OLIVEIRA PRIZE ESSAY ON PORTUGAL

Publicação de grande importância para a história do comércio, da indústria e da agricultura em Portugal no século XIX, assim como para a história das relações comerciais entre Portugal e a Grã-Bretanha, dos produtos agrícolas portugueses, em particular para os seus produtos vinícolas de onde naturalmente se destacam os vinhos do Douro.
Edição profusamente documentada com mapas estatísticos e um mapa desdobrável de grandes dimensões [dim. aprox. 99x49 cm.] intitulado «Map of the Wine District of the Alto-Douro by Jos. James Forrester [Published by John Weale, 59, High Holborn; (…)].
Obra verdadeiramente notável e de grande raridade, distinguida com o “First Prize of Fifty Guineas for an Essay on Portugal, in connection with the Objects of the Great Exhibition, offered by BENJAMIN OLIVEIRA, Esq., F. R. S.”, atribuído em 16 de Abril de 1853 com o objectivo de fomentar o empreendimento comercial e agrícola em Portugal.
“Benjamin de Oliveira, Membre du Parlement du Royaume-Uni de la Grande-Bretagne […], Membre de la Société Royale de Londres; Vice-président de l’Association de Archéologique de l’Angleterre; Membre de l’Institut Royal de la Grande-Bretagne, du Conseil du Collége Royal de Chimie de Londres, de la Societé Botanique Royale, Zoologique, et d’Horticulture de Londres; Directeur de L’Institut Britannique des Beaux-arts, et des Peintres Anglais; […].
“La famile de M. de Oliveira est d’origine Portugaise, et fort ancienne. Dans l’Histoire du Portugal, écrite par ‘Faria’, publiée à Anvers, en 1750, sous le titre de ‘La noblesse de Portugal’, on parle de la famille de OLIVEIRA, […]. [’in’ «Memoir of Benjamin Oliveira, Esq. M. P.». ‘Extracted from the ‘Archives Historiques’ published in Paris, and corrected up to the present date’, neste volume publicado].
Para além dos respectivo prefácio, de um mapa desdobrável, indices, e de uma «Memoir of Benjamin Oliveira, Esq. M. P., a edição compôem-se de duas secções principais, compostas pelos seguintes capítulos: I Secção: The Portuguese as a People; Portugal considered in connection with the objects of the Great Exhibition of all Nations in 1851; General remarks on the manufactures of Portugal; The capabilities of Portugal for consuming the Manufactures of Great-Britain; Inpediments arising from the restrictive Policy of the Portuguese Government; Treaty Engagements; Want of roads and internal communications; Deficiency of information in the Country generally upon commercial and manufacturing questions, or other causes; The effect of the present high duties on the wines of Portugal, and the probable effect that would result from a reduction of duty; General remarks on the agricultural produce and resources of Portugal - Cultivation of the vine – Mode of making wine – Timber and other trees – The cultivation of rice – The Province of Entre-Douro and Minho – The Wine-Districts of the Alto-Douro – The Province of the Traz-os-Montes – The Province of the Alem-Tejo; The Kingdon of the Algarve – The Province of Beira – The Province of Estremadura – The Wine-Company Monopoly; The climate of Portugal – Varieties of her wines, fruits, and ceral produce – Their cultivation, cost, and qualities; The advantages to be obtained, in a commercial point of view, by a ‘reciprocal’ reduction of import duties; The effect of railroads in Portugal as means of developing the resources of the Country and increasing the demand for her productions; The bearing of these enquiries upon the principles of free-trade; The drawing together more closely the friendly relations between Great-Britain and her most ancient ally; The Portuguese Fisheries; Conclusion. II Secção: Statisticks of Great-Britain and Portugal compared.