 francs ; insurances, &c. &c., six
millions ; total, 51,940,000 francs, leaving, to complete the
52,800,000 francs, 860,000 francs profit. The population is
about four millions and a half, and the average consumption
of cotton goods about 20 francs per head, which gives
ninety millions. On deducting 52,800,000 francs for in-
ternal production, it leaves 37,200,000 francs as the
amount of foreign importation ; the greater part of which,
as well as nearly the whole of the raw material, is
drawn from England. It appears that the gross quantity of
cotton goods entered inwards amounted in 1834 to 730,000
kilogrammes (say 1,500,000 lbs. ), which, at 16 francs per
kilogramme, give twelve millions • conseqently twenty-five
millions of merchandise are smuggled, and the revenue is de-
frauded of 3,165,000 francs. The proposed augmented duties
are intended to fall principally on Nos, 60, 80, and 100, by
raising the tariff on the first from 15 to 33 per cent., on the
second to 26 per cent., and on the third to 22 per cent. ; these
being the numbers that are principally imported from Manches-
ter, and, which, from the indolence or want of energy of the
Ghent manufacturers, have been little encouraged at that place.
It would be impossible in this place to follow Mr.. Alexander
through his details, but we must not omit his comparison be-
tween the expense of a cotton-factory in Belgium and England.
A mill in the latter of 10,000 spindles, costs, he says, 20 francs
per spindle ; in the former 40 francs ; giving in the one
country a total outgoing, including interest, of 217,500 francs,
producing 234,000 lbs. annually. In the other the ex-
penses amount to 43,750 francs, producing 145,600 lbs.
annually. Thus, the pound of cotton costs twenty-three
centimes less in England than in Belgium. Add to
this the relative costs of repairs, transport of raw material,
interest and sundries, it results that Manchester can produce
at 26 per cent. cheaper than Ghent. It also appears that
from the ability of the English workmen, and their producing
a greater quantity of stuff in a given period, that manual la-
bour is 20 per cent. dearer in Belgium than in England. One
of the great obstacles to the improvement of this industry in
Belgium, is their inattention to the indigenous improvement of
machinery. Having the models before them their workmen
can produce as perfect machines as ours; but these models
can only be obtained at a great sacrifice of money (700 to 800
per cent.), and delay ; and probably before the copy is per-
fected, the model has already undergone an improvement in
England, which leaves the Belgian still in arrear. We are
aware that our Practical men maintain a jealous watchfulness
over the exportation of machinery, and that it is superfluous
to recommend them to hold a perpetually open eye to this point.
In speaking of smuggling, Mr. Alexander says, that only an
eighth of the merchandize imported pays duty. The insur-
ance houses at Valenciennes offer to introduce goods at dis-
count, and in proportion as the Government augments its du-
ties, they diminish their premiums. Mr. Cockerill professes
to be opposed to prohibition, but bases his system on re-
ciprocity :—" Industry for industry—produce for produce."
But he explains this reciprocity somewhat jesuitically, by
saying that he does not mean that they should receive ten
times as much merchandise as they can sell : or, in other
words, that only so much as they cannot manufacture should
be admitted. This is, in fact, downright prohibition, for
England, if acting upon the basis of reciprocal free trade,
would be able in ten days to send to Antwerp sufficient cotton
to form a tent over the whole of Belgium. It results from
this inquest, and from the opinions of the different Chambers
of Commerce, that opinions are equally divided upon the ques-
tion of prohibition. Six of them were for, and six against it.
Of the former, four are from the Flanders.
The ship-builders of Antwerp have addressed a petition to
the Minister, claiming the re-establishment of the system of
premiums as fixed before the revolution, declaring their trade
to be in a most depressed state, and complaining that the
whole commerce of the port is done in foreign bottoms.
Here again protecting duties are demanded, and hre again, if
an investigation were instituted, we should find that the evil
results from the want of energy, and vigilance of the trade,
rather than from any necessity of encouragemeiat on the part
of the Government. The builders, like the inallufacturers of
Ghent, would desire to see the Government purchase their
produce, and render it unnecessary for them to do anything
but sit tranquilly in their counting-houses.

