Star.
London, England, 1816-09-07 00:00:00

carrON piAlstutiAcrultis.

We have frequently endeavoured to mite the at-
tention of those who alone can apply a remedy, to
.the evils which result to the manufacturing, and,
consequently, to the agricultural interests of Great
Britain from the export of Cotton yarn. At the pre-
sent moment this subject demands the most serious
investigation. Our rivals on the Continent, we shall
not say with the view of depressing and injuring our
manufactures, but with a patriotic effort to extend
their own, and give employment to their artizaus, are
d ing every thing in their power to prevent the in-
troduction of the fabrics of Manchester, Glasgow,
Paisley, &c. while they admit freely the Cotton yarns
necessary to the manufacture of such articles, and
which, therefore, in a certain sense, is to them a-raw
material. Is it sound policy in this country, at a
moment when our artizans are in the utmost distress,
and our manufactures in a sickly state from the secret
operation of the very system which BONAPRRTE pro-
mulgated in his Berlin and Milan Decrees ?—ls it, we
say, sound policy not only to permit but to co•ope-
rate, in giving efficacy to the sinister views of our
rivals, by ftunishing them with an article in its half
manufactured state which they would otherwise be
obliged to purchase from us in a finished state ?—ln
o►her words—ls it prudent that we should supply
them with the means of employment for their wea-
vers while our own are out of bread

The subject to which we with to call the attention
of the public generally, sad especially the considera-
tion of Government, is not one of trivial importance,
but of the greatest magnitude. By returns from the
Custom House, at Hull, now in our possession, it
appears that there have been shipped from that port,
daring the last three months, 3,713,990 pounds
weight of Cotton yarns. These yarns are chiefly
purchased to supply the manufacturers of Cotton
Piece Goods in Germany, France, and Switzerland.
Some part is also destined for Russia. And the
whole, when manufactured, will produce 1,237,966
pieces of Muslins and Calicos, allowing threeyounds
to each piece of twenty-four yards, which is the ave-
rage weight of the pieces. A weaver finishes in the
loom one piece of twenty-four yards weekly.—
The number of hands, therefore, necessary to
weave the quantity of yarn as above stated, in the
same period, is 95,928, and supposing the quantity
of cotton yarn shipped from all she other ports of
England and Scotland to be equal when put together,
to the quantity shipped from Hull, it will give full
employment to nearly 200,000 foreign weavers, and
the annual produce will be ten millions of pieces of
cotton goods. The additional activity given to
foreign labour in printing, dying, bleaching, and
finishing these goods, is almost incalculable ; and as
these yarns in times past have for the most part been
manufactured at home and exported is various kinds
of p'ece goods, it follows, of course, that the activity
given to foreign labour by the export of our cotton
yarns, diminishes, in the same ratio, the demand for
the same kind of labour at home.

We are aware that a most powerful interest is
exerted to prevent this question from being examined
in its true light : nor are we quite ignorant of those
commercial maxims which recommend the free ex-
port of every article for which a purchaser .can be
found. Our limits do not permit us at present to
expose the fallacy and the sophistry of the arguments
employed to vindicate the policy of allowing cotton
' yarns to be exported. It is sufficient at present
to remark, that many of the axioms of political
economists which are true in the abstract, become
absolute falsehoods when certain parts of the machine
are so posited as to give a bias to its general move.
ment. Like the 'axioms in physics, they take for
granted that every part is in due bearing and proper.
tion. Who will deny that a pound of copper opposed
to a pound of wood in the other scale will maintain
the beam in equilibrium ? Here, however, it is taken
for granted that the scales are suspended to a just
beam—alter the centre of suspension ever so little and
the two articles will no longer maintain their relative
position. So it is in political economy. It would un-
questionably be for the general benefit of mankind, if
there were no restraints upon commercial intercourse
between nations. But restraints are imposed by other
nations, and counteracting restraints ate necessary
to the maintenance of commercial equilibrium.

Apply this to the case betore us. If our Continental
neighbours admitted our manufactured Cotton piece.
goods without restraint into their different States, it
would be sound policy, nor would the equilibrium of
the machine be disturbed by it, to allow them also to
import our Cotton yarns. Nay more : it would be
no way injurious to the interests of Commerce, in
such a case, even to admit their piece-goods to come
into our markets in competition with our own. But
when they refuse to admit our piece•goods, and are
willing to import our yarns to be by themselves
manufactured for the consumer, this becomes precisely
one of those commercial derangements which a wise
State should counteract by every %tan in its power.
It is a folly to argue, that if we refuse to let them
have the yarn, they will themselves become spinners.
The tact is—they are already spinners—they only
take from us what their Own spinning manufactories
cannot supply—and, as soon as they have the power,
they will refuse our yarns, as they now do our piece-
goods. Prohibit the exportation of cotton-yarn, or
lay a heavy duty ea it, (but tether the former.) and
you will soon reanimate your droving taessfactiresi