Increase at the rate of about 28 per cent only. The export of piece-goods reached, That is, it had much more than doubled in five years. Two of the chief arti cles were, 1831, Printed and coloured piece-goods, 1835, Printed, &c., White, &c., Our own movement was, 1831, declared value of cotton exports, Immense as this advance must be justly deemed, it is only one-fourth part of the speed at which our Transatlantic brethren have raced. They little comprehend the indomitable and untiring energies of the Yankee cha racter, who shall opine that once embarked in the contest they will ever be found lagging behind. Men who grudge the indispensable half-hour of meal time as a deduction of so much per cent from the day's profits, and who glory in calling and in thinking themselves the "first nation in the world" -the State Empire"-will cease not, shrink not, from toil and trial until they have achieved, are first at, the goal. They have skill, ingenuity, the raw products, capital — English capital-all in their favour. Speculation is a necessity of their nature; the reverses of to-day disturb not their imperturbable phlegm; their cry tomorrow is still-Go a-head!* And go a-head they will if the spirit of the mother-land be caught slumbering in fancied security. During all the late 1830. Furnaces, 96,931 dollars. 947,932 397,412 2,355,202 £17,257,204 22,128,304 fury of land-jobbing schemes in the west, of building extravagances in the east, of bancomania every where, which have involved all other, the commerce, agriculture, and industry of the Union in bankruptcy, the cotton manufacture alone remains unscathed, luxuriating in profits, and tempting the cupidity of fresh adventurers. The late ruinous results of all other descriptions of enterprise will serve to draw the attention and whet the appetite of the industrial community and of capitalists. The assurance of better wages will tempt labour from less beneficial employment in agricultural and other pursuits, in a country where families emigrate a thousand miles any way with less scruple than here a change of ten would be resolved on. Iron and coal are abundant, and the progress of mining has kept pace with that of the cotton manufacture. The latest return at hand of the iron production comes down unfortunately only to 1830.† There were in that year in action in the States say Producing, converted into the shape of bar-iron, 202 Tons of 28 cwts. 96,621 28,273 33,986 In the late session of the legislature of Massachusetts several bills were passed incorporating more companies, with large subscribed capitals, for establishing cottonspinning and manufacturing concerns on the largest scale. This article was suggested to us, whilst on a tour in the manufacturing districts of Lancashire, in the middle of last month, by the perusal of Mr Greg's pamphlet, which about that time made its appearance, and by the great meeting on Hartshead Moor of the operatives, against the Workhouse system. We intended to have taken up the subject at a more distant day, and with that view had not been neglectful of observation and notes. The circumstances stated, decided us to execute our resolve off hand, and rather to risk being incomplete than out of season. Of course our means of reference were often beyond reach, The whole product of France in 1834 was but 2,500,000 tons; and that of Belgium, the richest mineral country in Europe after Great Britain, no more than 3,200,000. There are no precise data for estimating the progress of the cotton manufacture in Prussia and Germany, but we are already enabled to judge of the effect of the German custom's league upon our own industry. We intimated on a former occasion that the operation of that confederacy against us would not probably be felt 173,734 materially during a season of high EXPORTS TO GERMANY AND THROUGH THE HANS TOWNS 5,598,143 354,830 17,448,609 5,129,242 3,223,106 2,347,774 119,771 20,639 152,944 243,116 2,022,951| 1,592,139 Velveteens, Velvets, Cords, 6,022,286 5,510,640 4,724,442 3,553,744 and Jeans Cords,} Yards, 79,412,603 59,688,743 65,422,13662,048,062 Showing a decrease in four years of more than seventeen millions of yards, or above one-fifth. The decrease would doubtless be in reality much more marked if it were possible to deduct from the total amount the separate imports of Hanover, Brunswick, Mecklenburgh, Holstein, and Oldenburgh, which have not, we believe, joined the league, and whose united population amounts to about three millions. As it is, the trade is in course of rapid annihilation; whilst 1833, judging from the