The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-17 00:00:00

turns, that, in 1824 and in 1825, advertisements were put
firth from Maecteetield, stating that an immense num-
ber of new silk tnilis had been started, and that the pro.
prietors wire ready to give employment to several
thousand hands ; and from the report of the Commis.
sioners . appointed to inquire into the state
of the -metiufacturirig districts, it would be seen
that in 1844 there was a scarcity .of hands in the silk
trade of Derbyshire, and a consequent increase in the
wages of artisans. The Hon. Member for Macclesfield
suggi steel that the Government ought to treat silk ma-
nufactures as luxuries, only, to be used by the rich, and
piece duties upten them with a view. to revenue.. Now,
the Hen, Member forgot -that even under the present
low rate of duty the law was evaded with impunity, and
he could assure the lion. Member that there would
be as -eneueli revenue derived from the duty
now pacipesed as any that could posSibly result
from the imposition of he mier restrictions. -Under
these circumienices he hoped that the House would
have no objection whatever to the measure propoied.
by his Reek II ea Friend. .Hon. Members had brought
forward the' cae...of silk, to show that that trade had
been injured by the. removal of protection, but le
hoped he had shown that. they had not made out their
ca•se, lle hoped, thee, that the amendment which had
been props sod would not be adopted, and that the mea-
sures propistal be the Government would be passed by
a terge enijori tee
Mr. NEWDEGATE rose for the purpose of rebut-
ting eieae *tat. talents which had been made by the
Right Hon. Gentleman .who had just sat down, with
r .p• et to the present state of the silk trade in Co-
vetory. The. Right Ilen.,Baronet had referred to the
evielteic s which hid been taken before a Committee of
that 110 iu the year 1832, with regard to the state
oF the silk trade, hut he had misquoted the statement
o fiefs, as then given. It was clearly shown before
tee Me ',hers of tenet Committee, that after the re-
moval of protection. trade was injured in the most
material manlier. The Right Honourable Baronet, in
the coarse of his argument, referred to the increased
numbs'. of spilidlee. There was no doubt there had
be• n an increase in the number of .pividles used in that
trade. But h. (M:r. Newdegete) did not think that that
was a proof that a cerresponding increase in wages had
been the result. He (Sir George Clerk) confirm( d his
statements, which they had heard from the Hon. Mem-
ber for Macclesfield, namely, that there had been a great
reduction in wages.--(Proteationist cheers.) The Hon.
Member for Leicester had asked how it was possible
that that trade was able to Compete with foreigners
whilst. their wages were high ? It was, because they
worked harder, and he (Mr. Newdegate) thought that
that was a sufficient anew. rto his eiention. They em-
ployed improved machinery, and they We're able to
compete with the foreigners by dint of increased exer-
tion. Had they not evidence before them of the increased
exertion of the silk manufacturers of this country ? And
his was proud to say that, in his own local district,
Coventry, notwithstanding the present- heavy rents,
heavy taxation, and all sorts of increased expenses to
which the labourersof this country were liable, he gave
proofed' this energy by the .fact that under all the dis-
advantages. in comparison with his adversaries, he was
yet able succesefully to compite with them.—(Hear.)
And whit did they infer-from this? They inferred from
this state of things, that trade was flourishing. Granted
—what better,rsason could
...there be for not persisting in
this measure ?—(Protectienist cheers.) And then he
would advert to cite point a hich had been touched by
the lion. Member for Leicestershire. He made a state-
ment, from-which it was clear that the result of this
measure would-be the reduction of the operatives' wages.
He did not 'wish to detain the House much longer. But
he wished to advert for a few minutes to the statement
of the Hon. Member for Macclesfield. .He held in
his hand in abstract, which clearly showed that both the
importation of the raw material as well as manufactured
silk,. had • decriased ' since the removal of protective
duties' it 'least 25/. per cent. They had clearly shown
that the inevitable result of the carrying out the free--
trade principlee was the reduction of wages, and if this
measure were passed, they .would still further increase
the distress of the
,working classes. The Right Hon.
Baronet had deelt much-upon the d:flicultiee of collect-
ing protective duties. He (Mr. Newdegate);did not
wonder at' that. Ile himself had to coreplain that the
leening of-the officers engaged in the collection of those,
dare severe, eo • much in favour of free trarie—(Loud
cheers from the protectionists) —that they could riot dee
tingeish tweeti etriped goods from plain ; and in many
cases e IneSer the gpods were figured or plain. Up to
this very, tune striped' `ribbons wore aczwelly received,
as Whitt ribleins. It was 'not
.wenderful that the duty
was not:yeller:fed as it should be, when snob practices
were sanetioned. Ile had made application himself to:
her Mejestv's Government to appoint more qualified
men. but gia application had always been unsuccessful.
TheGovertiment always complained that the duty did net
come iii, read yet they did nothing to remedy the evils of
which die complained. He really thought that if the
officers 'of- the Custom-house did not look so much to
rr.akiug out cases for the adoption of free traie,
which now appeared to be so great a favourite
with the leaders of the House, they would per-
form their duty much more faithfully. He would
conclude' by repeating, that the greatest possible
exertions lied been made in Coventry and the adjoining
district, with whichehe was intimately acquainted, which
stio wed that the statement of the Hen. Member for Lei-
ceeter were incorrect. He (Mr. Newdegate) prayed that
if they were about to reduce protection to agriculture,
and produce pressure upon the agricultural Members of
this constituency, they would not- add to the difficulties
by the retrieval of protection from the labours in which
the maatinfacturing portion of the constituency were em-
ploy ed.' 'He was sorry to see the false feeling for con-
sistency, a hich formed the greatest plea on this occasion
for the GovernMent and their supporters.
