The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-30 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Sra—Your correapondent, who subscribes himself " A
CALM OBSERVER," and whose letter appeared in the
British Press of IVednesday, states his object in address-
ing yuu to he that of " free and impartial discussion," than
which nothing can be more desirable ; but in the course of
this discussion he has run into some errors, which though
I willingly admit them to be unintentional, I think it of
some importance to remove. The present condition of the
silk trade and its impending fate, should the new law take
effect, is beginning to excite a very general share of the
public attention; and it is fit therefore that no mistate-
ments should get abroad at this juncture which could give
a colour of justice to a measure fraught with so muck in-
jury, or which may tend to induce a belief that our appre-
hensions from it are—as he asserts them to be—unfounded,
and that we are petitioning against it without a cause. He, in
effect, affirms this when he puts the following question
" How can you suppose that the manufacturtra of France,
who even during the time of the prohibitory system in
England, have been as actively employed as they could be,
can all on a sudden be prepared to supply the full con-
sumption of the English market, which, I doubt not, is
nearly as great as that of the whole continent?" _

- 7 .
Now, Sir, it is proved by the documents which appear
in the leading article of your paper of the same date, that
the consumption in FRANCE of raw and thrown silk was
3,050,0001ba.; and of ENGLAND 3,382.3571b5. Now,
if to this excess of consumption by France we add
1,000,0001b5. more, as we may very fairly do fur the con-
sumption of the rest of the continent, the demand of the
English market is doubled by that of the continent, so far
from being nearly as great. As to France, too, we ma;
Judge of the capability of her further increase from what et
appears by the same documents she has effected in four
years, via.: from the year 1820 to 1424, both as respects
the production of raw silk, and of the manufactured
article.

But it must be perfectly known to the" Cahn Observer"
dist the continent of tamp': is not the only quarter from
which an influx of wrought silk will glut the English
market.

"If," says he, " your readers concerned in the silk ma-
nufacture reflect for a moment, that before the continental
manufacturers can with certainty employ any great number
of their looms for the London matket, it must be the work
of time, and not a short time either, you will be forced to
adn.it that the British silk trade has nothing like imme-
diate ruin to dread."

lint has be forgot the Company's factories in Bengal?
Has he forgot the ruinous competition from China, and
the inexhaustible supply which these are capable of prepar-
ing for our market?
Let us first look to die produce of Bengal. Dividing
the raw material into four parts, one part—on the average
of several years—comes to England ; two parts are con-
sumed within our territorial possessions in India; and the
fourth part is disposed of in the different provinces of the
East. We have here a producz, one part only out of four
of which is sent to the supply of our market, but does not
this prove the extent to which that supply must be ex-
tended under the encourszement which the opening our
ports hold out to it, and how great its capability is of effec-
tually silencing the looms of the British manufacturers ?
Then, as to CHINA, there is scarcely any standard by
which we can measure the extent of her silk manufactures,
and the quantity of silk goods which she is at any time
capable of consigning to the British market. It is, and
has been from time immemorial, one of her staple maim-
factures. The dress of the women and children of all
ranks in China is, for the most part, composed of silk : it
may then be easily conceived, that not only a vast stock
must always be on hand, to meet the demand of a popula-
tion the meat numerous of any empire in the known world,
but that she can at any time enlarge her capacity of pro-
duction to any extent which the calls of our trade could
require, had she even the exclusive supply of it. China
is the cradle of the silk manufacture, and her silk possesses
some qualities which no other silk possesses, and which
will for the most part procure for her articles a preference
over every other. Any attempt to persuade the British
silk manufacturers that they have nothing to feg from an
inundation of foreign goods, for the reasons assigned by the
" Calm Observer," must fail of its effect. The opposition
on their part does not arise, as lie would have it supposed,
from an unfounded alarm, but from an investigation made
in the different manufacturing districts on the Continent
by many of our manufacturers themselves—from inquiries
on the spot, as to their power of production and the cost
of labour—and from a thorough conviction, thus obtained,
that they are capable of supplying the English market
upon terms which we could not compete with, even with
this thirty per cent. protection duty, supposing it could be
faithfully collected, which it cannot. As to the foreign ma-
nufacturers being unprepared, the fact is not so. They are
preparing while we are not, because they look forward to
the prospect of certain gain, and we to the prospect of
certain loss.

