An analysis of the causes of success in manufacture is instructive, as showing that excellence, where it exists, is the natural result of specific causes, and by no means a consequence of that general superiority, the belief of which is so dear to the vanity of every nation. The individual talents of workmen in France and England may fairly be considered on a par ; the quickness and activity of the French being counter. poised by their volatility and want of adherence to a given object. The leading advantage of their ma nufactures is solidity, arising from the comparative cheapness of labour and raw' materials. Hence the durability of their woollens and silks. Hence also the cheapness of their paper and leather. The points of inferiority are much more numerous, but may be almost all traced to one cause—an imperfect divi. sion of labour. In England, the facility of water communication may be said to unite several towns into one, facilitating the division of employment, and overcoming the disadvantages of a separate and remote position ; but in French towns, instead of the inha bitants limiting themselves to a few manufactures of kindred character, there prevails a habit of endea vouring to make every thing on the spot. Lyons, Rouen, Lille, are populous cities, and entitled to rank with Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds; but there must end the parallel ; for St itienne forms a poor counterpoise to Sheffield, and Birmingham, with se. veral of our other towns, is without a rival. In short, it may be assumed generally, that, in a French town of equal size, the work, not only of manufacturers, but of artizans, is, even in the case of ingenious indi.. viduals, much less nice and accurate than in Eng land.
It remains to compare the aggregate value of the manufactures of France and Britain. Adopting the amounts given by Colquhoun and Chaptal, we find the ,manufactures of Britain and Ireland, including mines and minerals, estimated by the former, for the year 1812, at L. 123,000,000 Supposing the decrease in price since 1812 balanced by the increase of quantity, we have to deduct the Ex cise and other duties, which, though drawn back on our exports, are in cluded in the above estimate, and form about 23,000,000 Value of our manufactures without du ties, - • L. 100,000,000 Of which (see our article ENGLAND, p. 132) there are exported about 40,000,000 Consumed in Britain and Ireland, , 60,000,000 In France, the amount of manufactures, including mines and minerals, is a. bout L. 76,000,000, of which the ex ports form only L. 6,000,000 The home consumption, 70,000,000 The large addition for difference in the value of money, which we made in the case of agricultural produce, is not applicable here ; several of the arti cles, as hardware and cotton, being dearer than in England, while others, such as linen, are very little cheaper ; so that, on the whole, to bring prices to a level, the calculator ought to take into account the superior durability of several kinds of French goods.
The result is, that the population of France, which to ours is as 90 to 60, consumes manufactures only in the proportion of 70 to 60—a difference not a little remarkable, and owing partly to the coarser dress of our southern neighbours, but more to the large proportion of their agriculturists ; a class accustomed to make for themselves a variety of articles, both of clothing and furniture, for which the more busy in habitants of towns resort to the manufactory. This important distinction, viewed in connection with the practice, in French towns, of making articles of all kinds on the spot, will explain a number of points at present involved in obscurity to an English observer; such as the limited intercourse by travelling in France, the want of bustle in the shops, the rarity of exten sive partnerships, and the multiplicity of individuals, who, though possessed of some patrimony, are con tent to follow a petty business, either alone, or with a single assistant—the whole exhibiting a very back ward state of productive industry, wbether we view it in an agricultural, a manufacturing, or a commer cial sense.
Has England reason to dread the rivalship of French manufactures in foreign markets ? Not, if we are to draw an inference from the customhouse duties in France, which are maintained less as a source of revenue, than to prevent the introduction of our goods—a singular precaution against a coun try, where labour is so much dearer. The French are deficient in several main points ; in water com munication, in fuel, in capital, and, above all, in the habits formed by the long transaction of busi ness on a large scale. We may thus be tranquil in regard to rivalship, from the natives of that or of any country on the Continent; but by no means in re gard to the emigration of our own capitalists and workmen, if our present scale of expence and taxa tion be continued. These would soon find the means of overcoming existing disadvantages. They would carry with them capital and experience. The choice of a maritime situation would obviate the want of ca nals, and our customhouse restrictions, however they might obstruct the import of their goods into Eng. land, would, of course, be unavailing, to prevent their rivalling us in the American or other foreign markets.