The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-01-26 00:00:00

THE SILK TRADE.

A meeting of the Engine Silk Weavers took place on Tuesday,
pursuant to public notice, at the Black Dog public-house, for the
purpose of taking Into eunsideration the distressed state of their
trade. The large mom in which it was held was crowded to excess
at an early hour of the evening.
Mr. JOSEPH PILLAR being called to the chair, read the requitii-
Can by which they had been called together. That there was
sufficient cause for alurnt in the trade could rot, he raid, be denied;
and he hoped those persons who had been instrumental in calling
the meeting would now come tot ward, and state their object in so
doing.
Mr. ('itantTox Did the meeting had been called in for:se-
quence of the peculiar situation in which Messrs. Newberry and
Moe. journeymen were placed. Mr. Newberry had declared that
he would not give out any more work until ■ proper reguhstioa and
ur•ltrteat!tttg took place between theemployers and the employed.
The journeynteu of- that establishment had in consequence deter-
mined on Likii.g the sense of the trade on the subject. Dee man
thst he knew worked for three different mutter', and received a
&Grant price front each of them. tUriea of " Nan•e, name.") I say
Men (.aid Mr. Charlton) that Thomas Holland receives bill pay
Lenin Mr. Newberry, one penny less front 3lr. Underhil, and a
dillereat price again from Mr. Lee. Messrs. Newberry were will.
i:,g to pay the last regulated price, but they found if they did so
they could not meet the other reanufacturent in the market. It was
notorious that the whole of Mr. Underhill'a hands were working
under price. and it was time that a atop should be Put to such con-
duct. rar his own part lie never received less than the full price
!roll Mr. Newberry. He meant the list of prices agreed to by
the musters and men at the King's Head in the Poultry, after the
repeal of the Spitylfields Act. The loss of those Acts in now severe-
ly felt for although the list of prices was then solemnly ratified by
the masters, there was not one of them, except 31r. Newberry, that
had not violated that agreement. This was of itself sufficient proof
of the lon the trade had unstained by the repeal of the Acts ; for
although the masters would not venture to violate the Act of Par-
liament, it appeared they were not over-scrupulous in keeping their
aoleatinenpqments.

• Mr. 11 M. 11AIEa aii;il he believed Mr. Newberry was willing
to pay the highest prices, but unless the prices were regulated he
would naturally expect data weak should be done as cheap for
hint ns it war for oth:rt. lie wished to know how a man with
tire or six children hanging about his knees and crying for bread
wars to act when a matter offered hint 7,1. or even Gd. a yard instead
or lid. The workhouse migin r trhaps be recommended ; but
could it be expected that a pariah already overburthened with up.
wards of 2000 paupers couid afford them relief? lie should like to
see a rem.dy proposed and acted upon.
r. st us thought at collusion existed among the masters,
but he hoped the men would moist each other to put it down. lie
was of opinion that Mr. Newberry got his work parformed at as
low a rate any ocher inanutacturer. For his part he was ens.
plowed by 31r. Spiers in toll pay. lie heard of the meeting only
that evening. and if any one present had uny thing to say against
thn character of Mr. Spins, let him then come forward and say it.
( tries Bray, !")
31r. ROBEIVI Szti.Eng said he was employed by Mr. New-
!lvry, and had never received less than the full price. On Wed•
uestlAy last he understood Mr. Newberry refused to give out more
work, but what most grieved that gentleman was, that some of his
.ovti aim went to other tnsnufacturers and offered to work at a
r rate. 11: would propose that a Coimninte should be ap-
-I,:inted to go round and inspect the weavers' work, and ascertain
the prices they received.

noisy anal lengthened debate followed on this motion.
Mr. Het:HAIL/MN moved as an amendment, that in the opinion
et the meeting the ptt..es last screed upon fat the King's !lead)
were the lowest that could possibly be received, and that any de-
Fartre from those prices must be COllll/1110,011 on the part of the
vaster., and not acquiesced in by the journeymen.
The intendment sos put and carried unanimously, and amidst
gnat applause.. Tile meeting then separated.

TRACT OT • LETTER ITRODI INDIA.—" There are
time female Shawn chiefs in the Burmese army, whose
pow.rs ar,e so prodigious, Ilia• by holding up a finger on
the firaig of a cannon, the ball is turned to water.' We
may C.itik this a mening tale, because it is performed at a
di"'ltlice. but we have an equally instantaneous power of
couveriial by a little boy in London, who in merely hold-
-I^B ap his barer turns a Ticket into Twenty Thousand
rouqs. which any person may prove who adventures in
this Loth ry of Six Twenty thousands, all to be drawn in
(Joe bay, Wednesday, let of March.