As to " good advice" to the manufacturers, there is no
lack of advisers, but the object of too many of them is to
mislead. Abundant advice is given to them to work up
their raw material ; but this counsel proceeds from those
who arc buyers of silk, not manufacturers, who would
suffer no loss should their advice bring ruin on those who
followed it, and who cannot be so able to judge what,
under all circumstances, it is prudent for the manufacturers
to do, as they are themselves.
The British silk manufacturers are fast adopting the im-
proved looms, to which the " Calm Observer" refers, but
the progress of improvement will be wholly stopped by the
new law, for no manufacturer will expend his capital in the
improvement of machinery with the chance of never being
able to repay himself even for the cost of it. But for the
new law the improved looms would have been daily getting
into more general use, and the time would have come
when the new system might have been tried without
danger, while in the present state of the trade the intro-
duction of that system can produce nothing but ruin, and
every day is bringing fresh proof of it.
As to the 500,000/. adverted to as having been
given back to the silk trade, it was not given by Go-
vernment as a boon, but as a return of duty. Ido not
mean to detract from the liberality of Ministers, but this
measure ought not to go forth to the public as being any
other than what in reality it was, an act of justice. It is
well known to be the ordinary practice, when the duty on
an excisable article is reduced, to make an abatement of
elle duty on the stock on hand ; and this policy it was that
dictated the return of the amount alluded to.
I am, Sir, yours, Ike.
A SILK MANUFACTURER.

PRISON DISCIPLINE or SCO'll,l ND.-Itie are glad to
learn that the Lord Advocate, in pursuance of the very li-
beral and beneficial measures which he has already taken
for improving the Police, and administration of justice in
Scotland, has recently applied to the Sheriffs for a parti-
cular return as to the state of the different gaols in Scotland,
And requesting remarks from the Sheriffs as to the state of
the prisons in each county, and suggestions as to their im-
provement. his Lordship's queries comprehend, amongst
other things, whether there is any airing ground connected
with the prison • and whether the nutnbcr of gaols might
with advantag.r be reduced, either by the establishment of
one prison in each eounty, or by the establishment of one
prison at each circuit town for the reception of all prisoners
belonging to the district?—Scotch Paper.
. .

WORKS IN LANC•SIIIRE.—The following is a
list of the public works, for which the requisite plans have
been deposited at the office of the clerk of the peace for
this county at Preston :

---...,
Rsil.roaefa—Liverpool and Manchecttr ; Bolton and Illanches-
ter ; from Bolton to join the Liverpool and Manchester at Eccles;
Extension of the Bolton and Leigh Hail-road, to join the Liver-
pwl and Manchester at Kenyon. near Winwick • Oldham and
Manchester; slanchestcr and A udle,y. in Staffordshire.
Vl'atertrorka—Preaton and Fiahwirk.

Turnpike-rnads.—Diversion of Duxbury and West Houghton
Road at Illaekrod ; Diversion on the Wigan and lore Road ' • Di-
version of the Road from Manchester to Salthouse Brook. by Mot-
tram ; New line of Road from Manchester to Bess's o'th' Barn in
Pilkington ; the same, with the addition of a short Branch ; Re-
newal of the Pendleton District Trust, with sundry Diversions ;
Diversions in the Road from Lancaster to Richmond, in York-
shire ; Diversion of the Road from Bury to Whalley ; New line of
Road from Ilidgehill. in Ashton-under-Lbw. to Saddleworth ;
Converting the Road front Hindley to Stirrup Brook. near Wore-
ley, into Turnpike, and making a new Road, under the same
Trust, from Bedford. through Titidesley, to Over Holton; New
Branch of the Haslingdon and Whalley Road, commencing at
Path Brow, in Blackburn, and ending In Accrington.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LITERART GLEANINGS.

No. I.XXIII.