multiplying demand for yarns from hence, over and above what is furnished by the numerous factories latterly constructed (and others more numerous in course of construction) in Rhenane Prussia, Saxony, Baden, and elsewhere, the condition of the manufacturers of fabrics must be highly flourishing. The despatch of cotton yarns to Prussia and Germany through the Hans Towns and Holland had ascended as follows: 34,871,589 lbs. 1834 (adding more than 5,000,000 lbs. sent through 1835, 1836, Thus, the excess of supply taken off within four years by looms in Ger 43,912,058 many amounts to nearly one-third. The Prussian Tariff is based upon the fraudulent pretext of a ten per cent ad valorem tax, which, by some hocus pocus more fraudulent still, is juggled to mean a poundage duty of 1s. 6d. per pound upon all foreign cotton cloths. The difference may be thus explained :-The average price of cotton prints exported for the last year is stated at 14s. per piece; add agency charges and freight, and say: 1 piece of print, length 28 yards, weight 4 lb., value L.0 15 0 0 1 6 060 or 40 per cent. Plain white calicoes are a case still stronger in point : 1 piece calico, length 24 yards, weight 5 lb. 8 oz., value or 82 per cent. Dr M'Culloch, who appears to have been entrusted by the Prussian Government to make out a vindication for it, has imagined a case of fine cotton prints at 2s. 6d. per yard, upon which he operates accordingly, and brings out the poundage at no more than 83 per cent. The answer is casy-there are not perhaps twenty thousand pounds worth of that costly article exported to Prussia and Germany in any one year. The right way, after all, is to decide upon the point by the gross quantity, and not by isolated instances. Take the whole exports, calculate the weight, and the value, according to ascertained rates those of Mr Burn, for example-and the real result may be arrived at. This we have done heretofore* in ample detail, and need not repeat it here. The result is, that the actual duty levied, or with which the commodities are struck, by the poundage system, amounted, on the whole actual export, to about 45 per cent. Prices have already considerably receded below those of last year. Printing L.0 10 0 1 08 002 cloth which then sold currently at 10s. 6d. per piece, ranges now about 6s. 6d. or 7s. only, so that the poundage duty will equal, if not exceed, the cost price. It will be perceived, therefore, that some of our former most extensive customers are not only rapidly supplying their own consumption, but partially meeting us in other markets. Assuming the first cost of manufacture to be equal in Germany, France,† the United States, and Great Britain, it is clear that all the difference of the tarified amount, say thirty, forty, or fifty per cent of protecting duties, goes into the pockets of our manufacturing rivals, creates the capital wanted, and is and will be laid out in mills and machinery. But the first cost is not generally equal. The following shows at one view the mean rate of wages in one of the largest establishments of Mulhausen or the neighbourhood. M. Ed. Collomb, by whom it has lately been published, does not name the firm, but he answers for the exactitude of the figures. STATISTICS OF A LARGE MANUFACTORY ON THE HAUT RHIN. The mean average per head of 1832 was 1 franc 16 cents only, so that wages had advanced. See Blackwood, January, 1836. + The Tariff of France, honest towards us, if not neighbourly, is-prohibition. The mean wages, 1 franc 35 cents, are equal to 13 d. per day per head, or per week, 6s. 9d. The wages of spinners at Lille, where the finer yarns are spun, are 3 francs per day, or 15s. per week. At Mulhausen, 2 francs 34 cents, or nearly 12s. per week. The scale of wages for the following places we take from Mr Greg and the Report of the Commissioners. In the Tyrol (Germany), the spinner earns Vienna, Baden, adults, Bonn (Prussia), 9s. weekly. 