BELGIC AND PRUSSIAN MANUFACTURES.

NO H.

IT is a question interesting to England to know the comparative value in quality and price of Belgic, Prussian, and British manufactures. As I paid some atten- hon to the subject, and made inquiry in the very district of Belgium and the Prus- sian dominions, I shall give you the result. They manufacture both at Verviers and Aix-la-Chapelle woollen cloth of a much greater variety of quality than we do in England ; and unless quality is strictly examined it is impossible to draw a comparison in value. I found that our low- priced Yorkshire narrow cloths were cheaper than any similar quality of either Verviers or Aix-la-Chapelle, and that the intermediate qualities up to fine broad cloth were cheaper in these districts. I allude to a stout looking cloth, but thin in the weaving—to Londrins, to Bath cloths, to ladies' cloths, and such like. The difference was full 40 per cent: but when I compared prices and qualities of the Belgic best broad cloth with our best superfine, I was surprised to find the differ- ence was 30 to 40 per cent in favour of England. I produced English superfine, such as every gentleman wears in England ; the quality was admitted to be supe- rior to the Belgic' for to greater fineness it added firmness of texture; yet the price of the best Belgic-wasthirty-five francs the yard of only twenty-seven inches. I cannot account easily for this, but the facts were admitted by a sensible Belgic tradesman, skilled in woollen cloths. Coarse drugget and duffles of English fabric, in his shop, he could sell 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than the Verviers fac- tors could supply him. Real Welsh flannel he was selling at from two to three francs and a half the Flemish yard ; but an imitation, thick and coarse, of Verviers manufacture cost four to four francs and a half. Nothing like real Welsh flannel can be imitated on the Continent. They want the peculiar wool ; they cannot weave it open, and soft, and pliable in the thread. Of cutlery there is much manufactured at Liege and Namur. The steel used is English entirely ; but of this there is a great lack in the general run of specimens. The coltPiron was wonderfully well got up in polish ; but the secondary parts, as handles of knives, springs of penknives, &c. were deficient. The best cutlery I saw was in shops of such towns as the Hague, manufactured by the shopkeepers themselves. The price rather above the English rate of similar articles. In razors the Continent must yield to us entirely. Guns have long been manufac- tured at a cheap rate, but doubtful quality, at Liege. A Belgian friend, how- ever, mentioned one manufacturer of first-rate abilities, who can put into your hands a most complete double-barrel, of the best double-worked picked scrap. iron, and locks of the nicest finish, for three hundred and fifty or four hundred francs. My friend is a good sportsman, and has handled a real Manton.

The needle and pin manufactories around Aix-la-Chapelle, are Italia century behind England in the quality of these articles ; and a case of real English needles is a most acceptable present to a Belgian lady.

I had not an opportunity of passing across the Rhine to the great manufactur- ing, Prussian IOWA of Etberfelt ; but having examined the fabric called gingham:, I was surprised to see the perfection to which they were brought, both as to brightness of colour and fine uniform texture, and equality of course in the thread. I think they surpass anything we can at present produce.

But neither the Swiss, nor the Ghent, nor the French muslins, will bear a com- parison with the best English and Scotch. In a large ball room of mixed Eng- lish and foreign muslin dresses, the English was quite distinguishable by Belgian ladies, who must be the best judges of effect in this article. I know Monsieur Ternaux denies this ; but I take the opinion of the fair sex against the fahricant, and they support this opinion when they meet with English muslin for sale.

It is singular that the Swiss, who have come the last into the field of competition of manufactures, have at once beat all the scientific in France, and all the un- scientific dyers in England, in colours. Neither Manchester nor Glasgow can pro- duce colours such as are given by the Swiss to the very coarse handkerchiefs wrapt round the head or neck of most peasant girls on the Continent. The red colours are particularly brilliant' b and the greens stand washing.

The towns of Stavelot and Ma

Imedy, within a league of each other, belong, the former to the King of the Netherlands, the latter to Prussia ; but before the French Revolution they were under an elective prince. Who carved out the marches between Prussia and Belgium, at the peace of Paris, I know not, but I defy the whole diplomatic corps to bririg such annther line of absurd demarcation. Along the whole line, there is not a single natural, or rather topographical or eeo- graphical course pursued ; neither river, nor brook, nor mountain, nor hill, nor wood—neither language nor distinct race. I have seen boys at school, in the play of prisoners base, lay down more.sensible boundaries previous to the game beginning. Both Stavelot and Mahnedy are entirely occupied in tanning news leather. The bides are all of the dried kind, from Buenos Apes, and are brought by a long land carriage from Ghent or Antwerp, into which they ale im- ported. But these towns are surrounded by most extensive oak copse wood, and therefore there is no carriage on the bark, and the woods being so inland, the price is extremely low compared to oak-bark in England. Then again, the market for this enormous quantity of leather is Germany, that country of booted men, which is at hand. The quality of the leather is certainly inferior to that of England.

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I find that the contraction of the fibres of the hide s not nearly so perfect as in English leather ; and this Belgic leather admits moisture readily, from the opera- tion being hurried too rapidly through the tan-pit ; but the quality pleases the customer, and the Stavelot-tanner will not increase the expense of tannage as

long as the customer does not complain. • .

The steam-engines constructed at the works near Rotterdam, which I saw in

two Rhine boats, appear to be of excellent workmanship; but one or two wool- spinning engines near Aix, of the Seraing manufactory at Leige, worked not in silence as they should, but with a noise and a puffing of steam at every stroke, that did not indicate a very scientific arrangement in the different parts of the engine. Where the fault lay,—whether in the construction, or in the manage- ment of the engine,—I had not an opportunity of examining. But if my incur- mation be correct as to the price of coals, which I have reason to think it is, it is not very wise to lay heavy duties on English coal, so as to force the great towns in the province of Holland to get their coals from Leige by the navigation. of the Meuse. This forced demand for the Dutch towns has within these two. years raised the price of coals in and about Liege fully 60 per cent. The. 3000Ibs. weight is at present from twentrtwo to twenty-five francs. Such a price would stop every iron-foundry in Britain. Coals about Bruasels are as cheap. as at Liege. If great iron-works are to be continued around Liege, this is not the' way to make them permanent.

A SPECTATOR IN Tile NETHERLANDS.

I omitted to mention, that cassimeres form a chief branch of the cloth manu-

factures of Aix-la-Chapelle ; but they cannot bring up the Fabric to the fine and firm texture of the English. This they admit. They bring to market a second and third quality, at a cheap rate ; but every imitation of our best cassimeres. costs 30 per cent more, and they have abandoned the competition of finest. single and double-milled qualities.