The Sun. — London, England, 1829-04-14 00:00:00

restoring td the operatiie those _high wages which he formerly received and which rivalry at home, as y r,ell as abroad, has tended to reduce—if these gen lientett. could guarantee to the augmented number, li oth of manufacturers and throwsters , the same profits and the same monopoly, which under another !Mem, and with more limited numbers, to the pre- Mice of the great body of consumers, they enjoyed, do these gentlemen persuade themselves that that e xtension of the trade which has been produced by cheapness and co m p et i t i on w ill not b e a ff ecte d b y tne withdrawing of these primary incentives, or that 844 is the fashion or the patriotism of this country, that its public and its consumers would be content to Pay for our domestic manufacture the augmented Price which monopo l y would claim ? Does it not ?,eur, to the li on . G ent l eman , t h at an imme ul4e result of a return to a prohibitory system, if it Noduced that increase of price which he contem- Pla tes, must produce also the most fatal e ffects upon all those places to w hi c h t h e manu f acture h as b een ett ended; on individuals as well as bodies of men who have embarked in it ? Ile is of opinion that there are are - no limits to the price and profits of on g opol Y -- t h at by such minor considerations the cumption of the country is not likely to be a im d e • But is is he of opi n i on a l so , see i ng t h at t h ere enot a i r emunerative price, as he cont e ndS, for any ne ,h of the tra d e, that the large stock cannot • "jaPPsetl .of—i s he of opinion that if by re t9' Prohibition he shall raise the profits of thetne throwster, in the first instance, the wages of ~, manufacturer in the second, there is no Winger that the consumers of this country may take to cotton, or to some other fabric, which has not i isprohibition to protect it, and thus add to the distress, not of t h e industrious constituents of the Hon. Gent. --of those establishments which have grown l u p precisely since prohibition was at an end ? I nave here, Sir, thi s part of the argument, only warn og those who deem that for every piece or yard of cheap m anufactured silk, whether produced at home 4broad, which has been recommended by that bell c heapness, —which, if foreign is to be displaced Prohibition, if domestic is to be raised in price t ° the Consumer,—they may not be able to secure P, urc hasero to an equal amount; an d t h at w hil e t h ey l o pe to encou rage t h ose - w h o are now de j ected, to pe may in fact b e creat i ng permanent causes of thei r ruin. But, Si r , i t i s to t h e contra b and trade— 't is to the illicit and immense importation of fo rein silks —that the petitioners have universally " sc ribed th e i r present distress. I believe that the has of w h at h as b een smuggled into the country "Os been exaggerated. But of that h erea ft er . I Would her e ask the Hon. Gentletnan, whether no juggling existed un d er t h e system of pro hibi tion ? it not notorious and undeniable that at that e- rtod .F renc h silks to be seen ,p ain every house, and the d fivery were society ? Th e extent of the smuggling, mischief" of it, were the subject of universal complaint. In the evidence taken before a Com raittee of the other House of Parliament, it was dis titictly referr e d to, and suggestions were made there, \vi th a view to meet and to suppress it. But five "t the Y ears, Si r, before that time, when the manufacture capital was suffering under one of those visi ,,i:Ons by which it has been periodically afflicted, — A t e n) though the trade had the benefit of probibi -I°, it was said that two-thirds of the looms ware I t ' i n ttoplo Yedr—the distress was universally ascribed to • Ble i nuggling in foreign silks. The same was stated tree the year following, and I believe that it was as e 1 year . L B US it is now. If you would encourage the Pop would of smuggled goods, prohibit them; if probWOuld confirm th e c apr i ce o f f as hi on, and g i ve re foreig n art i c l e a f anc i ed superiority, recur to s ibition I I believe that they will be disappointed j„ th ; e3 hope to distinguish them. Under the pant '-'ng effects of undue protection the goods of this F c 'tintry were distinguishable at first sight, by their inf eriority, from those of France ; but imitation and himProvernent, unde r th e st i mu l us of competition, ` l ick been at work, an d i t h as b een more than once Si r alt to maintain a seizure after it has been made. f e 2. l unier prohibition, th e tra d e was a scene of 0f er"..,11,e and arbitrary l aws , restr i ct i ve of the fair ex lesTe of th e i ncl i nations of the people, and regard feit Otheir wants. They were laws which no one 40°' impo se any moral obligation, and thus au itual indifference to the breach of law was en gendered ere in i n tbe,public mind. But I have said tbey lhos --e i ffill d°"; and Will the House encourage e ..n3nVow that the object of their inquiry is to establish a return to them ? I w ill r emove f rom lie statute book, if I can, legal cr i mes w hi c h t h e !topic do not view as moral crimes. I would not nri,the common i n f ormer with a power to enter t h e Z uses of individuals. I would not permit even the n g's office r , f or the sake of a fiscal regulation, to ,!) i l ate the sanctity of every Englishman's abode. aving sta so ted me of the reasons for which I ' Zs h t the Hon. Gentleman's motion, I proceed to other branches of this subject. To convince the tp P ause of the nature of the present distress, by Oing it . to its source - , it may be not undesirable to 4 3e a succinct view of the state of the silk trade for 0 1 ' years p r i or to t h e c h ange w hi c h was made in A:sprin g of- 1824.; to follow the manner and the sqress of that change ; and to compare the actual tof it, since the ch a n ge , w ith an equa l term 0 1 4 to it. It would be useful to trace tile history eff i t he manufacture in Franc e , w ith re f erence to the , °r a ts of our measures u p on i t, ana the re-action it h ose effects upon ou r own manu f acture. I think st 4, 44 ot be d ou b te d , t h at one of the causes of the Ili" 8 is, an over-production in both countries; for 4 1i t t 'Moriolts that the di s t ress o f F rance i s a s great thi s Is her e . T here are many facts connected with t oot s subject which are features, and proofs of over the immense increase of the raw silk toported; .2dly,the high prices at which, owing to the ti,!),petitiort of throwsters , the raw silks have never -458 been purch ase d , even up to t h e sa l e at the E ast sttiql'a H ouse at th e en d o f J anuary; 3 dl y, t h e nume e4 . n ew mills an d wor k s which have been establish ree 1823; and 4thly, the simultaneous distress tilsj a noo, to which I before referred. 