The Sun.
London, England, 1807-04-24 00:00:00

CALICO PRINTERS' BILL.

Mr. SHERIDAN moved the second reading of the
Journeymen Calico-Printers' Bill.
Sir ROBERT PEELS said, that although, on
account of his,ill-health, he had been given leave to
absent himself • from his duty in Parliament, yet he
should feel great self-reproach if he should allow a "'
Bill so misehievous, as he conceived tlAis to be, to
pass without giving it his decided opposition. He
was hims'elf a friend to the Journeymen Calico-
Printers,' -and he conceived that he and the other
Master-Printers' had done thm more service than
they would • ever receive 'from the speeches of the
Right HOn. Gentleman., (Mr. Sheridan). • TheJodr;•
neynten; iu their test demand of limiting the 111.1111•.'
:„

her of apprentices, seemed toad upon the principle,
that they were able by combination to give the law
to the Masters. This scheme, however, failed, and
only occasioned the Masters to bring many new
hands into the trade. There were many Master 3
who seriously thpught of removing themselves and'
their capitals to some other country, where their
properties would be better protoSted, and their trade
be more free from restri&ion; for a.lnan. of property
could never bear the idea of receiving the law, in
every instance, from his journeymen. If it could be
-proved-that this Bill would be for the. advantage of
the Journeymen, he should not oppose it, as he con-
, sidered that the interests, of the greater number
should be attended to in preference to the interest;
of the few ; hut he was convinced that a Bill like
the present tveuld be injurious to the whole trade,
and consequently to the Journeymen. He con-
cluded by moving, that this Bill be read a second
' time on this day three months.
Mr. D. G MDR; supported this Motion, He
considered that, in the present state of society, it was
not so much the tyranny of Icings and great met;
that was to be apprehended, as the tyranny, of the
niany.prer the few. He considered that nothipg
was more dangerous than • combinalions among
Journeymen. If the agricultural latfourers were to
combine in, a similar manner, and demand for their
labour more than a fair proportion of the land, the
Country must rapidly fall to ruin.
Mr. JACOB began by observing, that, in 1791,
this country only exported to the value of one mil-
lion annually in cotton goods; but now, in sixteen
years afiqr that period,. the quantity .exported
amounts to 9,750,0001. being more than one,thirti.
of the whole 'amount of our exports. This great
increase was owing to thp skill and talents of palica
Printers. In the infancy of this trade, some degree
of philosophy was necessary, and a censiderable
knowledge of chemistry; but now; by the division
of labour, the busines of a Calk.° Printer-drd-fier
require more skill than any other handicraft trade,,,
and therefbre • the present, race of 'Calico' "Printers
were not entitled to better wages than most 'other
mechanics. It was allql.ved, that a boy of fonrteen
-coUld, in a few months, learn the whole business,
and yet:the average WageS were twenty-fii.e shillings
a-week, although the workmen lived for the most
part in the Northern counties, where those wag 94.
'would go much farther than they woukrin a
Southern county. He did pot see that the Soureey-
.men Calico Printers had any serious subject of com-
plaint, and therefore he should oppose the present

Mr. R. 11100R.E declared, that the anxious wish'
of the Committee was, that the Masters and Jourff
neymen should. regulate the matter among them,ff
selves, without bringing, it before 'ParliaMent. The
&alplaintof the Journeymen: was this ; that 'a largo
number of loyal, dutiful, and faithful subjects 1;t:113,
DOW without employment and without bread,' in
consequence of the grievances of which they corn?
plained. He conceived it the first duty of Govern-
ment to see that the subjeas of the fealin had,
bread. He felt.a good deal for the rights, ofJourney-
men i his Constituents were either Journeymen, or
had been Journey den, and he had, therefore, con-
sidered that kind of right WhiCh is derivc.'d front
having served an apprenticeship. 'He conSidered
that from the system of apprenticeship was 'de-
rived, not only the superior skill of our, worirnwee,
in every department, but a great part of the'priteicat.
morality,of the British Nation. 'ffe admitted, that
on account of the division of laborer, a 'boy could ha
taught to do the business in a very short time as well,
as a Journeyman, The 'consequence was, that as
soon as the boy vitlS out of his apprenticeship,
also found himself out of bread. It was, the'reforqj
in this branch of trade, more,than in any other, that
setae regulations were wanting to insure a sub4is...
tence to the Journeymen.

