The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-17 00:00:00

Itt, I A Al ENT,

HOUSE OF LORDS,JusE 16.

Message from the Commons brodght up the St. Andrew's,
Holbert), Tithe, aft several private Bills.

THE SILK TRADE.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that he had a petition
put into his hands, which; as it contained nothing disrespectful
in its language, and related to a measure of very great import-
ance to the petitioners, he thought it his duty to present. As
to what related to the weavcrs as manufacturers, he was a very
incompetent-judge; but he trusted their Lordships would con-
eider it attentively, and he also trusted that the petitioners
would continue to deserve it, as they had hitherto done, by
their peaceable and orderly conduct.
The petition; which was from the Journeymen Weavers of
London against the repeal of the Spitalfields Acts, was then
read.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, the Bill, against the passe
ing of which these Petitioners prayed, was, it he recollected
rightly, considered by Committees of both houses as necessary
to bepassed, and those Committees certainly did not believe it
would be injurious ; it was, on the contrary, in the conviction
that the alteration was essential to the interests of both the la.
homing and wieder weavers that the measure was brought in.
It however appeared that a very large body of his Majesty's
subjects were against the passing at this Bill. On any occa.
sion, before their Lordships adopted a measure of this kind,
they Would be diSPOsed to give the moat patient hearing to the
parties interested—(Heer, hear !)—and if there could be any
additional motive to weigh with their Lordships, it would be
.fram the quiet, orderly, and peaceable behaviour of this body
of men.—(Hear, hear !)—fle spoke not from their conduct
during the_ agitation of this measure,; but on former occasions,
when the poor.had labOured under the pressure of scarcity. or
famine ; and' 'ander the most trying circumstances their conduct
had been orderly and loyal. He knew not whether it was not
going out of tlie way to state this, but lie felt that he shpuld
'not be'tioinT justice to this class of men if' he hail not called
:their Lordships' attention to it. His Lordship concluded by
proposing that, agreeably to a standing order of the House,
this Bill (as relating to trade) should be referred, in the first
instance, to a Committee, to consist of all those Lords who
had attended during the session ; and the Committee to meet
on Wednesday next, and the parties to be heard. The present
'Petition also to be referred to that Committee.
The Clerk having read the standing order, after a few words
from the Earl of LAUDERDALE, the motion of the Earl of
LIVERPOOL was agreed to.
Lord ELLENBOROUtfiI said, he had two petitions toiere-,
sent to their teerdship's to the same efThct as that which had just
been read. The first was from 1711 of the Master Weiteers (the
whole of their number consisted, he believed, of 300) within
the operation of the Bill, and they prayed that it might, not
pass into a law. The other petition was tram 10,500 inhabitants
of St. Matthew, Betitnal-green, who thought that the passing
this bill would be produCtive of the worst possible effects.ae
regarded the poor-rates. He (Lord Ellenborough) had heard
what fell from the Noble Earl (Liverpool) withoitt surprise,
knowing, as he did, his justice and candour; and he was sure
that every Noble Lord who heard him could also speak to the.
good conduct of the manufacturing weavers, who, for half a
century, through times of difficulty, distress, and even famine,
had been well-behaved and obedient to the law ; anti though
every class of persons was entitled to their hardships' attention
and justice, yet these persons eertainlY'pomessed more than an
ordinary claim to their Lordship' attention. This bill was
brought forward at a time when the trade, so far from being
distressed, way. melting a progress unusually rapid; the import
of the raw material -having Increased from 830,00011 m.. to
2,546,0001b5.; and the duty front between 2 and 309,0001. to
600,000/. 'The apace over which the law: as it at present stood
was operatiVe, was a mere speck in the niap ' • over all the'oflier
parts of the kingdom, the free principles of political economy
ranged, and it seemed as if this measure was now brought for-
Ward merely to render all uniform, for no advantage could be
expected front it, and. the petitioners anticipated nothing hut int-
mediate miefortune to themselves-. In principle, certainly, no-
thing,could he more absurd than that the Lord Mayor and Al-
dermen should regulate the wages of this or any other species
of labour ; but if their Lordships looked to the practical effect,
the absurdity would not appear so prominently. In most large
manufacturing towns the prices are settled, by agreements be-
tween the journeymen and masters • committees front each party
meeting and arranging them ; and the law, es it regarded the
weavers only, added to that arrangement the sanction of the
Magistrate, who had in feet been applied to but in two in.
Stances where the masters and the operatives could not agree;
and in one case the Magistrates decided for the men, and in
the other case for the masters. Their Lordships would recol-
lect that the trade, as it was at present regulated, had existed
for fifty year under the sanction of Parliament, and that capi-
tal had been invested, and the children of petitioners been edu-
cated in it.' Tholith to the total repeal of the Acts he was dee
cidedlynpposed, , yet there were claitaus which Its 'thought the.
journeymen themselves could not object to being repealed, and
which he believed there was at disposition on their part to con-
cede. He particularly alluded to the clause which prevented
- the masters from employing their capitals but within ten miles
of London. The other clause which the master manufacturere
Wished to be altered was that relative to penalties : the time
within which they might be'sued for thee wished to be more
limited than at present. If the object or the Bill could be
' effected; and the trade be greatly extended, which he greatly
doubted, still there were few things that he should more regret
than,: to see a new Menchester or Coventry spring up in the
luburbs of the metropolis.
Lord KENYON presented a Petition against the Bill from
the inhabitanttoof Mile-end New Town.
Lord CALTHOR PE presented a Petition to the same effect,
from the inhabitants of Church-street, Bethnal-green.
The several Petitions were read, and ordered to he referred
to the Committee on the Bill.
The Earl of DARNLEY presented a Petition from certain
Inhabitants of Middlesex and Surrey; praying their Lordships'
attention to the state-of Ireland.—'.oraered to lie on the table.
The Earl of ABERDEEN proposed to postpone the further
consideration of the Scotch Entails Bill till Friday next, which,
after a few words front Lord ito4stvs and the Earl of LAU-
DERDALE, was agreed to.
MARRIAGE ACT.
On the Order of the Day for taking into consideration the
Report of the Marriage Regulation Bill,
The Earl of WESTMORLAND objected to those proei-
sions of it which related to the oaths that were to be taken. He
wished to ask,' if it was proper to put all the property of persons
married Within the power of this law, and to render that pro-
perty liable to be brought into the Court of Chancery. If the
law were duly executed by the persons having the power of
granting licenses, there would be no occasion for any provision
of this kind. ' •

