The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-05-20 00:00:00

JOURNIT3IEN COTTON 311.INCFACTVREItc

Mr. ROSE moved for leave to bring ia a ihil fir
limiting the excesaire depreasion of .the wages of
journeymen cotton-ma.iittivinrers. This he pro-
posed in conwiprenee of certain petitions that had
been presented fiota 11:nie journeyinea.
Mr. PATTISON ilitired if it wiet meant to he
general, or limited to,-ertain counties?
Mr. Nos, amircreil, that it was meant is he li-
mited to puticular manufacturers, who hid pre-

seated pent,nei.
Mr. U. vir • GIDDY disapproved of the measure.
to it wont-( rather be prrjudic;al to the Petitioners
theiusehrs, as we:l to their Masters, than produc-
tive of any ildv.into.4 lie thought that the wages,
in inany of being too low, hid been
too high. The prim iple of thing a dais/imam would
be exceedingly ruinous; and no consideratiou what-
ever would ever indliee him to at-guitar.. in such a
measure ; and therefote he should take the scroe of
the House upon the propriety' of encouraging it, in
this early state.

Mr. tioas.En expreqseil a hope the Hon. Gen-
ttenian would foi-lkear taking the rrise of the Floufte
at this period. Ile thought the Right lion. Gen-
tlenmoppo,ite wit* justified in bringing forward
such a bill, iii cole.equenee of the report of the
Conruittee illicit' the petit:ons that haat been pre-
sented. It was no doubt true, that these journey-
man must have suffered twig fereraly. However
strongly he might feel that there was no good to be
dirrived from thin tall, yet he thought it would be
proper to allow it to proceed further, m order that,
,nine other remedy might be sug-
g.!...teil that hue more effectual. . _ .

Lord ,711L7-IN thought that this bill *mild he
calcniated to destroy our manufactories, a:0 there-
tor., he could not agree to the proposal. that thp
11111. (*.cuticula:), who had first opposed it, shoal.'
ulthdraw his op,w.sitiou, cren iu the first Pfagt of it.
Il! C./Sid (wily contemplate the hardships
4,)ur:l-2, :Lion suffered, in having. Fuel, small w azPs,
1,1! not think that the measure now I.u-
-posrl could ad'ord them ally relief. lusteuct of
farctug the taattufacturers to give their journe-
mr•li more wage., it would be the Intans of 1,1111.•
p-Ilin; them to dismiss them altogether. IT nori
thest, grounds Its should resist this measure in its
very outset. _ _

Sir RuSCRT PZELIS diaapproeM very much of
the principle of the bill projaried. Ile tholiAlit
that the manufacturers did not require any Parlia-
mentary protection, and the cotton trade had
flourished as much as any other manufacture in
the kingdom. lie had no doubt that the ilie.tr•-is
of these journeymen was very ievere : but at the
same time he believed that the ma-ters tmtrered
more than the men. The comequence of furli a
measure would be, that the iria,tcrs a otil:1 have to
coma to beg the protection of tiae House. Ili. saw
no prospect of such a mesisurk affonling relief, awl
therefore it would be but cornpnv.ion to the mcn not
to allow it to proceed further. Nlaay of the-e peopl,
had been kept employed by mea.ei of tie.: small
takes allowed them ; but a!iat would be the con-
sequence of any measure teaditig to eml.arrass the
manufacturer? The malt would he, that the in-
ferior hands would he dismissed, and tl.rowu as
burdens Upoli the parisliLs.

Me Rose, in explanation, obeerved, that the
meinimun which he had proposed referred to the
quantity of work dour, and not to the time mesa-
pied in doiug it. It wits a fact, perhaps not sidvert-
iol to, that nu men employed us a journeyman in
the cotton trade earned above two-thirds of the
wages of a coinuion daily labourer.
Mr. TIMM EY said a few worts, disapproving of
the measure.
' The Cuesecf.t.oft of the Emmet: wee thought
that this was a question of considerable importauce,
and one which it Wes proper to bring into discus-
sion, in order to .hew no iudisposition to listen to
the coinpLuuts of thut very numerous elute of peo-
ple. Ile however coucurred with those who had
expressed their opposition to the plat] proposed, as
he could not think any legislative measure could
be attended with beneficial consequences. There
would be a tweessity to establish the Mini:MlN ex-
tremely low, if it was intended not to do harm to
the masters, and by this course it would be proba-
bly so low as not to afford the journeymen relief.—
To fix it at a high rate would be to deprive them of
iiniploptient altogether.
Mr. W 'Lusa SMITH agreed entirely hi the
opinion of the Chaneellor of the Exchequer, and
hoped that the Hight Honourable Gentlesuaii (Mr.
Rose) would not persevere in hit motion.
Mr. Hose then intimated' his intention not to
press the subject, as it appeared not to meet the
approbetion of the House, or likely to be attended
with beneficial consequences.
Mr. 4:LLXArDee. &sat N 0 Sittribilted the failure
of the trade in question to the Orders in Council.
After a few words from Mr. Rose and Mr.
HENRY Ilasscebees, the motion was negatived
without a division.

The Stamp Duty Bill was read a first time, and ordered to
be mail a second time to-morrow.
The Pilot Bill was ordered to be referred In a Committee
on Muuday next, on the suggestion of Gen. Gascua a E.