The Sun.
London, England, 1823-05-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MAY 9.

SILK TRADE.
We recur to the debate on this subject, from a
-,sense of its great importance the press of other
:matter prevented-our noticing it in our last Paper
In the manner it deserves.
Mr. THOMAS WILSON presented a Petition from the
.ptineipal Silk Manufacturers, residing within the City of Lon-
don, the County of Middlesex, the City and Liberty of West-
minister, and the Liberty of the Tower of London.
The 'Petition, after intimating that, in the opinion and judg-
ment of the Petitioners, the manufacture in question is at
present so circumstanced, -as' to require the attention of the
newt!, proceeds to state—" That the Silk Manufacture of this
kingdorn, from an inconsiderable beginning, has gradually
attained to great importance in a national point of view, sup-
plying to the State a large revenue—supporting a numerous
mud industrious population—and affording the means of an
extensive and beneficial investment of .capital. In the earlier
periods of this trade, it had to contend, under the greatest dis-
advantages, with the rival and favourite manufacture of
'Prance. The proximity of the latter country to Italy, her
domestic growth of the raw material, and the possession of ma-
eiminery far surpassing, in its application to silk, any hitherto
employed in this country, gave to France, for a long series of
years, such predominant advantages, as entirely to confine the
sale of English manufactured Silks within the British domi.
Mons. Ot late years, however, Bengal •,Silk has been so
greatly improved in quality, and so prodigiously increased in
quantity, as no longer to leave theoretic in it* fanner state of
nearly total. dependence on Italy. From documents of un-
'questionable authority it appears, that, in the year 1770, the
annual supply from 'Bengal and China was about 100,0001bs.
weight only ; that in 1700, it amounted to but 200,00011 ex. ;
that in 1800, it was 292,3051bs ; and that in 1820 it had in-
creased to upwards of one million of pounds ; which, added to
the amount of-raw and thrown Silk drawn from Italy, will
give a total of Silk imrted into Great Britain, in the year
1020, of two millions five hundred and forty-seven thousand
two hundred and twelve pounds weight ; exhibiting a two-
fold increase during the space, of twenty years, and greatly
.executing the consumption'of the French manufactories.
" That, important as this manufacture is acknowledged to
be, and much as it has recently been extended, it is still de-
pressed below its named level, and prevented, by existing laws,
from advancing to a far higher degree of prosperity than it has
hitherto attained; and which, tinder more favourable circum-
stances, it would, without difficulty, realize. Possessing, as
.afsie country does, access to an unlimited supply of Silk from
—its Eastern possessions, an indefinite command over capital and
machinery, and artisans whose skill and industry cannot be
surpassed, your Petitioners hesitate not to express their convic-
tion, that by judicious arrangements, the Silk Manufacture of
Great Mitain may yet be placed in a situation ultimately to
triumph over foreign competition ; and that silk, like cotton,'
may be rendered one 6f the staple commodities of the country.
" That in addition to the pressure of heavy duties, imposed
, on the raw material of this. manufacture, the London branch
. of the trade is further depressed by inidiciotss and vexatious
- restrictions on the wages of labour, by which the operations of
your Petitioners are 60 fettered and embarraesed, as to compel
'them to seek relief from your Honourable House. By the 13th
(leo. Ilia cap. 69, intituled, c An Act to empower the Magi-
strates to settle and regulate the wages of persons employed in
the Silk Manufacture within their respective Jurisdictions,'
, and commonly known by the name of the Spitalfields Act, the
Lord Mayne-, Recorder, and Aldermen of London, and the
Alagistrates of Middlesex, Westminster, and the Liberty of
• the Tower, are severally empowered to regulate the wages,
which are to be paid to the JOurneythen Silk 'Weavers by Mese
tors residing within those districts; anti that if Masters, so re-
- siding, employ Weavers in other districts, they are liable to
ruinous penalties.
" That by art Act of the 32d Geo. 111. cap. 44, the provi-
since and penalties of this Statute arc extended to Manufactures
of Silk inixed with other matetials ; 'and by an Act of the 51st
-Geo. 111. cap. 7, the provisions for regulating the wages and
prices of•work of the Journeymen Weavers, mentioned in those
Acts, are extended to Journeywomen also.
" That, since the passing of these Acts, a great variety of or-
ders from time to time have been issued by the Magistrates, in-
- terfering in it vexatious manner with the minutest details of the
.manufacture; such as limiting the number of threads to an
inch ; restricting the widths of many sorts of works ; and deter-
,mining the quantity of labour not to be exceeded without extra
wages. 'That from the total omission in these Acts of all limita-
tion in pointof time within which informations may be brought,
as well as from the impossibility, proved by experience, of
bringing under specific regulation the infinite variety of articles
to which silk is now applied, penalties may be incurred town
enormous amount, for the breach of some order of which the
' Manufacturer may be totally unconscious.
