a half millions of pounds. Now,
considering that the cotton manufacture has been established in
Switzerland above a century, these figures certainly demonstrate any
thing but an extraordinary rate of progress. The cotton manufacture of
Russia does not number half the years of existence, and yet the average
consumption of raw cotton, in 1840 and 1841, was nearly thirteen
millions of pounds, and of cotton yarn, rendered into cotton,[J] about
twenty-three millions more. It must be noted, moreover, that whereas
subsequently to the inventions of Arkwright and Crompton, Switzerland
drew nearly the whole of her yarns for making into cloths from England,
not possessing herself any spinning machinery until the commencement of
the present century, and then but to a trivial extent, with scarcely any
augmentation of importance, until some years after the general peace of
1815; yet that, within the last twenty years, the use of machinery has
been extensively introduced, cotton factories have spread on all sides,
for working which water-power in abundance afforded every facility, so
that she now spins nearly all the yarns necessary for her fabrics, and
imports from England but a very slender quantity of the higher counts
still required for her finest muslins. Those imports do not perhaps
exceed, if they reach to, one million pounds per annum. Of many
merchants in Manchester, thirty or forty years ago, extensively engaged
in furnishing that supply, but one or two at present are to be found. It
remains, therefore, doubtful whether there has been any material
progress in the cotton manufactures of Switzerland, so far as the
quantities of fabrics produced, and the weight of cotton consumed, for
many years past. Through the commercial arrangements before referred to,
her special trade with France in all commodities has been on the
increase; but, as the usual result of the commercial treaties of France,
all to the advantage of France. Thus, for 1841, the imports (special
trade of internal consumption) of France from Switzerland are stated at
twenty-two millions of francs only, whilst the exports of France to
Switzerland amounted to thirty-nine millions. This, be it observed, is
the result of _one-sided free trade_, which opens its gates to all,
whilst partially favoured only in return, when at all. Switzerland, for
example, is free to the import of French cottons; France hermetically
sealed against those of Switzerland. The general trade, th