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-

TILE SILK TRADE.

'On Thumlay a very nurnecous meeting of Silk Weavere foot
place, pursuaet to public notice. at the Sunday Scnool.house, Fri-
ars'-otount, Behead green, for the purpose of receiving the report
of a Committee apt-meted at a precious General :tinting. to pre.
pare a Memorial to his Alejeer v'e Ministers expressive of the ore-
...et alarming situation or trade. A little after one o'clock
the large room of that extensive establishment became so crowded.
that notwithstanding the coldness (tithe weather the windows were
obliged to be opened. to afford air. Hundreds were outside, not
being able to gain admittance
Mr. Julian' Pessox was called to the chair; and after
reading the requisition. ee briefly addressed the meeting, and cc-
qaested their part Mellor attention to the reading of the draught of a
Ali-moral which the Committee had prepared.
Alt. %Cohan said, that being one of the Committee appointed
at a general meeting, of the trade, he and his colleagues con-
seined it their duty first to coin information ; and they accord-
ingly tepaired to the India Home, where they saw a vast quan-
tity of goods selling. some of a middling and others of an inferior
quality. but not one yard that hurt been manufactured in Spitaltields
or Beth:tat-green. Accerdii g to the bonding system, the petr-
el:errs, by tinier. weekly S!Illne on these articles until the nth
July. might then 'being them into market, upon paying a duty of
thine tier cent. afar that day. Therefore the French would posers
thenwe'v.o of the fir tcy and flowered branch, and the silk in the
C nipany's warehouses would follow in the train of the staple
elide. leaving the entire market in their hands, and the looms in
this country silent. Having obtained this information. the Corn.
millets proceeded at once to one of his Majesty's principal Ali-
!huts, who received them with much politetiess, and after laying
before him a short teatement of the distress of the trade, he in.
qaired as to its cause. They replied that it arose from the new ,
reguiatioes. lie then 'eked why they considered their distress to
have arisen from the new regulattoro ? They answered, because it
flared much from all former distresses. Healers now would
not buy, but were endeavouring to dispome of the:r stuck, in the
hoot of being able, after the 5,1% of July, to purchase the French
irks cheaper. The Right Hon. Gentleman then asked whether
they thought the ditty was too high or too low, and said that If
they had any propresidoi to make it would be taken into eon.
SKICTIII4.II. They answered that it was their decided opinion that
the duty was both too high and too low—too high, as it acted as a
bounty en smugglirg, and too low for the preservation of the silk
trade in Eaglaud. lie then observed that he thought it was so
platten-A as to present sninggling ; to which the Committee replied.
that mooting, under the new regulations, would he carried on to
an exteet never before knnwn, as in dist case detection would be
rendered slime' impossible; but as the law stood at the present
time. if ouch goods were got safely into the country, they, being
considered contrahand, were always seirdale. lie (the Right
lion. (ientleman) then assured the Cmuniittee that Government
would do every timing in its power for the benefit of the trade, that
t' e door of application was open, and they might make their
grievances at all times known. Mr. Wallis then entered into a
lengthened view of the many advantages which the French enjoyed
in the disproportion in the price of food. fuel, and manner of living.
besides their poses ion of the raw material : and under such cir-
cue:stances he considered AU per cent• not a sufficient protecting
duty. lie then said it wetild he highly necessary, and he ootrld
strongly recommend. that the presentation of their Memorial
should be accompanied by a statement of the number of looms out
of employ, which could be taken in one day. Such a return, with
the prestot unprecedented increase of pauperism in that district.
would surely induce his Majesty's AI hostels to do something for
the ameli oration of their condition. lle w, old respectfully im-
plore hie alejeety's Ministers seriously to reflect, before, at this in.
clement arises, they threw toe tent of thousands engaged in the
silk trade on the parishes for retie. and he would advise the inha.
brims of the respective parishes to crone forward and join them in
the prayer of their Petition ; for if they neglected to do so. the
text Petition front thesis would lie for the removal of the poor laws,
as they would be utt:rly unable to bear the burdea.
Mr. Ne'ailis sat &ion amidst great (heeling.
