late become a most exalted principle in the character of a gentleman; a man's worth is more often estimated by the proportion of his personal courage, and the number of duels he has fought, than any virtuous acquisition he may possess: and yet this truly laughable method of obtaining satisfaction is not so often pursued for the purpose it professes, as for the establishment of honour. As a punishment it is absurd!-as a reparation it is as bad, because the chance is equal on both sides; and where the satisfaction exists, I must leave to wiser heads to determine. Honour appears to be the sole instigation and cause, since we are taught by these modern law-makers, that it is the essence of cowardice to submit patiently to an affrout (no matter of what nature), but that it is the height of honour to seek revenge; or, in other words, deliberately to commit murder, or to rush with all your sins into the presence of your Maker. What offence is there that does not come within the cognizance of the laws of our country, which can in any way allow of so terrible an expedient? Á malicious insinuation, a trivial insult, or a personal affront, may be resented and afoned for in a manner congenial at least to the principles of morality, if not to the dictates of modern honour, without hazarding your own life or that of a fellow-creature. Which law deserves most regard is pretty evident; and he that would pay more respect to the one of human composition is an ideot, a madman, who for the poor gratification of receiving the applause of a few infatuated fools resigns his claim to the favour of a Deity, entailing upon himself all the horrors of eternal misery.

I remember to have heard an anecdote, which, if true (and so it was related to me), affords a pretty strong evidence of the actual barbarity of a nation, when it was represented to be in a state of great refinement: I allude to the court of France. At the time when it was considered as one of the most enlightened in Europe, the prince of a small territory sent his son there to receive an education suitable to his rank; at a proper period he was presented with a commission in the army, where he uniformly conducted himself with mildness and urbanity - indeed his amiable qualities excited the envy of some of his brother officers, who took the first occasion to ascertain how far

he was a man of courage, by offering him a petty insult. This he disregarded. and indeed thought nothing of it, till some one explained the situation in which he stood; adding, that if he wished to preserve his honour and im portance among his companions, he must challenge the offender. The young officer, amazed at this intelligence, went to his confessor and asked his advice, relating what had happened, expressing at the same time his intention of abiding by his decision. This pious teacher of religion and Christianity confirmed the advice of his friends, and told him it was necessary to fight. He therefore did so, and disarmed his antagonist; and immediately hastening to the king, threw up his commission, and expressed his determination of retiring from a country where even their religion was influenced by any other considerations than those of virtue or true honour.

If we are to be imposed upon by these heterogeneous doctrines, farewell to all morality and virtue-the only sources of true happiness. Reputation is a valuable article I know, worthy of every consi deration and care, which alone" should constitute our chief reason for rejecting the modern notions of honour, the zealous supporters of which tell you, you look ridiculous in the eyes of the world by refusing to vindicate your reputation by suicide or murder. This mode, indeed, may gain the approbation of a few; but as our hopes reach further than this life, if we have any regard for ourselves, we shall have every reason to feel more satisfied with the concurring applause of an extensive majority, and above all of our own consciences.

To the Editor of the European Mogazine.

SIR,

SHOULD be happy to learn, through the medium of your miscellany, the reason which is given (if there be any why Daniel, on interpreting the words written on the wall, at the impious feast of Belshazzar, should omit one of the words Mene, and alter the word 1 pharzin, (as written on the wall) into Peres Vide Daniel, Chapter 5th.

Perhaps if you have the goodness to insert this in the European Magazine some of your Correspondents will bes obliging as to give the information re quired by,

Sir, your obedient servant,
J. G. O.

world to the prejudice of her own growth, and for the benefit of none but a few overgrown clothiers and dealers in foreign wool.

The importation of foreign wool is so immense, and the price of all fine short wools so depreciated, that even the foreign wools cannot find a sale, but great quantities remain on hand. Wool, for which 5s. per lb. had been refused very shortly before, has been sold lately at 2s. 4d. Such is the redundancy of foreign wool at this moment in our ports, that the best Spanish wool has been sold, after remaining on hand for years, at a reduction of 30 to 50 per cent. on the impost price, and that too at very extended credit; and, besides the large quantities of foreign wool now stored in England, there is also at this time in Germany and Spain, an immense quantity of wool to be consigned to this country as soon as there is a prospect of improved prices. But the glut of short fine wool is so great, that nothing like an adequate price is at present to be obtained; hardly any offer is refused, and considerable quantities of foreign wool have been bought up at Bristol and in Loudon by the Netherland merchants. There are many large piles of Spanish wool, which have been lying here seven years, and some of the largest importers will not receive any more on consignment until they have effected sales, having already made large advances which they cannot get reimbursed. A German house has consigned here, annually, an immense quantity of wool chiefly from Austria and Hungary, for the last two or three years, the average value of which was estimated at about 4s. 9d. per lb. This wool varies in quality from 4s. to 6s. 9d. per lb., and the finest sorts are regularly improving in quality and increasing in quantity. The wool of Prince Esterhazy's immense flocks is supposed to be included in the collection made by that house.

