A Hundred Years Ago
" THE SPECTATOR," JANUARY 2, 1836.
A GENTLEMAN in Edinburgh; just returned from a commercial tour in the English manufacturing districts, mentions to us, that at no former period, or at least for many years, has there been such briskness in nearly all the departments of manufactui es as at the present moment: Many of the manufacturers and mer- chants have orders on hand which it would require twelve months to execute. Some are literally refusing orders for goods, and not sending out their travellers, but transacting business by letter. A vast quantity of the goods now preparing is for the United States of America ; the stagnation of trade in that country, caused by the agitation of the bank question, having been succ3eded by a corresponding activity in all -kinds of traffic. As an instance of the present briskness in the iron and hardware departments, we are told that a merchant the other day received an order from America for 1,000/. worth of nails, which be could get no nail manufacturer to begin executing sooner than three months after- wards. Such accounts as these are exceedingly gratifying ; and we are glad to say that a similar healthful demand is in operation for several of our Scotch manufactures. The manufacture of paper, which is principally carried, on at Mid Lothian, is at present in great activity. The demand for both writing and printing papers, particularly the latter, is daily increasing, and would be still greater if the question as to the reduction of the duty were fully settled, which we hope it will soon be.
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