'The facts, th,. e, of the great increase in th e c onsump ti on o f be t ra w Material, as well as the increase in the num the °F Persons, buildings, and works, employed in tro4 ikanufaxure, would su ffi ciently pro ve thi s over gtgei-;'sting the c h ange o f syst e m a t t h e be stut.ag or the year 1824, five years of the new be,.." of th e Silk -trade have elapsed. In those fi ve l i %) the importation of raw and thrown silk has 182, 18,584,2131h5. In the five years preceding 140 e importation was only 10 . ,925,6461b5..,m . ak peri bllfference of 7,650,5671b5. in f a v our of a later ruc t 4 ' Ido not mean that the-increase of manu • er of lag employment has been equal to this increase °ll iti k a w ter ial, because, since the reduction of the duty '`tai h. si lk to a nominal sum (Id. per lb.) coarser bth i'.4tier• fabrics have been made, and silk has i' l4. CP' freely used in many ways, not connected , With ohl si lkinamifactare in its proper sense. But l' .l 4tai7 ° lirth of the in c r ease b e oeducted, the silk In cro e ture properly so called, will still have b een she b ) - full one-balf, on a comparison between tit fiv e years of the f o rmer st a t e o f th e t ra d e , fi ve years which have elapsed of the altered tiop The following is an account of the imports during the ten years in question FIRST PERIOD. N I 1e218A.. ih2l-• 1ti,1.. ,i. .... ............. . -~ 18 24 ....... . ... .... ... . ....... : ...... ............ ..... . ........... I Raw. Thrown. 1,41,990 1,700,41t1 1,94 ~ 516 2,037,415 2,095,972 lbs. $01,588 309;953 350;200 3 r 0,273 346,314 Total. 1,782;578 480;366 2,290,725 2,407,688 2,132,286 lbs. 452,469 556,642 289,323 454,015 385,262 10,925,(46 Tvjal. :COND PER lbs. k 540,906 3,030;756 ,955,325 3,755,242 4,162,550 Truwn. b tri n dt the first ", the period, th e d u ty on ra i ! ol ~d lb., and on t h rown s ilk, .; the duty on dyed silk was toi Ibs. 3,993,3'79 3,589,398 2,244,367 4,209;257 4,547,812 18,584,213 10,925,646 7,658,567 v silk was not dyed, ;ally prohi- bitory. There was at the same time a large bounty on silks exported, whereby- an exportation was forced, the amount of MI MI must be deducted from the importations of raw and throwu silk, in forming an estimate of the consumption at home. The im portations of 1817 luid 1818 average that of 1819. During those three years the trade appears to have been stationary. For some time prior to 1817, the trade had been suffering under one of its occasional visitations of distress; and any further retrospect carries us back, either into the time of the war, or to that of the immediate termination of it,--Cioth periods unfavourable for any just comparison. Long before 1824, a silk trade was rising up in our pro vincial towns, the effects of which were beginning to be severely felt in Spitalfields; and were the consumption to be now contracted in the degree which would result from a renewal of the former system, it cannot be supposed that the looms of the metropolis could be kept at work, in opposition to the numerous fresh establishments which are now at work in the country. " The operatives of Spital fields, mistaking their own interests, had obtained the sanction of the Legislature to a " book" of fixed prices of their labours. Parliament, how ever, could not fix their employers to the spot, but a timely repeal of " the book" prevented a rapid transference of their work to places which were not within the reach of its dictation. It has been said that ocusional stagnation in the trade did not formerly produce in Spitalfields so much distress as has at present been felt, because the work people, having been previously in the receipt of high wages, were in possession of some savings which assisted to support them until full employment could be again obtained. This may be true in some de gree; but it is far more true that the stagnation was caused by the high wages, in co-operation with duties and other high charges, by which the con sumption of si.ks was nearly confined to those classes amongst whom the caprices of fashion have most sway. Perhaps to change in fashion, more than to over-production, the former seasons of distress may be attributed; and it is clear that to Spitalfields those seasons would become more and more dis astrous, in proportion as competition with the opera tives of the country was extended. In those times it was not possible to force a trade by low prices; cheapness was not a material object with the regular consumers, and the degree of cheapness which could then be possibly attained was not sufficient suddenly to bring in a new class of customers. The state of the throwing trade, under the former system, is pecu liarly worthy of remark. With a duty of 9s. 2d. (the difference between the duties on raw and thrown silk) in favour of the British throwster, he was un able to keep out the foreign thrown silk; and it is seen that the importations of thrown silk in the former period were as great as in the later, for something must be allowed for smuggling under the temptation of a duty of Bd. per lb. But, viewed relatively to the quantities of raw silk' in the two different terms, the thrown silk imported in the for mer term in the face of so high a prohibitory duty, far exceeded that imported in the later term, and under a comparatively low duty. This importation, however, of thrown silk, under all diversities of the trade in other respects, is not confined to a compa rison of one term of five years with another such term. It is to be seen on comparing each year of the joint term with the year preceding it, even although the difference in raw silk may be con siderable : and the fact does, certainly, go far to establish the position, that the foreign thrown silks are alone fit for the making of fine goods, and that the consumption of such goods made in this country was, and still is, actually limited by the high price of material on the one hand, and by smuggling on the other. Still, notwithstanding the importations and smuggling of thrown silk, the English throwsters carried on their business, under the old system, with large profits, and paying high wages to their work-people; and this they attribute to the operation of that system. Some other cause must, however, be assigned; for, by every inference to be deduced from facts, the very oppo site effect was to be expected. Under the old system, the foreign throwster had about a fifth of the work : he now has about only a ninth, and the total quantity of the work is nearly doubled. In truth, their former profits are attributable solely to the limited number of throwing establishments. The change in the silk trade made by the act of April, 1824, is represented to be such as must lead to its destruction, and they who hold that lan guage declare that every man of discernment fore saw that consequence from the moment of its an nouncement. It is then remarkable, if the above opinion had any foundation, that the persons en gaged in the trade should have acted with the greatest imprudence; for, instead of contracting their operations, they instantly extended them. They asserted that the French manufacturer would undersell the English : the state of things, there fore, to be expected was, that the English would be doing little business, and with little profit, while the French would be doing much, and reaping large profits. Most certainly if the loss of profit to the English manufacturer arise from his being undersold by the French, the situation of the latter ought to be very flourishing. But the reverse is the fact; the distress of the silk-trade in France is as great as it is here, and the French manu facturers, convinced by the fatal experience of their losses, that they cannot so easily undersell the British, have thrown many thousands of looms out of work. The measures adopted at the earnest entreaties of the trade, for bringing the change gradually into opera tion, produced evil instead of good. The Act passed on the 12th of April, 1824, tvid although the reduction of duty on raw and thrown silk com menced immediately, the prohibition on raw and manufactured goods was to continue until the sth of July, )826. It was urged that the intervals would be