DRESS 01' ova FOItRFATIIRRS.—There is hardly ety
subject that is matter of more curious interest than the
dress and habits of our forefathers; it is amusing to con-
trast them in imagination with their accomplished sons of
the present clay.
" Foz gives us a curious account of the dress of Bishop
LATIM en, when he attended the commissioners appointed
by Queen Mn•v at his la.t examination. His appearance
on this most serious occasion has been justly attributed to
humility ; but that virtue might surely have associated
with neatness, and could not certainly derive any addi-
tional merit from old garments. ' He bowed his knee down
to the ground, holding his hat in his hand, having a
handkerchief on his head, and upon it a night-cap or two,
and a great cap (such as the townsmen use), with bread
Baps to button under the chin, wearing an old Bristol
Prize threadbare gown, girded about his body with a penny
leather girdle, at which hanged, by a strong string or lea-
ther, his Testament, and his spectacles, without case, de-
pending about his neck upon his breast.'
" When MART Queen of Scotland was led to the scaf-
fold she was liabiteil thus:—Her head-dress was lawn,
edged with bone lace; a veil of the seine material, and
edged in th 7. same manner, flowed from the caul, bowed
out with wire; her gown was of printed black satin, with
a train and long sleeves, and had acorn-shaped jet buttons,
with a trimming of pearls ; part of the sleeves were open,
and beneath appeared others of purple velvet; her kirtle
whole of figured black satin ; her petticoat and upper
hoddice Of crimsok unleood in the heck, and the
skirts or crimson velvet; her Woe' Bpanish leather, the
inside outward; a pair of green sa garters; watchet
silk stockings, clocked and edged on the top with silver,
and under them a pair of white Jersef hose. She wore a
chain of pomander, and an Agnes Dci round her neck, and
beads at her girdle, with a golden cross at the extremity of
them."

" Elizabeth, than whom no one could be more vain and
fantastic in her garments and ornaments, as will be per-
ceived from the following sketch of her dress, felt the ne-
cessity of preventing her subjects from injuring their
families by the riclmess and expense of their apparel: to
accomplish which she issued repeated sumptuary proclama-
tions, and eves commanded that persons should he stationed
at Me most frequented places in London, to examine the
dresses of the passengers, and to ascertain whether the
limits she prescribed were exceeded. This Queen, in a
picture of her, painted from the life, is represented in a
head dress, set with jewels, very nearly resembling that
called a cushion, worn a few years past ; a ruff richly
laced, and laid in plaits, diverging as if from centre back
of her neck, extends on each side of her face, of consider-
able breadth, and the extremities lay on her breasts ; from
those, two wings, piobably of lawn, edged with a
border of jewels, and stiffened with wire, rise in two
semicircular sweeps as high as the top of the cushion,
and, turning down to the cars, form the general
shape of a heart, with the face and ruff' set
in the midst; a short, clumsy, and ill-contrived cloak,
covered with embroidery anti jewels, hides all the body of
her gown, but displays small curs, ruffs on her wrists, and
a very pretty ornament of lace above the former ; the
strait and formal stomacher leaves great part of her bosom
exposed, and in recempence for want of length in that
direction, makes an enormous long waist on the opposite:
it is covered with jewels and embossed gold, and she wears
a beautiful necklace, but an extiemely uncouth velvet
lower garment, not to be called in this instance a petticoat."
" In the reign of Queen MARY, square toes were worn
to a meat extravagant breadth, which produced a procla-
mation limiting them to six inches. An author who wrote
in the Interregnum reminds his readers of an opposite ex-
cess, ' when sharp piquant toes were in request.' After
making a ridiculous comparison between the expanded
toes of the aloe, and the spending of the foot of a bear,
Dr. Flecweit proceeds,' Like the ovcrpaired, uneasy, and
gig-like heels of our ill-set-up gallants, which puts them
into so tottering a condition, that, when they have spun
a while ilk the atiega,, ustialy,qome hotibling down, and
in this fshion are emblem/Wally presented to be unstable
in all their ways.'"
Much curious information as to the dress of the common
people may he obtained from the advertisements of articles
stolen at different times, and described for the purpose of
leading to their restoration, and to the apprehension of the
offenders.

