The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-23 00:00:00

DUTCH PAPERS.

Dutch Journals to the 20th, and Hamburgh to the 17th,
arrived yesterday. They contain nothing of political inte-
rest. The following are extracts.—

ST. PETERSIIVRGH, MARCH 2.
The day before yesterday we had the happiness of again seeing
our beloved Emperor in public. Ills Majesty, who has entirely
recovered from his slight indisposition, took a promenade through
some of the principal streets of the capital.
LEIPZIG, MARCH 12.
The University of Leipzig has suffered by the deaths of its Pro.
fesson in • degree almost unparalleled. Within a month it has
lost three of its most distinguished men, viz. Professors Cramer,
Spohn, and Gilbert. The latter had read his lecture, as usual, on
the 6th, W and was suddenly carried off the 7th. Ile was between
50 and CO years of age.
At this moment two other eminent Professors (Beck and
bold) are dangerously iIL That the latter may not be disturbed in
his rest, the street In which he lives is barricadoed during the
night, and no carriage whatever allowed to pass—a measure which
shows how highly his fellowaitizens honour this eminent lawyer,
who it is however feared cannot recover. Professors Wieland and
Weber, who have likewise been very ill, arc now recovering.
Our trade is in a state of stagnation; but we hope it will be
revived by • law just published, which considerably reduces the
mercantile duties, and gives particular facilities to the transit
trade.

.fECOND REPORT
FROU THE SELECT COM3IITTEE ON ARTISANS

AND MACHINERY.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the state of the
Law in the United Kingdom, and its consequences, respecting
Artisans leaving the Kingdom, and residing abroad also, into
the state of the law, and its consequences, respecting the ex-
portation of Tools and Machinery; and into the state of the
Law and its elreets, so far as relates to the comhinsion of
Workinel, and others, to raise wages, or to regulate their wages
and hours of working.

(Continued from our Paper of yesterday.j

This Second Report is equally valuable with the first,
anti embraces the same important topics a investigation.
The witnesses examined as to the operation of the Acts of
Parliament which relate to the exportation of machinery,
and the prohibition of artisans leaving the country, afronl
evidence equally exp!ic.t as to their impoliey, and their
utter inefficiency with a view to the objects for which they
were intended. On the subject of the Conthination Laws,
for the repeal of which petitions are daily presented to the
House from the different manufacturing districts, the
testimony is equally candid and conclusive, and is well cal-
culated to confirm those liberal sentiments with regard to
the freedom of trade, which the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, with Mr. fluskisson and some others, have
evinced so laudable a disposition to patronize and protect.
ife. RICHARD TAYLOR, called in, and e.ramined.
What line of business are you in ?—,l. printer.
Have you been a long time engaged in business in London ?
Yea; about twenty years.
Have you turned your attention to the subject of the Combination
Laws which now exist ?—lies.
What is your opinion as to the einct of the laws against the com-
bination of workmen, so far as they prohibit their combining to
raise their wages, to regulate them, or to regulate their hours of
working?—My own opinion is, that they are of no service at all to
the employers, and that they only creak greater difficulty of ar-
rangement bowers the emplmgrs and the men, so much so, that
the last time when they struck for wages, and we had a difference
for a little time, the masters unahistiously agreed that isothiag
should battier them to avail themselves of the Combination Laws,
considering thent us very unjust and epos (like, and that it would
be disgraceful fa. them to avail themselves of thens, having found
that they only protracted the diarences that had occurred on for-
mer occasions.
Of what business do you speak ?—better-press printing, both
with respect to the compositors and the pressmen ; they work by
the piece generally, for the most part ; and they have had advances
successively three times, I think, since the year 1793 or 1795; and
upon the last occasion, when bread had very much fallen, it was
thought requisite to have a small reduction, and for that purpose
of course the masters had to meet together and to confer, as they
had done upon former occasions when the men had required an ad-
vance.