12s. 8s. 4d. 5s. 6d. 10s. The last is, we think, understated. M. A. Koechlin, the very intelligent French manufacturer, and member of the Chamber of Deputies, rated them rather higher, if our memory do not deceive us, for we have not the authority at hand. But to understand these rates, quantities produced and qualities are necessary. The operatives at Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts, are paid probably higher than in any part of the United States. The following, according to an authentic source, are the mean rates : Spinners, Power-loom weavers, male and female adults, male and female non-adults, but chiefly females, 25s. per week. 10s. 10d. The fine spinners of course earn considerably more in proportion to the higher numbers and the quality. The average wages in calico printing, men and boys included, have been calculated at 10s. per week. The daily duration of labour appears to be— essentials of superiority now existing against us abroad, we add an additional bonus in a ten-hours' bill, by which the manufacturer will be expected to pay the same amount of wages as now for the labour of twelve hours, our case will not be improved. Supposing that the demand remain steady it must add one-sixth to wages already double those of some, and onethird more than those of other neighbouring states. Moreover, to produce the same quantities the number of mills, print-works, &c. as well as of hands, must be increased by one-sixth. But mills cannot be created in one day, nor could such an augmentation be possible for years. On the Continent they can build nearly as fast, and in Ameriea equally so perhaps, as we can here. In the mean time higher prices would check consumption at home and abroad. But the additional number of mills would not be built here, because capital would seek the places which promised the most profitable returns. The rates of profit are low here they are exorbitant elsewhere, through protecting tariffs and low wages. Let us not deceive ourselves. Capital is not so locomotive as in America; but when once the stream sets, and set it has, the tributary streamlets are inevitably attracted to the same course. We fear not Switzerland, nor Belgium, a mightier rival still, backed by the ponderous capitals of its manufacturers, merchants, and the societé génerale. The incipient tornado does not take its rise in those quarters, but in France, Austria, the Germanic Customs Confederation, and the United States. In these there are all the elements of manufacturing prosperity; large populations, cheap living, low wages, immense internal consumption alone. We leave Russia out of the question at present, because, largely as she imports of our yarns, sixty millions of people are not so soon supplied with fabrics at home. If there be progress here, the progress elsewhere is still of a more formidable character. It betokens the possession of capital, the certainty of its increase, the security of employing it, the immense returns for investing it. For the Continent of Europe this is a new feature, where, so long ravaged by wars, the people hoarded, and dared not lay out their gains for accu mulation. Every post now brings intelligence of new and gigantic enterprises. From Baden we are informed that "many manufactories, spinneries, &c., have been established in the vici nity of Carlsruhe, and the Brisgau which may be attributed to the abundance of capital, the low rate of labour, and perhaps to the favourable climate." Of manufacturing companies, and enterprises established and projected, we have information that would fill more space than we have to spare. Not only is commercial attention directed to cotton manufactures, but to other speculations. Independent of the great railroad undertakings from Aix-laChapelle to Cologne, and in divers parts of Austria, to facilitate, accelerate, and cheapen the means of transport and outlet (without particularizing the steam navigation from the Danube to the Black Sea), it will not be amiss to give our readers an outline of some of the vast enterprises in train of execution, and projected by Saxony alone-comparatively a small state-to say nothing of Prussia Rhe nane: A Railroad from Dresden to Leipsic. All the shares taken and paid up. The Railroad of the Erzebirge. From the Elbe, traversing the Moldau, through Chemnitz to Zwickau, with a tunnel of several hundred yards. Thirty thousand shares, of 100 rixdollars each, subscribed in a few days. Steam Navigation Company, from Dresden to Hamburg. Capital, One hundred and fifty million rixdollars. Coal Mining Company of Pottschappel. It is calculated that these mines cannot be exhausted for three centuries. Capital three hundred thousand rixdollars. Brewing Company at Dresden, to relieve Saxony from the importation of foreign beer. Capital, four hundred thousand rixdollars. Iron- Works and Machine-making Company of Uebingen, near Dresden. Capital, five hundred thousand rixdollars. Machine-making Company. Capital, one million rixdollars; for the manufacture of cotton and wool-spinning, and weaving machinery. No more need be cited, we apprehend, to show the extraordinary accumulation of capitals, and the boundless spirit of enterprise now pervading Ger |