employed in preparing goods fit to with stand the competition which was in view. But this was an interval to the French also, which they em ployed in preparing for their new market ;"for they had believed the declaration of the British manufac turers as to their power to undersell him at his own door. The expectation of Government naturally was, that the English manufacturer would apply himself to the improvement of his machinery, and of the quality of his goods, because the superiority of the Stier French goods was universally acknowledged. It was expressly upon this understanding that the time was conceded, and certainly instant extension of quantity was the last thing expected. But in stant extension did take place, and although the Act did not pass till the 12th of April, 1824, the quan tity of taw and thrown silk, taken by the trade in that year, was upwards of 1,500,0001 h. more than in the preceding year. The quantity in 18.25 was also very great, when compared with any year pre vious to 1824; but towards the close of 182.5, and in the beginning of 1826, some timidity came over the manufacturers us to the effect to be apprehended from the opening of the foreign trade, which was to take place at Midsummer of that year. It was as certained that the French had got up a large stock of goods, and it was then seen how much better it would have been to have taken them by surprise, with a sudden opening of the trade, than to have given them upwards of two years of preparation. Besides, the English had seen into the error of ex tension of quantity, instead of improvement of quality,. and they saw that two large stocks would be coming at once into the same market. Some prudent men in the trade were early aware of the error which had been committed, and counselled the shortening of the time for the continuance of the prohibition ; but their opinion was overruled. A table of duties vas introduced into a Bill, daring the' progress of which a variety of projects was brought forward by the manufacturers, with a view to embarrass the foreign trade. Amongst others, was one, the object of which was to disqualify all the ready-made goods of France for our market. This was, by declaring, that silks only of certain lengths should be itiaported; and, as the pre scribed lengths were such as were never, up to that period, made in France, this new condition excluded the whole of the foreign stock. But even this mumuvre produced evil, instead of good, to those who entreated its adoption. The They are, as gentlemen, conversant io with the subject 1 India. It will be seen how pa r ti cu l ar l y a p p li ca bl e a m French set instantly to wor k to make fresh pieces of knoty, used e in connected ProPor t both n a sa th stid j rated duty. It is stri c tly c o nsi s tent with th e represen . lwer am in fo rmed by a I duty on the value is on these articles, in pref ere nce to a ro the prescribed length., while the rejected pieces falling as inst an tl y i n va l ue, were purc h ase d at l ow I'.: gentlemannufaC trr ex te ( n i cs equale l u y ri ncess a re to mention names), that he 1 tations of those manufacturers who contend against the prices, and smuggled into this country. Besides lately purchased a quantity of raw silk in Lombardy, one- ! duty being taken by weight, apprehending that the that, the manufacturer, in the interval allowed hire half of which was thrown into a train in Italy, and the Bandana handkerchiete of India, by being made of a other half into the same a rti c l e i n thi s coun t ry; t h at, a dd - ! fi ner quality, would weigh less, and b_• therefore liable to for prepar a ti on , did no t apply hi mse lf to t h e im- ing the import-duty of 35., his Italian trans cost him j a less duty, while their value lias greatly increased. I provernent of his goods. The duty on thrown silk Is. 10d. more than that thrown in England. With re- I will not here instance this particular article, to prove was left too hi g h, fo r which th e tr a de has itself to spect to tram, therefore, there can be no difficulty in re- what the effects of competition has been upon the manufac blame. They conspired with the throwsters in fur- duction, nor can I believe that there ought to be any in tures of this country. The sale of English . Bandanas was t nishing reasons to Government why so high a duty acceding to the proposition which I shall hive tbe n honour quoted on b a preceding t eve u nin r g in n pr . oo r t u t t i n f en i t iat l e l ~ , ; t„ . , for h s a s. nd to ,. should be preserved. Added to this impediment of to make, of i. red l tia k i n n o g w th t e b,, d t u l ty sb o s i l i t fio)er e tU r l - 71tI r ra g t a , n o z n i thefroonme willthis diminution it el ieceossfardyutyo, nor for e a a Y recurrence ar to the inea supplying themselves with Italian thrown silk for those purposes to which that alone was applicable, . 3 1 5 . g . .0 6( t00 fir in this that proposition ; that the throwster, • sure of value, inasmuch as in the last Session of Parlia was another, arising out of a navigation law, which and particularly those who throw the fine silks, must be ment the opinion of the House has pretty distinctly pro prohibitedmateriall affected by it. I shall be taunted, on the other nounced upon it. Indeed, I know not what British irate_ the importation of thrown silk, except hand, by y those with whom in general principles I concur, rests can justly rev aim against it. while India, and all who from the place of its production. The consequence for not going far enough,—f or w i t hh o ldi ng , as t h ey w i ll are connected with our shipping interest, or with the corn was, that towards the close of 1825, th e manufac- accuse me of doing, from the English manufacturer, the merce of that country, must receive every boo i of this tuners came to Government and declared that they material of his work. I must subm:t, Sir, to those impu- nature as a valuable concession. I have now, Sir, impel . - were at a stand for want of material. They repre- tations; but I console myself with thinking, that in re- fectly, lam aware, submitted to the House these propo sented that the duty was too high—that it was a shirting the application of the throwsters for what they call sitions which I deem essential l for restoring the si-manu particular sort of organise, which could not be made an increased protection, I save them from themselves : their facture to a more wholesome state. have endeavoured .. in England, —and that speculators had got posses- ruin must be inevitable . if the manufacturer be not encou- to show that the distress which unhappily exists, and in the reduction of the present duty, 1 which every man must sympathize, is not imputable to the sion of all that was imported, or could be for that ramgeststailnneroinpostibneg opinion that he will have sufficint repeal of those laws under which the trade was formerly season imported, from the place . of its production, as required by the law of navigation. They said, at protection, a and that without that reduction the manufac- conducted. It is seen that the embarrassments are not the same time, th a t t h ere was p l enty o f I ta li an tuner cannot go on. I h o ld myse lf an d t h e G overnment confined to one branch of the trade, nor to this trade alone, thrown silk to be obtained in other countries, if itn- unpledged as to any future scale of reduction : let it not nor yet to this country. It exists extensively in other be implied that we are bound to this amount, branches of