Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1842-11-28
From the (Phiia) North incriean.
ADVANCEMENT OF THE COTTON MANUFAC

luke IN CHEAT BRITAIN.
Themanuiacurc of cotton cloths Eng.
land about the middle of the seventeenth century,
not until about the l16O "a hundred years uer
any considers demand for them arose. About this time
the importaicns OF cottons both the continent and
ncrca began To be carried larger SCALE and the
nuacurc of course received corresponding impulse. The
thread had hitherto been spun entirely still continues
he IN India by the tedious process OF the dsta spindle
the spinner drawing only single thread time. But
as the demand for the article increased
greater scarcity of thread experienced, TILL although
there were 900 spindes constantly work in Lancashire
alone each occupying individual spinner they found
quite insufficient supply the quantity Ut thread required
Ii was natural in this state Of things that attempts should
be made 10 coniEyo method of spinning effective
than that which had hitherto been usc but u
tai the 1863 that any succeeded In this Sir
Richard Arhwrght took patent the OF the
spinning machine, which with few Improvements has
in since.
The revolution, therefore, in the whole aspec, and char
acer OF the manufacturing and commercial interests which
mas hence arisen Is the work OF only the las, sixty
About the of the last century the quantity OF
cotton annually imported Great Britain did not amount
to 900 lbs; and by the 1920 had not
to much beyond 1000, 900 lbs. There returns from
l12O l77l but the mporaons had probably increased
AT slow rate during the interval Nor did il make very
rapid progress for nearly Is years after spinning by mach
merry was introduced having from III l775 averaged
only 4sC, $50 lbs, and for the years only zoo
los lnl1e5, Arkwnghs patent was repealed consequent
y the spinning machine gercraluse and the
manufacture received great impulse.
The average importation for the five increased
o2o ii32lO lbs annually. In 1893 had risen - 1873
L ~.
9l296o lbs and IN ls25 II amounted 22s 600 900
lbs.
The average importation of cotton into Great Britain NAV
now be stated considerably exceeding $50 600 900 lbs
per annum, amounting hundred times what il
was century ago, and to than fifty what il was
when Arkwrght began spin.
The whole of this material with the exception OF
about lU,OUuUOO lbs which used in ted
state and near l5000000 ba. which annually exported
Is spun into thread and mostly wrought into clothes in the
country The Rev. DR. Cartwright invented his power loom
IN l1e4 but II only since the of the pre-
sent century that weaving by machinery has become gene
al Steam first applied the moving power for the
spinning machinery in 7s5 In 1851 the number of spin
ming factories in the county OF Lancaster only I2 of
comparatively inconsdenbe magnitude In 1926 there
WERE according u MIR Banes fewer than l0I such fac
tories IN Manchester alone worked by 40 engines
the aggregate power OF 359S horses The number now is
probably much Increased There present abou So
600 steam looms work Kingdom nearly half of which
in Manchester.
The produce Of this machinery is immense-"A single
factory in Manchester and that the largest size re-
ceiyes the and web of CLOTH varying
IN width from three quarters OF yard ward and quar-
ter Of near fifty miles IN length every week" In 1850 il
has been calculated that the whole of the cotton
manufacture OF the kingdom did exceed the annual va
luc of GOO OO is considered on good grounds 10
Sir Richard Arkwrgh te capital invested in this trade
in the l7Sl, GOO 000" is calculated to amount
now IN Lancashire alone, which possesses ourts Of
inc Trade 10 flOOO9 900. The value the cotton
goods exported from Great Britain some years has aver
aged about els 100000; leaving f22 100000 worth
tor home consumption The trade cotton goods is now full
ly three times hain wooden, the manufacture of which used
to he the great staple of the kingdom 1t has been calculated
that while the number of persons employed in the cotton
manufacture in 1867 did probably amount to 10000 the
number now engaged In IL IS 1000 900. Yet, ain
some branches OF the business" has stated the
spinning IN particular such is the economy Of labor intro
duced by the of machinery that one man and for chill
dren will spin as much yarn, spun by hundred
women and girls sixty years ago" b. j.
Philada.. III th mo. l7tlI-