The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-07 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

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LEEDS.—There is certainly some amendment in the state of
trade at the present time, as compared with the last six months,
but nothing that may be considered indicative of a steady and con-
tinued improvement. The apparent amendment proceeds from the
concurrence of the following circumstances:—At this seaman of the
year orders are always given by same houses in Germany and
other parts of the Continent, and though these orders are not
so great this as in preceding years, yet the purcheses made at
this season, produce, especia:ly in the Stuff Market, an in-
creased demand. These purchases, however, will soon be
made and completed, and there is no reason to hope that the
past dulness will not theis again be experienced. Another circum-
stance which causes some houses to do a little more business now
than formerly is, the persuasion that the raw material cannot be
much lower. Until very lately, the material was constantly falling
in value while in the hands of the manufacture?, so that those who
were compiled to conic into the market were obliged to sell at a
loss. The material seems now to have attained its nrirrirnunt, and
the manufacturer can buy with a little more certainty as to the
value of the raw material. These are the causes of an apparent
amendment, and these are the only causes ; and there is no sub.
stantial ground upon which we can build a hope that the ensuing
winter season will not be an appalling one.
On Wednesday evening, the Society for the relief of the unem.
ployed poor in this town, investigated 337 casts of distress, which
had been reported to them, of which they relieved 270, with the
sum of 971. lets. Gd. One of the District Committees, on the even-
ing above mentioned, unanimously determined that,
" In consideration of the exhaused state of the relief fund, and
the impediment in ;he way of proceeding immediately in the general
solicitation for subscriptions in aid of the fund, to recommend to the
General Committee the suspension of relief for a short time, doting
the summer, rather than be under the necessity of doing it at the
approach of winter."
At an adjourned meeting, held yesterday, at the Court House, it
was further resolved, that
" Although the distress of the Unemployed Poor. appears as
great as ever, for the considerations above-mentioned, the opera.
tions of the Committee be suspended for the present."—Lccd:
Pati ad.
The Woollen trade both in Leeds and Huddetsfield has under.
gone an alteration for the better within the last fortnight ; but
some of the accounts given of that improvement are highly
coloured, and lead to false conclusions. The number of the un-
employed is not perceptibly diminished, though many families, par-
ticularly the Irish, have left the West Riding, some of them in
search of labour in the agricultural districts, and others on their
return home. During the last three weeks the demand for worsted
emirs in the Halifax and Bradford markets has been pretty con-
siderable ; but the prices have not improved, except in a few in-
stances—some accounts say in none. The reduced rate at which
the raw material is now laid in front the grower 00 per cent. less
than last year's prices), will of course keep down the price of the
manufactured article, and all the manufacturers wish, or can expect
is, that they should be able to sell their goods at such a rate as to
replace them at the present price of wool, with a very moderate
profit. On Thursday last the demand in the Bradford Piece-hall
was less brisk than on the three preceding market days ; there is,
however, a shade of improvement in the; price of long wools.
Le rat Mercury.
NORWICH, A COUST 4.-1 mentioned that many frauds had
been practised upon the Court of Guardians who superintend the
funds for the poor, and they have of late increased to such an ex-
tent, that the Committee have come to the resolution of visiting
the offence with the utmost rigour, as every economy is requisite
in the present state of things. In pursuance of this determination,
a man was put upon his trial at the City Sessions yesterday, and,
he will, no doubt, receive exemplary punishment; no other case
worth mentioning was brought forward. You will, perhaps, have
heard that the persons charged with being implicated in the late
riots were acquitted, hut it is not generally known that the Magi-
strate who attempted to quell the disturbance, not having the Riot
Act at hand, merely repeated some sentences from it by memory
and this circumstance afforded ground for their discharge. I
have made every possible inquiry as to the number of weavers
out of employ, and I can state as the result, that there are
now about half the number which were in activity eight
months ago. It is, however, a fact worthy of remark,
that, notwithstanding so many hundred . families have been
forced to apply to the parish, such is the industry and activity of
the lower class here, that their dwelling-houses present a compara-
tive degree of comfort. and none of that wretchedness so conspicu-
ous in the distressed districts of Lancashire and Cheshire is to be
met with ; indeed the best spirit appears to prevail ; and were not
the fact of their utter destitution bruited about, a stranger might
even doubt its reality. It is much to be regretted that, at a period
like the present, provisions of all descriptions are excessively dear ;
mutton and beef are selling as high as 9d. and 10d. a pound ; and
veal, which three months since was at 6ad., is now sold in the
market at 10d. Poultry is dearer than was ever known in Nor-
wich, and his. were yesterday given for a pair of fowls; but-
ter, cheese, &c. are at an unprecedented macs. ; people tell me
that every article may almost be said to be at double the rate
which It fetched six years since. The depression of trade has
had a sensible effect upon many places in the vicinity. Yarmouth
races, held last week, were very scantily attended, and the company
was mostly of the lower order. In former years, not a person who
had an opportunity could stay away ; and lately the population of
Norwich and its neighbourhood used to look forward to the period
with feverish anxiety. The flat state of things may also be illus-
trated by the fact that there is at pet sent no sort of amusement here;
the company of actors, even during the assize week, played to empty
benches, and they have betaken themselves elsewhere. Our good
old city bears a most mournful aspect; instead of the bustle and
smiling activity formerly exhibited, a ratersl gloom seems to have
shed its influence in every quarter. At many of the recent fairs a
number of cattle were driven away unsold, and very low prices were
realized.

I this morning attended an auction, and though I know that Lon-
don goods of all kinds are much depredated, yet I have no hesitation
in saying that the ruinous rate at which things were knocked down
would hardly he credited. Four looking-glasses, worth in London
about two guineas each. fetched 3/. ; and many other articles apper.
taming to the toilette were almost given away. ltloney is excessively
scarce, and as, of course, tradesmen are in some instances under the
necessity of taking bills, they are almost useless, from the difficulty
experience d in negotiating them. A respectable shopkeeper tells me
that for the last few months he hat taken only one shilling where
he used to get six, and the diminutioa in the sale of poultry and
other luxuries is very great ; indeed, persona who have families
can scarcely get them common necessaries at the present moment.
It is somewhat surprising, that while so much has been said about
the distress at Macclesfield, Blackburn, &c., so little should have
been heard of the privations which the manufacturing operatives
in Norwich have endured • for though they have made little out-
cry, not a shadow of a doubt can exist that they are now in as bad
a state as those of any place that can be named.
Although a strong report has prevailed here that it was the in-
tontion of masters to reduce wages, yet it appears, at a meeting of
weavers lately held upon the subject, at which about 4,000 persons
were present, that no such reduction was ever contemplated by the
body of master manufacturers, though the idea was entertained by
a few, and some have given it as their opinion that the reduction in.
tended (one penny per dozen on bomhazins, and two-pence per
dozen on crapes) would be of no sort of service.

A few days ago the London agents of Messrs. Paget,
and Kirby's bank, at Leicester, entrusted a parcel contain-
ing a large sum to the care of a respectable individual, who
deposited the same in his travelling trunk, and set out per
coach for Leicester; but when he arrived, the parcel was
missing from the trunk, and the bankers have since re-
ceived a letter stating that 6001. is the only " negoeating
price." What steps are taken towards the recovery we
have not yet learned.