The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-19 00:00:00

FOREIGN WOOL DUTY.

Lord CA LTHORP presented a petition from the wool-
growers of Atiiiip,tharn, m Suffbik, pra3ting for a continuance
of the Duties on tbreign wool:—Laid on the table.

. .
_ .
'GAME LAWS.
Lord CA LTHORP presented a petition from the Magis-
trates of the County of Suffolk, praying their Lordships to make
an amendment in the Game Laws ; and stating also that they
wished to be relieved from the exercise of duties in their official
capacity, rendered 'peculiarly irksome by the present state of
the laws. -

Lord SUFFIELD stated, that he had received a petition of
a similar nature, from the Magistrates of the county of Nor-
folk, and feeling as,he did the propriety of the prayer of it, he
would support the petition of the Noble Lord:
After a few words from Earl GROSVENOR, in support of
the petition, in which the Noble Lord entreated tile House to
make some amendmonts, during the present Session, in the
Game Laws
_ _ _

The petitioß was laa'con the table.
SILK TRADE.

The Earl of WESTMORLAND presented a petition from
7,000 inhabitants of the parish of St. Mathew, Bethnal-green,
praying that the Bill now before their Lordships, for the re-
peal of the restrictions on the silk trade, may not pass into a
law. The petition stated, that it would tend to increase pau-
perism to an alarming extent ; and under all the circumstances
of the case, he requested the Noble Earl opposite (Lawler-
dale) to postpone the consideration of the measure until another
Session, when the new laws relative to this trade would have
been in operation. •
The Earl of LAUDERDALE observed that the Noble Earl
was wrong insupposing that the effect of the new laws on this
subject would be known next year, as the Act would not take
effect until 18:26. He should be Much obliged to the Noble
Earl (Westmoreland) to look over the names of his petitioners,
and see if a great proportion of them had not signed the peti-
tion that had been preSented by the Noble and -Learned Earl
on the Woolsack a few days since. Ile did not like to mention
names, lest he should bring individuals into danger ; but to
shew their Lordships how little these petitions were to be de-
pended upon, he would mention an instance of a poor man who
had refused to sign the petition that had been presented by the
Noble and Learned Earl, and. on the. day after his refusal,
his name, and those of his wife and 'children, were attached to
it, in a neat clerk's hand ; and so zealous had been the party
who had written these names, that they had given the man two
children more than he had ever possessed, in order to swell the
number of the petitioners. How many had signed in this way
he did not know ; but he should be sorry if that or any House
of Parliament should be instruments to such a conspiracy.
The Earl of WESTMORLAND said, that whether this
was or was not the case, the people's minds were alarmed, anti
• he did think it impolitic to . agitate them unnecessarily at this
time.
The petition was then laid on the table.
1 On the Order of the Day being read for their Lordships going
into a Committee on the Silk Trade Bill,
- The Earl of HA BROW i3Y observed, that after the decision
' their Lordships had come to in the last Session of Parliament
' with respect to the restrictions on • the Silk Trade, he mail not
avoid exyressing his surprise at the Noble Earl introducing his
present Bill. To the question he had put cm a former occasion
to the Noble Lord, why he should wish to persuade their Lord-
ships-. to come to a different opinion now to that which they
came to last year, he had received no satisfactory answer. For
• himself, he could see no reason for prematurely repealing Acts
under which the town had enjoyed a long course of tranquillity,
and the trace they regulated had flourished. Under these con-
siderations he would move, that the word " now" be left out,
and that their Lordships go into a Committee-on the Bill that
day six months. _

The Earl of LAUDERDALE did not expect the opposi-
tion that had been made to this measure by the Noble Lords
opposite • and the argument of the Noble Earl as to the tran-
quillity of the town and the flourishing state of the manufac—
ture under these restrictive statutes, if it were good at all,would
apply to other manufactures. Why should not Manchester,
for instance, be placed under the same regulations with regard
to its manufacture, as the district of SpitalOelds was with refer-
ence to its trade. The fact was, the error of the system was
glaring, and it could be supported by Noble Lords only because
it was an error of long standing.
The Earl of WESTMORELAND thought it too much to
bhro
risk the peace of the metropolis with these theoretical specula-
tionS, when the trade to which they referred was flourishing.
Ile sincerely"wished that the Noble Earl opposite would mix a
little
rtuprhe introduction of a measure
that y'
and not drive those poor
people
theyut
despairomtahni
nitky would
bi with
yht
the his
eppruinousejml to them.
Their Lordships then divided on Lord Harrowby's amend-
ment, when there appeared
h

. ..
Contents - - - - - 17
Not Contents - - - - 23
Majority for the House going into a Committee -6
On our re-entering the House, we found their Lordships in a
Committee on the Bill, which was reported, ordered to be en-
grossed, and fixed for a third reading on Friday next.
LAW STA3IPS REPEAL BILL, &c.
Their Lordships went into Committees on the Law Stamps
Repeal Bill, and the Passage Vessels Regulation (between
Great Britain and - Ireland) Bill, which were reported without
amendments.—Adjourned.