The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-06 00:00:00

MEETING OF 'BII4'Z'WEiCVEIT:S.I

J 3.

On Wednesday evening a me.etwit. f iduciwym44.mi -
,Neavers took plate at the Brunswick thapil, Mile-end-
road. At a meeting held on the 29th of August, a Com-
ruittee waa.appointed for the purpose of proposing an ad-
dress to his Majesty, representing the distressed condition
to which they were reduced, and imploring his Maiesty's
gracious patronage for the silk-trade of Spitallields and its
vicinity. .The meeting of Wednesday was called to receive
the report of the Committee, and to hear the report read.
The building in which they met was completely tilled, and
several of the silk-manufacturers were present.

Mr. ROBERT ROULTYR was called to the chair.
Mr. POYTON, one of the Committee, read the reso-
lutions of the previous meting, 10116, disclaiming
any intention of interfering. with the high decision of
the Legislattire, declared, it necessary that an hum-
ble address should be presented to his Majesty, the
Royal. family, and the nobility and gentry of the United
KingdoMs, to patronize and encourage the silk-trade of
Spitalfields. Mr. PaytOn Said, that in pursuance of then
resolutions, the Conunittee had prepared the draught of 4,,
address to his Majesty, which would be submitted to them
for their approval. The. Committee, he said, fully and con-
iidently anticipated a most gracious answer to their address
from his Majesty, and upon that answer would be grounded
their address to the other members of his Majesty's fandly,
anti to the nobility in general; and they might expect from
it the-nitisi iMportaiit adventages- to the interest of their
Made in enerid. lie therefore entreated their most earned
attention to the reading of the address.
Mr. William ThomPson, jun, then read the address to
the fob:wing effect
That His Majesty's dutiful, loyal, awl obedient subjects, " the
Operative Broad Silk Weavers' of Spitalfit Ws and its vicinity, with
all humility (hut under tireumshtnees of the most urgent distress)
;beg, !save to approach his,,Majesty, from a full knowledge that His
Majesty lullowed the example 4 inii!)oe royal faimr, is be.
einallig the benefactiir of, the weavene'of spraudfivkla,

That, in thus addressing their beloved Kiug, they are taut net.
inhullnl of the great condescension and benevolent aosietonce which
Ilia Majesty had, on a recent occasion, so liberallyand graciously
Afforded them, for which they moat humbly expiew their,
feigned thanks and heartfelt gratitude.
They then beg leave with all humility to state, that for upwardo
of 50 year* previously to 1824, tbe,priees of labour performed by
Spitaltields' weavers were regulated by the county magistrattse,
under the authority of an act passed in the 13th year of his late
Majesty's reign ; but that ," beneficial statutar,haing been re-
pealed in the reign of his present,Majeety, they are now under the
necessity of appealing to his Majesty's paternal feelings ; of►d ira
addressing his Majesty on this particular .subject, as their father,
friend, and King, they " are strengthened with ►►tore (validate'',
(mat a recollection of the,_gracious reeeptiou their ancestors ax•-

