The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-27 00:00:00

4,*t4+

r

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.

A very valuable Parliamentary paper has just been issued
from the Vote-office, for which the public are indebted to a
motion of Mr. Has Tin's, made on the Bth of August last.
No document could have been better calculated to exhibit
the present condition of the several main branches of our
Indian, Colonial. and general American trade than this.
Under the heading of " Exports and Imports," it exhibits
an account of " the declared value of the various articles of
British produce and manufactures exported to the British
West India Colonies, for each of the past five years,
ending the sth day of January, 1845, with the rate of
duty imposed on each article in the colonies ; and of the
quantities of the principal articles of the growth and manu-
facture of the British IVest India Colonies imported into the
United Kingdom; and of the quantities cleared for home
consumption, and the rate of duty charged upon each arti-
cle, &c. ; also the number of ships, distinguishing British
and Foreign, with their tonnage, that have entered and
cleared for the British West India Colonies from the
United Kingdom during the same period." From this
well-digested mass of statistics, it results that the aggregate
value of British and Irish produce and manufactures exported
in 1840 was 3,574,970/. ; in 1844, 2,451,477/. ; showing a de-
crease in our exports to our West India colonies on the latter,
as compared with the former year, of 1,123,493/. This aggre-
gate decline in 1841 improved in 1842; again in 1843, when
it reached the amount of 1840 by less than 700,000/. In
looking over the articles which compose these exports we
have been struck by the general precision of the relations
which they bear to the transition state of these
' colonies in their progress from slavery to freedom. It is
painful to remark how large a decrease there is in
articles necessary to the culture or the manufactur-
ing processes of the principal staple products of these
islands, and also to those commodities of luxury or refinement
which Were till within these few years so largely exported
from this country for the enjoyment or consumption of the
planters and proprietors. On the other hand, it is at once
increase
has and satisfactory to remark how marked an
has gradually manifested itself in our exports of those arti-
cles, not, as heretofore, almost exclusively of necessity, but
of what may be called coarse luxury and finery, such as we
may well suppose would be among the most favourite and
the earliest gratifications of a newly enfranchised race of
a rude people. To begin with this last class of exports
first, we find, accordingly, a decided increase in
" apparel, slops, and haberdashery." In 1840 they were
231,0001. odd ; in 1844, 244,437/. Of manual instruments,
within the same period, the exports rose from 5,9511. to
7,045/. Of perfumery (always extravagantly prized by the
negro races), from 7,466/. to 9,543/. Earthenware of all sorts,
33,0001. odd. to 35,700/.. Against this pleasant glimpse of
improvement we must place, with pain, such significant indi-
cations of decaying tillage and impoverished means on the
part of the planters as we fear these must be taken for which
follow. The decline on the declared value of our exports to
the same colonies in manure was from 9,459/. to 5,850/ ;
oil cake, 8,747/. to 7,298/. ; lime, 7,5371. to 6,917 ;
bacon and hams, 39,492/. to 20,9311. ; beef and pork
(the most enormous decrease on any of the items), from
104,6181. to 15,8771., or 650 per cent. on the five years. Then
cabinet and upholstery ware dropped from 15,814/. in the year
1840, to 9,6781. in 1845. Butter and cheese from 111,808/. to
64,707/. Beer and ale from 81,689/. to 57,923/. Cordage from
19,007/. to 15,301/. Cotton manufactures, including cotton-
yarn, from, 1,234,687/. to 637,962/. Linen manufactures and
yarn from 332,0411. to 217,0711. Plate, plated ware, watches,
&c., from 23,2231. to 13,122/. Silk manufactures from 36,230/.
to 25,078/. Woollen manufactures and yarn from
90,9161. to 78,695/. Then there is a fall in brass
and copper manufactures in the same period of some
12,000/. ; in coals, culm, and cinders, of more than 11,0001. ;
in machinery and millwork, of 20,000/. (this item in 1840
was 44,388/., last year only 24,110/.); in painters' colours, of
5,000/. ; tin and pewter wares, and tin-plates, of 2,000/.
These are, all of them, commodities which in a sounder con-
dition of our West India trade ought to have shown a large
rate of increase instead of such a fearful diminution. In addi-
tion to the very few items of "improvement," we scarcely
know whether we ought to take account of so ugly an
item as apothecary wares, which have gradually expanded
from 18,123/. to 20,385/. " Hardware and cutlery "
has risen from 70,8791. to 77,5291. Our imports
from these colonies, for the same term, show some contra-
dictory results which it is not very easy to reconcile. For
example, whilst cocoa, at a duty of 2d. and a fraction per lb.,
rose from 2,045,244 lbs. in 1840, to 2,583,400 lbs. in 1845, at
just half that duty per lb., coffee, which, at a duty of 6d. and
a fraction per lb., was imported to the extent of nearly ten
millions of pounds in 1840, and upwards of ten millions and
a half in 1841, lastar, at the diminished duty of 4d. and a
fraction, had rapid run down to 7,712,211 lbs. only, in
Contempt of the Chancellor of
.the Exchequer, the poli-
tical economists, and everybody else who had predicted
a concurrent rise of consumption with lowering of the duty.
In like manner, in 1840 we imported of ginger, from these
colonies 7.935 cwt., at the duty of Ifs. 6 3-sd. per cwt.,
but directly this duty was reduced to ss. 3d., In 1842, the
import fell to 5,068 cwt. It Is now so far recovered as to have
been, last year, 6,100 cwt. The rum imported in 1840 was
3,772,047 gallons, of which there were entered, for home
consumption, 2,498,255 gallons. In 1844 these quantities
were, respectively, only 2,506,941 and 1,987,970 gallons
(this latter quantity exclusive of 104,793 gallons East and
West India rum vatted together). Sugar shows an increase
in the same period of about 50,000 cwt., at the duty of
11.55. 2 2-sd. per cwt. Upon the whole, these statistics of
our trade with the British possessions in the West Indies
appear not only unsatisfactory, but alarming. We shall soon
have occasion, however, to recur more largely to this interest-
ing point.