our industry, and is to he ascribed in all of portation were allowed. It was on this representa- in that which I consider as an experiment to them, I fear, among other causes, principally to over tion that the reduction of ss. was made by order in enable the manufacturer to maintain himself in trailing and to over-production. But in other trades, council. It must have been then expected that the the home markets, under those duties on finished those who have speculated and who have suffered have not British throwster would be able to - work so cheap as goods which are the extent of what we can had a change of law to which they could impute the to exclude all foreign thrown silk, because the pros- impose. The duties, then, on the three descriptions of blame, nor could they ascribe to the Government that pest of a foreign trade was held out as lik e l y t o re - i thrown silk will be, on organzine Ss. 6d. p er lb., b e i ng a wh i ch was the result of their own self-destructive coin reduction of Is. 6d. ; on trams, 25., being a reduction of petion. I h ave assure d t h e H on . G ent l eman w i t h sin stilt from the reduction, to a no m i na l amount, of the duty on ra w silk, which could never have 1. . ; en singles, ls. 6d , b e i ng a re d uc ti on ' of 6d. per lb. cer ity, th a t if t h e i nqu i ry w hi c h he proposes were ' been expected, into a heavy home d u ty on our I believe, Sir, that with thi s re d uct i on o f d uty on hi s ma- l i kely to alleviate the distress, I should be the last material, or while duties to so large a n a m oun t terial, togeth e r with t h a t w hi c h I s h a ll h ereafter propose man to resist it. To resist it is painful to every 3fem on the foreign manufactur e i m p or t e d, we s h a ll secure to her of the H ouse—it is doubly so to those who are rc. were asked for to protect our home consumption.— the weavers the great bulk of the consumption of our own sponsible for any alternative measures submitted to Par- It is plain that the Government did not expect any country. But if we would become exporters, we must do liament. My belief is, that the delay consequent on in immediate exportation, for we had, first, to make more. To hope to maintain competition in a foreign quiry, and the stagnation of all business which must ensue, our stand good against the French in the home- market, when we are forced to protect our own against would greatly aggravate the distress of those numerous pe market. The real causes, then, of the distress of the foreigner, would be absurd, if we retain the duty on titioners who have approached the House. For myself,and the throwsters may be established by a very few the material, and send it forth burdened with that impost for my view of this question, I should not object l _to in facts.gn consumer. I would propose then to allow vestigation, convinced l asl am that a t t o . tb e e n H ce ot s i s s - e ou d B e u s t t a - I 1 have a statement of the number of throw- to the foreign a drawback of so much of the duty on foreign thrown silk bksh the statements . have . ing-mills erected since 1823, as also of the number as shall attach to British manufacture exported. Let not object to it as a desperate attempt to return to a ruinous of spindles then at work, and of those now (or I this, Sir, be de eme d f or a moment , or m i sta k en to b e, a prohibition. I have, Sir, on this subject no previous de should say very lately, when this a ccoun t was ta k en ) unemployed. Most of these have been confirmed bounty. It would be impossible to reconcile Parliament clarations which bind me,—no pledged opinions to which to the principle of bounty, and I should he the last to re- I have to adhere. I, as other Members of this House to me, either by accounts which I have received, or commend it ; but it has been the principle of our export have done, gave to the measures of the Government in for by the admission of parties themselves, when exit- trade to discharge exported goods of all duties of con- tiler years my silent acquiescence. I have since, as was mined at time Board of Trade ; arid they will dis- sumption. The duties on foreign thrown silk are in this my duty, given to the suirjects connected with those urea tinctly prove that the great difficulties arise from country duties of consumption; but if not returned on the surer, particularly to that which has been the subject of the improvident increase of the throwing establish- exportation of the goods made of such silk, they become debate to-night, my most anxious and devoted d attention d: ments. I take a certain number of considerable transit duties, and I believe f no e man bi w i i i ll think e o o f ir l e e s y s y n ing t l o li t a he b l e i s s t te o n f e l d ay to si e d v b e t r y y to representation, f.atb o fathom every and statement; and I towns, and I find that previous to 1824, the num- transita at bom ut e y onlat maymanbe manufacture ber of spindles employed in them were 780,000,objected ' that ' th e e n s r ill g es exported i)- come forth, confirmed in the opinions which I held, and port may not be actually ade of foreign thrown silk. Is not which I have to-night, for the first time in my official cha• that in 1829, in the same places, the number was ng that previous to 182 ,they were all, with -0,000, making an increase of 400,000. Ad- this, however, immaterial? Can there be any objection ract er,l,lB expressed. I will not trespass lo nger on t h e to substitution so long as th e quantity imported be not House. The magnitude of th e su bj ec t,—th e i nterests o f mitti4. exceeded ? When the sugar-refiners are allowed to take those concerned in this great branch of our industry, and out exception, employed, the number in this year foreign sugar into their works to refine for exporta- above all, the importance of those principles on which the unemployed is returned as 300,000, showing no di- to : n, they are not required to export the identical House is called to pronounce to-night, will, I trust, he my minution in time extent of the employment in the sugar; and in the Act lately in force, permitting fo- apology. lam ashamed to have occupied you so long ; year 1824. I will add here, that in the same year r ei g n wheat to be ground for exportation, i quan- b b ut I should b. b l e t muc h li c n b iore ashffi am edce .if I s had shrun, or k from (1823), the timber of mills was 175: it is in the tiity, order vith t out reg n ai t . d tbe to d i e den at t l i d ty :,f present year 266. Is it necessary to add more to provesdartaissfibedacktheaw. from ex- mys e elf tinder the acts or the authority ') of ' others, for that " seedingthe o du p t r i e e v s e received, and m to preserve the right of the course which my own sense of duty leads me to advise.