Class XVII.]

WRITING-PAPERS IN PACKETS—EXHIBITORS.

431

The waste* of the Manchester cotton-mills, and thatof the spinning-mills in England, Scotland, and Ireland ,produces enormous quantities of material, which is nowskilfully applied to paper-making, and, when mixed withrope, bagging, See., produces strong and good paper formost purposes.

Of the large number of paper-makers iu Great Britainand Ireland, a few only have exhibited, namely:—Mr.Joynson, of St, Mary Cray, Kent (-12a, p. 540), whoexhibited a large assortment of blue wove, blue laid, largebank post, cream laid post, blue laid post, and cream laidfoolscaps ; the :">ilbs. thin large bank post, in imitation ofthe French pelure, was not equal to that exhibited by theFrench manufacturers, although a nearer approach thanany yet made in England of that weight. The post andother papers were all of high qualities, fully maintainingMr. Joynson’s reputation as a first-rate manufacturer.Mr. Dkwdney, of Collumpton, specimens of excellentcream laid writing-papers, and also some unchangeableblue papers of superior manufacture for the use ofstarch-makers. Mr. Saunders, of Dart ford (36, p. 539),strong parchment paper, for printing shares, and otherpurposes where great strength and tenacity are required ;plain and coloured bank-note papers, of strong texture,with a variety of water-marks of elaborate and compli-cated designs; white and coloured safety papers, forprinting bankers’ cheques, letters of credit, &c., detectingthe removal of writing by chemical reagents, and somespecimens of a new method of making papers with water-marks, giving gradations of light and shade: the wholeof these papers were of excellent qualities and make.Messrs. [Cowan and Co., of Edinburgh (101, p. 544),a variety of printing, writing, note, and letter papers.Mr. William Wildes, of Snodland, Rochester (102,p. 544), some specimens of writing-papers, with wreathsof flowers in the water-mark. Messrs. Bancks Brothers,Chesham (96, p. 544), patent writing-papers with or-namented water-mark. Mr. Charles Venables, Clif-den and Soho Mills (149, p. 546), specimens of well-made and fine quality plate, lithographic, and printing-papers. Mr. George Venari.es, strong and goodwrapping-papers (149, p. 546). Mr. Edward Smith,Gateshead , strong brown paper, manufactured by Messrs.Thomas Gallon and Co. Mr. Lamb, of Newcastle (147,p. 546), pottery tissues, of excellent quality. Mr. Four-drinier (100, p. 280), also had some pottery tissues,of good quality, in Class \ I. Mr. Alfred IIamf.r,of Horsforth, Leeds, &c. (84, p. 54.3), press papers, forpressing woollen cloths; and brown papers, rolled andglazed, of good qualities. Messrs. Hastings and Meller(.85, p. 543), brown paper, glazed and unglazed; andpress papers, of good qualities. Messrs. Whiteleyand Sons (98, p. 544), produced some fine specimensof press papers. Messrs. Venables, Wilson, and Tyler,of Queenhithe (149, p. 546), and Messrs. Spicer (42,p. 540), of Bridge Street, wholesale stationers, enabledthe Jury to ascertain the state of the paper trade in thiscountry", by the ample and varied specimens whichthose "^houses have submitted to public inspection inClass XVII. Messrs. De La Hue and Co. (76), aspaper finishers, displayed every description of the bestwriting-papers produced iu England, thus affording themeans for judging of the high state of Jinish whichthis important branch of manufacture has reached inGreat Britain .

* The quantity of cotton-wool imported in 1845 was sevenhundred and twenty millions and a half pounds weight;above one thousand tons of raw cotton are required for dailyconsumption. In 1850, one million eight hundred andtwenty-two thousand hundredweight of flax was imported.Linen and flax are spun to the value of ten millions sterlingannually.— Vide “Sharp's New Gazetteer,” edit. 1852, p.976. Chevalier Claussen’s discovery of flax-cotton, whichpromises to extend the growth and manufacture of flax,cannot fail greatly to increase the best description of rawmaterial for paper-making. In 1775, a description was givenby Lady Moira, and published in the Transactions of theSociety "of Arts in 1783. of a new method of reducing flax toa fine "fibre by means of an alkaline solution: the specimenswere retained by the Society.

