The Sun.
London, England, 1804-02-14 00:00:00

COTTON TRADE.

The CHANG ELLUI? of the EXCHEQUER
said, be had given notice of a Motion for this day re-
speding the Cotton Manufadurers it was a subjeft
of great importance, and one to which the attention
of the House had been for some time direded. In
a concern of so extensive and complicated a- nature,
it was impossible but that diffeiences must frequent-
ly arise, which required as speedy a mode of settling
as possible, and that must be by the estaOlishinent of
a local Jurisdidion. That idea was adopted in that
HOuse, and a Bill passed upon the subject. It wag
however afterwards found not to answer its pur.
poses, and it soon ceased to he aded upon. In con:.
sequence of this the Cotton Weavers made an appli-
-Cation to Parliament about two years ago, and pro-
secuted their application the whole of that Session,
but from the quantity of public business then depend.
ing, no.proceeding took place upon it. In the last
Session the subjeet was renewed,_ .and a Bill 'was.
brought in, bur it was found impossible to bring
-it to a satisfalory arrangement: • This led to an
apprehension on the part of•the Weavers. that their
hoies would be defeated, and he had therefore no'.
dertaken to bring the business forward in the course
of the prekent Session. This was a subjed of greak
importance, both from the extent of the trade which
was concerned, and the number of persons interested
in it, and therefore it was obvious that. these diS'-
putes ought to be settled as soon as possible. It
was now brought forward as a public Measure,
which he thought was more likely to ensure- it-sue
cess than if it: was brought forward by -either of the!
-parties'. It was under these circumstances that he'
tvas induced •to bring forward this Measure. I*
would not, now express any opinion upon the mode
that ought' to be adopted. All he Wished was that
the subjed should be fairly and fully considered. If
the present Bill was fotind incapable of improve.
meat, it would be necessary to repealit. At *pre:.
sent he should.content himst:lf with moving for the
appointment of a Committee to consider of the most
effedual mode of arranging the differencei between
the Cotton Manufacturers and the persons employed
by them. •

•
•
Mr. ROSE said, he wished that the attention of
the House:might be called to this subjCet, in'ordek
that there might be no further delay. The Aft,re-
latlng to the Cotton Manufaaurers and their

vitas, originated in a Petition from the
_Tourney,-
men Weavers aud their ../lasters, for the purrose Of
Settling the disputes which had arisen between them.

The Bill was' depending a long time, and ro objec-
tion was trade to it. When,'however, the Bill was
passed and was to be carried into execution; 'the
Masters took a most extraordinary way to get rid
of its operation. By the provisions of the Bill an
Arbitrator was to be appointed to decide the dia-

rotes between the Masters and Journeymen : Some
of the Masters, however, appointed Arbitrators
who lived at the distance of 100 miles, and ap-
pointed a place of meeting, at an equal 'distance,
thus entirely
.defeating the objed of the Bill. The
subject was again brought forward last-Session, and
a Bill was brought in, which, at the -period he left
town, in July, he considered to hare been finally
settled; it was, however, afterwards withdrawn,
and the subject still' remained for disctiss;oo. The

Cotton Manuftidurers, it appeared, objeted to any
interference between themselves and•their Journey-
men except that of the ,Magistrate. He saw no

-reason why .a law might not be passed typticable TO
that object.- In the •Stik: Trade more had been done,
as the Magistrates hid been -enabled 'to settle the
rate of wages. This' law was passed in consequence
of continued disputes between the Mastets and

170:kmen, in the course of which the latter had
been guilty of the greatest eicesses. This Jaw
might be extended to the Cotton Trade with much
less difficulty, as in the Silk Trade there were above
rOOO articles to become the obk-_,a of the wages of
Workmen, whist in the Cotton Trade there were
not above too. He thought the present subjea was
one of considerable importance, and that the con.
sideration of it ought not to be delayed.
A Committee was then appointed in conformity
with the CHANCELLOR cf the EXCHEQUER'S

Mr. SECRETARY Yoaxe biought up a Copy of the
Circular Letters from the Secretary of State to the
Lord Lieutenants of Counties respeding the Vclan_
leers, which were ordered to be printed.
Mr. SECRETARY YORKE moved to postpmne the
second reading of the Volunteer Bill from Wednes-
day to Friday next.—Agreed to.
Mr. CORRY then gave notice that as Wednesday
was an open day, he should on that day move for
the appointment of a Committee to consider of
certain Ads relative to the Revenues of Ireland.