— the overtrading in this branch ? But, unfortunately, has drawback, to the persons who paid the duties, time same (The Right flon. Gent. sat down amid loud cheering, the improvident competition of the throwsters shall be payable only to the importer wh en h e i s a l so th e w hi c h l aste d f or severa l m i nutes.) added to the difficulty under which the manufactur e r exporter, or to his nominee, wh en th e expor t at i on i s ma d e M r. B A RING was sorry to remark, that though all if the throwster did not contend for a protection labours. It might have been benefici a l to th e weaver, by another. If, with th e a id o f f ore i gn t h rown s ilk , t h us parts of the country, which had any connexion with the which is the most serious impediment to tim e menu discharged from duty, w e can ra i se up an export tra d e s i l k trade, had declared in their petitions the misery and which we could not have with English thrown silk, the distress under which they were labouring, there was no facturer, by raising the price of what is to him his foreign material will assuredly be brought into the country thing in the speech of the Right Hon. President of the law material, and the material precisely of that par- in the necessary quantities. It; on the other hand, the Board of Trade calculated to relieve that misery and that titular branch of manufacture which he complains English throwsters improve until they can throw cheap distress. He did not mean to say that it was in the l. f that he has lost. It is evident that the duty on enough for exportation, the quantity of foreign thrown silk power of the Right Hon. Gentleman to affordthem ttel e t l io e t , l Italian thrown silk, particularly affecting the organ- must decrease, and the demand for drawback will decrease hut . still it . was lamentable that, after all the attention zine, which is imported from Piedmont, obstructsalong with it. I may state here as a result, that as those which the Right Hon. Gent. had bestowed on the question, t ltshich . are made entirely of silk are made of equal he could produce no remedy fur the calamities he had do. the manufacturers of this country in the production articles of organzine and train, time drawback will be the plored. The persons engaged in the silk trade said, that of all the fitter goods, and is an effectual obstacle to g mean duty on both. With respect to mixed goods, I need they could not stand a competition with foreigners; and his competition abroad. Even at home we find it ~. not now say more than that certain proportions will have the Right Hon. Gentleman immediately said, •‘ We'll let necessary to protect him, not alone against the dir to he adopted, the rule of which will be familiar to the in the foreigner upon easier terms." He must say, that ference in the cost of labour between England and officers of customs, from the practice which obtained when there was nothing in the measure which the Right Hon. France, not alone against the natural disadvantages bounties were allowed. I come now, Sir, to a branch of Gentleman had that night introduced, with the exception of which our manufacturer complains as affecting the subject, which, whether we regard the interests of the of the drawback, that was calculated to benefit the home him, and not his rival ; but against the effects of consumer or the manufacturer, is not of less importance manufacturer. . Under that measure le roust say that the this this duty on his material, which that rival has too tl f ra d n those o h f . t b vhich we have treat t e l d! , I to mean l the a f inou . nt silk trade in this country would stand . i! condemned mamma much He had presented the petition from the mer much good sense to impose—a duty which I con soilksuitmesorted, we which il e we () a ught to c e a v lc y ul on ate on the chants of London, and he must say that in the general scientiously believe is not necessary to its present principle l) of affording protection to the domestic mann- principles of it he fully concurred; but he could assure amount for the throwster's protection. 1 admit facture of the country, by the highest duty which we the House that that petition was none of his. He had this to he the most difficult part of the question. can. , . . smuggler t hailed with the greatest satisfaCtion that change in the levy, without giving thereby to the too That difficulty is augmented by the union, the un great a temptation to plunder the public by evading commercial policy of the country, for which the country natural union and combination of the throwsters and manufacturerthe tax. When I say the high es t d uty, I mean, of was i nde b ted to h i s R i ght Hon. Friend opposite, who had a portion of the s. It has only has been at led been lately, and by course, consistent with the only just p r i nc i p l e o f pro- ded i cate d h i msel f to th i s su bj ect with a degree of devotion trade, that it gth tection,—to measure it by a regard to the cheapness of perfectly unparalleled. This was the only manufacture in admitted that their interests are not inseparable. I labour i n other countries, as well as to those disadvantages which foreigners had a decided advantage over this country. allow that the connection between the throwster reasonably stated which operate against the British manu- The Right Hon. Gentleman had admitted that the people and the manufactur er wou ld b e natura l, and might facturer in favour of his competitor abroad. I have never of Coventry were ashamed of the articles manufactured be useful to both, if the price of the raw material beard a scale of duty contended for higher than 30 per before the French revolution. There had been a decided did not interpose. It would be useful to the manu- Beforethe Committee of the Lords, 15 per cent. advance in the silk manufacture in France ; the manufac eweanst.considereil by some as sufficient ; but every mail will Cur in this country was far behind. The French had the facturer, doubtless, to select some particular silks, and to direct th e i r preparat i on, if f or one essent i a l admit, that if more than 30 p er cen t. were imposed, a raw materi a l, an d th ey k ept up a monopo l y o f tim e trade, and indispensabl e s ilk, h e were not ma d e to pay a real prot ec ti o n to that amo un t wou ld not b e had, as the though it was at variance with the principles of the French price which w a k es compet i t i on w i t h fore i gn manu f acture supply must inevitably be thro wn i nto t h e h ands of the economists. Peculiar causes and circumstances some smuggler. In the first inst a n ce , one general duty on the times made general principles inapplicable, and a man ship would b e , hi s s i tuat i on i s worse, f or t h e E ng li sh impossible. B u t, i n po i nt o f f act, extreme as t hi s hard value was enacted ; but before it came i nto operat i on, on who applied them, without looking at the details, was throwster cannot supp l y hi m w i t h w h at i s i n di spensa bl e the representation of the trade, a sc a l e o f rate d d ut i es was sure to b e wrong. The French had also a peculiar dye, fur the manuf ac t ure o f t h e fi ner goo d s; an d t h us t h e d uty adopt e d, f or m e d, howev e r, o n th e b as i s o f 30 per cent. and there had been English dyers who had gone to Lyons onithe foreign organa i ne, w hi le i t g i ves no a d vantage to t h e On plain s ilks, the larger clas s of commo di t i es, i t was 15s. and brought away, as they supposed, time secret, but who British throw s t er , cuts up b y the roots one ent i re b ranc h , per pound, and with respect to th em as we ll as to others, were unable, for some reason or other, to produce the and that the most profitable, of our home manufactur e . asks protection. It is not protection the variation in value since th a t ti me , as we ll as ot h er c i r- same colours in England. Then the ladies of England The throwster cumstances, have caused the rated d u ty t o b e i n a h nost a l l were admirers of French commodities. To legislate to instances, but in different degrees, hi g h er th an t h e per ten - w i thout regard to all these considerations would be legie him, but p r i vat i on to t h e weaver. N ee d I go f urt h er to tape intended, varying