New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-02
Political Economy-The Manufacturing
Wealth OF Great Britain.


payable to the Carrier.
Political Economy-The Manufacturing
Wealth Of Great Britain.
We avail ourselves Of Mr.. Seamsns excellent
work, The Progress Of Nations" which we have
heretofore noticed 10 give few facts relative 70
the wealth and power which Great Britain derives
from Manufactures To Mr. Seamsns remarks we
add table Of our own, showing the present est
mated value Of the Manufactures Of Great Brit
ain compared with their value thirty years SINCE
During the whole Of the seventeenth and eigh.
seenth centuries. Holland was the weathiest coun-
try In the world far in advance Of England. Lven
down 20 the time Of Revolutionary War, the
public revenues OF France were nearly twice a.
great as those Of Great Britain and prior 70 that
time the French were as wealthy az, and perhaps
more 90 than the British. What has caused this
halchange Can any reason be assigned orit,
except the power Of Machinery aud the great extern
sion Of the Mining and Manufacturing industry Of
Creat Britain coming ia aid Of, and furnishing the
materials for. the most extensive Commerce which
ever existed
II 10 estimated that the same number Of persons
c.n now, by the aid Of machinery. make about
twenty times as much Cloth Of Cotton and Wool
a. they can by cardng. spinning and weaving BY
hand, 10 the old method in use prior to 1867 Cot.
ton IL now worth about one fourth as much as twas
then; Cotton Cloth sbont one fourth as much: the
labor Of cafding. spinning and weaving by ma
,hinery. onetwentieth part as great; and the
value Of manufactures Of Cotton. coarse and fine
are worth on an average about Eve times as much
o. the raw Cotton. The result, taking quantity
Of Cotton new worth $50, may be stated as fol-
lows.
Cotton, No. efLq. Yolu, Of Prosel Cap.
uoyi borers man fa'; 'i9lasdLe'r.
MY" t.,y Of f' COTTON, Ssa 90 20 400 3ao
In 1888. same value
This shows that the wages Of Labor and
profits Of Capital aided by Machinery arc FIVE
times as great as they were a century SINCE. The
same mode Of illustration will apply TO manuiac-
lures Of WOOL Of tho Metals. and all other articles
manufactured by machinery aud it shows that
though manufactures Of Cotton have declined In
prico since ITO about thre ofourths, shd those OF
Wool Hardware. aud msny others about hall,
yet The prices OF all these fabrics arc still so high
IN Great Britain as to afford the manufacturer and
laborer for tho wages ofsbor and profits capital
abont hyo times as much as they could obtain a
caotury since But little change, on the other
hand, has taken place Ia the value OF breadstuiis
since 1850. either in America most countries OF
Europe and the wages and profits OF Agrcul.
rural labor are bat lutte more now than they were
then.
We think that Mr. Seaman is rather too mode
rate In his estimate Of the decline In prices OF man.
ufaeiared fehrics since l7ro. Probably Cotton
Good. are not now more than one fifth as costly
In money. on the average. as they were III
i17o-as far as II is possible to compare them, I'M
der the changes which have taken place in the
st,le Of goods manufactured The decline Of Cot
tons may therefore be placed at tourtJths within
the last seventy five years while Woolens and
other manufactures are probably ne~S purchased
1t prices on an average not exceeding oHeth'rd
those Of ITO.
Is 1t strange that the people Of Great Britain
should grow rich by the combined influence oil Cap
ital Machinery, Science and Skill In Manufactures
and Mining and the aid OF the markets OF half the
civilized world ready to buy their products at pri
ees which afford them four or five times as much
profits and wages they could have obtained
century since and about three times ms great as
any agricultural people can now make Is 1t
strange that by their policy they should manage 10
prevent the growth OF Manufactures in Ireland Ia
their Colonies, in the United States. and IN all
other Countries preach the doctrines Of Free Trade
and try to keep all the world dependent on them
for manufactures at high prices.
The following table is an approximate estimate
Of the annual value Of the manufactures Of Great
Britain at the present time, compared with the
same In isIa-at the commencement OF the Las,
War between her and the United States In max.
ing this statement, we have consulted the best
British Writers. such as McCuloch and others
In few Of the amounts given, the valae OF the
raw material used in{hs manufacture is deducted
but in general it Ia included in the aggregate
The result shows that the annual value Of Brit
ish manufactures has increased about Ninety
Millions sterling--equal to -Four Hundred Millions
Of Dollars Is 1, surprising that John Bull, having
prospered for two centuries under his stringent
Protection until his manufactures are away ahead
Of all others is now willing to rely on his immense
accumulated Capital to beat other nations il
manufacturing, if he can persuade them to adopt
the modern doctriae Of Free Trade ?"
rxpr1 Al VIEW or THE rRiNcisAI NASurAorrnrs G,