The LORD CHANCELLOR observed, that by the law as
it now stood, persons taking false oaths were liable to be punish-
ed by fine and imprisonment, and were not entitled to the pro.
perty of those whom they married, Wunder age. This bill only
went to subject such persons to the same'punishrrient to which
they were already liable, and-provided that it should be done by
the interposition of the Attorney anti Solicitor-General, and the
information :idea be made in the Court of Exchequer, as well
as the Court of Chancery, and a Jury might be called on to de.
Bide on the facts of the case. He should; however, move that
instead of three years, a much shorter period' should be fixed
for instituting this prosecution, and that explanations might be
made to the Attorney-General as to the ignorance of the offend-
ing partiei. He proposed that the information should be filed
within twelve months after the marriage, and that the party
filing the information should swear that they had not known of
the marriage having taken place longer than three months be-
fore the filing of such information.
After same conversation the clause was ordered to be printed,
and the Bill taken into further consideration to-morrow.
IRISH GRAND JURY PRESENTMENTS. •
The Marquis of LA NSVOWN moved the Order of the Day
for going' into a Committee on the Irish Grand Jury Present-
ments' 13111.
Counsel were then, acco' riling to order, directed to be called
in to argue against the Bill.
The Earl of DONOUGHM.ORE objected to the mode of
proceeding which had been determined upon respecting the Bill.
He understood that Counsel were to be heard to-night against
the Bill; but that the discussion was tut to take place till to-
morrow. He thought it proper that the discussion- should take
place immediately after the speeches olCounsel.
After a snort conversation between the Marquis of Lail grime ar
ant? • Lord .D(3)rounuaintikr, it. was arranged - that Counsel
should be beard to-morrow at 5 n'clock, and that the debate
upon the Bill sheuld immediately follol.—Their Lordships
then adjourned,
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