from 30 t o upwar d s o f 40 per cent. sating in the dark. Considering, th e n, th a t Ly ons was prove that thi s i ngre di ent o f t h e fi ner manu f acture cannot be furnished by th e E ng li s h t h rowster ? If h e cou ld fur- I propos e to unite the principl e o f an a d valorem. duty, in a silk cou n t r y, t h a t it possesse d a d vantages i n d y i ng nisi it, would h e not h ave d one i t un d er t h e f ormer d uty with that of the rated duty which i s now ta k en, reducing-, and patterns, and th a t l a b our th ere was h a lf t h e pr i ce of of 14s. 7d. ? W ou ld not so hi g h a protect i ng d uty h ave However, those rates as I shall state hereafte r . It i s con - l a b our i n t hi s country, how was it possible that, on the been prohibito r y, if t h e organz i ne t h rown i n E ng l an d had venient, both for the importers an d f or t h e revenue, to free trade principle, a country without these :advantages enabled the m anu f acturer to dis use with the organzine continue to take the duty by weight; b u t t o prevent t h e cou ld exc l u d e the other? What remedy was practicable of Italy? Th e diff erence of duty pe at that time, between importation of articles of a hi g h va l ue , an d o f a f i ner order, in this case was another question. To him it appeared the raw and thro wn s ilk, was 9 4.2 d., su ffi c i ent, i n trut h , of which the value cannot b e d e fi ne d or measured b y a there was no effectual remedy; it seemed to be is con. rated duty, I propose that th e o ffi cer s h ou ld h ave the demned trade. He regretted that the people should be for all protection. B ut t h e quant i ty i mporte d h as b are l y power of charging the by a d on val. persuaded by high autori th flora, e increased since th a t ti me , a l t h oug h t h e diff erence o f d uty this alternative a protection will be a utyfforded,the ue By the want of battle successfully. With ty at respect to thrown could fight silk, it wee th now is not ss. As compare d w i t h t h e quant i ty o f raw silk imported, I h ave a l rea d y s h own b ow muc h i t h as re- which has been complained of, aga i nst t h e i mportat i on of qu i te i mposs i ble that the manufacturers could steed with superior goods at an insufficient duty ; f or it i s o b v i ous ou t t h e t h rowsters. If no protection had been given to de vied that the organai ne o f Pi e d mont i s necessary for the latively diminished. I b e li eve h ere , t h at i t cannot be that a rate, once fixed, is applicabl e t o a ll goo d s o f the same the throwster, we should ha ve seen none o f the mills now finer goods, and it i s as ev id ent t h at any i ncrease d class, however different they may b e , i n rea l value. The esta b l i shed in this country. It was all very well to quan lowest rate of duty on silk goods, not the produce of say that this w as on l y a pass i ng cloud ; poor people City of that material whi c h may b e ca ll e d f or b y t h e tra d e, will not displace Briti s h th rown s ilk . I t may, when India, will be 25 per cent., whi c h upon p l a i n s i lks g i ves were often made the dupes of such a deception. It worked up with other s ilk s , di sp l ace a certa i n quant i ty o f Ils. in the pound, in lieu of 15s. with w hi c h t h ey are was worth the attention of the Homes to consider whether now charged ; and this duty is plac e d so l ow, as b e i ng t h e the difficulties in thi s t ra d e arose from the same the finer manufactured go o d s w ith w hi c h i t i s sa id we are inundated from Franc e ; b u t if i t i s , i t must b e either only effectual means of destroying th e operat i ons o f t h e cause as the general difficulties attending all trade, smuggler, which have been carri e d on ex t ens i ve l y i n p l a i n or w h ether they were not, in a great degree, pecu this country, or by a combination i n manu f acture with by new goods, which would not o th erw i se b e ma d e in goods, tinder the temptati o n of th e hi g h d uty. T h ese ar- l i ar. Undoubtedly there was a general perishing; tides bear compression in packing, and lying in a small and decline of the industry of the country in all arti such silks us can lie advantageously thrown in England, the compass are more easily introduced by the contraband des of trade; but thy. diiticulties in most of the other use of which must be extended by any general extension of e trauers- There are other articles of foreign manufacture, cases were temporary. At the Caine time be was. sorry to the manufecture. I deem it essentially necessary, there which being more bulky and susceptible of injury fronts say, that lie could not conceive it possible that this coun fore, to recommend a reduction on the duty of foreign compression, are less likely to be illegally introduced. try, (hiring a long continnatme of peace, could cantinue to thrown silk. I cannot—l know I cannot—carry the re- They will bear a higher duty. This observation will be a manufacturing coontey, and compete with the rest of duetion to the full extent of my own principle. I cannot apply particularly to crapes and those fabrics of a more the world; the question was, whether we could carry give to the English manufacturer his raw material upon the terms on which the French m an uf ac t ure r obtains delicate texture as w e ll as ve l vets, w hi c h are i mporte d i nto effect the whole system of free trad e , whilst we coma principally from Switzerland and Germany. It has b e e n net defends part of our trade against the intrusiou of it. lam limited by a consideration of the interests eni urged by those connected with the trade, that the limitation others. We should soon come to the same state of things barked in the throwing trade of this country; and though of ports for the introduction of silk goods would impede in respect to wool and cotton. How eoeld the principles I am aware that if the manufacture languishes, the the contraband operations. I believe they overrated the be kept up in regard to the letter trade, When the ina te throwster must suffer,—if it falls, the throwster must be importance of such limitation. But I admit its itnpor- facture was going cm at the same time in Orleans, Bost 4 on, extinguished,—l am yet desirous at present to look, not tance as affording the means of having a more efficient este- and Liverpeol. ' Where skill and capital were equal, chewy so much to the lowest amount which we may impose oa blishment, and officers better informed of the nature ancl food would he the criterion, eud welnust reeollP-we raw material, for such I must regard the Italian or et that we value of the various commodities, than it o - ki he in the had a great debt b ere ' " w, e gamine in some branches of the manufacture, as to sun - OUf ae-es,—r.) It was impos power of the Government to employ, if the places of int- sidle that the House could do its duty • 1 alder how much, out of the protecting duty which we mut discussing , wit , e port were unlimited. The account of importations will these difficuiti rs• • • es may allow to the domestic manufacture, we may afford, the difficulties in other beauches of most satisfactorily ehew to 11( . 