The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-12 00:00:00

HAND-LdONI WEAVERS.

Mr. FIELD EN presented a petition from the hand-loom
weavers of Manchester, complaining of distress, and praying for
relief. The Hon. Member was proceeding to make some ob-
servations on the petition, when he was interrupted by cries of
Order." He had no desire to take up the time of the House
unnecessarily, but he had long been requested to take the case
of the petitioners before the House, and (as we understood) he
considered the present occasion a fitting opportunity to do so.
The SPEAKER interrupted the Hon. Member and said
that ho ( Mr. F.) had better, if he had a motion to make on
the subject, reserve his observations upon the matter of the
petition until he brought forward his motion.
Mr. FIE LD EN said he at present had only to move that
the petition be read by the Clerk at the table, and be printed.
—( Cries of " Bring it up.")
The petition was accordingly brought up and read as
follows :
" To the Honourable the Commons of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament as-
sembled, the Petition of the Hand-loom .Weavers of
Manchester, in the county palatine of Lancaster, hum-
bly sheweth—
" That your petitioners have been trained to the occupation
of hand-loom weaving, a description of labour at which your
petitioners could formerly earn a sufficiency for their comfort-
able maintenance ; an occupation, too, essentially necessary to
the community, and one that your petitioners have not the
means to turn from. _

" That the goods your petitioners weave are many of them
of a description consumed by the rich and wealthy ; a class that
could afford to pay a remunerating price for the labour which
your petitioners perform ; a class, too, who your petitioners
have reason to believe would rejoice to see some measure passed
by Parliament that would effectually relieve your petitioners,
and avert the awful consequences to which the starvation your
petitioners are enduring, is certain to lead if a remedy be not
speedily applied.
" That the hand-loom weavers of this district have, from
extremely low wages, suffered severe distress ; that this dis-
tress has been proved over and over again before Committees
of your Honourable House to have surpassed what the Mem-
bers could have supposed to exist, and also to exceed the re-
presenta•ions of it that have been made of it by your Peti-
tioners in their Petitions to your Honourable House ; and in
the Report of the Committee of 1834, they did unanimously
declare that they feel deep regret at finding the sufferings of
so large and valuable a body of men (the hand-loom weavers),
not only not exaggerated, but that they have for years conti-
nued to an extent and intensity scarcely to be credited or con-
ceived, and have been borne with a degree of patience un-
exampled.'
" That the distress of your petitioners has been more severe
in the present year than at any former period. That in Man-
chester there are computed to be at least 6,000 weavers, some
of which have been visited by proper persons appointed. The
following fact 3 are the result of their inquiry :-876 families
have been visited, containing 3,274 persons, depending on the
income of 1,740 looms employed, whose average earnings for
the present year do not exceed weekly 3321. 6d. 3d., leaving
an average to each person of 2s. Old. per head per week,
afterwards having to deduct Is. 2d. per head per week for
rent, fuel, soap, and candles, leaves the average for food and
clothing per head per week 10,4 d. each, or lid. per day ;
which your petitioners are prepared to prove before her Ma-
jesty's Commissioners, when they visit Manchester. The num-
ber of families relieved (out of the number visited) by the
Overseers, does not exceed 100, the relief afforded to each
family does not exceed Is. 3d. per week.
"Your petitioners, therefore, humbly but earnestly implore
your Honourable House to take their case into your serious con-
sideration, and immediately pass a law that will raise the wages
to the standard that will support your petitioners, and enable
them to maintain their families with comfort and respect.
" And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Signed by the Committee on behalf of the Hand-
loom weavers of Manchester.
Mr. MARK PHILLIPS and Mr. HINDLEY supported the
prayer of the petition.
Mr. FIELDEN then moved that it be printed with the
votes ; but, as he was understood to say, that he meant to
postpone his motion on the subject till after the recess.
The SPEAKER said the Hon. Member must be aware
that the rule is that no petitions can be printed v.ith the Votes
unless it is to be made the subject of discussion on a near day.
If, therefore, the Hon. Gentleman means to postpone his mo-
tion till after the holidays, it will not be necessary for the
petition to be printed with the Votes, as it will doubtless be
printed under the direction of the Printing Committee.
Mr. FIELDEN then gave notice that he would bring the
subject forward on the 21st or 22d instant ; and the petition
was then ordered to be printed with the Votes.
DUTY ON WOOLLEN CLOTHS.

Mr. WALKER presented a petition from some town in
Yorkshire, praying for a repeal of the duty on woollen cloths
and olive oils.

POST-OFFICE.

Mr. WALLACE presented a petition in favour of Mr,
Rowland Hill's plan for cheapening the rates of postage.
JEWISH CLAIMS.

Mr. A. WHITE presented a petition from the Corpora-
tion of Sunderland, in favour of extending to the Jews all the
civil privileges enjoyed by persons of other persuasions.
The SPEAKER begged to acquaint the House that Henry
Simons, who had presented a petition on the 4th of November
last, against the return for the borough of Reading, had not
entered into the recognizances.
BALLOT. _ . _

Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the town of
Shefford, in Bedfordshire, in favour of the Vote by Ballot,
which town was not far from Woburn Abbey. The petitioners
stated that they approached the House with the most heart-
felt sorrow and the most bitter disappointment, for the pur-
pose of stating the Reform Bill had miserably failed in its
object, and so far from securing independence to voters
and benefit to the country, they regretted to state that the
last election had exhibited a scene of corruption, bribery,
intimidation, and violence, that would have disgusted
a savage, and alarmed those who lived in the more
remote ages of barbarism.—( Loud and continued cheers
and laughter.) They further stated, after praying the House
would grant the Vote by Ballot, that although a small part of
the people of England, yet they believed they spoke the senti.
ments of the whole, and that this was their fervent and final prayer
to the House. The petitioners also stated that with the Ballot
they would be content to abide by the Reform Bill, but that
without it they begged the House to resume the franchise it
had conferred, because in its present mode of exercise it was
only a libel on independence of principle, and furnished marks
of political persecution and personal revenge.