Isle. Ilan HIS. mother of the Committee, proceeded to read the
Memorial. a Inch is addressed—To the Hieht Hon. the President,
and the o her Mo. Members of the Board of Trade: it sets
out with a declaration of their lung-acknowledged leyalty, and
then represents the deplorable situ Mon in which they are placed,
in comemtenee of • removal of the prohibitory laws ; and states
the many disolsan,ages they labour under, arising from the price
of provisions, as 1.61 as the Frerch being possessed of the best
raw m sorrels. siteh as could not be counterbalanced by any
otiperionty of British machiiiery. It further stated that they
dig not mean to attempt to discuss the policy of the subject
with his Alajery's (.1 nomment; that they, however, consoler
it one of vast impnetaace to so large a body of people as the
silk.weavers, and. where the very existerce of so many thou.
winds of English etthjects are so vitally interested. It
also suites, that Irons the high price of provisions in Eng.
land, compared with that of other coo:vein, it would be int.
impossible to compete a ith the French in the article of silk. under
the pro Wing dui of 10 par cent. it further sets forth a firm con-
fide and belief that his Alejeny's Government did hared to
accomplish a national benefit ; but if tens of thoustuids who have
hi hero contributed to the relief of the poor, see, by • supposed
liberal policy of free trade," become paupers themselves, what is
to be done? It concludes by saying they are not Statesmen, and
she refore cannot semen a remedy, and trusts they shall never
mulish or forfeit the good opinion hitherto entertained of them for
loyalty, obethence, and e,oid order, but throw themselves under
the immediate and powerful protection ef his Majesty's Goveen-
mem. The Meninrial, which was of great length, having been
concluded. was followed by loud end continued cheering.
The CHAIIIMAN thee asked if any person had any thing to
offer, se was it their wish to have it put clause by clause. A nuns.
her of voices exclair eel et No !"
Alt. Dor LTEIt ti,.-:. moved hint the Alereoriel read should be
received and approved of as the Memorial of the weavers of Spitale
fields oral its vicinity.
The motion was pissed with torroiltunue applause.
After the rise nt presenting the Memorial had been confided to a
(Maintain, it was then proposed that the suggestions of Mr.
Wallis respecting a return of the unoccupied looms, to accom-
pany the Memorial. should be token into consideration.
A desultory conversation here took place, but ended in the offer
of one hundred persons, who eoluntenly engaged to make a return,
by Monday of all tl:e idle )rams in the perishes of elpitaltields,
ahnal.green, Mile-rid, and St. .John's, Hackney.
Thanks were then voted to the Sehoolioseter, for the use of the
MOM}, and afterwards to the Chiirmen, when the meeting sepa-
rated.

THE CORN LAWS.

-
SILK TRADE —We lament to learn that in the city of
coventry upwards of two thousand weavers have been
ihravrn wholly out of employ within the last fortnight. In
.tacchsfield the manufacturers are abandoning their trade
n great numbers. In Congleton the weavers are put
.'pm) hal f-breed ; that is, the silk-manufacturers, instead of
turning Off half their workmen, employ them three days in
the week, and are the-, enabled to give half wages to
'he whole numixr, but it is not expected that even this
i'umane apportionment can be continued many weeks
nmasln Derby the distress arising hum the number
that have been thrown up is daily increasing; the
priest severe weather adds greatly to the wee of suffering:

ty TUE EDI F0:I OF TIIE BRITISH PRESS.
cuttwrt,:mliousi --- _ _
_.........--
ana highly.respeete,de Meeting of owners and oe-
`,l t—ln the mists.' rWm tit 11 by the Board of Trade to
t; ,;tantif.ttfurers of !Meech stlehl. it is smut tint tin, hail,
iii
ralanidfa,;,,tllinto,tinelontottiiiity of ortsheet z.held:tithe Town-
,nt &Arm existing in the Silk Trade is, in a _rat Farquharson, F..q. in the Chair! ' In"
‘ftleA
jul'''
read the requisition, and stated the
1..
