With  regard  to  our  foreign  commerce,
my  lords,  a  considerable  increase  has  taken
place  in  it,  in  the  course  of  the  last  year,
particularly  in  that  which  is  the  most
valuable  branch  of  it,  and  which  is  the
best  criterion  of  increasing  prosperity,  the
export  of  British'  produce  and  manufac-
tures. The  amount  of  that  increase  is
between  two  and  three  millions  sterling;
the  details  of  which  will  come  more  re-
gularly before  your  lordships,  when  the
annual  returns  of  the  exports  of  British
produce  and  manufactures  shall  belaid  on
the  table.  On  this  subject  I  may  likewise
appeal  to  the  general  observation  of  those
of  your  lordships  who  are  connected  and
conversant  with  the  manufacturing  dis-
tricts, if  there  is  not,  in  almost  all  the  im*
portant  branches  of  our  manufactures  an
evident  improvement.  I  am  aware  that  in
the  iron  trade,  owing  to  particular  causes,
the  prices  are  very  low  and  the  profits  yenf
small ;  but  with  that  exception,  I  ask
whether  there  has  not  been  a  manifest  im-
provement in  the  various  branches  of  our
manufactures?  Although  the  profits  of  the
master  manufacturer  may  be  less  than  in
former  times,  a  favourable  change  has
every  where  taken  place  since  last  year,  and
labour  js  every  where  better  paid.  In  the
woollen,  the  cotton,  and  the  hardware
manufactories  especially,  an  increased  ac-
tivity has  been  nianifeated ;  producing  of
course  correspondent  ease  and  comfort
among  the  labourers  employed  in  them.
r


687]       HOUSE  OF  LORDS.
