The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-23 00:00:00

MEETING OF U2VE.IIIPLOY ED SILK
irEAFERS.

Y-7t,

esterday morning, at the early hour of nine
o'clock, a meeting of the unemployed silk-weavers
of Spitalfields and Bethnal-green, was held in
Thorold-square, Bethnal-green-road.
The ostensible object of the meeting was to re-
ceive a report
timfrom a committee which was ap-
pointed some e ago, to press upon the attention
of the Government the injury which has been done
to the trade of the district by the recent French
treaty, but it ultimately resolved itself into a pro-
cession constituted of weavers, many of
them re-
spectably dressed, and all bearing the unmistakeable
appearance of honest, hard-working artisans. This
body, after the merely formal proceedings in
Thorold-square, formed in lin!, and headed by a
banner, on which was inscribed—" Unemployed
silk weavers of Spitalfields, loyal and peaceable
subjects of her Majesty, thrown out of work by the
French Treaty," and proceeded to the various
neighbouring districts, in the hope of attracting
public attention to the undoubted and wide-spread
poverty which now exists in this portion of the
metropolis. As to the results of this demonstra-
tion, we are, of course, unable to state anything,
but at its starting the wives and daughters of the
operatives, whose cause it was intended to promote,
were vehement in their protestations that " it was
time something was done, for they and their chil-
dren were starving at home."
When the meeting in Thorold-square was consti-
tuted, Mr. James Grandshaw was called to the
chair, and various speakers addressed the meeting
in support of the claims of the trade to compensa-
tion for the losses which had been inflicted upon
the operatives by the changes caused by recent
legislation, or at least to such assistance in finding
new modes of supporting themselves as they consi-
dered they were fairly entitled to.
Mr. TEMPEST, in reporting from the committee,
stated, with some detail, the course they had pur-
sued in pressing their claims upon the Government,
and also upon the influential residents in the
district. As was well known to them all, they
had had an interview with Sir James Emmerson
Tennant, the permanent secretary of the Board of
Trade, who expressed a deep interest on the sub-
ject, and had promised to give them any informa-
tion the board possessed.on the operation of the
treaty, and also as to the views the Government
might take of their claims. In fulfilment of this
promise, the committee had received a letter from
Sir James, enclosing the terms upon which silks of
all kinds can be imported into France, Switzerland,
and the Zollverein, under existing treaties, and also
a return of the imports in the months of February
and March last, the returns of the board for the
month of April not having been made up. The
letter, which was dated the 17th of May, stated that
the board would be ready .to afford any further in-
formation on application. From the return thus
furnished it appeared that tissues of pure silk hosiery
and lace can be exported to France, from the Ist of
October this year, duty free. From that date, crapes
called English unbleached, bleached, or coloured, at
a duty of Bs. per 2lbs., and after 1866 free. Net,
plain unbleached, 16s. per 2}lbs., and after 1866
free. Dressed, 15 per cent. ad valorem, and figured,
unbleached, or dressed, at 10 per cent. ad valorem,
after Oct. 1, 1864, duty free. A somewhat similar
tariff applied to various other tissues, composed
wholly or partly of other materials, while velvets
ranged from 4s. to 6s. 4d. per 2L-lbs weight, and
when mixed with other materials, were to be ad-
mitted at 10 per cent, ad valorem. The tariff for
Switzerland and the Zollverein showed eonsiderably
higher duties, as, for instance, silks in which half or
more than a half were silk are charged 12s. 6d. on
the 1101bs. weight in Switzerland, while in the Zoll-
verein silk stuffs and manufactures of all kinds are
charged no less than £l6 10s. for 1101bs. weight,
and silk stuffs mixed with other materials £8 10s.
per 1101bs. The imports into the United Kingdom
of silk manufactures were, in February and March,
1861, as follows :—Broadstuffs, silk or satin,
52,8981b5. in February, 15,0641b5. in March. Gauze
crape and velvet, 3,5181b5. in February, 8,1311b5.
in March. Ribbons of all kinds, 36,1871b5. in
February, and 103,1181b5. in March. [" Not much
chance," as a speaker remarked, " for Coventry in
that."] Plush for making hats, 6,3781b5. in Feb.
and 8,9521b5. in March.

From the statements made at the meeting it ap-
peared that the committee had applied, through a
committee of gentlemen formed in the district, for
a grant from the surplus of a fund raised in 1842
for a similar case of distress in the district, and out
of which, on the application of the Rev. Mr. Pat-
terson, £5OO was granted to the Coventry silk
weavers, but they had not as yet succeeded in their
object, though they considered themselves better
entitled to that relief than the weavers of Coventry,
seeing that it was originally raised for the relief of
the trade in that district. The results of a personal
visitation to 'ne only of the ten districts, into
which Bethnal-green is divided, had shown that at
the present time, out of 1,000 looms employed in
silk weaving, nearly 500 are now out of work. The
committee, and the trade they represent, therefore,
contend that they are entitled either to compensa-
tion, or the means to enable them to start life again
in some other occupation, for which they are fitted,
and it was intended to send a letter to the Board of
Trade urging that claim.
The report of the committee was received, and a
vote of thanks given to the chairman.