The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-30 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE IN NOT-
TINGHAM.
(From the Nottingham Review of this day.)
The hosiery trade is still extremely dull, and never
has that manufacture been so generally stagnant since
1784-5, at the close of the American war, when trade,
after about nine months' severe depression, suddenly
rallied, and kept generally brisk until the commence-
ment of the French Revolution in 1793—a period of
more than eight years ; during which era such was the
state of prosperity that stockingers were at a premium,
the masters frequently laying a guinea upon the rafter to
induce a journeyman to take a frame. At the conclusion
of the American war, such was the number of robberies
in the town, arising from want of employment, and the
discharge of the army and navy, that the house-
holders voluntarily performed watch and ward, and
in bodies paraded the streets all night. But in 1786, so
much had affairs changed, that it is asserted, there was
never a prisoner in th jails or House of Correction for
Months, which led to the practice of making a fives-alley,
of the town jail yard, which practice continued nearly
twenty years. A rumour has much spread that some of
the hosiers intend to reduce the making of cut-up hose
twopence per dozen; this seems, if true, pitiful indeed,
as these unfortunate workmen have been for a long time
at the.starving point. The charges made upon this de-
scription of workmen are oppressive indeed; as the price
now stands, the-journeyman having, in many instances,
to work two whole days for the charges made upon him
for frame rent, taking-in, turning, winding, &c., before
he can earn any money for his own maintenance. There-
fore to reduce such men in their wages is cruel indeed,
if the reduction can possibly be avoided.
The stocking-frames seem, at last, as we have, long
apprehended they would, to be upon the move after the
lace machines. Last week, two went to Chemnitz, in
Saxony ; this week three wide two-needle frames have
been purchased to be sent to France, in the, vicinity
of Beauvais, a large city about 30 miles to the
north of Paris, where stocidng frames have sprung up
in the villages in great numbers, and to that extent,
that French cotton hosiery has lowered in Paris, with-
in a few years, more than 20 per cent. The manufac-
ture is still extending, but like the Paris stockingers,
they are extremely jealous of English worjimen, whom,
being swifter hands, they'fear and hate in proportion
•to their speed. It is asserted by the English in Paris,
that the purse of Louis Philippe has materially assisted
in this, as well as other speculations to raise the manu-
factures of France. One of his intimates openly asserts,
that the present King of France has advanced more
than a million and a half sterling to promote the arts
and manufactures of France. "For instance," he stated,
"as he has advanced me 12,0001, to introduce a better
method of tanning, into France ; the French'being bad
tanners. His Minister, Guizot, opposed me, at the in-
stigation of the French tanners. I appealed (he ex-
claimed) to Louis Philippe, who said, in a determined
manner Never mind him ; go on. I am King of the
French, and not Guizot.' "