The Sun.
London, England, 1828-11-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE LONDON JOURNALS.

The most gratifying proofs of public sym-
pathy in the cause of the ill-fated Spanish exiles
pour hi upon us from every quarter. Their
griefs haVe stirred up the humane affections of
our countrymen, among these orders to whom
political questions are but dreams for the amine-
meat of a chance idle. hour. It is not only
those who acknowledge that the Spanish pa-
triots, In asking an asylum here, seek but a
miserable reparation for the ruin inflicted on
them by the policy which abandoned, after first
embracing, their unhaPPY country; it is not
such men 0n1y,.....f0r they., being statesmen, are
few,—amidst the English nation, that feel the
immense and-•tinsatisfied claims of the Spanish
Cortes and their persecuted adherents upon the
protection of Great 'Britain., The tenderness
evinced for them is ofa higher nature, and from
a nobler source, than that of political equity.
It is the direct offspring of. a benevolent and
Christian spirit, and from the forms in
which it has been frequently manifested, a
delightful proof is afforded of the •genuine
goodness which pervades the minds of the
poorer classes of Englishmen resident in this
metropolis. Mr.-Willson, a tobacconist in the
Strand, having placed a box for charitable con-
tributions in his window, has, after a day or
two, transmitted to Mr. Freshfield the sum of
twenty-two shillings, of which the greater por-
tion was in copper. With sincere pleasure we
have learned the proceeding at a late meeting of
the parish of. Rotherhithe, and the resolutions
there adopted, in favour of the Spanish patriots.
From these resolutions we have the satisfaction
to see that the Rev. Clergyman and the Church-
wardens of the parish have received the thanks
of the Meeting for their readiness in convening
the parishioners, and that the Churchwardens,
Overseers, and eight other Gentlemen, have
formed a Committee to solicit subscriptions by
calling from house to house thrort,hout the
parish. This, indeed, is an example worth
admiring, and still more worthy of general imi-
tation throughont England. Much. of our
hope is fixed upon the charitable disposition
of the clergy ; and not the, less so from being
convinced that his Majesty's Government must
be anxious for the success of this patriotic
charity. We are also pleased to learn 'that the
meeting under the presidency of the Lord Mayor
will take place next TueSday, when ihe: Com-
mittee, or the acting members of it, will make a
" full" report of tkir,proeeeditig7,and he, pro, ,
pared to give an account of ili;,apßltcat,icei of the:
funds ;Already contilitiniel `:.A ist, of subscript
Lions will then be announce4:4.,thec,Secretary,
and, we trust, 3 new and ample series of viunifi •
cent benefitctions put on record. This day the
Committee are to *semble at, the Mitnsion-
house, and—to make some preliminary arrange-
ments in contemplation 'of the meeting; A letter,
which we publish, suggests- the utility or en-
couraging a contrite of Spanish plays, to be per,
formed by such of the refugees as may possess
histrionic talents. We headily recommend this
plan to the consideration of the Spaniards
themselves, whose drama is richer in ;!..orks
of genius than that of any other country
England (in respect of. Shakspeare alone) ex-
cepted. The English Opera-home, and the little
theatre in the Itaymarket, have, with great li-
berality, been offered, grat::7, by their propii.c
tors, for the benevolent purposes of this chari-
table effort. Several noblemen, we understand
from our correspondent, have humanely offered
to take the necessaty'expersee-upon Lthem§otves
and, as it would be easy. to make- a Spanish
theatre fashionable, in a community which pa-
tronizes foreign novelties, even where the mo-
tives are frivolous, we have no doubt that this
experiment might be attended with svecess, 'and
renslered signally productive of relief and com-
fort to the great body of the exiles. Naturally
the Spaniards are a gay and graceful people,
their manners emphatic and exprevsive,•and their
habits of conversing such as qualify them even
more than the Italians, who are a grave people,
for representations of their comic drama. We
repeat, therefore, that it seems a suggestion
which may be matured into something' useful.
—But sure we are, that the conductors of the
English stage, as well in the metropolis as e!se.-
where, could in' no way serve their own popula-
rity more than by giving a benefit in every theatre
throughout the kingdom to these poor friendless
men.—Times, -