The return of British and Irish produce and manufactures
exported from the United Kingdom to the East India Com-
pany's territories and Ceylon is far more encouraging. The
aggregate in 1840 was 6,623,192/. (declared value) ; for 1844
it was 7,695,606/. The importations from, and exportations
to China, present an interesting feature in the document,
The articles of British and Irish produce and manufactures,
exported from the United Kingdom to China, consisted of
apparel, slops, and haberdashery, arms and ammunition, beer
and ale, printed books, brass and copper manufactures, cotton
manufactures, cotton yarn, earthenware of all sorts, glass,
hardware, and cutlery, iron and steel, lead and shot, linen
manufactures, pickles and sauces, plate, plated ware, ewellery
and watches, stationery, tin, and pewter, wares and tin plates,
woollen manufactures, and other articles. There has been a
great increase in the last year. The following figures show
the aggregate value of British and Irish produce and manu-
factures during the five years :-1840, 524,198/. ; 1841,
869,570/. ; 1842, 969,381/. ; 1843;1,456,104 ; 1844, 2,305,617/.
The declared value of hardware and cutlery exported last
year was 16,281/. The exportations have increased since the
establishment of the tariff with China in a surprising
manner, and must have given a great impetus to trade. The
articles imported from China are likewise given. Of course
the article " tea" is a great feature in the list. For the five
years the following return is given :-1840, 22,576,4051b5. ;
1841, 27,639,8171b5. ; 1842, 37,409,5441b5,; 1843, 42,779,265
lbs.; 1844, 51,754,4851b5. The quantities entered for home.
consumption are for the years respectively 31,009,966!:05.,
83,588,12214, 30,003,4671b5., 38,685,2621b5., and 4!,1;i18,782
lbs, The rate of duty charged is 2s. 21/7.. per lb. In the
accounts rendered of shipping, it appears, 'with respect to
China, that the vessels that have entered and cleared for
China from the United Klue.,m, in the last two years,
ending in January last, ntimbered, as " entered inwards" in
1844, was 84, and in 1845 104, British; and "cleared out-
wards," in 1844, 73 ; and in 1845, 78 British ; and of foreign
there were 3in 1844, and sin 1845. Our exports to the Mau-
ritius in the same term had declinedfrom 325,8121. to 285,6501.,
whilst those to the British North American Colonies increased
from 2,874,913/. to 3,070,861/. A bad account, indeed, is
shown of exports to New South Wales and the Australian
Colonies. In 1840 they reached 2,004,3831. In 1844 they went
down to 744,060/. Our export trade to the United States,
after declining from its amount in 1840 (viz. 5,283,0200 by
nearly the sum of 2,300,0001. in 1842, had risen at the close
of the last commercial year to 7,038,079/. Our trade to Cuba
stood as 514,782/. in 1840 ; at the end of 1844 it was 654,214/.
To Brazil, it was in the first year of the same term 2,625,863/. ;
in the last, 2,413,538/. ; to Mexico and the States of Central
and South America we exported, in 1840, to the amount of '
3,576,357/. ; in 1844, to 3,013,267/.