'Ur. H. "ERSKINE. considered, that.. whatever
might be the grievances of thejourneymen, -the pre-
sent .Bill would not afford the remedy. It way
against the first principles of civil liberty, a‘ well aq
against all the commercial maxims which had hither
to been received. The first clause of it was to pre-
vent Masters from taking more than a certain
ber of .apprentices. This was a regulation which
had never before been demanded from Parliament:
Every man had an undoubted right to teach his trade
to aagainst thane atny p
he numberseople as
h
coming chose.rnin
gintolie the trade tv.laescr!S.
ridiculous as if he or others, old Journeymen in the
profession of the law (a laugh), should# come to Par-
liament, to complain of the number of young men of
talents that were educating for that profession, and
beg that the House would shut the door against
'them, for fear they would interfere with the old.
practitioners. As to the wages given, he thought
that that, as well as the price of the article,
.would of
themselves find their level. He, therefore, was de-
cidedly in opposition to the Bill, and should suite
for the Motion of the Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peele),
Mr. SHERIDAN defended the Bill. He said
it would have been well if his Right Hon, and
Learned Friend_ (Mr. Erskine), had condescended to
read the Report of the Committee upon which this
Bill was founded, before he exercised so much of his
ingenuity in condemning it. If he had read that
Report, he would have found that, so far from be-
ing a measure for the encouragement of coMbinv
tions amongst the Journeymen Calico-printers, it.
was one for the relief and proteaion of the induS,
trious and oppressed. His Right Honourable and
Learned Friend had declared, that, whatever was
the nature of the disorder complained of, he would
not give this Bill 'as a cure, because be considered it
absolute poison. But he (Mr. Sheridan) believed it
was the pratice of all rea°ular-bred physicians to
consult a little the nature of the disorder complained
of, before they rejeaed one remedy to prescribe
another; and, in this case, he certainly felt that he
had the advantage of his Right Honourable and
Learned Friend. He intfeated, however, that the
House, before it should reiea the present NIL
would first condescend to read the Report of its
Committee, which.it was always customary for the
House to respect, and not to libel and stultify that
'Report without ever once reading or considering the
evidence upon which it was foUnded. Before the
House consented tä reject this Bill; he begged they
would consider, that the necessary consequence must
be inconsistency with their own Justice, to repeal the
Act of the .sth of Elizabeth, by which every other
.
trade in t7he kingdon?, except that, of the Calico'
printers, was regulated and protected. But before
_
tliat House would agree to such a repeal, he S

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MAILS.
41trilvxo--1 Gottenburgh. Dee—c Lisbon, a Dublin,
4 Waterford.

PRICE OF STOCKS
Tuts DAY AT TWELVE O'CLOCK.
MSOIS 62H I Orn:)iurn - - - 4 pr,

THE S UN.

