Star.
London, England, 1828-07-11 00:00:00

mutton and beef are both falling every day. Sheep are now kill-
ing at a year old, instead of two years old. '
Do you comae the present price of Meat a remunerating price?
—l(cs, I think it more than a remunerating price bad we recovered
front the effects of the rot.
Dors not elle excess of that price compensate for the deiciency
in the price of wool ?—I think it is more than a remunerating price
for those who have sheep now to sell; but looking back at the loss
we sustained from the rot, that loss wawa great that we have not
recovered Isom it yet.
Mr. William Nottage examined—l carry on my business in Rus-
sell street. Bermondsey. lam a woulstapler and fellmonger, and
general dealer in English wool. 1 have dealt on my own account
since Midsummer, 1792. I was apprenticed seven years before that.
Does a deterioration invariably follow an increase in the weight
of wool ? For the purpose of making cloth it does.
Is not the quantity of what is called coarse wools greatly in-
creased ?—From that description of sheep, certainly.
Can you give the Committee any information as to what you
conceive to be the causes of the increased weight of the fleece, and
the consequent deterioration?—As far as my observation goes,
wherever enclosures take place, aid •the land becomes better cul-
tivated, they keep a better kind of bli:vp, a larger kind of sheep;
and South Down sheep of a good size are always more marketable
than of a small size.

In the prices you give or offer for wool, do you take into consi-
deration the stocks in hand with the farmers?—We arc governed
by the demand, which of course is regulated by the stock in hand;
but we very otten know nothing of the stock in any other hands
but our own.
In what state are those stocks now consider the stock in
the hands of the dealers very loss now to what it is on the average
of years.

Was it not the custom formerly far staplers to keep large Stocks
in their hands to supply their customers?—l have frequently had
more than double the quantity f now have; and I used to he in
the habit of receiving orders from manufacturers for 200 or 500
packs at a time. I scarcely ever now get orders for more than 40
or 50 ; and that bring the case, I keep a less stock.
Nr. William Ireland— lam a Black well-hall factor. We have
been using English wools for second and livery cloths; but accent!),
they have been so very much lowered in quality, we have not been
able to meke use of them at all, and have been obliged to make use
of low Garman and low Spanish wools forthat purpose.
When did you begin to discover that the English wool had become
so much worse ?—lt must be five or six years hack, or six orseven.
I have samples of cloth which we manufactured when we firit went
into business, and I have samples of those we now manufacture.
Did you discover it previous ro the' time when the tax was taken
off in the year 18247—We did.

Did you act upon that discovery previous to the tax being taken
off?—We did.

During the time the tax continued, you began to use foreign
wool, in consequence of finding that the British wool clid nut an-
swer the purpose as well as it used to do?—We did.
Is that general in the clbtliing country about you?—ln Glouces-
tershire and Wiltshire it has Daft very general. ,
Did you begin the ti-e of the foreign about the time the other
manufacturers did?—Yes; the manufacturers have been running a
great race lately, seeing who could produce the best article in the
market, and. have made very great intprovements.
Do you still make cloth eiriri ly of Is:tight's wool? We ate noir
particularly engaged in making those super cloths ; and for home
consuniption swot make some nt the livery drabs and seconds.
At what price do you sell the cloth made of English woul?—We
have been making, recently, livery drab cloths, a sample of which
I will beg to produce (producing the same); that we sell at 95. 6d.
per yard; *bat is for box coats; that is from a Dorset wool.

- Do yoii make any of that mixed with foreign for liveries?—The
Frome people have been mixing lo* foreign wools with English
wool for that purpose; and my brother-in-law, who lives near
Dorchester, came to town last week to purchase foreign wool, for
the purpose of mixing it with the British wool.
Ten years ago was the cloth made of British wool better than
this pattern which you have now delivered ?—h weold have been
better ten years ago, if the saute sort of wool were used whichas
now. The fleeces are run into different sorts, and we have rise from
the low sorts to the higher, and are now using the very best sorts
'for that purpose, ;said they are not good enough; whereas we used
to sell the higher sorts, and keep the lower for manufacture.
For what did you sell the fine sorts? For the best flannels, and
for the second cloths, such as servants' coats are made of.
You are obliged to use the finest for the common livery cloth?—
We are.
And that in consequence of the wool having become coarser than
it used to be?--Yes.

Sine; what time has the wool become coarser?—We have ob-
:servedli for, the last seven year'; the breeds have been crossed. 1
reecilklet giving 2s. 6d. per pound fur Dean Forest Down wuo:s to
make white second cloths. We were at chit time eery much engaged
io that trade. We must have them free from black hairs. That is
an article we cannot get at any price now ; it is not to he procured
in the kingdom at all.

Dkci' you-make a discovery that Biitish wool was deteriorated in
quality before the existence of the sixpenny duty?—Oh, yes, we
certainly did. •
Supposing a drawback were allowed upon the exportation of
cloths at the Custom-house equal to the duty imposed upon the raw
material, could that he done without frauds being committed by
the manufacturer ; might he not demand a drawback, pretending
that his cloth was manufactured ofsforeign wool in a greater degree
than it was?—l think it would be subject to that.
Could the liability to fraud be set aside by having sample pieces
of cloth at the Cvstont-house, and referring to them, in the hands
of competent judges ?—I do not think it could; for in the low de-
sc ript ion of cloths, made from Mr. Webb Hall's flocks, I have
laid with them a o:oth nude of Germau wool ;•and• ill your Lord-
ships will be kind enough tolompare these patterns with that cloth,
it would require very great nicety of judgment to discriminate be-
tween then. •

Do you think there would be a great tendency to commit those
frauds ?—I think it would open a door to them.
You state that the wool trade in foreign countries is now on the
decline?—l think it is.
To what cause do you attribute that ?—I attribute it to the mar-
kets being very much overstocked.
Do you mean the trade in cloth, or the trade in woollens gene-
rally ?—I mean the trade in woollens generally. I undetstand
from Calcutta that cloths can be purchased considerably cheaper
than I can shipthem hem