That by the operation of this law the rate of wages, in-
atead of being left to the recognized principles of regulation,
. has been arbitrarily fixed by the award of persons, whose ig-
riorance of the details of this very intricate and complicated
rnenufacture, necessarily renders them incompetent to give a
Just decision ; and the result of this mode of regulation has
been to fix the labour of many sorts of goods. so extravagantly
high, as to drive the ma»sifitcture of them altogether from the
districts within the operation of the Act, to other parts of the
country, which are free from Magisterial interference. That
. these Acts, by not permitting the masters to reward such of
their workmen as exhibit superior skill or ingenuity, hut cam.
pelling them to pay an equal price for, all work, whether well
or ill perfatmedahave materially retarded the progress of im"..
provement, and repressed industry and emulation.
ccThat these Acts totally preaent the use of improved ma-
chinery; it having been ordered ,by, the Magistrates, that
works, iii the weaving of which machinery is employed, shall
be paid precisely at the swine rate as if done by hand; thns,
while every other branch of our National Manufactures has en-
joyed the Atli advantage of this powerful auiciliary, and while
improved machinery has been kept in full operation, by our
foreign rivals, the London Silk Loom, with a trifling excepe
tion, remairs in the saute state as at its original introduction
into this country by the French refugees. Your petitioners
beg to state That they are in possession of improved machinery
ready to 'be applied to severer' important works, hut which
they cannot use with success or profit, while under the resole.
Live optqation of these Acts.
" That the fixed rate of wages which, under all circum-
stances ,the manufateurer is hound to pay, has had the effect .of
,compelling biro, whenever a stagnation in the demand takes
place, ittortmeaiately to stop his loomse and the ,elixtrom come-
,quent on such a enspension of work has been manifestedeby
• -the tippet& repeatealy mode by the districts concerned in this
manufacture to the charity of the public, amid to the aid of,
•Pstrliatnetrit
"That the inevitable tendency of the provisions of these Acts
'4O to banish the trade altogether trom the vicinity of the Metro.
strong symptoms of which are -manifesting themselves
-every day. Alm works of' the first consequence, which would
-have affinded employment to thousandS of' hands, have already
deceit transferred to Norwich, Manchester, Macclesfield, Taun-
lon, Reading, and other towns, where they are performed at
+from one-half to two-thirds of the price for which under these '
'Mut' they can be made in London,: Weatininster, or Mid-
edlesex.
" That the removal of the entire Manufacuire from the Me-
tropolis, which your Petitioners deem inevitable if these Acts
be allowed to continue much longer in force, cannot but be
considered, as a great and extensive calamity, involving the dee
structionof large capitals, ions invested; and hitherto produce
--tively employed.; and consigning to distress a numerous.popu-
elation, which it woiild be impossible to remove, and which for
a long period has depended upon the London Silk Manufacture
for the totems of subsistence, Viet even if the removal of the.
,trede could be effected without entailing upon thousands the
ruin and misery here anticipated, yet your Petitioners respect-
fully submit to your Honourable House, that such an event
would still tie most Undesirable; the neighbourhood of London
• being, from its proximity to the largest market and to the seat
of fashion, the moist tillinble and appropriate spot on which
tine Manufacture could be condocted.
" That several of your Petitioners were examined on the sub.
Jed of the Acts before the Select Committee of the House of
Lords, appointed to inquire into the means of extending the
foreign trade of the country in 1021, whets, after a full and
complete investigation, their Lordships are underitood to have
reported "that uniette some modification takes place in this
'law, it must be, in the end,_ ruinous en the silk manufacture
of Spital-fielde, anti as injurious to time workmen, as it will be
. to the employers;" which Report your Petitioners are infortit.
ad was afterwards laid upon disc Table of your Honourable
Ji se and to which Report, and the evidence on which it was
founded, your Petitioners respectfully beg to refer, in proof of
the forezoing allegations.
" That, in the experience of your Petitioners, these acts have
'frequently given rise. to mast vexatious regulations, the uncon-
scious breach of which has subjected Manufacturers to ruinous
penalties ; that those provisions have prevented the introduction
and improvement of all machinery by which labour might have.
been facibtated and cheapened, and prevent your Petitioners
from affording relief to their workmen in times of stagnation or
trade, by compellieg your Petitioners instantly to stop their
100171 e ; and that the operation of these Acts is rapidly banish-
ing what yet remains of the trade in Spitaltields, to places which
eare free from such restrictions.
" That, notwithstanding these and other grievances to which
50tir Petitioners; are subjected by the operation of these Acts,
still it is not so much their desire to seek relief from theirope-
an the particulars lastly stated, as to be exempted from