frame to its first position. See plate 12. By this gradual extension of the roving it can be drawn much finer than on the Jenny, or Water Frame, which stretch it out at one operation. The Mule was for some years after its invention used only in the dwelling-houses of the spinners, and had, like other inventions, to contend with much prejudice. As an instance of which, it may be mentioned, that when a young man, then a Fustian Master, but now a Magistrate in a populous part of Lancashire, established a factory, his father expressed his apprehension that his son Richard and his Mules, would all turn out Asses.

In 1790, the Mule was introduced into factories, and about the same time the Steam Engine began to be applied to the turning of machinery.

By these improvements in spinning the price of yarn was so much reduced, that the manufacturers were enabled to undersell their continental rivals, and at the same time could afford to remunerate the weaver with wages of thirty shillings per week. This was the case more particularly in the muslin manufacture.

The twist and weft spun on the Water Frame and the Jenny are coarse, and are chiefly used for strong goods, for thick setts, velveteens, fancy cords and calicoes. These goods were also manufactured in France, Saxony and Switzerland, from yarn spun on the hand wheel, the low price of labour in those countries, in some measure counterbalancing the advantages the English derived from their improvements in spinning; but in the manufacture of fine Muslins, the English had not a rival in Europe. The French, Saxons and Swiss, could not spin the yarns for fine muslins on the hand wheel, and for some years, the English had this manufacture entirely to themselves. The continental manufacturers, however, soon procured fine yarns from England, and, with the aid of those yarns, they were enabled to rival the English in manufactured goods. By exporting mule yarn, the English have nourished and supported a foreign cotton manufacture, equal in extent to three fifths of their own, and have materially injured the interests of their own weavers. On the Continent, the necessaries of life are cheaper than in England, and the wages of the weavers very low, consequently, whilst foreign weavers are supplied with the same description of yarns the English manufacturer uses, obtained at the same price as that which he pays for them, he is compelled to reduce the wages of his own weavers to the foreign standard, in order to avoid being undersold in the market.

The machinery of England, particularly in the instance of the Mule, has thus been auxiliary to the prosperity of foreign, and, generally, hostile nations.

It has created resources of revenue for their treasuries, and a population to supply their armies, and, at the same time, has proportionably impoverished and injured its own. That this is not an exaggerated picture, will be evident from the following extracts from Parliamentary returns of the quantity of twist exported:

The twist and weft spun in Great Britain in the year 1820, may 110,000,000 fairly be estimated at

The twist exported from Great Britain in the year 1820, according to Parliamentary returns amounted to

The lace, thread and stocking manufactures use annually

23,900,000

86,100,000

7,000,000

79,100,000

Manufactured into cloth in Great Britain in 1820.

One half of the seventy-nine millions manufactured in Great Britain, was twist for the warp, the other half was weft. Thus, for the sake of round numbers, we may say, that in 1820, Great Britain manufactured forty millions of lbs. of twist, and exported twenty-four millions. The export of twist being as three, and its home consumption as five, it follows, that to every five cotton weavers employed in Great Britain, there are three foreign weavers supplied with twist for their warps by our exports. The foreign manufacturers in general spin their own weft. The number of cotton weavers in Great Britain cannot be less than three hundred and sixty thousand, and with their families, they are probably half a million. The whole number of persons employed in Great Britain in spinning for the foreign weavers in the year 1822, taking the export at twentyeight millions of lbs. could not exceed thirty-one thousand, of which number twenty thousand were children, and the twenty-eight millions of lbs. of twist

*The statement for 1822, in which it will be observed there is a considerable increase, is an estimate formed by competent judges, as well as circumstances will admit, the Officers of the Customs at Hull, not being willing to give the requisite information as regards that port.

spun by them, furnished twelve months supply of warps for upwards of two hundred and fifty thousand of foreign weavers.

The individuals in Great Britain interested in the export of twist, and benefited by that export, are as thirty-one, and with their families are as forty-six, the operative weavers in Great Britain, with their families, injured by that export, are as five hundred-what an astounding difference!-the interests of five hundred thousand people sacrificed to those of forty-six thousand! It is not fashionable at the present day to advocate what are called restrictions upon trade-but the facts speak for themselves; we have been nourishing in our bosom a serpent which may sting us-nay, which is stinging us-and the folly of our Government, in permitting mule twist to be exported duty free, to countries where the value of labour is so much lower than in England, is almost unequalled-perhaps the conduct of the Dutch, who in 1671 supplied Louis the 14th, with powder and ball to shoot themselves, is the only extant parallel case.

