of 3s. for every pound weight is likewise incurred.
Our woollen manufacturers, in order to
justify their demand of such extraordinary restrictions
and regulations, confidently asserted,
that English wool was of a peculiar quality,
superior to that of any other country; that
the wool of other countries could not, without
some mixture of it, be wrought up into any
tolerable manufacture; that fine cloth could
not be made without it; that England, therefore,
if the exportation of it could be totally
prevented, could monopolize to herself almost
the whole woollen trade of the world; and
thus, having no rivals, could sell at what
price she pleased, and in a short time acquire
the most incredible degree of wealth by the
most advantageous balance of trade. This
doctrine, like most other doctrines which are
confidently asserted by any considerable number
of people, was, and still continues to be,
most implicitly believed by a much greater
number: by almost all those who are either
unacquainted with the woollen trade, or who
have not made particular inquiries. It is,
however, so perfectly false, that English wool
is in any respect necessary for the making of
fine cloth, that it is altogether unfit for it.
Fine cloth is made altogether of Spanish
wool. English wool, cannot be even so mixed
with Spanish wool, as to enter into the
composition without spoiling and degrading,
in some degree, the fabric of the cloth.
It has been shown in the foregoing part of
this work, that the effect of these regulations
has been to depress the price of English wool,
not only below what it naturally would be in
the present times, but very much below what
it actually was in the time of Edward III.
The price of Scotch wool, when, in consequence
of the Union, it became subject to the
same regulations, is said to have fallen about
one half. It is observed by the very accurate
and intelligent author of the Memoirs of
Wool, the Reverend Mr. John Smith, that
the price of the best English wool in England,
is generally below what wool of a very
inferior quality commonly sells for in the
market of Amsterdam. To depress the price
of this commodity below what may be called
its natural and proper price, was the avowed
purpose of those regulations; and there seems
to be no doubt of their having produced the
effect that was expected from them.
This reduction of price, it may perhaps be
thought, by discouraging the growing of wool,
must have reduced very much the annual
produce of that commodity, though not below
what it formerly was, yet below what, in the
present state of things, it would probably
have been, had it, in consequence of an open
and free market, been allowed to rise to the
natural and proper price. I am, however,
disposed to believe, that the quantity of the
annual produce cannot have been much,
though it may, perhaps, have been a little
affected by these regulations. The growing
of wool is not the chief purpose for which the
sheep farmer employs his industry and stock.
He expects his profit, not so much from the
price of the fleece, as from that of the carcase;
and the average or ordinary price of the latter
must even, in many cases, make up to him
whatever deficiency there may be in the average
or ordinary price of the former. It has
been observed, in the foregoing part of this
work, that 'whatever regulations tend to sink
the price, either of wool or of raw hides,
below what it naturally would be, must, in an
improved and cultivated country, have some
tendency to raise the price of butcher's meat.
The price, both of the great and small cattle
which are fed on improved and cultivated
land, must be sufficient to pay the rent which
the landlord, and the profit which the farmer,
has reason to expect from improved and cultivated
land. If it is not, they will soon
cease to feed them. Whatever part of this
price, therefore, is not paid by the wool and
the hide, must be paid by the carcase. The
less there is paid for the one, the more must
be paid for the other. In what manner this
price is to be divided upon the different parts
of the beast, is indifferent to the landlords
and farmers, provided it is all paid to them.
In an improved and cultivated country, therefore,
their interest as landlords and farmers
cannot be much affected by such regulations,
though their interest as consumers may, by
the rise in the price of provisions.' According
to this reasoning, therefore, this degradation
in the price of wool is not likely, in an
improved and cultivated country, to occasion
any diminution in the annual produce of that
commodity; except so far as, by raising the
price of mutton, it may somewhat diminish
the demand for, and consequently the production
of, that particular species of butcher's
meat. Its effect, however, even in this way,
it is probable, is not very considerable.
But though its effect upon the quantity of
the annual produce may not have been very
considerable, its effect upon the quality, it
may perhaps be thought, must necessarily
have been very great. The degradation in
the quality of English wool, if not below
what it was in former times, yet below what
it naturally would have been in the present
state of improvement and cultivation, must
have been, it may perhaps be supposed, very
nearly in proportion to the degradation of
price. As the quality depends upon the
breed, upon the pasture, and upon the management
and cleanliness of the sheep, during
the whole progress of the growth of the fleece,
the attention to these circumstances, it may
naturally enough be imagined, can never be
greater than in proportion to the recompence
which the price of the fleece is likely to make
for the labour and expense which that attention