~..,,..;:tiotnegxttro33tiLym,excretritsoirlif;s7ptetaralltiivetens tifuligeern7lotynta,ti
nohe.;Fileolt.'rhae, roaose„tooetw
.havingua
ul use
his
he,t
efforts
to
promote
Atleence. Now, such an argnintlit, to a very limited t-nriteattlon but one as to the importance of the
pr.eateitit,ert
corioteldoletolt,e meeting; woulde confident that 'eery gentleman
subject they lied
:aer t, may he correct. but, at the same time, it inust
hii thtereti t:), mind of the Rt. lion. 111 r. II itskisson. that :sir .lottir M T 'Amon E SMITH, Hart. then rose anti addressed
lie staled, as bie firm and unbiassed conviction, that
i; .$ not exactly ctowistent to suppose ate operative of any the me-ting.
she
the prosperity and security of tr:e landed interest were involved
~'ier trade cooltl he cenvertttl into a silk-weaver in a very
a aware of many, if any at ,oi,ezrionstpoeroft.ymt and security
theto fntechenc,iomr community at large. IV hen they
?; a tiryt,nbeena
Ira of
with
the
tat space of time (and I an) n
poor-rates. tither, and taxes, which, Jnottexeltaisv
Sri being out of employ previous to the introduction of
and therefore it may he fairly in- much greater pressure on the agricultural than on any other class
the measure of 'SIM ;
for, d, that the present distress, so prevalent throughout the I of. Inc community, it was self-evident that were a free itaportstion
to be slowed. it would be imposeible for
wliele of the silk manufacturing districts of this kingdom. otifleC"n "fir" this entiltrY
non% a7i,te front rich a cause--hut from the anticipated tries.° w"heere t'lwieeeretreicrlnne aerewaitthitill'oestinfl:l7.nbut from
foreign
and where by fur the heavier part of which are utterly unknown.
ammtation of foreign wrought silk into this country in
July nest. This is the real mow or tlle vt ry great ilia- i A remedy for this evil had been euggested, by imposing a protect_
ing duty on importation ; but it' wheat might. in the course of the
tits which is so severely felt in all the difillent branches
lliatst,
oa titLni Fr, have been but from the Baltic, with a fair pro.
of the trade. As a alight proof of this fact, I can &mire per quarter, and if at Odessa it
the Right Ilan. Gentleman (Mr. Iluskisson), that above mieht be purchased aattl.l.l6.pe9drquarttr, he would ask what protect.
„
sae-third of the 'elk- weavers l'at(o eptployeti by Inc rie- log duty that Parliament could poreibly venture to propose would
vi ,us to the measure
of his :ilajesty a Goverittnent before act as a security against our markets' overflowing with foreign
alluded to being brought forward, are now to/ally destitute turn ? The comequence niust be, that first the poor lands of this
ch7t:6ltry, and
tulifint rely every acre now employed in tillage, would
4 employment, and ottlist some effectual anti 'meetly relief
be afforded to the present tleoressed state of the Silk Trade, re,
tarotwhne oteunaot4 twtwoalnilavle'lnisolaftanritnitsowocouclud then zeiavteurl
hatipened nulls, again occur, and with all our limPdYt.hrown out of
the vast number of distr. ss,ll poor dependent upon its pro-
dangerous and cithwation. The coffers of our great coni.nerciel and tradn pi
will every week increase to a very
sliming degree ; and it is really revolting to the feelings ,kti.ts might groan with gold. butt they would want breads to K
tat,
lion. Baronet concluded by reading the resolutions and the
of humanity to sec so many worthy and industrious faint- (Tl.'e.
Lea daily driven to the sad necessity of asking fur athnis- petition to peiernem.)
T e Rev. 11. C. N EATMAN then rose, and said the qoestion
on into the poor-houses of the differfoit parishes is which before them was, whether the agriculture of Great Britain
Coq belting. Such a elate of Unties Cannot long exist with- wia
could entite
itled ,
whether it was to all the sup
opofpe rrt andainotint importance to all others,
which Parliament
givers,
out being productive of the most arrious and motnentous
and could he abandoned to its fete either with impunity or ',lvan.
,Aotectueite-s. In the year 1136, a statute was pawed in the 15th Henry
F:oto what little experience I have bad in the trade at 'Nle,.to promote the welfare of agriculturerb allowing h.. I
borne. and the cotnpartsens I have lately made of our own lion of corn, thereby estendittaf the deinentyl for itseot nnuenziptiolln.