What was the result of that meeting of the masters ?—The re-
sult was that a reduction was made, hot so great a one as was a;
tint proposed, but a compromise took place between the masters
and the men.
IM you mean to say that the masters, being desirous to reduce,
made propositions to the men, with a determination not to avail
themselves of the ltws Oita existing in respect of anything the men
might do 7—Yes.
What was the result ?—The result was, that we very soon came
to a satisfactory determination, and have had no *4k:illy since.
Were the wages reduced ?—They were.
Do you not think those laws tend to disturb that harmony and
good understanding which ought to exist between master and man 7
—Yes, I certainly think they do ' • for, upon former occasions, they
were found to excite a great deal of ill blood between the masters
' and the men. There were some men who were imprisoned for
combining, a great many years ago, and that created a great deal of
Issisenderstandieg,for they were some of the most respectable of the
workmen; those who had been entrusted by their fellow. workmen
at large to negociate an advance of prices with the masters; and,
of course, the inflicting of imprisonment on men who were generally
respected was a thing which created a great deal of ill blood ; a
deal of mischief was the consequence of it.
Is not that the general principle on which the Combination Laws
have been passed with a view to reducing wages, favouring the
masters rather than tie men 4—Yes, I shotild conceive so.
Are you able to state what has produced any combinations of the
workmen, which have taken place within your knowledge 7—They
have generally been to advance the prices when bread grew dear,
or the wax, of living advanced. There have been, how time to
time, efforts on the part of the men to obtain higher wages.
You recollect instances where the mew were preset-Med do.
Do you recollect any instances where the masters have been pro.
steeled, fur agreeing or combining amongst each other ?-11,0, I do
not.
Do you know that the law applies equally against the masters as
the men )—No, I did not suppose that it did; I always understood
it applied only to the men. As far as I recollect, we always met
together without any reserve or fear, as if we were exempt from any
fear of that kind.
As far as you remember, have the men ever combined at a time
when their wages were not unreasonably low ?—Nu ; 1 think that
it was always when there appeared to be an advance in the price of
living.
You think there was always reason for raising them, though not
always to the extent they wished ?—The exception I should make
was, when provisions fell, their wages were not reduced ; and then,
when they rose again, they forget there had been no reduction' and
wanted another advance; that ens the case sometimes: baitl be-
lieve, upon the whole, generally, there has been a greater advance
hest& curt of living than is the wages. They sometimes deniand-
ed more than appeared reasonable; but they agreed, at length,
to take what appeared to the markt: to be reasonable.
In your opinion, would the present general combination*, which
take place amongst workmen, be gradually lessened in eaten
if the laws were repealed e—l think that both parties would come
to an understanding quite as soon, without the ham, and sooner ;
but whether the men would not, if fluctuations were frequent, pro-
vide the means to make a demand for a rise of wages. I cannot
soy. The masters would then be likely to yield to a reasonable ad-
vance, if they saw cause for it, if they were not armed with any
power; and perhaps it would be right that they should yield : then,
of course, the men would not have occasion to combine.
If masters and men were left at perfect freedom to make their
bargains, would not both parties be more reasonable then they now
are, and more likely to agree I.—Yes, I think they would.
Do you not apprehend, that the workmen would confer together
respecting the advance of wages, and the masters confer together
respecting the reduction of wages ?—Yes ; they always have dune,
aitifways will do.
Is it not perfectly just that they should do so 9—kinite just, and
I think advantageous to both parties; indeed, sometime,' when an
unreasonable demand has been made by
.one workman, I have,
referred it to those who bad more expennce among his fellow
workomo.
Is not that the only way in which they can secure a sufficiency of
wages ?—Certainly.
It might have been foreseen that to legislate in affairs of
trade on principles so devoid of equity, must inevitably
beget dissensions that would lead to the most ruinous re-
sult. However reasonable the claim of increased wages on
the part of the workmen might be, any general conference
had among themselves for the purpose of adjusting that
claim, is punished under the name of combination, and is
deemed the same offence as it' the demand was the most
extortionate, and was enforced under the most dangerous
spirit of confederacy. Les Angie Run pallier absurdum ;
so says the maxim of our Constitution; but if the law of
England is thus tenacious, still less forbearance should it
have towards absurdity when mingled with injustice, and
of to gross a kind as is contained in this specimen. The
following questions to the same witness are well put, and
are answered with great conscientiousness:—
You have stated an instance of a fall of wages having once taken
place : would it not be the natural consequence, if all the kw* were
removed, and masters and workmen left at liberty to make their
own bargains, that the wages would, by ms/salweensent, rise and
fall according to the alterations of the business gong on, sad other-
wise?—Yes, certainly.
Would not that be much more easily effected in the absence of all
tar, than it now is with the lawli—Certaia/y.
You said that the masters in your trade had resolved not to en.
force the Combination Laws: when was that P—When

a reduction