110,LZM QUIS DICLRI FALSVM AUDZAT

.LONDON,
FRIDAY., APRIL 24, 1807

sere: they :u:onld'pAaie nmh'cott-
sttlt own reflection; Input • the enecessary
consequences • to the manufaaeres oft:the. coeutry.
What was the case of the complainentseie
stance ? For a series of succes,ive years h:sd; they
been mendicant suppliants at the. Bar of thateHouse,
offering Petition after Petition, praying relief; bar
in vain. The moment, however, they found.. their
Petition entertained, and felt any grodod cif leefe
that their grievances would be fairly
,censidere all
combination ceased, and their reliance for redress
was entirely founded upon the justice and libereli-
ty of Parliament. What was their complaiot ? Why,
that after having served seven years to a business
confessedly inierious to their health, and which
rendered them unfit for any other occupation, they
were to be turned loose upon the world, sup
planted in their employments by whole legionS of
apprentices, at twelve or fourteen year of age,
for the wages of four shillings and sixpence or eight
shillings per week, instead of one pound five_ shil-
lings, the usual average of the Journeymen, by
Whose previous skill aod ingenuity the opera-
, tions 'of the manufat?..lare were so simplified that
children could do the work zs ,tell as journeymen.
And what was the alternative proposed to those un-
fortunate men ? To be satisfied with average wages,
of 9s. per week, usually pail to common daily 'la-
bourers throughout their distrifits, or left to become
soldiers or sailors, occupations fOr Which. their state
of bpdy, after'devoting seven- years to an unwhole-
sCme business, rendered them totally unfit ! Would
the House consent to a proposition so monstrous,
• as that thoseyourig men, after hAine devoted seven
years todeirn a-trede, to the ruin ofb their health;'
by which their industry had so eminently contributed
to the wealth of. their Masters and their Country,
were to be deprived of all employment, and be
turned loose-upon society, as'burthens to the charity,
or freebooters upon the property of their neighbour-
hood? He never wits a proselyte to the doCtrines of
Adam Smith upon this subject.' It was the wisest
policy of a nation- to provide employment for the
• rnatured vigour of its population ; and those maim-
fat litrers who derived immense fortunes by the early
industry of those Joorneyiuen, would ill deserve the
encouragethent of the Legislature and of the State
if they A-ere ready to sacrifice the comforts of their
men to their own avarice, and consign them to
beggary the moment. they became entitled to receive
the wages of Journeymen. He instanced one par-
ticular , house which entertained above fifty .Ap-
prentices, and only two ,journeymen; and he begged
to aik how many thousands of artizans must be de-
voted to famine if this system was to become ge-
neral. His Right Hon. and Learned friend had
compared the state of the Bar to that of the Calico
xrinters, and said, what might be very true, that
many of the Members of that Learned Profession
Were much distressed. It might be so, and was to
.be lamented. But if it were possible, by the operations
(If machinery, philosophy, or Chemistry, which had
been 'so learnedly spoken ofthet night, so to simplify
the bnsiness of the Bar; as to render it predicable to
little boys and. girls, at twelve or fourteen, he be-
lieved there would be more clamour from the Gen-
tlemen of the Long Robe in Wesminster-Hall than
from all the combining manufadurers of Lancashire
pit together. Mr. Sheridan mentionedsome other in-
stances of oppression from the Masters to their Ap-
prentices, and their illegal modes of securing their
fi
Tv, sometimesiFes; for nine or ten years, by a bond
'Om' the parent, instead of a stamped' indenture. He
concluded by supporting the Bill,' and declaring at
the same time, that he disclaimed all countenance
to combination; that he should belie the uniform
tenor of his whole political life, if while he had a
Seat in that House, the cause of the weak should
•vittit an advocate against the strong, who revelled
111 wealth and luxury upon the fruits of their hard
industry.
Mr. HORNER opposed the Bill, as did Mr. DENT;
4nd the'question being put. for the second•reading
this day three months, was carried without a di-
vision,

Pursuant to order, Counsel attended, Mr. Alex:-
Oder and Mr. 'Harrison for the Petition of the
'tasters ; Mr. Campbell for the Journeymen, and
against the Petition.—Adjourned.

7'o CORRESPOnENTS.
Ifi• receive frequent Complaints from „Country Correspondents of
the irregularity with which our Paper is delivered to-them, and
the had one from Rives headytsterdqy morning. We can assure
tar Country Friends, that all Papers ordered at the SUN-0 F.
FicE are regularly transmitted to the Post-Office, so that their
Complaints do not .r.pply to us : we should be very happy if it
'were in our power to obviate these Complaints in /mare, but as
the matter does not at all rest with us, they mum of course dire.l
their enquiries elsewhere.
'CO? Correspondent .P. T. has seen that we implicit?), obeyed his
.toishes, but we deem it proper to declare, that we do, not think.
ourselves bound upon all occasions to be so rigid, in our observ-
Qnces. We shall never make any alterations 'in the favors of
fur
Coiresk;adents from vanity or. ap, ice, but we may some:.
tiines feel the necessity.of doing JO from motives that require no
ikrlification.

- •
The dluckland Packet, with Mails from Lisbon,
is arrived at Falmouth : the has also brought the
Mails "the Diada Packet from New-York and Ha-
lifax;( Which put into Oporto in distress. The Let-
ters will be delivered to-morrow.
I.

.1. affords us the most sincere pleasure to find
that the Catholics of Ireland do not seem inclined
to embarrass Government by pressing their Claims
at present. Wo trust that they will not suffer ,
them-
selves to be induced, by those who profess them-
s es to be their Friends, to depart- ftotn scr prudent

ft resolution. 11. f while we rejoice in the leterini-
- liation of the altholiCs not to preys their Ps
sit present, WC7 cannot but observe tile' striking
variance between.. the language held ~.by the late
and- what was used by the- Leade,'4cif
the CitliolicS' at a late Meetirig- held. in llabliti.-,
The late Ministers defended themselves for hav-
ing brought forward a measure in direr oppOsi-
tion to the known sentiments of His iNlAsEsi.y, by
stating, that it would conciliate the whole Catholic

Body, that it would restore harmony in Ireland, and

that if the measure were rejeaed it wot.TM be ittipos-
sible to foresee the consequences, that might ensue.
But what say the-Catholics upon this subjea ? Iu-

stead of expressing ally regret for the loss of this
measure., which was ta confer upon them such
great benefits, they say, that " the meaSnre 'did
not originate with the Catholic Body of Ireland ;
it removed no disability—it conveyed no advintage
to them." In short, this most important Mea-
sure, which was to produce such wotlderful eticas
upon the minds of the Catholics, is treated by
them with contempt, as an expedient adopted by
the late Ministers merely to put an end to the °tit-
rages of the Thresher's in the County of Mayo !.