A Meeting of Catholic servants was held the
other day in Dublin, with the Reverend Mr.
L'Estrange at their head, for the purpose of lay-
ing before Min and 'Other, worthy colleagues who
honoured the Meeting by their presence, and
delivered what are described in the Irish papers
" powerfnPinvectives" against the Protestants,
the list of grievances of which they had to com-
plain at. the Bands of the latter—more espe-
,ially exclusion .frOrn
.their service in .conse-
quence of their religicm.
The Catholic Priest-
hood, and the Catholic Association, must be
hard run for
subjects to inflame
.their Catho-
lic fellow-subjects, when they are forced to
descend to such pitiful expedientsto leave the
broad path of known and well-ascertained facts of
outrage, in order to search for materials- of accu.
sation where " a mess of porridge would prio-,
cure them an abundance. The thing was alto..
gether both foolish and wicked—foolish in its
object, and foolish in its result, and if not wicked
in design, `at least 'wicked in its consequences ;
for had the Meeting created a sensation, which
it does not appear to haVe done,. or a number of
Persons come forward to substantiate cases: pf
what they considered grievances, no rationaldoubt
weed be entertained that the breach, which already
exists between Catholic and Protestant in that
wretched country, r_....r.
wrdeneo, and the evil of exclusion, if it actually
exists, carried to a much greater extent. The
Catholic servants, in fact, would have been in-
jured by it ; and we are glad, therefore, to ob-
serve that the meeting was not only not numerously
attended, but that very few cases were brought
Torward, and those of by far'tho trifling a nature
to deserve the slightest notice.—Morning Ad-
vertiser.

A pamphlet which has just been put into our
hands serves to throw a great deal of valuable light I
on what is called Free Trade, with.reference to
the Silk Manufacture. It is entitled, A
View of the Silk Trade,- with Remarks on the
recent Measures of .Goverwnent in regard to
that Branch of Manufacture. By Richard Bad-
nall, Esq." The inconveniences which are no,
felt in the trade are not caused by freedom, but
by the want of freedom. The English Govern.
anent sought to do more than a Govermi3ent
can do, to decide between the conflicting
interests of different branches of the trade,
and it has done mischief. .• The Silk Mariu,.
factures has had the benefit of a protecting
duty, which is illusory, on account of a protect-
ing duty with which he is fettered to the
tbrowster. The protecting duty is double the

rate at which goods. can be smuggle& into the
country, but the rate at -which goods can be
smuggled is far below the protection with which
the manufacturer is saddled to the throwster.--
In the usual bungling way with which Govern-
ments regulate trade, they have protected highly
r that part of the manufacture where- we are seen
t o.excel from the superiority we have in machi-
nery, and they have pressed heavily on that part
of the manufacture where we have no advamege,
namely, the weaving, &c. The weakest, as
usual, go to the wall; the wOrkmen who con-
sume high priced food feel the benefit of free
trade in reduced wages. Sc. -much for Ministe-
rial ideas of free trade ! But Mr. Huskisson
was afraid of the throwsters ; they were the aris-
tocracy of the trade : he had no fear of the

weavers.
" It having (says Mr.l3adnall) been deemed ex-
pedient by Government, after the most mature, de-
, liberate, and impartial reflection, to adopt the min-
ciples of free trade, under the conviction that such
policy must eventually facilitate and increase our
commercial intercourse with other nations; our first
consideration is, and it is one worthy of most serious
attention, how far is it consistent to except any
particular branch qf commerce, at the expense of
others, from a participation in such general princi-
ples, even although it should be proved that such
branch were absolutely suffering from the effect ?
We invariably find, that in the attempt at any great
object, of whatever nature it may be, indecisive and
half measures only tend to retard, if not altogether
to defeat its attainment---' Qui non proficit
"
Badnall states, that c, the only silk calcula-
ted for the manufacture of the richest qualities
of broad ,:roods is that produced in Italy, or in
the southern provinces of France ;" and that
" the greatest advantage which the French ma-
nufacturer possesses over the British is the dif-
ference in the import duty on-Italian thrown silks,
such description of silks being absolutely neces-
sary for the manufacture of superior goods."—
The disadvantages of the manufacturer from
this cause, are thus summed tip :
"On account of the import duty on foreign thrown
silk, including extra charges, &c. the British mum,.
facturer pays 18ril per cent. more than the French for
his first material. .
" By the difference in the rates of throwing tram,
he suffers, according to the preceding statement, full
five per cent, more than the Frenci,.if thrown in
England, and 11 per cent. if thrown in Italy ; the
average of which is 8 per cent. Taking, therefore,
an average of these advantages in organzine and
tram, the mean difference may be stated to be full
13-1 per cent., concluding that an equal quantity of
warp and sute be employed in war goods.
‘.• By dying, we will admit that the French have
•Ivn advantage of 1 A per cent.
• " And say- by weaving, &c. 10 per cent. TO this
we may safely add 2 per cent. for the extra loss
which, I am convinced, the British mantifitanr,er
. st.rjaitis from his want of a drying room, and which
is not far vide of the ascertained saving, through
such estabiishment:;, to the French mandacturer.
From this view of the subject, we then
.debit the
policy of Government on a grand scale with m ad-
vantage in favour of France, amounting to 263- per
1.-,ept.; on the other hand, we must credit it with
a protecting ditty on foreign wrought goods of at
least 30 per cent,, is the amount of duty
originally contemplated; to which post be added
the expellees which the French incur in the export
pf their manufactures.
" On ?.rasual view of the question, the protec-
tion to the British manufacturer appears sufficiently
ample - It has unfortunately
happened, however, that this protective dpty has
been altogether unavailable as a means of giving that
suppo,rt to the manufacturers which their situation
required, and the Government contemplated.
. . These goods (syniggle.d), it is well known,
can' at this moment be laid down in 1.4n401i at a
t*.enfinro of 'fifteen per bent;" and- I speSk` froriV'the
inostunsei,t4y,oo. sources when-I state, that there
are even pow sonic Frepch houses who will under-
take to lodge goods safeii iti gpo4lpl at a far less
rate."

