Imports from Europe. (By the same never before published.) Our zeal is not exclusive for the interests of one part of the British dominions. No one should be depressed to exalt another. We might question, perhaps, the justice and policy of drawing a tribute from India; we may recommend the emancipation of her commerce, convinced that the increase of duties and customs would more than compensate the tribute relinquished: but, whether India be exonerated from tribute, or whether commerce be encouraged, to enable her to bear so great an annual drain, or whether indulgence be granted on both points, it is essential that Great Britain suffer not by the change of system. The subject is too vast for us to undertake to prove, that a balance against Great Britain, in the direct commerce, would be repaid by re-exportation to foreign countries, or by circuitous returns. The Indian trade was pursued with eagerness and profit, when the balance was against Great Britain, and when she paid the balance with bullion, and with more commercial profit than is now obtained on the remittance of the Indian tribute. But we weigh little on experience under circumstances so different from the present. England, now imports to the value of one million and an half pounds sterling in India goods, and returns merchandise to no greater amount than 500,0001. Were she to pay the difference of this direct commerce in bullion; or were she, retaining the tribute, to pay in bullion for the additional imports she is urged to encourage, she may be alarmed at the magnitude of the drain, and be ill-disposed to weigh arguments adduced on the channels of repayment and profit. This apprehension may be the more readily excited from assertions already hazarded, which have anticipated the occasion of sounding the alarm. It is averred, that no greater vend can be found for the manufactures of Great Britain, than the Company already supply; that wrought metals would find no market; that the unwrought metals and the woollens they now export, exceed the demand, and are sold at a loss. In support of these assertions, it is argued that the natives of India are restrained by religious prejudices from the use of articles wrought by people of another persuasion; and that the climate of India, and the prejudices of its inhabitants, admit not the wear of woollens, the staple manufacture of Great Britain. Professing to combat no argu ment we cannot confute, and not simply to deny, but disprove, every assertion we oppose, we shall quote from the Hindus, "that all things come undefiled from the shop." Or in other words of Menu," The hand of an artist employed in his art is always pure; so is every vendible commodity when exposed to sale." This is a practical maxim known to all; not an obsolete passage selected from an obscure authority, but a rule universal and notorious, which regulates the daily practice of the highest and lowest classes, which is never questioned, never controverted. It permits the use of any article purchased at a shop, without enquiry how wrought, or by whom handled. Το To this may be added the information furnished by learned pundits, to whom the prejudices ascribed to Hindus were stated. They quoted the maxim abovementioned; they repeated others, which inculcate the positive preference of woollen above every other fabric, and allow the purification of woollen, actually defiled, by a simple exposure to air, while water is required to purify other cloths. On wrought metals, the pundits referred to the general maxim already quoted. The daily observation of every person resident in India, will come in aid of our argument, if further proof be thought requisite. For numbers of Hindus may be seen, in the rainy season, and in winter, walking the streets of Calcutta, wrapped in a piece of English broad-cloth, to protect them from the inclemency of the weather. It is objected, as a ground for questioning the expectation of success in the vend of woollens, that the dress of the natives of India is simple, and little subject to change, because they are obliged, by the rules of their cast and sect, to adhere to a particular mode of apparel. Their dress is certainly simple, and little subject to change, as is the dress of the numerous elasses in every country. Taste in dress, and changes of fashion, are every where confined to the affluent classes, and the dress of affluent natives of India, particularly of Musselmans, is not simple, and it is subject to change, though in no comparison to the capricious fashions of Europe. Some sects are bound to adhere to a particular mode of apparel, but they are not among the numerous classes; and it might as well be objected against the probable vend of cotton cloths in Eu rope, that monks and nuns are obliged, by the rules of their order, to adhere to a particular mode of apparel. The rainy season, and the winter of India, require more substantial clothing than cotton. Quilted calicoes and chintzes must content the wearer, if woollens, better than country blankets, be inaccessible to his means. The affluent use shawls, but they also consume other woollens. The poorest classes wear coarse home-made blankets. They would prefer the better fabrics of Europe, if their means could reach the purchase. The woollens of Europe are consumed in India by the middle classes; and they would use them more extensively, and the consumption would descend to other more numeruous classes, if the fabrics were better adapted to the purposes for which they require them; and if the price were better suited to their means. The This needs explanation. blankets of Bengal and Bootan, and the country flannels, as well as the shawls, are all wove like the cotton cloths, of the size worn. They come from the hands of the weaver, in the shape in which the wearer requires, and are not subjected to the scissars and needle to fit them for wear. The European woollens, in large pieces, must be cut to the size required, and a border sewed to them, for use as well as ornament: this enhances the price. If they were manufactured with borders of the size required, and of a quality and appearance which might satisfy the taste of the natives, while it was accessible to their means, the consumption might, perhaps, be greatly increased. This suggestion may, possibly, be be ill-founded; but from judicious reflections on the wants of India, better suggestions would arise. The court of directors have certainly endeavoured to increase the vend of wollens. They issued in junctions with that view to their agents abroad, and sent patterns of various manufactures. Their views would have been better directed, first, to ascertain the taste of the natives, and then to adapt the fabrics thereto. For obvious reasons, public officers, and corporate bodies, are never so successful in commercial enquiries, as private speculators. And, further, useful hints often arise on the