4 few poi to the hp- trade had arisen from ,to continue to the throwster for his protection, it tieing la . something of ovee•trading; there g ort ition is in fact confined bid I shall preposc, for the bad been obvious that the duty on manufactured goods ought to cover reasons I have stated, to limit it to London and Dover, 'markt. markets speculation South'tro.in to India and to other parts; the both. I cannot argue with those who ask, as some & p il ei . i i i . e b r e ife e i. b hii i d b been clnsed i through poli anti twe or three of the other principal ports of t h nnited tical d ' isturban tations did who appeared before the Board of Trade, for a kingdom. On the part of thebanks fictit sma capital also trade it I: ms been also sug- em le •e d. ITGlas . the duty which could secure to thetn 9s. Bd, a pound fur Glasgow . encouraged people, Seated to restrict the importation to vessels of such a ten- n lo2ns on long throwing organzine. It would be preposterous to hope credit to engage in adventures which nage and burdth, as ' mpi- , ed in if. y that either prohibition or any other nostrum could sustain are not En usual] i proved unsuccessful The ' d t 111 it Hon. Gentleman had smuggling trade between y nd e ili " e l continent f . referred t the the British trade under the infliction of such a price on o - : a d n.,. e f. expenses of smuggling, which he Lad ca- There will be no difficult- in . (T a to this recOmmen- cu'aterl their material. But I know not how these gentlemen can i : y , atce tr.., .., s. .1.0 been (ration, ox in extenClin measure the profits of their throwing by the duty. At g . th. rewards, as la, - . 1 been much misinfori ex oposed, to the seizing neu it'ls or 16 per cent, was not the present there are none of them who do not admit that ' - - • :• • • ' ' e officers Ina word, Sir, there full amount of the premiu m t• l a w.in.:, would be paid. With , , they is no suggetin consistent with our general principle i respect to the remedy,• .' throw the best silk that they are ahle to throw at 55.,---, Which may be songed'h ti, who are deeply interested i sion that septeosueg we came to the conelu the coarser at considerably lees. Now, Sir,' since . the ex- we . c - et;,h; to persevere, the country had no cheice N ibi e h the Governmer y it will 'ose not bed s i o sposed to consider I betweel pence of throwing the fiaaest orgar4ine- in Italy is 23. pd„:-., wire exclusion, and meeting the plans. of the favourably, and to the enforcement of which the Board ' Wglit Hon. Gentlene V•li involved .- (at; I an) wairapted in saying on the authority of one of of Customs will, lam sure, give every assistance io their triele. The an, Iv, it. the S94nicw of the the first merchants in this city connected with that trade, d regulations proposed by the Right Hon. Gen power- Having thus adverted to the dety on foreign ' tleman, he feared and, I am sorry to say, an opponent of all my own prin- would be 9f no avail, except the draw- European manufacture, I believe that `I meet the wishes back, respecting le l ciples on this subject, for he is a strenuous advocate of of the Hcqse ~ Le rollewing'up these provisions, by recom •• ' Incsaw un lykeii. he could not give an opinion till prohibition, and the author of most elaborate calcule- .. befall s in the Bill. The case of sugar mewling* the reduction of the duty on East India goods, ' deawiea e k-,, . tions to prove its necessity), since lam ;Ohl - 111,A by Whether we regard l: •h tt : d ntlich the Right Hon, Ctntiernan had in our genera policy wit respec o our stance , was unfort t for h• • • him that the finer organzine cornea to this county y charged aria e .nn ,it was extremely ill foreign possessions, or the eculiar cireumstariees of our regulated ,the with Zts. Id. per lb. beyond the price of similar silk Indian dominionsprinciple was good, but the details were , thetas- can P atat he 'a ' doubt that we ought objectionble unthrOwn, this, with the duty of ss. chargeable on admix- to admit theie manufactures at a lower rate. We send which was to b la the case of India silk% the duty on sion here, makes an aggregate of Bs. Id., which yet I doas e reduced from 50 per cent. to 20 per cent. fur oivn fabrics to compete with her staple manufac- it was true, not find to govern the remuneration of the British throw - yvas alleged, that the natives of India were ture, and we have no right to place her's on the footing our fellow subjects,and it was unfair to subject their reign organaine, but it is applicable also to the tram silk, per cent. ad valorem for time silk goods of British and manufactureslati *1 I a protecting duty. This was a specious si r e argument proceeding from a liberal feeling; ' but he'could not help remarking that we bad fellow-sub jects a little nearer home, who were exposed to greater difficulties to procure bread, and laboured under, greater hardships than those who wore no clothes, and subsisted upon rice. —(Hear.)—.No distress or difficulty was expe rienced in India; and he feared that, with their advan tages, the natives of that country would be able to send a class of goods home which would break up the only branch of the trade remaining to us. This was a serious question but the system of other countries in for the House, though it might be ungracious to raise this objection to the claims of the people of India. He (Mr. j u .a lt s i ;:tematic. He had nothing with which Baring) would not stop the system for any accidental or tt n ;iit o i si •e int ir a i f : l a lei c i l li' i : the Right lion. Gentleman ; he had treated the question as one of the greatest possible difficulty.. He (Mr. Bating) did not think that we ought to go back to the old system ; at the same time, he could not agree to go into the Committee unless his mind was made up to go hack to that system which the country would then expect. But in a Committee of inquiry figures would be against the petitioners.—(Hear.)—No arguments cord! stand against the fact of the c instantly increasing importation of the raw material. The manufacturers could allege the lance stock of goods on their hands, and other excess; but the great difficulty of a Committee would be to deal with the fact of an increased importation of the raw material Yet the distress of the trade was real ; it was hardly possible to exaggerate it; one sentiment on this head prevailed throughout the country. Mr. SADLER th oug ht that it was but common justice to the p e titi oners , w h o h a d i mmense i n t eres t s a t s t a k e , t o grant the motion for a Committee. As to the principle of free trade, it was, as applicable to this country, compli cated and dangerous. To a certain extent he admired the principle, which was beneficial when it distributed the bounties of nature to all, and made a mutual exchange of the products of human industry. But before he would consent to supplant a portion of British labour, he should look for a compensation. In the heat of argument and in the fervour of theoretic enthusiasm, people forgot that we were at present in a completely artificial state of society ; and, as respected the thousands and tens of thousands of persons employed in this manufacture, the price of the labour would be found to bear too close a, proportion to the depreciated price of the manufactured silk.—( Hear.) He could not congratulate the country on the decreased price of that article. Hitherto silks had been resorted to for tl:e purpose of distinction in dress and condition in life : so fir its costliness was a benefit, as it proved a . means of disseminating and circulatmg the surplus wealth of the rich amongst this class of ingenious artisans : but he certainly should regret that a fine lady or her servant should be enabled to purchase her silks at half price, when the reduction of price cost the poor industrious silk-ma nufacturer half his comforts, if not half his victuals.