§ Sir E. Knatchbullpresented a Petition from certain inhabitants of Romney Marsh, complaining of great depression in the Wool-Trade, and praying for the imposition of duties on the importation of foreign Wool. The hon. baronet observed, that he could testify, from his own knowledge, that the depression of the Wool-trade was very considerable, and that great losses had been sustained by the growers, in consequence of the low price of that article.
§ Sir C. Burrellsaid, when the Duke of Richmond brought forward a motion on the subject of the Wool-trade last Session, he was met by the assertion of a noble Lord, that the distress was not general but partial. He did not mean to say that the noble Lord had descended to a misrepresentation; no doubt he had been misinformed, and was not acquainted with the true state of the country with respect to the Wool-trade, any more than with respect to other matters of equal interest and importance. At the very time that this statement was made, it appeared that the price of long Wool, which used to be 1s. 8d. and 2s. a pound, had fallen in the midland counties, and in the north of England, to 8d. and 9d. Long Wool was 1064 an article, in the production of which we had no competitors in the world, yet the price was reduced in this manner. In consequence of having taken off the duty, and admitted foreign Wool into the home market, we had transferred two millions of money from our own pockets to those of the foreign farmer. It was not extraordinary that, under such circumstances, there should be great agricultural depression, and considerable loss to a previously falling revenue; between 400,000l. and 500,000l being thrown away, which used to be levied as duties on foreign Wool.
§ Mr. Irvingobserved, that foreign Wool was necessary to the prosperity of our manufactures, and if we laid heavy taxes upon foreign Wool, we should exclude our manufactures from the foreign market.
§ Colonel Sibthorpsaid, the farmers had been fed on hope so long, that they almost had become skeletons, and would speedily be starved to death, if they were not relieved.
§ Mr. H. Davissaid, there was less foreign Wool in the country now, than at the same period of the year during the last thirty years. He was opposed to laying duties upon the importation of foreign Wool, which would be very injurious to our manufactures.
§ Sir E. Knatchbullwas afraid that the noble Lord, who had been alluded to by his hon. friend the Member for Shoreham, (Sir C. Burrell) did not always obtain the best authority for his statements. Improvements were spoken of; he hoped they might not turn out to be fallacious, like some of the statements of the noble Lord. One thing was certain, that the petitioners saw no signs of amendment.