COURT FOR THE RELIEF OF IN SOL

VENT DEBTORS.

The Matters of the Petitions and Schedules of the Prisoners
hereinafter named (the same having been filed in the Court)
are appointed to be heard at the Court-house, in Portugal.
street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, on Friday, the Ist day of May,
1835, at Nine o'clock in the Forenoon.
Schorse, H. G., Great George-street, Bermondsey, general dealer.
Hawes, T., Fore-street, Lambeth, cheesemonger.
Carter, T., Great Peter-street, Westminster, gas--fitter.
Sparks, D., East 11am, Wall End, Essex, jobber.
flickling, T. H. P., Suffolk-street, Birmingham, lamp-manufae-

turer.
Pitt, A., Broad-court, Bow-street, Covent-garden, fruit sale man.
Roberts, T., Glandford near Holt, Norfolk. farming bailiff.
Herbert, J. Devonshire-street, Queen-square, house-painter.
Bray, J., Newton-street, High Holborn, chandler's shopkeeper.
Day, H., Clarendon-place, Clarendon-square, Somerstown, clerk.
Ryan, R., Park-street, Camden Town, author.
Alcad, J., Woodford, Essex, boot-maker.

COWPER'S WORKS.—A complete edition of this
exemplary Christian poet, with his Life, Letters, and. Private
Correspondence, edited by the Rev. Mr. Grimshawe, is now
in course of publication in monthly volumes, by Messrs.
Saunders and Otley. Vols. 1 and 2 are now before us, and
may fairly compete with the most elegant of this class of fash-
ionable literature, both in external appearance and beauty of
typography and illustration, the latter from original drawings
(made expressly for the work) by the Findens. To say that
the editor is competent to the task he has undertaken is but
lukewarm praise : no better could have been selected, whether
we judge from his religious character or his high literary repu-
tation. We have only to 1., dd that the getting up of the work
is highly creditable to the artists engaged, and the literary
world are greatly indebted to the spirited publishers for giving
the entire works of one of the most popular poets of England
in an elegant and portable size, and at a price which will render
it attainable by all classes of readers. —County Herald.

EA RLY GAMBLER.—Last week a fad, only seven.-
teen years of age, banged himself at Frome, after having
pawned his clothes and parted with his last shilling to pay his
losses at skittle playi_ng.
FATAL AND MEL ANCIIOLY ACCIDENT.—At a
colliery in the neighbourhood of Wilsontown, on Wednesday
last, a young man of the name of Adams was adjusting the
rope at the pithead, while his father was in the act of ascend-
ing from his work, when by some inadvertency the rope which
be was adjusting had formed into a coil on a part of the gin,
and not being aware of this circumstance, when it suddenly
lengthened out, he lost his balance and fell headlong down the
pit. In his descent the unfortunate youth gave one piercing
farewell shriek as he passed his father, and the next instant
was hurried into eternity.—Edinburgh Paper.
FISHING EXTRAORDINARY.--Among the sporting
performances of fishers in the Tweed, with the rod, which have
lately been noticed, may be classed the result of an hour's
fishing in the Tnviot, obtained by a nobleman who without
neglecting any of the numerous arid important duties of his
high station, so manages as to have some time for health-
ful exercise and recreation. On Monday evening last, the
Duke of Buccleuch, after the day's hunt, killed, within an
hour, in the pool close by Monteviot, three salmon, two
perches, and a pike of 141bs. with a single gut line. Be-
sides those secured his Grace run several other salmon and
another large pike ; and one of the most remarkable points
of this fishing adventure was, the recovery of a hook and
line in his mouth of a kelt of eight pounds weight, which
again took the hook shortly after having broken away from
the first take. As a suitable termination of such sport, his
Grace at night speared twelve fish in the same pool of the
Teviot.—Scotch Paper.