manufacturt ti broad goals with those of France and Italy, rcl.i:h the home market in thole days dal not supply to an extent
sufficient to insure an adequate remuneration to the grower, : and
lam so convinced of the impossii.ility of the English silk
other
nithe year 1163, in the third year of Edward IV, his successor, an-
manufacturer to enter into successful competition under
t i..ll(Ji 1
e statute
price
in
stkrahsosneltelrestrictrearthe iin
heol zoir.patatliiidin of foreign corn
u
any apparent regulations with those of the other nations ofio market
Europe, that should his Maksty's Government still ad- in;; equal to 21. 4s. of the present currency of Englanpr quarter,Theae taco-
here to the principle of admitting foreign niarmfactitred caws` ere coesidered to be the fonnintion of the Corn Laws of this
silt pods, under antreircumstatices, into this country, it oury ; nett we should find that where the principle which they
eetoreed had been acted up to, this country had flourished ; and
aOl become my duty, in defence of my property embarked a here a deviation had been made from it, thetreee and misery had
to the trade, to cease to be any longer a manufacturer, been the inevitable consequence. In the'rei .11 of Henry}}V VII, and
thereby adding tan hundred familLs to those already in a Vll 1. Edward VI, anon'Pillip aial Mary,ga different Henry
pre.
date of Vit etelletiness and want• railed, art! distress eet the limners ensued to such a degree
City, Jan. 13, BM l, that compulsory statutes wee passed to urge and force them to cul-
tivate the ground, even at a certain loss. In the reign of Charles
1., and during the protectorate of Cromwell, as might be expected
uuder such circentstance*, matters veer by no means mended ; and
, the preamble of an Act passed in the 15th year of Charles
‘ —paseed with a view of reguheing the importation and export3tion
' of corn, but which failed of its object for a reason which lie need
not mention--eulticienly showed the extreme poverty and degreda-
tion •o which England was reduced by the unlimited importation of
corn from abroad.
" Forasmuch as the encouraging of tillage ought to be in an
especial manner regarded aid endeavoured ; and the surest and
effectual:at nicatts of promoting and advancing any trade. occupa-
tion, or mystery. being by rendering it profitable to users thereof;
and great quanteien of land within this kingdom for the present
lying in a manner waste, and yielding little, which might thereby
he improvel to considerable profit and advantage (if sufficient ea.
couragement were given for the laying out of cost and labour on
the same) anil thereby much more corn produced, greater numbers
of people, horses, and cattle employed, and other lands also ren-
dered more valuable."
At the time of the Revolution a better policy prevailed ; hut it
was not till the year 1791 of the late reign that the Corn Laws
of this country were placed upon a permanent basis. The ques-
tion theretare being, whether this system could be departed from
with safety, he preceeded next to inquire into the state of the
agricultural interests at the present moment. The imposts and
burdens upon the land, consisting of poor's and county rate, tithe,
and highway assessments, amounted to at least 8, in the pound,
or he might say 401. per cent. • though Mr. Ricardo had been
pleased to estimate the same as low as 10!. per cent.; and the cost
of an acre of Wheat, including the common charges of cultiva-
tion, did no„ and could not, amount to lees than 10/. per acre.
Now 675. b.oing admitted to be a remunerating price at this time,
taking into consideration the remission of taxes pressing upon
the agricultutists, which had been repealed within the last five
years, and taking 28 bushels to he the average amount per acre
of the produce of the same, and rating the whole at 80. per
bushel, he arrived at the sum of 111. 15e. gross value, and deduct-
ing the 101. therefrom. as the Celts of production, rent, and inci-
dental charges, there remained but IL las. over, as the compensa-
tion for risk, contingencies, and extra profit. But it had been
proved that foreign corn at Odessa in 1822, as stated by Mr.
Sully, could be bought at IGs. per quarter, and could be
brought to this country at the sum of 325. per quarter. Fo-
reign corn generally could be brought in at 455., the prime
cost being gas.
per quarter, taking 20s. as the import duty.