The old doctrine of Government, divine right and passive obedience, has by the progress of civilization and the diffusion of knowledge become obsolete, and the light now beginning to dawn upon the world, is, that the true object and end of governments are the protection and happiness of subjects. This doctrine has received the sanction of his present Majesty, who, on a memorable occasion, stated his conviction, that the Crown was held in trust for the benefit of the people. In this point of view, therefore, the Government of this country was guilty of a great dereliction of duty, and of a disregard of the interests of its most industrious subjects, in not imposing such a seasonable and proper impost on the exportation of cotton twist, as to have left the population of foreign countries to struggle with difficulties at least equal to those which our own have had to contend with. The evil of creating a colony of foreign weavers by the unrestricted exportation of our own fine twist, must have been evident to all, and the bad consequences which it has caused, as well as those which may ensue, (and from the above details of the exportation of mule twist they are evidently considerable and increasing) are, on the score of neglect, justly chargeable to the Government of this country.

English twist was first exported in small quantities about the year 1790. At that time the continental weavers were chiefly employed in the manufacturing of linen and woollen cloth, and the English, by their improvements in spinning, possessed almost a monopoly of the cotton manufacture. The Continent, if left to itself, would not have attempted to vie with us in the article of cotton, and what

ever may be said as to the high price of a manufacture in a particular quarter having a tendency to make the means of producing it emigrate from the soil of its birth, it is plain, that from the want of machine-makers, of trained and experienced workmen, of capital and of fuel, in foreign countries, a restrictive impost in the outset would have preserved to us those advantages which are now enjoyed by foreigners. Improvements in machinery and skill in the operative workmen are progressive, and in 1790 we were in both so far advanced beyond all the continental nations put together, as to leave them scarcely the chance of success if they had attempted to rival us. By means of their agents sent over for the purchasing of twist, they have now acquired a knowledge of our machinery, and have many spinning factories; these are chiefly employed in making weft. The twist for their warps, which requires better machinery, and greater nicety and skill in spinning than weft, is supplied by the English.

Under the dynasty of Buonaparte, the Continent was shut against us, and the quantity of twist exported from England was but small. When he was sent to Elba, in 1814, the Continent was thrown open, twist was exported without restriction, and, in succeeding years, in increased quantities. What followed? A reduction of the wages of our weavers,* and its constant attendant, an increase of our Poor Rates.

If the Government of this country had paid proper attention to this subject, when twist was first exported, or in 1814, when the Continent was thrown open, great numbers of Weavers would have been kept off the Poor Rates, and probably much of the misery, tumultuous assemblages and riots, which took place in 1819, would have been prevented.

* Prices paid for Weaving 6-4ters. 60 Cambrics, 24 yards, 160 picks in an inch.

1800 1801

s. d. 31 6

16 O 18

21 0

1803

S June
December

27 0

32 6

28 0

1814

December

August

32 0

1815

17 O

1816 {January

17 0

14 O

1817

14 O

22 0

1818

14 O

18 0

1819

12 0

18 0

1820

12 0

18 0

1821

13 6

20 0

1822

12 O

25 0

To weave one of these pieces would occupy

19 0

a weaver about a week.

From the above Table it will appear, that ever since the years 1815 and 1816, when the Continent was opened for the reception of British Twist, the Wages of the English Weaver have gradually declined.

K

Change of Character and Manners, in the Population, superinduced by the extension of the Cotton Manufacture.

The population of Lancashire, before the introduction of the Cotton Manufacture, was chiefly Agricultural, and a favourable picture of its state may be found in Addison's character of Sir Roger de Coverley. In those days, the Squire was the feudal Lord of the neighbourhood, and his residence, or the Hall, as it was called, was looked upon in the light of a palace. He was the dictator of opinion, the regulator of parish affairs, and the exclusive settler of all disputes. On holidays the rustics were invited to the Hall, where they wrestled, ran races, played at quoits and drank ale. An invitation to the Hall was a certificate of good character; not to be invited along with his neighbours was a reproach to a man; because no one was uninvited unless he had been guilty of some impropriety. The Clergyman had scarcely less influence than the Squire, his sacred character and his superior attainments gave him great authority; he was generally from Oxford, and in those days. the appellation of Oxford Scholar was understood to describe a man of learning and piety. He never met the elders of his flock without the kindest enquiries after the welfare of their families, and, as his reproof was dreaded, so his commendation was sought, by young and old. Incontinence in man or woman was esteemed a heinous offence, and neglecting or refusing to pay a just debt was scarcely ever heard of. Twice at Church on Sundays, a strict observance of fast days, and a regular reading of the Scriptures every Sunday evening, at which the youngsters, after putting off their best clothes, were always present, were uniform and established customs. The events of the neighbourhood flowed in a regular, unbroken train; politics were a field little entered into, and the histories of each other's families, including cousins five times removed, with marriages, births, deaths, &c. formed the almost only subjects of their conversations.

The Farmer was content to take on trust the old modes of husbandry and