The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-23 00:00:00

r RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE TEA TRADE.

I. The growth-4)f. the commerce between this country- and'
the Chinese empire in the article of. tea, as described in
the able publication of Mr. IL Montgomery Martin, af-
fords a singularly interesting illustration of the beneficial
results derived t'rom.the enterprise of modern commerce.
Within less than twor hundred years, a trade in an innu-
tritious herb has progressed from the most paltry begin-
ning, when the article was regarded as a most expensive
luxury, until it employs British capital to the extent of
£10,000,000 sterling, furnishes employment to 60,000 tons
of British shippink,- contributes • nearly £5,000,000 ster-
ling to the revenue, and has become-a necessary article of
consumption amongst all ranks, of the- British people.
The use of the tea plant in China is first referred to
about the end of the Bth century. In 1600, dried leaves
(of tea) were noticed as in general use amongst the Chi-
nese, and in 1633 amongst the Persians. The Hollanders
appear to have first introduced' it into consumption in
Europe. The first notice we have of its use in England
is in 1660, when a duty of eightpence per gallon was laid
upon all tea made and sold in cofree houses. , At this
time, it was sold at three guineas per Ib. Up to 1688;
our limited supplies were drawn from the continent ; but
in that year, the East India Company ordered 100 lbs. to
be shipped from their factory in Java, and in 1669 the
first invoice was received, consisting of two canisters of
14&% lbs. weight.
In 1680 the company opened'a direct trade with China ;-
and in 1689, the mode of collecting the duty upon the
quantity used in the coffee-houses being found uncertain
in its results, a customs' duty of five shillings a pound'
was imposed. In the years 1697-98, and 99 the importa-.
tion was 20,0001b5. annually, In 1700 it had risen to•
60,0001133. a year, and the average price was sixteen shil-
lings a pound. In 1721 the importation for the first time..
exceeded 1,000,0001b5.
The trade gradually progressed up to the commence-.
merit of the present century, when it closely approached
to 30,000,000 lbs. per annum. From that period it has
increased to 56;503,000 lbs. which was the import in 1846;
whilst the consumption has been decreasing. in Europe
and America, where the duty has been nominal. Since
_the commencement of this century the enormous quantity
of 1,385,949,566 lbs. of tea have been sold in England,
which has produced. to the revenue about £167,643,702
sterling.
Mr. Martin gives the present average consumption. of
China tea in different' countries as follows, in round
numbers : lbs.
" Great Britain and Ireland
British North America & West Indies 2,500,000
Australasia, Cape of Good Hope, &c. 2,500,000
British India and Eastern Islands 2,000,000

Total in British empire 52,000,000
United States of America. / 7,000,000
Russia
France and colonies 500,000
Hanse Towns, &c.
Holland and its colonies
Belgium 200,000
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway
The German States. ..
Spain and Portugal lOO,OOO
Italian States
South American States