HOP INTELLIGENCE.
BURWASH.—Hop-picking commenced here on Tuesday
last, and will be general in this neighbourhood to-morrow. It
is now beyond doubt that the crop has been, by many of oar
planters, much over-estimated. Almost every planter who
has begun is inquiring for more pickers, his usual number of
hands being insufficient to supply his oast daily with the re-
quisite quantity of hops, " We can't get on at all," say the
pickers, " the hops don't rise, they are so small—so very
small." The sweeping winds of the last week have done an
amount of injury in the gardens, to which the farmers and
labourers here say they do not remember a parallel. Great
numbers of labourers, male and female, are employed daily,
propping up poles and gathering up the large quantities of
scattered hops. A common expression with us is, " Depend
upon it, these winds have blown away twenty thousand duty."
FARNHAM.—It is said the crop of hops is never safe until
they are picked and dried ; and so it would appear this year,
for where there is a tolerable crop they have been sadly
knocked about by the tempestuous weather which prevailed
from the 15th to the 18th inst. ; this must much detract from
the quantity to be picked in the Farnham district; the wind
was so violent that many branches have been blown off, and
thousands of poles blown down. The picking would have
begun on the 15th generally, but many have waited until the
violence had abated on the 19th, There has been no mould
throughout the year: bu; of the Aphilice, they have nod
laid prostrate the foliage of many trees, assisted by the
winds. The gardens are carpeted with the decayed and in-
fected leaves, and the poles are as if plain wires were twisted
up them; and this appearance occurs more particularly in
the deep rich learns of the vale of Farnham, always called
the best grounds in the district.
HEATHFIELD.—The all-absorbing topic of conversation at
our market on Thursday last was the wet and boisterous
state of the weather during that day and the few previous
ones, and the consequent havoc and dismantlement of the
hop plantations, whereby each garden, without exception, is
truly emblematic6l of a field of battle, with the slain,
maimed, and wounded, lying cretin and pile in all directions.
The decrease of duty on this account was variously esti-
mated at from 20,004 ta 110,0001., and there were those
who, in consideration of the immediate and premature pick-
ing that must ensue, even ventured an opinion of 40,0001. de-
crease. Mr. James Relf's choice garden of pockets are of
good condition, and weigh well. One of them weighed 1 cwt.
2qrs. 27 lbs., and required GO or 67 bushels to the cwt. Far
different will it be with the backward sorts.
Ilortsmon.m.--The beautiful appearance which our hop-
gardens presented last week has vanished, and a scene of devastation now presents itself, the wind having committed
ter-
rible ravages. Thousands of poles are torn downtextent. in
this
parish, and the oeup must be lessened to a a
Picking has become general, but they do notl answert ttloiepiex-
pectations of the planters, being
smalenic'eadn in supplying the
'consequently great difficulty
experienced 155,0001,
oasts. Duty here is now estimated at
Rytc,—The hop-picking has partially commenced in this
neighbourhood, and in a few days will become general. The
violent gales during Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday last,
did considerable dama in biome of the plantations, and it is
conured will materially affect the duty.
jectWATlliUnim—The heavy gales of laat week have com-
pletely changed the appearanee Qt the hop gardens in out
neighbourhood: those grounds that a week ago looked like
growing from 10 to 15 cwt. per acre, will now in many in-
stances ow down from 7 to 10 cwt. per acre, So great is
the havoc, in our parish, that we think if other plantations are
Injured in proportion, the duty must come short of list week's
quotation from 20,0001. to aeopoi picking
will become
general to-morrow er
Ad aser,

.3cpswrous TILE • MAKING.--AtFergusshill Tile-
work, parish of Kilwinning, twenty-four thousand tiles per
day can be made by a single acting machine, attended by
five mop, The machine was made by Mr. James M4Nab
Old Toll, Ayr. The clay receives no more preparation than
it did previous to the adoptim of the machine at Said tile-
work.--ifyr Observer,

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