The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-27 00:00:00

THE SILK TRADE.

Yesterday evening a numerous nweting of the
inhabitants of the parish of St. Matthew, BethaLgreen, took
place in the work-htiuse, for the purpose of taking into consi-
deration the propriety of opening a general subscription for the
relief of the great distress prevailing in the parish, Awing to the
stagnation of the silk-trade, it I?eing agreed that ni'colleitibli
assessment could meet the demand.

The On& wus taken by Mr. WooD, the senior Church

War (len.

-Mr. Trio mAs If Ewe:in', one of the deputies who waited
on the. Board of Trade with the petition from the weavers on
NVednesday, addressed the meeting. They had an interview
with the Commissioners, and with the Chancellor of the Ex.
chequer at the same time, but front none of theni, he said,
could a satisfactory answer be obtained. He then gave a me.
lancholy account oldie distresses that existed. within'his. own
knowledge. In conclusion, he suggested the propriety of form-
ing a junction with the surrounding parishes for the purpose of
calling a general meeting.
Air. unTEvArer approved of the plan, as calculated to
give greater effect to the ob,iect they had in view.
Mr. Bit u T•ioN, the 'estry Clerk, then rose to address
the meeting, and was very cordially received. After a state.
ment of the distressed condition to which the parish was
reduced, he took a retrospective view of the distresses exist.
ing in the year 1816. A meeting was then held at the Man-
sion-house, when that able philanthropist, Mr. F. Buxton,
made a powerful appeal on behalf 01 suffering humanity,
and a large sum was collected in aid of the sufferers, under
the auspices of the Lord Mayor. Mr. Brutton, in allusion
to the deputation from the weavers to the Board of Trade,
sincerely lamented the failure of their aPplication. His
opinion on the causes of their distresi was still unchanged.
lie should always advocate the cause of the operative silk.
weavers, trusting that nothing would cause them to swerve
from the paths of loyalty and obedience to the laws of their
country. He felt assured they would still pursue the same
paths, notwithstanding the great privations they were now en-
during. An inflammatory and tempting invitation had, he
uuderstood, very recently beer. offered to them, to warp them
front their allegiance ; but he thanked, God, that, truly pitiable
as their situation was, no temptation, or inducement, however
alluring, could draw them from that respect for the laws and
constitution of their country which they had always manifest-
ed. lie pledged himself once more to use every means in his
power for their service. (Mr. Brutton eat down amidst much
applause.)
A desultory conversation of some length followed, and it ap-
peared to be agreed on all hands that the pariah could not meet
the pecuniary demands without an appeal to his Majesty's Go-
vernment.

r. snow afterwards proposed, that a deputation from
that parish should the next (this) day met the parish officers of
Spitalfields and Shoreditch, fur the purpose of adopting the ne.
cessary measures for calling a general meeting at the Mansion
Ilouse (with the Lord Mayor's permission), on the expediency
of opening a public subscription.
Vie proposition was unanimously agreed to.
Thanks having been then voted to the Chairman, the meet-
ing was adjourned.

(From the Taunton Courier.)
The prevailing distress among the silk-manufacturers in va-
rious parts of the kingdom has imposed on us the duty of
making{ particular inquiry on the subject as it relates to this
town. ['here are here usually in action about 2,000 looms,
and the number of persons employed upon them, men, woolen,.
and children, at two to each loom, with about 400 throwmters,
give a total of 4,400 hands engaged in this the staple-trade of
the town. From 170 to 200 looms have been' recently stopped,
—a circumstance which, however regretful in itself, affords
some relative consolation, if we advert to the alleged amount of
suffering aniong the manufacturers in Coventry, Macclesfield,
and other provincial places, and especially in that vast hive of
industry, Spitalfielda. In all those scenes of labour and skill,
the extent of evil with which the trade is now visited has been
far more severely felt than in this town, which is probably, in
some measure, to be attributed to the comparative cheapness
of the necessaries of life, and the rivalry of the master manu-
facturers in allowing liberal wages to their work-people. So
important is their desire of securing industrious artisans, that
no one of good character has.been yet dismissed from his em-
ployment, and it affords us sincere pleasure to state, that rio
augmentation of parochial expence on account of the poor has
been yet experienced.
It is true that serious forebodings are entertained by many
intelligent persons, founded on the present threatening aspect
of the silk-trade, and the principals of the factories in this
town anticipate the necessity of speedily diminishing their de.
mends for labour ; but whether this results from the pressut
languishing state of commercial business in general, or is solely
attributable, as is alleged, to the proposed ministerial arrange-
went, in respect to the admission of foreign Manufactitred
we do not prosittne to offer any opinion. In sarcenets and lightly
wrought silks, we are informedon good.atuhority, that neither
France, or any other country, can successfully vie with our
fabrics • anti since it is only in brocaded silks, or the more fan-
ciful and delicate ingenuiues of manufacture, that our conti-
nental neighbours can for the present surpass us, it is hoped
that both the immediate mischief and impending dangers will
soon pass away. The enlightened policy of Ministers entitles
them to the most favourable interpretation of every measure
they may adopt in pursuance of the liberal system on which
they appear determined to act, and it is but reasonable to pre-
sume that they were in possession Of every fact which is now
adduced to discourage them from further prosecuting their in-
tentions, at the moment when the proposed alterations in the
silk-trade were resolved upon. It is difficult, however, to re-
concile this consideration with the appalling statements we
daily meet with on the subject. At all events, we Dave taken
pains to protect ourselves from any charge of exaggeration or
mix-statement, and hope not to be compelled to recur to the
topic with superadded feelings of regret.