perienced when they waited upon his late revered Majesty iu a els,
Miler season of depre:tsion and great distreati." •
They beg to be permitted to state, that although humble ludivi-
duals in the scale of society, they yield to no chute of British sub-
jeets in devotion to his Majesty's' Royal person and the illustrious
house of Brunswick, in firm attachment 'to their noble eouutry
and happy constitution ; being always readr to shed their Wood
in its defence., whenever it shall please 'his Majesty to call quit
them for that purpose.
That in times of great national alum, when the eafety of the
country was threatened by external and internal enemies, suit
when part of his Majesty's subjects were almost in a state of Open
rebellion, the operative silk-weavers of Spitalfields mains:anted un- *
shaken their, loyalty and firm attachment to his Majesty's person ;
and the British Constitution, notwithetawling the insidious arts ,
of the disaffected, who vainly endeavoured to undermine the loyal
awl constitutional principles of the Spitalfields weavers.
They further beg leave to represent, that in consequence of the
'repeal of the Spitaltields' Acts, the introduction of foreign wrought
silks, and the competition arising front that new measure of Go-
'vernment, the weevers uf, hare experienced the greatest
iativerearies awl misery ; their rate of wages having been reduced
to so low a state as to render an appliestion to the parish funds in
many instances absolutely necessary to ipreserve theni front utter
starvation, even when in full and constant employ. That this re-
doction in the puce of labour, is ruinous to the motile and consti-
tution of the workmen ; the extra honnewhich they are forced
,to labour tending to shorten the aeration of life, and crowd the
parochial workbotates with orphan children, thus virtually pros.
diming no real advantage to. the'publie, inasmuch as it cause*
an absolute redundancy of goOds it the market, witheut any in-
cremeuJ the mind* of coustauelo.,
They prufeetethe most profound tespeet for the deeleitent of the
Legislature, ;ocl feel a conviction that Bus Majesty's euiightened
Ministers win do all in their power thr their benefit and the Go-
v4rmneet twill, tkihtlos, porceive the dreadful canteepitiocee of
having a pauper popiilation of so litany thoutenel individuate in the
very centre of thin vast metropolis, with the dreary prospect of a
fast eperpaching winter before them.
They, therefore, supplicate His Majesti's gracious interference
in their behalf, by patronizing, as much as possible, the Spital-
fields' in preference to foreimeilks, and profess their capability of
foaling their manufactures superior to the choicest production of
the
.French loom, or the delicate fabrics of India, provided the
royal pattenage is graciously vouvhsufed to, them.
The address then coneludes• with a renewal of the ex-
pression, of loyalty and firm attachment to hia Majesty's
person, fatuity, and (46vernMent.
Mr. TtlitaWAlN having rend' this address, said time
weavers' entice had a sun which shone' upon them in the
Spitalfields'isit, but that protection was now removed, ansl
its rays darkened. No class of men, he said, was more ill-
used than the journey Men weavers; not so much 'by his
Majesty's Goversment, as by
,many of the ts;,liir mitudaz.
earfiterabo°flu't,
curers, who, having exerted themselves to get time Spital-
fields acts repealed, took advantage of ",,'ne repeal to reduce
their prices so low, that with their 'ttmost endeavours, the
ILtiltill'oyfil'tiltettaradseu,paposit'statai,nblyist:vraobrkle-
eoiseitsattt.;iolcuelt.l
Ibnerseolytneobbrttatillet
night, six days in the week,could
only
bilitOstb,
eySownseerearsysetraysgfetwheniisi,dleste,dad,
ing hard from 'morning to
not mast better
than one out of every fifty of the imserithttaidn:
persons then
present. Let them look at the result of such a state of
things, In place of that spirit of independence for which
their forefathers were renowned ; instead of that spirit
of freedom that impelled them to step forward to
meet the enemy of their country, whether foreign
or domestic, he regretted to say that many of them,
Iliad so degenerated as to become time cool ealettleture
of crime, and snore a reproach than (as their an-
cestors had been) ornaments to their country, Ile con-
eluded by expressing a hope that the snit of prosperity
would break through the clouds that, 't
Oovered over them,
and they would yet. see brighte:e days, when the twine-
tritium weaver should once. enjoy fair price for hislabour, labour, and be able tO nr.'nurtiu his family in comfort and
Mr. WAIL)
ra also dwelt at much length on the evil.
honourable indepentle:„ce,....(creet applause.)
winch
ne etid had resulted from the repeal of the Spital-
tields ;Acts. Poverty he admitted, was the nurse of crime,
there were many among them who formerly took a
pride in bringing up their families to a strict observance
of the stabbed', that now abstained from an attendance on
Divine worship, merely because they could not support
that
,external appeeranee to which they had been ecen.
tomed. For his own part he was sincerely' attached 'to
e s
andty tpseirnasottiit
institutions
d, a
itnrispdLei,
Lowed to his
aan
oisitiMttrayjl his fellow-
workmen, for the sake of time feelings erb,rll be knew they
in common with himself entertained, to be PAti43l3 in this
Ile observed that * gang
' would shortly dawn upon Ow' •bb h
ruffians t t twig our 001 anti g
ofd "ds crept tilairrress, to commit robbqies, not
vale of misery. for he boi,vo4l.that brighter prospects
a...vantage of toe existing
imam:tees, by pereonal outrages
"118;Timited forth in the eewspapers as
ie wa.ca he- regretted lie had tarn
xuma+ pains t tne
feeling on the subject
tweet
t° ble,`lttal he was Nippy, to find that these
as far he were not attributed to the silk-
searnitsfoos kt".l 'Vies" set down amidst much cheering.)
fiots and ,Ntuthance:s it% Inialsgretn."
weieVors*--6 da addressed by Mr. Ba-
ting. was efterwar
mee d thtt , .„d For, who otat .0 a lace the cipt.o
ing of the ports
i 29,000 pieces of foreign.. silk had been
imported..
The address to his Majesty was uneniumus adop tett
separated•
and thanks having been voted to the Chturtrusu,t sneetitig