The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-24 00:00:00

terday, from which we give extracts in anotbef column.'
The Est rsicoa's birthday, which is also the anniversary
of independence, was celebrated with great splendour and
much rejoicing. In the excess of their enthusiastic
loyalty, the municipal body of Rio de Janeiro have opened
a public subscription for the erection of an equestrian statue
of their Sovereign. On his part, Don PLDZO manifests
every dirpoaition to render liinsdf worthy of the attach-
ment thus displayed to his person. The complaints of the
British and French Consuls have been instantly at-
tended to.

The unfortunate war in the Banda Oriental is, however,
we regret to find, still prosecuted. On the 4th of Sep-
tember the independent General RIVeIRA was defeated.
The force under his command was estimated at more than
400 men, a fifth part of whom are strict], in the despatch
of the Brazilian General, to have been either killed or made
prisoners. General LAVALLCJA had retired to Florida;
but it does not appear that the Imperialists had followed
up their success, which we therefore suppose was great)?
exaggerated. The despatch announcing the victory over
Renate♦ was published on the Ist of October, and, up
to nearly the close of that month, no further intelligence,,
at least of a favourable character, was received at Rio the
Janeiro, concerning the affairs of the Banda Oriental, or
the operations of the military force at Monte Video.

In developing the distressful consequences that must
infallibly flow from the new system of rare TIUDE as
applied to the silk manufacture, we have not, hitherto,
•dwelt upon its ruinous operation on one most valuable
.branch—tics aces THROWSTERIP. In every manufacture
that requires to be carried on by the exertions of various
classes, each occupied in its eliffirent department, though
every change introducAl into the general system will affect
all, it will nevcrtliehss affect scene more immediately and
more intensely than others. The British silk throwster
has, for a series of years, been rrotec ed by a duty on
foreign thrown silk, for the purpose of fostering his skill,
and encouraging his investment of capital in a branch of
trade, which, taking the raw material in the first stage of
progress, is vitally essential to the improvement of the art
as well as to the proLable and permanent establishment of
the silk manufacture in Great Britain. It was considered
by the Government essential to the effective encourage-
ment of the it/ankfucturer that he should be secured
against foreign competition by a prohibitory law ; it was at
the Fame time considered sufficient to protect the throwster
by a duty. He found this protection adequate, and was
satisfied.

The duty previous to the alteration in the silk laws in
18.21 amounted to 91. 2d. per lb. Enabled by means of it
to afford this article upon equal terms with foreigners, the
British silk throwsters proceeded with alacrity to embark
their capital in the erection of mills and machinery in dif-
ferent parts of the kingdom, and employment was thus
given to thousands of women and children, who being
furnished with the means of finding subsistence by their
industry, ceased to be, what till then for the most rant they
had been, a burden to the country by their pauperism,
and a pest to it by their profligacy.

In the year 1524 a considerable reduction took place iu
the duty on rate silk ; but the deity of Ts. 641 per lb. on, fir
reign thrown silk was continued ; and it was continued,
not u a measure of finance, but as a protection to the British
throwater, thus affording a demonstrative proof of the pa-
rental care of Government as manifested towards this branch
of trade, and the estimate in which they held it as connected
with the industrious and profitable employment of the po-
pulation. When this protective duty was afterwards lowered,
and the means of succeisful competition with foreigners pro-
portionally lessened, the throwsters acceded to the measure
at the time, without remonstrance, and they did so from a
conviction—warranted by the indulgent regard which
Government had always shown towards their interests—that
should the rate of duty thus reduced be found an inade-
quate protection, it should be again raised, if their
interest was found essentially to require it. The approv-
ing unction of Government was in this manner given in
Mt, to that principle of protection under which the silk-
throwsters had hitherto prcspered—and this principle,
moreover, having been thus expressly recognised, after the
mature deliberation which the whole subject underwent
during that eventful period—induced those who had large
manufactories, in many instances, to enlarge them; and
new mills were erected at a great expense in different parts
of England, on the faith, as they allege, that the pro-
tection on which they had been hitherto taught to rely
would, at no time hereafter, be withdrawn from them.

The great. alarm which at this moment prevails so
strongly throughout this branch of the Silk Trade arise.
from the intended reduction of the duty on foreign thrown
silk to ss. per lb., leaving only the inadequate sum of 41. Pd.
to secure them from the extra duty on the raw material
from tilt Italian States, and also from the duty on the
value of labour. The effect of this measure will be to give
■n advantage of 2'. per lb. to the Italian throwster, and to
involve the British thronsters in certain anti inextricable

The value of this branch of the silk trade to the coun-
try may be estimattd by the proportion which the home
manufacture of thrown bears to the quantity imported :
Total number of point& Tref& of raw silk imported
into Great Britain front the sth of January, 182 i. to
the sth ofJanuary, 1825, which had to undergo the

operations el the British throaster - . 3,037,704
Foreign thrown silk imported during the same period

only . 334.652
The thousands of women and children which the loss of
this trade will throw out of a certain, a regular, and—what
is of no light importance—a healthy employment, may be
here seen. The _capital .of the .3ilk-thyomatass- -being
locked up in their machinery, they are not in a condition
to contend against the ruin that awaits them by embsik-
ing it in some other employment. Its value is.at once
annihilated; a whole class of manufacturers become ex-
tinct, and all the industrious poor to whom they gave em-
ployment ate cast on the world without resource.

If it should be asled—How is it accounted for that the
operation of throwing silk in Italy costs' s. 63. per pound,
while in England it costs t3s.? the aniwer is beet
given by asking—why is whist sold at Luke for lss.
per quarter, which the English corn-grower cannot
produce under 6.55. ? Look at the relative value of
laid and labour in the different countries—ascertain
the degree in which taxes enter into the price of c mime-
'Nies—investigate the difference in the cost price of
clothing and feeding the operatives—calculate the pro-
portion which the public debt in one country bears to the
public debt of the other—take into the account the tithes
and the poor- rates—and combine with all these the
difference arising from climate and the habits of the
people, and you will then be in possession of all the most
material facts necessary to the solution not only of tit;
most important question, but of two questions still -
ireportantz—the policy of throwing open our ports to