It is now infinitely less reasonable or necessary than it formerly was to admit such importations, as it is notorious that the growth of fine wool in this kingdom is so greatly increased, that it may be equal to the demand in the most flourishing state of the manufacture; in proof of which it may be observed, that even previous to the late extraordinary importation, the great quantities of wool which were left on the hands of the grower, frequently three, four, or five years clip, was probably equal in

amount to the quantity of foreign wool at that time imported; and it may be concluded that the United Kingdom does, or at least, if not discouraged, would furnish the full quantity required for these manufactures.

The quality of our wool is also greatly ameliorated, and it is evident that a sufficiency of wool of the Spanish race might be raised in the United Kingdom, whereby we should become independent of foreign countries for the materials of our staple manufacture, and save an qually, according to the lowest calculation of late years, upwards of three millions stirling, which we pay to foreigners for that article. Nor can there be any doubt of the practicability of raising such wool here, and that the climate of Spain is not necessary, as the Spanish breed of sheep introduced above 50 years ago into Saxony (the climate of which is less favourable for the purpose than that of the United Kingdom) now furnish an immense quantity of wool, which in our markets bear a higher price, and is even preferred to the best Spanish wool.

Notwithstanding this prodigious increase in the importation of wool, the manufacture has by no means increased in proportion nor improved in quality on an average of ten years, ending in 1808, the broad and narrow cloths milled in the West Riding of Yorkshire (the only branch of the trade of which a precise knowledge can be obtained), amounted to 15,000,000 yards; and the quantity milled in the year ending the 25th March, 1815, on the return of peace, when an extraordinary demand might be expected, was only 16,701,963 yards, and the amount of the year ending 25th March, 1816, was but 17,044,325 yards, notwithstanding precipitate efforts to send, with rash spe culation, the manufacture to every part of the world. The official value of the woollen manufactures exported from Great Britain to all countries, including Ireland and all the British colonies and settlements (and a great proportion went to Ireland on an average of 11 years, from 1800 to 1810, both inclusive, was 6,063,6891.; in 1814, it was only 5,628,6017.; and in 1815, 7,480,4061. the greatest amount we have ever known, which arose solely from the circumstances that all the markets in the world were suddenly opened to us. We cannot implicitly depend upon what is called the declared value. The real

value, however, is considerably higher than the official; but the latter answers all the purposes of comparison, and we have not the declared value for any length of time.

We must not suppose the nation ruined, if the exportations of woollen in future should not exceed the average exportation previously to the late war, which may possibly be the case; nor must we be surprised if the exportation of other manufactures should by no means equal that which took place dur ing the late unusual warfare, especially while the Orders in Council were in force. And I particularly lament that the same may be the case respecting the manufacture of iron, which has circumstances to recommend it beyond all others; it is all labour, from the taking the ore out of the earth to the finishing the spring of a watch, in which state it is infinitely more valuable than any metal whatever. This manufacture is so increased by the spirited exertions of our intelligent iron-masters (who, above all, merit protection and support), that I fear we have surpassed the demand for coarse articles. I fear, also, we have surpassed the demand for cotton manufactures, which are much increased in many parts of Europe. These circumstances should induce us to look steadily and zealously to what is called the home market, which, with proper manage ment, we may always command and

preserve.

The sudden peace with all the world encouraged the wildest speculations in trade; large quantities of wool, which lay in the hands of the wool growers, or of the wool-staplers, were bought up; woollens were suddenly exported to an unasual amount, the payments for which have fallen very short, and hence have arisen many bankruptcies, failures, and much distress.

The American market was so glutted that not nearly the first prices could be obtained, and large quantities remain in the warehouses there unsold. This circumstance is likely now to be felt severely; and many of our manufacturers are unemployed; the demand for the raw material is greatly lessened, and the wool growers will soon find themselves in their former situation, of haying two, three, or more years' growth upon their hands, consequently the growth of the article will be greatly discouraged, but the mischief of great mportations had already taken deep

root before those exportations took place.