Mr. B. HAWES attached very considerable import.
ance to, and he was, therefore, sorry to see the effects of
the delay which had taken place in this discussion..
Aird yet he did Mot at all complain of this delay. , On.
the contrary, he rather rejoiced in this discussion than
otherwise, inasmuch as, though it seemed to him some
most inconvenient argumerits -had• been brought forward
the mea,ures adopted-by the Right Honourable Baronet
would undoubteitly • tend -to the general prosperity
of, this country. But' he looked forward that night he
owned with very considerable -interest to the result I,f
that discussion, because he expected that the challenge
of the Right Hon. Gentleman; would bemet upon a simple
question.' Ile (the Right Hen. Baronet) had challenged
,n. Gentlemen oeposite,•who were opposed to his mea-
sures, to show one single instance in which either the
producer or-the consumer had been injured by a gradual
relaxation of those duties. And he (Mr. Hawes) did
presume therefore that in the course.of this debate they
should have had some evidence to show they had retro-
gaded, and that the consumer had derived 119 benefit
by the relaxation of duties upon trade. At present he
owned that he had no fee s to lay before the House upon
this question. The Hon. Member for Macclesfield (Mr.
Brockchtiret) had talked about revenue. Why the
revenue had been impaired by the redaction of the pro-.
ctive dull. s, and the c insequence was the increase of
the general trade of the country. But he was prepared
to a-Is' lion. Gentlemen opposite .who opposed this
measure whether they were prepared to go upon the
present -iinPort of the raw material. or the amount of ex-
p rtr if the manufeeturedwirtiele? Oa which would they
s•,tal ? lie would rake them on the one or the other.
lie wes prepared t prove that the import hail lareeiv
increased, and that the export of the manuacturcel ar •
ti hail else great:y irrereased. Dill lion. Gentlemen
reeelleet the arguments teat were used at the time that
Mr. Ileskision introduced his measure? That argument
%:.a =u it as he (Mr. El %wee) was at presentpreperea to tree.
But how stoiel the fact, as laid before them in the paper,
pi teed upon the• table' of the Rouen? If they could not
show Olt exports had declined, and if, on the contrary,
it eiml l be proved that- consumption has increased,
'he would call them to show how their manufacaires
hal decline-I. tie had heard that the wages of the
hiperativie -bad materially declined since the con-
-test with the foreign manufacturer. It was not quite
clear that such was the fact, but he was quite willing
to admit that wages for hundlootu weaving had seriously
diminished. But what was that owing to? He woul
show that it was under the influence of protection tha
wages had fallen. He could show, from conclusive evi
dence, provided trade was differently conducted, the
higher wages would be paid to the workmen tha
were now. In the report which had been mad
by the C. immission, instituted to inquire int,
_the calves of manufacturing. distress—that din
tress was not attributed to foreign competition
but to the competition of one manufacturer with Mt
other, and the total want of economy in tht
conduct of the trade. He did not wish the
Hown v.) rely on . his „authority, and he
• would therefore refer to what was stated by Ma
iggeei lice, the Commissioner appointed, to examine
into thesis facts. He stated that worktnetesuffer a mate-
rial lo'zs of time iti having to go for their work and to
reitle,r‘r.n• again to their houses ; and that he found th
w .e train were: joined together in the manufector
• systern thrt
_wages increased from four and fiv_e
ee et•toen
and eighteen shillings a reel.
lee dist►illind, therefere say that there was no trade so mit
chievohely protected, or that suffered so much as. Ott.
silk trade. Mr. Deacon flume was
thatnot hisan interests
pariy, and lid had a right tostatemen s
we-e accurate. He contended that the challenge oft e
Bight Honourable Gentleman opposae had been
produce was not injured egic url;
anewered, and the
place in the protecteite
I ,e; rtion which had already taken
dare,;... •

- Mr. BROCKLEHURST explained.
Mr. A DDERLEY appealed to the House whet,l4r
:the principles upon which they supported protection io
agriculture at all applied to the questiou before Or
Howe. He received a letter from one of his consti-
tuents in Lecke, which stated- that he, and those manu-
facturers with whom he hal converseJ, apprehended au
iejary from- the contemplated alterations proposed
the Right lion. Baronet. Under these circumstances he
coubl not consent to support the amendment.
• Mr. ELLIS was of opinion that it was always neces•
nary to consider well those measures which had for their
o`ject any alteration in the silk duties. That had ben
hip .opinion at fir.,t, and it was his opinion now. ..They
had first made a slight redu :tion, and- they now. proposed.
comparathely to remove the protective duty. His cin-
. btituenti had instructed him to express their doubts as
to the result of the reduction on silk.—(Hear, hear.)
Yet they were of opinion thatit was better,the_alteration
eli .;old take place, than to continue a protection' hich
did not secure them against the inroads of the smuggler.
. lie as afraid that the silk manufacture would be itOto
•tter a condition than they-were at the time mentioned
by many of. the Hon. Members who had spoken on the
decrease of that trade:- Certain classes of the satin and
pun ribbons were-fast falling into decay. in the manu•
fractures of this country, from the great linprovereents
of the foreigners in the manufacture of the articles. The
Hoive might n,t km aware that there was a vast compe•
with the foreigner in the articles of silk,
and .Mher..nniall articles.. F or this and whet
• rfz.7,-its-liTlaid.tiolie-Cotfideni.:e.in ails branch-of the
YqUPPM 144P41? Wl4O vi cams ; ING tie;