Mr. Badnall proposes that " the import duty
upon foreign thrown silk should be immediately
reduced, to place the British manufacturer on a
Par with hi rival;" and " that the import duty
on foreign wrought silk:s should 'OO gradually re-
duced to' such a price that it Will not be worth
.the smugglers' while to bring them clandestinely
into the country." Mr. Badnall shoWs that the
protection claimed by the throwster, which ren-
ders the freedom a mockery to the manufac-
turer, is altogether uncalled for—" The Italian,
before he , can supersede us in point of profit,
roust not only secure to himself the • advantage
which he noW possesses—viz. the best material
to.work upon—no duty on his raw silk—low
wages, &c.; but he must secure those first great
and predominating advantages, the enterprising
and pex2evering- spirit of the Englishman, and an
advantageous application of the power of
steam. . . , . . . There are few
silk mills in Italy or France, where the
spindles revolve beyond five or six hundred revo-
lutions per minute ; whereas in England there are
many which vary from fifteen hundred to even
three thousand." • Mr, Badnall shows forcibly
the benefit. which has resulted already from the
measures of Mr. Huskisson, in compelling an
improvement of the machinery. "At the Coui,
mencement of the year 1824, I can safely assert
that no machinery throughout Great Britain,
upon which so great a result depended, was of
so barbarous a nature, or so wanting in improve-
ment, as that employed in the throwing trade ;
and it unfortunately happens that nine mills out
often at the present moment are of a similar de-
scription. There are, however, some indivi-
duals who, foreseeing
adopting every the absolute necessity of
means to improve the silk manu-
factures, have most effectually . succeeded; so
much so, that I feel myself justified in stating, '
that they entertain no fear whatever of foreign
competition, under any restriction of duty on
foreign thrown silk." So much for free trade _ ••••••
Mb 1,4-,a7

AMATEUR PER k' 0 RAIAN C Es.
•
We witness
ed one of a series of amateur performances at the Totten-
ham-street Theatre on Tuesday. With a few exceptions,
there was much to applaud. In the Opera of Rosins,
which was cast with a good deal of musical talent, a young
lady of considerable attractions, with a very sweet voice,
and a very pretty figure, appeared in the part of William.
She was modestly dressed in male attire, and evinced
powers of acting and singing which would befit a more
exalted sphere.
On the 30th ult. a letter, containing about
2001. in eash, notes, and acceptances, was put into the
post-office at Burslem by the representative of a respectable
factor's house in this town. • The letter did not come to
hand, and the party to whom it was addressed here was
apprised of its being sent by an order-sheet received the
following day, which mentioned the remittance made.
Instant inquiry was set on foot, and the post mistress of
Burslem stated that she remembered the receipt of the let-
, ter in question, and of having duly forwarded it in the
Morning bag for Newcastle, through which office all let•
tars from Bursiero to Birminghain are transmitted.
plicatiou. was also made to Sir FRANCIS FREELINC, who,
with that attention to the duties of his station which charac-
terizes him,. promised that a full and speedy investigation
should be set on foot, in furtherance of which the surveyor
of the district arrived in this town on Thursday, and pro-
ceeded to Burslem on the following day. The result of
his inquiries on the subie,ct has not yet transpired.—Bir-
mingltaM Gazette.