Under these circumstances, then, I conceive those who doubt or disbelieve the possibility of our raising a sufficiency of fine wool for our manufactures, cannot reasonably object to the proposition for such a moderate duty on the import of foreign wool, as would not check the importation of the finest sorts, the kind formerly imported, but only enable us to meet in competition, at our own markets, such foreign wools as are by no means necessary to our manufactures at home. If a duty of one shilling in the pound had been imposed on the quantity imported in the last two years, it would have added 1,535,2037. to our revenue, at the period when it was most wanted. This duty, as before observed, would not prevent the importation of the finest Spanish wools, such as we used to import, and which alone can be supposed to be wanted in this country. It would even be little felt by the manufacturer; and, as a very small proportion of our manufactures of the finest Spanish or foreign wool goes to foreign countries, there can be no objection to the duty on the ground of its hurting our export trade. Not a yard less of cloth would be exported from this country; and nothing exhibits the want of knowledge of the state of the manufacturing world more than the notion that Spain, and other foreign countries, would manufacture their wool if we did not receive it from them. It is ridiculous to suppose that they will not improve and promote their woollen manufactures whenever they find themselves in a situation so to do. Besides, it should be observed that there are already excellent manufactures of wool in several parts of Europe, and that especially in Germany, the manu facture is improving very much, and becoming much more extensive.

With this view of the question before us, we should always remember, that the profit on the manufacture is five times as much as the export of the raw material; and even if the duty did, in a smail degree, affect the export, the monopoly of the market of the British empire ought to satisfy the manufacturer, and he should not expect that essential interests of the country should be sacrificed to an export trade, which, comparatively with the home market, is very inconsiderable: that monopoly will amply compensate him

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any little check to his export trade, arising from a necessary attention to other essential interests. Besides, it is well known, that it is not the manufacturer, but the consumer, who pays, and much more, he pays every additional duty or expense that falls upon the manufacture.

The clamours of the manufacturers, in favour of every thing that even debase the value of wool, are most unreasonable, for when there was such rise "of price as could alone compensate the grower of fine wool, the manufacture itself was raised at least two-fold; but now, that wool is reduced much below what it was (at the time the price of the manufacture was raised), in some instances to one-third, in others nearly half the value of a few years ago, we do not find the price of the manufacture has been reduced in proportion, or has experienced any material abatement. We do not find that from an unrestricted importation of foreign wool, any advantage is derived to the country. We do not find any improvement in the manufactures, or proportionate increase of them. Much more might be adduced, if required, to urge the necessity of repeated applications to the legislature, until the mischiefs arising from the present bad system are better understood; must we be discouraged by the report of a committee of the House of Commons of the 29th of April last, which contains the following resolution:

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"Resolved-That it is the opinion of this committee, founded upon the examination of evidence relative to the prices of British wool, that no part of the present agricultural distress arises from the inadequacy of those prices, and therefore that it is not expedient to make any alteration in the laws relating to woollen goods, and the trade in wool."

Fortunately for us, the evidence is published on which this opinion was grounded. It is the evidence merely of commercial men, wool staplers, and manufacturers, men deeply interested in the system of debasing the prices of British wool, and so partial, that it is astonishing how it could be supposed for a moment to support the opinion, "that it is not expedient to make any alteration in the laws relating to the trade in wool." According to the common notions of justice, it is necessary that some evidence should be taken an

the other side of the question; but it does not appear that there was any attempt to examine any persons on the side of the wool growers.

The wool growers themselves, however, are most to blame, for not coming forward with petitions from the differ ent parts of the kingdom, which, if referred to the committee, would undoubtedly have had a fair opportunity of being heard; but, I understand, only one petition on this subject (that which came from this neighbourhood), was presented, and that even so late as after the appointment of the Committee, and seeins not to have been noticed.

The greater part of this meeting well know, and severely feel, how unfounded and incorrect the assertion is, that "no part of the present agricultural distress arises from the inadequacy of the prices of British wool." You, who look to your wool for a considerable portion of your rent, taxes, and other outgoings, and who stated the same in your petition last session, and who remember the time when the whole rent of a Southdown farm was to be paid from the profits of the flock, and that it was formerly supposed that English wool produced a very considerable proportion of the rental of the kingdom-1 say, you best know how utterly unsupportable in fact such an assertion really is.

We cannot too amply acknowledge the readiness of his Majesty's Ministers in acceding to those propositions, which were made with a view to relieve the agricultural interest; and their willing ness to leave such questions to the decision of members most respectable and most competent, from their knowledge of country affairs. I have reason to suppose that some of the Ministers were sensible of the propriety, and not averse to a duty on the import: but, unless the wool growers come forward with petitions, and state their grievances, it cannot be expected that Ministers will suppose them sufferers from a system in which they silently acquiesce, and oppose themselves to the clamours of the commercial and manufacturing part of the community, if not urged and sup ported by the landed interest.

Unfortunately, the gentleman who proposed the committee (than whom there was not a member of the House better informed or more capable) was prevented by indisposition from continuing to preside, but the other mem