Writing-Papers in Packets.

Immediately after the introduction of the penny postage*in this country, there was an immense increase in theconsumption of letter and note paper, and a total changein the sizes was required. Until 1839, 4to letter-paperwas put up only in half reams, and retailed in loose quiresor single sheets, at prices varying from (id. to Is. perquire. Very superior letter and note papers are nowsold in neat and convenient packets at from Is. to 2s. 6 d.per five quires. The patent cutting-machine of the lateMr. George Wilson proved a powerful auxiliary in en-larging the sphere of this branch of the paper-trade, by-accelerating one of its simplest operations, cutting inletter and note size. Without its aid it would have beenscarcely possible, by hand labour alone, to supply thedaily increasing demands of society for note-papers sincethe introduction of the cheap postage. This is one of theinnumerable common-place instances which show that thefull importance of machinery in the commercial progressof the community is not duly appreciated, unless timeand quantity are taken into the estimate as well as diffi-culty. It is" to Messrs. De La line that the new sizes andimproved mode of putting up paper in convenient formsare due. The quantity and variety exhibited by them andothers are evidence of the encouragement given by thepublic to this ornamental mode of packeting letter andnote papers, for each size of which envelopes are made tosuit.

The following exhibitors also displayed writing-papersin packets, viz. :—

Messrs. Dobbs and Co., London (79, p. 543); Messrs.Cowan, of Edinburgh (101. p. 544); Messrs. SpicerBrothers (42, p. 540); and Messrs. Venables, Wilson,and Tyler (149, p. 546).

Foreign manufacturers have adopted the mode of mak-ing up letter and note paper in ornamental packets, andthey have exhibited a variety of good specimens, amongwhich were—

France.— M. Marion (609, p. 1207), M. Bertou (1084,p. 1230), and M. Yalant, of Paris (1514, p. 1249).

Belgium . — MM. Godin and Son (284, p. 1160), andM. Tariiif (281, p. 1160), of Brussels .

Xotlverein States. — M.M. Schaeffer, Otto, andSchf:ibf:, of Berlin (1 Zollv., 153); M. C. A. Koch,of Gladbach, near Mulheim , on the lihiue (1 Zollv.,329); MM. IIoescii and Son, Duren (1 Zollv., 392,p. 107) ; M. L. Sciiuell, of Duren (1 Zollv., 393,p. 1072); M. Piette, of Diilingen (1 Zollv., 394, p.1072).

* Penny Postage.— The following is an estimate of thenumber of chargeable letters delivered in the United King-dom in each year from 1839 to 1851 :—

Years.

Number

of

Letters.

Annual Increase.

Number

of

Letters.

Percentagereckoned on theNumber for 1839.

1839

76.000.OOOf

_

1840

169,000, (MX)

93.(XX),000

123 per cent.

1841

196,7)00,000

27,500,000

.36 ,,

1842

208,500.000

12,000.(XXI

16 .,

1843

220.500,000

12,000.000

16 ,,

1844

242,000,000

21,500,000

28 ,,

1845

271,500,000

29,500,000

39 ,,

1846

299,500,000

28,000,(XX)

•v ,,

1847

.322,000,000

22,500,000

30 ,,

1848

329,000,000

7,000,000

9 ,,

1849

.3.37.500.000

8,500,000

n ,,

1850

347.000,000

9,501),000

12i ,,

1851

360,500,000

13,500,000

18 ,,

•{* The estimate for 1839 is founded on the ascertained number ofletters for one week in the month of November, and, strictly speaksins?, it is for the vear ending December 5, at which time Ad. was madej tlie maximum rate. The estimate for each subsequent year is founded. on the ascertained number of letters for one week in each calendar’ month.—( Fide Return to the House of Commons , No. 574, 1851.)