1835 . 16,806 . 18,127 1836 . 18,495 . 19,851 1837 . 19,271 . 20,785 1838 . 22,934 . 24,320 1839 . 18,888 . 19,935 1840 . 23,037 . 24,837 1841 . 20,041 . 22,133 - 1842 . 22,142 . 23,749 1843 . 24,738 . 27,004 1844 . 25,213 . 27,255 The rapid increase in the consume. tion of cotton has altogether resulted from the inventions of Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton, and others, in 2 Y 2 spinning machinery, and more recently from the invention by Dr. Cartwright, since perfected by other mechanicians, of the power-loom. But for these inventions it would have been impossible for our artisans to have competed successfully with the spinners and weavers of India, from which country we previously received our supply of muslins and calicoes. Not only have we ceased to import for use the muslins of India, but have for many years sent great and continually increasing ship ments of those goods to clothe thiinatives of India. In 1814 our looms supplied 818.202 yards of cotton goods to India. Two years afterwards the shipments were doubled. In 1818 they amounted to 9,000,000 yards ; in 1835 the markets of India and China took from us 62,994,489 yards, the declared value of which amounted to 1,660,8061., exclusive of 8,233,142 lbs. of cotton yarn, valued at 603,211/. In 1842 we exported to India and Ceylon 155,506,914 yards, of the declared value of 2,480,0311., besides 12,050,839 lbs. of cotton yarn, valued at 545,0751. Considerable shipments of cotton piece goods are still made from India to this country, but nearly the whole are re-exported.
The duty on cotton wool was wisely abandoned in 1845, although it amounted to only 5-16ths of ld. per lb. This ap
parently small duty constituted a tax of 10 per cent. on the New Orleans price of middling cotton most extensively used in this country. It placed the English cot ton spinner on very unequal terms with the cotton manufacturers of the United States, who were already in possession of advantages arising from contiguity to the cotton-market, saving in freight, and other diminished charges, which were esti mated at 14 per cent., making a total difference of 24per cent. In 1844 the cotton-spinners of the United States of America were larger consumers of the raw material than the spinners of Great Britain in 1815. The duty pressed most heavily on the coarsest kind of manufac tures. Comparing it with the wages of the spinners, the duty of 5-16ths of Id. was 50 per cent. upon the wages of the operatives employed in producing the coarsest heavy yarns ; on yarn for do mettic goods 30 to 45 per cent. ; on yarns spun for printed calicoes 25 per cent.; on yarn for ordinary muslin 10 per cent.; while on the finest lace-yarns the fraction of duty upon the wages of labour was almost inappreciable. On No. 100 twist the pressure of the tax was 2f per cent. on the material, and If on the cost of twist ; on No. 12, the coarsest kind, the tax was 12 per cent. on the material and 71 per cent. on the cost of twist. On a coarse cotton shirt or stout piece of calico, the duty, small as it might really be, was 200 times greater than on fine muslin. In 1843 the gross duty on cotton-wool amounted to 736,546/., and in 1844 to 672,614/. (Messrs. Blackburn and Co.'s Annual Statistics .f the Cotton Trade, 1844.)