— (Hear, hear.)—The trade was a delicate one,—certainly not natural to us. It might be considered in the light of an exotic which we had taken pains to transplant and fa miliarize with our climate. A contrary system had of late been adopted : its protection had been withdrawn, t, else greatly impaired, and it was greatly to be feared that the next thing we should do would be to pluck up Alt, gether the withered decayed trunk from the platform of British industry. On these grounds he should support the motion for a Committee. Mr. HUSKISSON confessed he had deriv.id no small satisfaction from finding that his Right Hon. Friend anti his colleagues had, after a careful examination of the sub ject, and the various representations of the manufacturers and others concerned, come to a resolution to persevere in the measures which he had, when in office, recommended to the adoption of the House. Nor had this gratification been much diminished by the discouraging denouncem,nt of the Hon. Member for Callington. Although that Hon. Member had predicted in 1824 the downfall of this trade, and contended the prophecy had been fulfilled, yet he now felt it necessary to prophecy a second time its reiterated ruin. In the same way he had seen the ruin of our trade in cotton and woollen inevitable, because from the high price of provisions here it was not possible bet foreigners should supplant us in the market. Now from recollect ing what had happened with respect to America, which was the most enterprising of our competitors in commert:e, he (Mr. Huskisson) saw no reason to apprehend the f fulfil ment of this part of the prophecy ; or though, in the year 1824, America placed a protecting duty of 30/. er 401. per cent. on cottons, which in 1828 was raised to 701. or 801. per cent.," still she felt it impossible to main tain to herself the extensive supply of her own market. The Hon. Member had attempted to treat this motion as if it were not a prelude to a proposition in the Committee for adopting prohibitory duties. He argued that prohibi tion must be the secret object. It was dear the nature of the case required either prohibition or protection for this trade ; the latter was the object avowed and acted on by his Right Hon. Friend, and so fully explained in his able reply this evening. There were three parties deeply inte-. rested in the question before the House; the first, perhaps, was the throwsters; the second the manufacturers ; and the third, and not the least, was the public, or great con sumers, with whose prodigal indulgence in the use of silk the Hon. Member for Newark expressed himself so deeply offended. He would not sanction the pride, self_ c n a _ ceit, moroseness, or assumption, which led certain classes of persons to interdict all indulgence to any l out the higher classes in life.—(llear.)—We were not enthralled by sumptuary laws, but lived happily under a Government to which enactments of this kind were unbecoming and odious. If the throwster was in distress, as it appeared he was, then the Hon. Member did not hesitate to attri bute it to the change which had taken place in 'lB2l. The duty of 14s. 7d. on all wrought silk implied, which left a protection to the throwster of 95., was incompetent for his protection. Government then gave notice that in two years and a quarter from that date, all prohibitior, 1„ silk articles should cease, and at the expiration of t tiat t i me an Act passed to e ff ec t thi s o bj ect. The m em b a prophesied at the time that this would tb..ve all the capital out of the silk trade, and render the' manufacturers wretch ed and indigent. Now the far' was, that in 1821, 1822, and 1823, the quantity hI silk imported for the supply of our manufacturers was not above 1,947,00015. yearly ; while since ig24, on an average of the two years following, titers 'was imported 2,7:39,0001h5., and since this complete change in the silk trade, no less on an average has been imported thin 3,960,0001b5. Was the Hon. Member'.; prophecy fulfilled, or bad so far the throwsters any mason to complain.—(Hear, hear.)—Although the iir.port bad been saddled with no greater d uty than 55.., 'the import of thrown silk within the last two years wa`...only 417,0001 b. The comparative expence of throwity: the silk was in Eng land 55., in Italy 3s. The prot":ction required was a pro tection against the French Smuggler, nut against the fo.• reign throwsters, lie thought if the whole duty had been removed it would have been so much the bet ter, He had been unjustly taunted with having 'dd out flattering hopes and inducements to the English manaletures and throwsters, which have been deceived, and ended in their ruin. This he totally denied ; nay, so far from it, he admonished them and put them on their guard. This they despised, and went into speculations so extensive, erected mills so unprecedentedly large, and caused, by this great demand for raw silk, so great alt increase of price in the article, fmt they brought down in many instances ruin on themselves by this egregious folly. With respect to the smuggling from France, great exaggerations had been made in and out of that House. France never had exported to this MM.. try 3,000,00 a, but it had been attempted to he argued, that she smuggled alone not less than from 1,400,000/. worth to 2,000,000/. per annum. U s begged Hon. Members who viewed the relaxation of the prohibitive system with so zealous au eye, tee consider and comp; ~a the state of our manufactures before and after tho re laxation. Before he had undertaken those ehanrst s i n our Commercial laws, which were s o cumplainsa of by inte rested parties„ wail.) , of our articles of ustinufacture—those of silk, for example--(Heas, hear)--were the laughing atoek of Europe. But What was the case since tha re ' strictive system had been departed from ? Why, we were now able tO, rival the manufacturers of all other coun tries, in those very e'eticles in whi c h we were formerly so defective, But they ,were advised to return to the pro hibitive System, in order to protect the domestic menu , focturer against the importation of foreign exotics, and to ensure the British artisan employment in domestic manu factures. Now he would not say au thing about sacrific ing existing interests, or the tights of Englishmen, but would ask Hon. Membern to, consider how far smuggling was promoted or claecked under the prohibitive or unre stricted systensa? , and thence, how far the revenue was affected by the increase or diminution of smuggling? What was the fact? Why, that smuggling increased as prohibition was strict—diminished as restriction was relaxed ; so that ',he advocates of the prohibitive system would preserve instead of destroying smuggling, with all its evil consequences. Then, when Hon. Members t a lk e d o f silk being an exotic, and, as such, a fit object for a high prohibitive duty, they forgot that other materials of our manufactures. were also . exotics, and, its a parity o f reason ing, Nasally entitled to what was called protection.—(Hear, ) -,-:Were they prepared, then, to raise the duties on cotton ? Surely it was an exotic. We imported it as we imported silk ;we mid for one as we paid for the other. The equa lization of the capital and industry of the country, so much insisted upon by the Hon, Member for Newark (Mr. Sad ler), was unattainable if the two exotics were not c qualy prohibited from or equally admissible into the British market. Neither 70118 the Hon. Member correct in his