We stated, on
.Monday last, that letters had been
received from the Continent, which contained reports
of the French having :evacuated Hamburgh, Yes-(.
terday other Letters were received, which state, that
the evacuation took place on the I sth. We be:-
lieve the greater part. of the French troopsthat were-
in that City did aftually mArch
.-out on the 18th,'
for the purpoSe of joining the Army in Poland,
but thei r place is to be supplied by Dutch Troops,
who have probably arrivect • there before.this time.
Whether the French would be able to defend them-
selves in liamburgh, Lubec, &c, if seriously attack-
ed by the Swedes, we are not competent to decide ;
but we think it rather improbable' that the French
should voluntarily give up places of such iMpoltance.,

No official accounts have yet been received from
Admiral DUCKWORTH, and we think it our duty to
caution our Readers not to give implicit credit to
the accounts given in the Foreign Papers upon
this subject. We cannot believe that the British'
Government would have desired Mr. AnpuTIINOT to
propose such terms to Turkey as -are stated in-the
German Papers, sill less do we think.' that he
would venture to propose such terms without orders
from home. It is to be recolleded that Turkey
was a Neutral State,. and the terms which Mr. An-
BUTHNOT is stated to have proposed-are such as could
only have been di&ated to a vanquished Enemy ; and
we trust, for the honour of this Conutry, that they
'will turn out to be a FrenCh lab'rication.

Early.yesterday morning the I st. Battalion of the
6th Regiment, consisting of upwards of 12,00 men,
marched fro►n the North Barracks, at Deal, for
Ramsgate, to embark.

Tli;',Baltie Convoy, had nit sailed yesterday.
On Wednesday last aSpecial Council was held at
Liverpool for the purpose of considering upon the
propriety of presenting an• Address to his Majesty at
this important jundure, and we understand that ati
Address was ordered and has been sent to London to
be presented td his Majesty.
The Vessels concerned in the smnggling trade,
between Jamaica and the Spanish Main, report that
a general ferment prevails through all the Provinces
61 Spanish America ; and that the -authority of the
Government had been acrain exerted to repress. the
spirit of turbulence. The Militia, who Bad been
armed by a late ordinance, had refused to give up
their.arms, and the Government had been obliged
to compromise.

GENERAL MIRANDA'S EXPEDITION.-=—The follow-
ing Letter appears in the Trinidad Paper. We con-
fess that its intellig,ence seems to us very improba--
ble ; but.it is given with such authority, and with
such confidence, that we are as unWiliing to reject as:
to adopt it. In this embarrassment we must leave
the conclusion to the' judgment of our Readers :
" TRINIDAD, FEB. 27.---T4e Creditors of Gene.,
•ral MIRANDA having followed him' to this Island,
the General threw himself upon the protection
of the Government, and produced . several letterS
-and authorities, which induced our Goveriment.
to interpose in his favour. The eXecution of the
law was thus suspended, and the General remain-
ed in tranquillity, and, was almost foraotten,
Upon a sudden the several Agents ,of• the 'oeneral's
creditors were invited to accept a compromise for.
their several debts ; the terms. were accepted, and
The debts paid. We had scarcely time 'to express
our astonishment before a Sloop arrived from Cu-
mina, on board of which MIRANDA-1)v. embarked.
It is said, by some, that he has gone thither upon
the invitation of the Spaniards, his party• haVitig
possesSed themselves of the country, and• declared
their independence. It is asserted by> others, that
the invitation has come from the English Squadron,:
supposed to be that of General CRAUFURD,' which
has effeeled a landing on the Spanish Main.—
We have been unable to develOpe the mystery
which for some 'time has been thrown over this af-
fair. All that we can state is, that General MI-
RANDA has been under the constant proteCtion of-
our Government ; that he has sailed for the Spanish
Main ; and that his ExpeditiOn, whatever it is, is
well understood by our Governors."
We have received advices from the Island of St.
Domingo to the sth of March. By these it appears
that; after much blOodshed, the two rival Generals,
Plc ETON and CHRISTDPHE, have entered into a treaty
to divide the Island equally between theni, and, to
unite in a bond of friendship for the future. Their
partisans and followers have returned to their several
occupations, and trade is expo-led soon as brisk as
ever.