The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-08 00:00:00

TURN-OUT 017 THE SPITALFIELDS VERS.

Yesterday mulling a iarge body of Spitalfields silk-
velvet weavers, a hnsiress which has sadly declined
during the last 20 or 30 years, turned out for the pur-
pose of waiting upon the master manufacturers, to solicit
from them an advance of their present scanty amount of
wages.

At half-past ten the men assembled in Thor°ld-square,
Bethnal-green-road, and shortly afterwards formed them-
selves into procession. Between 500 and 600 men were
present at starting, but the procession gained strength
as it advanced, and on arriving at Spital-square the
numbers amounted to about 800. The men who took
part in the demonstration were well-behaved, decently
clad, and committed no breach of order. Some extra
policemen were put on duty for the purpose of preserv-
ing, the peace but their services were not required.
Spital-square and Steward-street, the principal locali-
ties in which the manufacturers carry on their business,
were the points made for by the procession, and a com-
mittee, composed of Messrs. Ferdinando, Howsham,
Smith, Douglas, and Walkingshaw, waited upon the
heads of several of the leading firms, to whom they re-
spectfully but firmly represented their grievances.
It appears from their statements that at a meeting of
the weavers, held some time since, the committee were
empowered to apply to the manufacturers to adopt a uni-
form list of prices, which the weavers submitted to them,
or else to advance 3d. per yard upon the present prices
for weaving velvet fabrics. The committee, having held
a consultation, were of opinion that it would be injudi-
cious to go forward with both objects, and they, there-
fore, determined to place the " list" in abeyance until
a fitting opportunity for enforcing it should arrive, and
to adopt as the object of their mission the advance of 3d.
a yard all round, irrespective of any disparity that might
exist in the prices at the present time. The committee
represented that they had not abandoned the "list," but
they thought that having struggled for it for a period
of four weeks, and after the large promises which had
been made to them by certain leading manufacturers
(which promises had proved abortive), their right policy
would be to lay the list aside, and to ask the advance of
3d. per yard. In order to show that this demand was
not unreasonable they represented to the manufacturers
that the manufacture of one yard of silk velvet would
occupy a man the whole of a day—sometimes 14 or 15
hours—and for this, at the present rate of charges,
he would receive only 12s. a week. By the pro-
posed increase he would, supposing him to be constantly
at work, receive 13s. 6d. a week. They admitted that
it was true they received more than this for the sup-
port of their families, but that increase could only be
secured by keeping their wives and children constantly
at the machine, sacrificing every domestic comfort, and
bringing up their children in a state of the grossest ig-
norance, and depriving them of all sorts of healthful
exercise. They urged, too, that in another respect the
manufacturers had not dealt fairly with them. They
had heard that as soon as the committee sent in their
uniform list of prices, the manufacturers exhibited them
to the mercers, and on the representation that they had
raised the prices in accordance with the wishes of the
men, demanded and received ls. and 2c. a yard extra
for their produce, the fact being that the workmen had
received no additional benefit of any kind. The com-
mittee added, that Mr. Nichols, of Steward-street, had
promised that if the other manufacturers would consent,
he should have no objection to the required advance,
and that some others bad made the same conditional
promise.

- Most of the manufacturers upon whom the deputation
called received them with courtesy, and patiently
listened to their demands, promising that the trade
would without delay take the matter into consideration,
but at the same time declining to pledge themselves to
a compliance with the workmen's demands.
The whole of the morning and afternoon were occu-
pied with these calls. When they were completed the
men returned to Thorold-square, where they were in-
formed that the result of the labours of the deputatio❑
would be communicated in the form of a report, which
would be submitted at a meeting which would be
specially convened for that purpose. They were also
informed that it would be for that meeting to say what
course they would take, whether they would abandon
their movement, or use some other and more vigorous
means to obtain the small boon for which they were now
seeking.
From the opinions expressed by the great body of the
men who took part in yesterday's proceedings, it may
be inferred, that if the manufacturers resist their
demands, they will refuse to return to work.