result of speculations, apparently wild; but this never can be expected from the official servants of a public body. In the laudable view of enlarging the sphere for the vend of British manufactures, the Company have negociated with the native princes. But the negociations were directed to form establishments of their own in the dominions of those princes, or to supply them with goods from the Company's warehouse. It is no matter of surprise that these negociations were unsuccessful. The interference of government should be limited to promote the free intercourse of its commercial subjects with those of other countries; and their own unfettered exertions will discover the wants of the markets, and supply them. But it may be argued, that the circumstance of the Company having the experience of loss on their sales of woollens, discourages the expectation of a considerable vend; for the fabrics, though better adapted to the wants of India, could hardly bear a further advance on the prime cost, which will be requisite for private traders, who must have an adequate profit, and cannot, like the Company, continue a commerce in which they sell at a loss. But the advance on which the Company have sold, and from which they state a loss resulting, would afford to private traders nearly the "full amount of charges, and, consequently, they can sell woollens for little more advance on the prime cost than the Company have sold. the whole consumption, it is probable, that through other channels the markets have been fully supplied. It is only desirable, that the supply should be transferred from foreign and clandestine trade, to a fair traffic. ture. On wrought metals, and other manufactures, much speculative matter might be offered; but we purposely avoid the field of conjecIt may suffice to say, that the natives of India do not want a taste for porcelaine and other elegant wares; that they require vast quantities of metallic vessels and of hardware; and that, in proportion to their means, they would gladly consume the product of many of the British arts. Considering the greatness of the population, and the disposition of the natives to use European manufactures, it cannot be doubted, that a great vend may actually be found for British manufactures, if imported on reasonable charges; and the demand will increase with the restoration of wealth to these provinces. Besides metals and woollens, the great articles of present export for India, are comprised under the head of naval and military stores, and the stores required for the country shipping. More than nine-tenths of these exports is at present conveyed by the foreign and clandestine trade. The shipping is nevertheless sparingly supplied; such substitutes as India affords fill up the deficiency. But the great inferiority of the stores furnished by India, gives a decided preference to European stores; and if these be sufficiently supplied, they will meet no competition from the productions of India. If we continue to withhold from the shipping of this trade the supply required, it is more than probable, that the materials produced in India may, in time, and by the application of ingenuity, be improved in quality or fabric to equal the stores which, otherwise, Europe may ever continue to supply, and more largely than at present. The magnitude of this subject may be judged from the present state of what is termed the country trade, consisting of the trade from port to port, within the limits of the Company's charter, a trade which employs above 10,000 tons of shipping. On Ship-building. (By the same-never before published.) Bengal was formerly under the necessity of prosecuting her maritime trade on ships built in foreign ports. Before these provinces fell under the dominion of Great Britain, the natives never attempted marine expeditions; and prior to the year 1780, we have not heard of any effort made by Europeans to construct ships in Bengal, for the purposes of commerce. Two small snows, the Minerva and Amazon, were, indeed, built at Calcutta, for the Company previous to this period. But it does not appear that this example operated as an incentive to others. The country trade of Bengal was then supplied with shipping from the ports of Surat, Bombay, Damaun, Pegue, and by occasional purchases of foreign Europe ships; and if any considerable repairs were wanted, the ships were obliged to proceed to those ports to * B have have them effected. The late Colonel Watson, we believe, was the first person who ever built a ship of force or burden in the river Houghly. In the year 1781, he launched the Nonsuch, of about 500 tons burden, capable of mounting 32 guns, and constructed both for the purposes of war and commerce. This ship is now lying in the river Houghly, and is a proof, not only of good workmanship, but of the durability of her materials; as she is still reckoned in the first class of country ships, and was last year employed by government as a eruizer, for the protection of trade, forming one of the Bengal squadron. A very calamitous event gave rise to ship-building in Bengal---the famine produced in the Carnatic by Hyder Ali's invasion, in the year 1780. The extraordinary and pressing demand thereby created for tonnage, for the transportation of grain, and supplies of troops and stores, to our settlements on the coast of Coromandel, raised the price of freight to such an enormous height, as roused the attention of almost every person in the remotest degree connected with commerce, to share in this profitable traffick. Ships not being procurable from other quarters in any proportion to the demand, indivi duals then began to turn their attention to the construction of ships in Bengal; and this noble and useful art has been ever since pursued with so much vigor, that Bengal, instead of depending on other countries as formerly, for the means of conveying her produce to foreign ports, now supplies not only shipping for her own commerce, but for sale to foreigners, and shipbuilding is become a very considerable branch of home manufactures. The first attempts (except those already mentioned) were made in the Sunderbunds, at Chittagong, and at Sylhet. But the vessels then built at these places being hastily run up on the spur of the occasion, composed of green timbers, and bad materials, and unskilfully constructed, fell quickly to decay; and for many years created a strong prejudice against Bengal ships. Shipbuilding is now almost entirely confined to Calcutta, where ships are at present built, of all burdens, equal in point of construction, workmanship, and durability, to any class of merchant-ships in Europe, and superior to most. The progress and extent of this very important manufacture, will be seen from the following account of vessels built in Bengal, since the commencement of the year 1781. Calcutta and the river Houghly, including one ship built at Patna. |