The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-03 00:00:00

SILK TRADE-

The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose to move the second reading
of the Silk Duties Abolition Bill. The more he considered that
important measure, the more was he convinced that it was
faunded'on a just principle, and would prove beneficial to the
Silk trade. He.waa one of.those who .had once .regarded that
", 'trade in this country as an artificial one -existing on prehi-
bitions • but his opinion been changed- by the evidence of
facts. :When h_:..saw an; immense estab,liAnent formed at
Manchester fOi'tlie manufacturing ofsilks, which Occupied up-
wards of jai ,Or thousand persons, without any partictilar
protection, he was:confirmed in his . belief that our manufac-
turers would be able.to withstatxl foreign competition, and had
nothing to dread from the principle Of a free trade. It was one
in which we had quid pro quo. We'rernitted the duty upon the
raw material, and we imposed one of sufficient amount to
protect against excessive importation. There might certainly"
lee various branches of the manufacture of silks in which other
... --gauntries would have the advainage of us, but.thannust he the
case in other articles, and it would be childish to expect that
in sortie point or, other we should not be surpassed s but look..
ing-at the silk manufactory on an extended scale, he-was satis-
fied that if the present measure were adopted, it must .have
a most .beneficial effect towards its increase and, prosperity.
He adMitted at the same time the propriety of rendering the:
Atli' as palatable to the manufacturers as possible. It had,
been at
.first intended that the prohibition of foreign silks should
cease at the same time as the duty; but it had been asked, and
- it was a reasonable deinand on the part of the manufacturers,
, that they shoukl hate 'a longer time to prepare •themselves
,to meet
.the opening of the trade. . An additional twelve-
month was to he granted for that purpose; so that the
ditiy wind(' cease a year in advance of the Prohibition. The
'Noble Earl then stated, that he should be happy in all cases
to get rid of prohibitions, and to substitute duties in their
'..places,. as by so doing a great deal of smuggling would be'
prevented, flir prohibitions created smuggling of the most
objectionable kind, that of the highest orders. He had no
doubt, that if his Majesty's . Government bad looked merely
to popularity, ':hey would have obtained a. greater share of
it -by repealing other- taxes' but 'he conceived that they had
discharged their duty better by looking at the establish-
ment of a sound principle, that of a free intercourse, be-
tween all countries, and by thus consulting the best interests of
this. On those ground's he should move that the Bill be read
a second time.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN concurred in all the views -
'entertained by the Noble Earl on that subject, as they had long
been his own. -But there was no part of the measure which he
valued more than, the removal of every species of prohibition.
He trusted that the time would conic when all prohibitions
should be abolished, and should never again find a place in our
commercial. .regulations. Whatever apprehensions the Silk
Manufacturers might entertain from the present measure, he
, was contrinced ' that the capital and industry of this country,.
aided by the free- ithportation of the raw material, and the free
improvement of machinery,. would enable them to support
foreign. competition. The only question which could have
been raised, was 'as to time, and his Majesty's' Government had
acted. properly in, enlarging it to the extent which they had now.
done.
'The Bill was then read a second time,, and ordered to be
committed on Monday.
NEGRO SLAVERY.
The Earl of CARNARVON presented a petition from Man-
chester, praying from the gradual abolition of Negro Slavery.
on-the table.
The Earl 'of DARN LEY presented a similar petition from
the inhabitants of the Isle of Thenet.-Laid on the table.
The Rar'l of SHA FTESBURY presented a petition to the
same effect, trim the inhabitanti of Esher in Stirrey.Laid on
the table. . . .
COM.IIiISSION FOR IMPROVING WINDSOR
CASTLE.
Lord HOLLAND 'wished to know from the Noble Earl op-
posite (the Earl of Liverpool), whether that strange anomalous,
and unconstitutional . measure, a
..C.-mmission
„tor improving
Windsor Castle; had been abandoned. - • •
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said- that the point had been
submitted to • his Majesty. He was not at. present pre-
pared to give any definite answer to the question of the Noble