But the remunerating price in this country being allowed
on all bands to be 675., here was a loss to the British grower
of 11. 2s. per quarter, or 331. per cent. ; and if Mr. Ricardo 's
proposal, of 20s. duty to decline Is. per annum till it reached
10s. per quarter, when wheat was at 70s, should be adopted,
here would be a lose of 2/. 4s. per quarter, or a loss of 661. per
cm,. amounting to absolute ruin ! Toe (lucre's of the year
1819 was occasioned by the importation of 1,600.0(10 quarters of
went, coupled with the importations of 1817 and 1818; of which
immense quantity no less than 590,000 quarters remained upon
hand at the beginning of that year, having glutted the whole
country to absolute satiety, and having produced distress (together
with the depreciation of the enteency) lout which this country
was but just emancipated et the present moment. But the cost
of these qmantitics of wheat amounted to the following sum. :
In the year 1817 - - . . ..7ra.e93
vitro 1318 - 13,271,629
Ditto 1819 - - - 3,000,000

Melting a total of . £24 035,5'24
or nearly half the amount of the revenue of this country ! So
that. in the same proportion as the depreciation of price took place,
the energies of this country were still further depressed by the con-
traction of the circulating medium ; and which would, of itself,
be sufficient to produce disorder and want of confidence, if car-
ried on merely to one half of the amount here quoted. There was,
however, a much more serious evil which he hail yet to notice, and
that wag, the effect of being rendered thus dependent upon foreign
countries for our supplies. Mr. Adam Smith had admitted that
" all countries which depend upon others for any portion of their
fond can only have an ephemeral existence." Mr. !Malthus has
said, that •• it is the great surolus produce in England, arising
from her agriculture, which enables her to support such a vast body
of manufactures, such formidable fleets and armies, such a crowd
of persons engaged in the liberal professions, and a proportion of
the society living on money rents, very far beyond what has ever
been known in any other country in the ivorld." Now by some
persons it was dec tied wise and expedient to give up these ad-
vantages in order to trust to a supply that was, at times, pre-
carious—to a supply that might be withheld in a moment of
caprice or hostility, as has been the case under the dynasty of
Napoleon; but which supply, even if granted, would utterly
fail of being made safficieut for the purposes of supporting the
population of this country. Mr. George Rose had said, • that the
whole cf the north of Europe could nut furnish England with six
months' supply over and above their own wants." By referring
to a most valuable document in his possession—one of the last, if
not the very last report of that most excellent and learned man, the
late Lord Sheffield, he found the following statement It cannot
be too often repeated, that if the tillage should fail, or our harvest
be deficient, so far that we s'muld want something more than two
months' consumption, all our wealth, and all the measures that it
is possible to adopt would not secure to us a sufficient supply. The
public is perhape not fully aware of the calamity that may ethic from
a decrease of tillage, and increase of population. To explain the
above alsertier. it is nece,sary to observe that the quantity of
wheat that came from abro id in the year 1796 amounted to 820,381
quarters, and of flour 205,866 cwt. one.third more than hail ever
1 been imported before ' • yet this was only a sufficiency for the
'consumption of two-thirds of the people for thirty-nine dart 1"
The importa ion of wheat and flaw into Great Britain
in the year 1800, the flour bang reduced into quarters, was 1,278.108
quarters, and was only a sutlicieecy for fifty-eight days subsist.
nee for eight millions or people, although every practicable means
had been used, by bounties and otherwise, to procure the largest
supply possible. The value of grain of all kinds imported into
Great Britain in 1840 and 1301 amounted to the enormous sum
of 21.001.00U1. sterling. The freight alone, all in foreign vessels,
amounted to an immense sum, and was actually required in gold ;
in the production of which quantity, upwards of half a million
(or 511,20) acres might have been profitably cultivated in this
country ! heaving the meeting to decide upon the evidence
which he had adduced, as to the policy or impolicy of thus render-
ing ouraelves dependent upon Foreign countries for our supplies—
to decide upon the cirect which the throwing out of cultivation
all the interior soils, amounting at least to two thirds of the arable
land of this kingdom, would produce upon the agricultural Intermit,
by throwing the unemployed population upon them for support,
at the very time when, above ell other periods, they were unable
to annl that relief—lie proceeded next to inquire whether the ma-
nufacturing and coninterciel interest were in that state, either of
inertness or distress, as to require these sacrifices from the land.
owners of England. IThe ?emend speaker then read • number
of tables, to 'Mow the well-known fact of the advance in com-
merce and manufactures in the last seventy years, and particularly
since 1815.1—1 n the article of silk, the exports of manufactured
produce for 1321 were 118,3/11. & for 11123, 141,0001.: being an
increase of 22,b'291., and no more ; and the state of that trade at
present was in a situation of comparative and progressive decay.
But did that circitnietance militate against his views of the system
of prosperity which this country had arrived at, under the opera.
don of the present restrictive laws in favour of articul;i:re?
Certainly not; it confirmed every syllable which he had uttefed in
favour of proteedon to the eapitartets of this kingdom, whether
(*accrued in agriculture, or SOLOULSGLIIref 'SA genual. The silk

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