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

MORNING POST.

The intentio of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to remove the prohibition upon foreign-
wrought silk goods, though attended with the
almost total remission of the duty on the im-
portation of raw silk, has created considerable
alarm throughout the silk trade in this country.
One of its most important branches in particular,
the ribbon manufacturers, seem to look upon the
measure as the harbinger of certain ruin to the
business in which they have been so long and so
creditably engaged, and justice requires that
serious attention 'should be paid to their re-
presentations. They had a meeting yesterday,
at which they adopted certain resolutions, strong
in argument and temperate in language, in which
they clearly set forth the fatal consequences
which they anticipate from the proposed admis-
sion of foreign manufactured silks. They urge,
that, after the most mature and anxious delibe-
ration, they have attained the perfect conviction
that it would not be possible for them to com-
pete with the foreign manufacturer. As a proof
of this, they state that a very large proportion of
the prime cost, in this country, in many instances
to the extent of two-thirds, is expended for la-
bour only. Their arguments, however, with
respect to the quantities of foreign Silks
smuggled into England are less fortunate.
They show, indeed, that even under the losses
attendant on a system of smuggling, foreign
silks sell at a lower price than those of
home manufacture; but they also show, that,
notwithstanding the secret introduction of
those silks (in quantities which would probably
not be greater were the prohibition removed) the
ribbon manufacturing trade has continued to in-
crease, and has attained its present pitch of pro-
sperity. It may therefore be inferred that it
would not be so deeply injured as they appre-
hend, by a regular importation checked to a cer-
tain extent by an efficient duty ad valorem. Their
assertion that the opening, of the trade would
only serve to encourage smuggling is equally un-
fortunate; neither was it wise to refer to the ex-
ample of other countries as protecting their own
manufacturers by prohibitions ; for those countries
have resorted to prohibitions in consequence of
our's; and the effect of the liberal system which the
Chancellor of the Exchequer is desirous of estab-
lishing will be to induce them to abandon a line
of commercial policy not less effectual than inju-
rious to the general interests and universal pros-
perity of trade. Their representations acquire
much more weight when they confine themselves
to matters of fact : and when we find it solemnly
declared that upwards of one hundred thousand
persons are now employed in the various depart-
ments of the riband manufacture, who all anti-
cipate " absolute ruin" if the proposed measure
be carried into effect, we cannot but recommend
their case to the most serious attention of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer and of Parliament
before a final decision be taken on a question in-
volving the welfare of so large, so industrious,
and so respectable a body of loyal subjects. The
General Silk Weavers had also a meeting yes-
terday, at which they agreed to petition Parlia-
ment against the repeal of the prohibitory laws.