In 1680, in the True Domestic Intelligence, a Mrs.
HAWSIISON mentions "a black cloth serge gown, stiff
bodied; a farandine skirt; a crape skirt; inswing petti-
coats; another of mohair ; a serge and damask morning
gowns, the latter lined with red and white cheequered silk ;
a riding hood ; two large black flowered silk skirts ; a
white silk petticoat laced; a mantua, lined with pink-
coloured silk; a white mohair petticoat, laced; and a
yellow silk net petticoat, with bone lace."
The same year an advertisement was published respect-
ing the loss of a watch, which the owner was informed had
been found by a gentleman " that goes in a sad-coloured
cloth suit, with a green shoulder-kart, figured with silver,
and the facing: of his coat of green velvet ; he wears a
light-coloured perrywig, with a grey bat, and a green
taffety riband round it, and a sword-knot of the same."
The above and following extracts demonstrate that green
was the then favourite colour. THOMAS TAYLOR, a boy,
who wandered from his home, was described by his friends'
as wearing " a grey cloth suit, lined with green, with plate
buttons, a [erten vest, a grey cloth monteer cap, lined and
edged with green, a green pair of stockings, and a lace
neckcloth."

A young gentleman guilty of a similar set of indiscre-
tion, aged fifteen years, was advertised in August, 1081,
who wore " strait long brownish hair, a suit of sad-co-
loured cloth, lined with flowered silk, the ground buff-
colour, with peach-colour and green flowers, and a waist-
coat of the same silk ; a pair of silk stockings, of the same
colour of the cloth, and a sad-coloured cloth cap, turned up
with sables, and laapd down the seams with gold breed. '
Soon after, " a light-coloured cloth coat, lined with blue
serge, the cape and sleeves faced with blue shag, gold
and silver buttons, and silk, gold and silver loops,
and the cap? bound round with broad gold galloon,
above three inches broad; was left in a coach," and di-
rected to be returned to the MASTER OP THE ROLLS,
in Chancery-lane. Blue plush caps were worn in the
same year, and cloth coati, lined with red, and satin ri-
bands of different colours round the hat. The female ser-
vant of that day, in one instance, had on a red petticoat,
a grey cloth waistcoat, a linsfy woolsey apron, a red hand-
kerchief, a black hood, and a white hat. Campaign coats
of cloth had mixed silk and silver buttons, and three frost
loops at each pocket flap, the cravats were laced, and waist-
coats were made of "balloon, faced before and at the bottom
with flowered silk, sometimes of a sad-coloured ground,
with the flowers of yellow and white, the buttons small
and of silver.

A fellow who robbed Lord Wnensoa in April, 1682,
had on " a sad-coloured cloth suit, lined with a striped
crape, with silver buttons and loops; a white hat, with
gold twisted bat-band, sal a dark-coloured hair camblet
coat, lined with bine, the sleeves turned up with blue
plush, with silver buttons and loops." The GA Z ETTIL of
July 20, 1682, gives the contents of " a large portmantle
full of women's cloaths, lost or stolen:" those contents
were, " a mantua and petticoat of grey silk and silver stuff,
with broad silver lace; another mantua and petticoat, flow-
ered with liver-coloured and some flesh-coloured spots; a
quilted petticoat of lead-coloured satin; a gold-coloured
tabby trnilet (toilet), and pin-cushion, with silver lace ;
two point coifs, two pair of point d'Espagne ruffles ; a laced
night rail and waistcoat; one pair of point de Venice
ruffles; a black laced scarf; three black satin caps, and
some little bands and cuffs." Another parcel that under-
went the same fate contained a striped silk mantua ; a
light-coloured gown, striped with yellow and white ; a
blue flowered silk petticoat ; a pair of blue striped stays; a
black fresener hood, and a yellow-spotted gauze howl.
The Princess Ann, the Countess of Pembroke, and seve-
ral other ladies, are described in the Lnyal Pmtestant In-
telligence of March 13, 1682.3, as having taken the air on
hotseback, " attired very rich in dose-bodied coats, hats,
and feathers, with short perukes." The extreme richness,
if not taste, of a petticoat lost between Hackney and Lou-
don, in 168$, renders it a most magnificent illustration of
that part of the female dress. This petticoat was of

" musk-coloured silk, shot with silver on the right side. the
floVers trail silver, and the wrong side the ground silver,
the flowers mietk-coloured, with a deep white thread bone
lace; a white fringe at the bottom, and a gold one ofer it;
six breadths, lincd with Persian silk of the same colour."
The article thus described should have been combined with
the following :—Lost, in 168.5, " a blue satin petticoat,
laced with a broad gold and silver lace ; a white satin
gown, lined with black and white silk, and a pair of silver
tabby boddices, embroidered with silk and gold."