The Sun.
London, England, 1826-02-25 00:00:00

SMALL NOTE BILL

111 r. CA I,CRAFT begged to ask the night honourable
Gentleman when the tliseust.lon on the Small Note Bill would
come OIL

7!kireaIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, said that if
the Adjourned Debate slid not occupy the House long it ilTie
his wish that theSrmill Note urn might be advanced another
stage that night.
SILK PRA DE.—A MOURNED. nI:I3ATE.
The CHANCE
ilta)lr4rfe)3lllnonfintghetheEaLCullrEnet.idUlltattenuopovetlll
thth:
(81riiitehrle%1U:il'itilolartYttaring bean put from the Choir,
Air. BARING rose and totitl.,that any Gentleman who woe'
fortenet,: enough to listen last night to the very able speech of
his Right Hon. Friend, would not be surprised that he should
be anxious to make a few observations upon that speech, and
tipon the subject of its moat immediate application. To the
ability nod eloquence of that Speech, it was unnecessary for him
to otter his bumble tribute of pntiscafter the area it had
firo.
&teed upon the House. But if Gentlemen would favour trim
with their attention turn very short time, he was convinced he

lightly upon the important
could convey to them the impression en his own mind, that able
apsis
;esitent°tudeilslteredsis'eraYntl future proakets of ruin
11 ettt theSoPfeer h w
which beset the silk manufacturere of this eountry.---(llear
His Rt. lion. Friend began by complaining bl attgett of insert-
sibility having befit prefered against his lit ajestyte Iniitert
in respect to the distress in which the country wax involved.—.
Now he was not aware that any such charges had been made,
and he win quite sure that no one on that side of the House had
so expressed themselves. What he had passed, and what he
fully coincided in was, the doubt its to whether the-
were really aware of the extent of that .1 ietreBs. He was per-
fectly :twine, not only that his Majesty's Ministeri'lutil
Ing foe the situation of the country, but that it moat be a source
of great anxiety and trouble, to them in the diecharge of the
duties of their offices; and thereibre what they did they must
naturally wish to have the strongest grounds for. lie admitted
this, and indeed there was no Gentleman more willing than
himself to do justice to the motives of the Government. His
Hight Honourable Friend's speech next proceeded to give
a general exposition of the views and the principles by
which Ministers were guided in their measures for re.
gulating the tank of the country. It then referred the
attention of 'the Muse to a Petition prevented some years
ago, and to the Observations which he (Mr. Baring) made
upon it at the time. Now he never corrected or assisted in any
report of any speech he ever made; and therefore he was not
answerable for what Ids Right Hon. Friend had read as being
lin. But there was nothing in that speech or in the petition tire,
which he then stood up that he would not also support now.
Then the Customs, and the whole commercial system or
the country, was in such a state of complicated charge and
embarrassment, that the whole study of a practical man's;
life was to know what he could do witheet running Counter to
the laws. The petition which he supported wits directed against
that system. and called especially for a reduction of chargee. •
a removal of difficulties, and a simplification of the laws.
There was nothing in that petition at all inconsistent with what
he now stated, and maintained to the House upon the subjects
iinmediately before it, and others connected with the existing
situation of the country. His Right Hon: Friend had ant
madverted pretty strongly upon what he chose to eell the ere
rots of practical men. It appeared to him (51r. Mario e), that
`more of petsonal feeling; and usgreater consideration of personal
interests between the manutacturer Of silk, and wool, and cot-
ton, and other articles—had lately taken place, than. ever were
mixed up with any great question before. Ile knew not whe. ther the entire absence of party feelings had opened the field
to those new contentions; but whatever the cause might be,
such a state of things had obtained. But his Right Hon.
Familia charges had been most severe—and, nu he thought he '
could stew, before he sat down, most groundlees—agrunet .the
very respectable class of persons engaged lii conducting the.
Silk Trade. He was confident In being able to slew that no.;
thing had been done by them of which any elovernment must
be ashamed, if placed under similar circumstance's. %I-9th respect
to the principles of free trade, what lie contended for was,
that there was nothing to preclude the adaptation of those
principles to any situation in which a particular interest or
article of commerce might be placed. The maintenance of a
perfect general freedom of action was not inconsistent with its
modification in particular cases which were exceptions to the
mound state of things. He contended that freedom of action •
could not he laid down as a general principle Or rule from which
no exception, no extraordinary emergency could ever induce
them to depart. 11Tas not the state, of the various branches of
industry in this country such es to present a host of exception*
to which these principles were not and could not be applied ?
No person could sit in that House an hour and not hear eases in
which the complicated nature of our laws and regulations effec-
tually precluded all freedom of action. But no one more re.
joiced 'than lie did to ace these principles becoming better under-
stood. Ile was glad to see that a Professor of Political Leo.
nomy was appointed at the University of Oxford, and he
hoped would be one at the New London University. He
ed to see its principles made more familiar to the minds of
the Nobility and others. But, they should never cease
to have differences of opinion upon these intricacies. If Oen.
Omen read tht boob written by the' Mnotniets, thee' would'
find the definition of their principles by no means mathematical
Nu two of these bunks agreed—he might almost say, upon any
one point. When theiubject had been reduced to intelligible
grounds, and its proper study at the 17niversitiee had brought it
to that state which common minds could coinprehend, then
practical men might bow in subtoission to thole who wed i'rout •
theory Am. But while theorists eontinued to abuse each other
fur the grossest dunces anti the moet ignorant of men, he thought
it would be aster to listen to those humble opinions advanced
by practical men, in support of which they could bring proofs
intelligible to the understanding. his right Hon. Friend hasp
amused the house with a history of what was said to be his
(Mr. paring's) inconsistencies; and lie must be forgiven if he
also called theit attention to the inconsistencies of a more learn-
ed dOctor—nantely, the Right ilori. Oontlemati himself.' Ile
was not aware indeed, that there was any other qoestion but
this of the Silk Trade upon which he had ever differed item
his Right Honourable friend; he had always upon other sub.
jects been his humble follower. Upon the question of the
Currency be agreed with him in every thing except, the •thrie..e-
They would both come to the same end, only he Would take a
different road to it, and not arta ut all mail the roomy was
its a state fit to bear the chenge. But what had been the temree
of his Right Honourable triend's conduct in that liottee ?
lie would take no examples pHs front nice'distinctions, but
chew the inconsistency with which he lied acted upon great
points and questions of large policy. In the year 11110, when
the country was engaged in a war of such a character, that
God fitrbiti the country should ever see another like it—
when there was not a guinea in the country, and when the
return of peace was looked upon by every HUM with despair:
his Right ilonourable Friend, by speeches in that House,
anti by pamphlet writing out of doors, recommentkel a measure
for recurring in two years from that date to paymentS in cede,
He would now ask the Right Hon. Gentleman, after the' ei»
perience which the country had seen, _whether such a measure
would have been prasticable, and whether he was now pre.
pared to abide by that opinine.
Mr. /I USKISSON.--" Entirely, entirely."
Mr. BARING—Then although the House might he cone
vinced of his flight Hon. Friends pertinacity, he at least
chewed them that a theorist would maintain opinions which any
man of the least practical inhumation must know to bteutterly
untenable. This shot ed whet he meant to contend for, that his
Right Hon. Friend wits not that safe pilot whom pienleat men'
would consent to follow blindfold. The seeond melte should
mention was much more important,—the oriititousathooOteil by
his Right Hon. Friend upon the Corn Question in hills. , ire
was then the only great advocate for the measure of advaiteing
the imparting price of corn from ntle, up to.fithi., semi this took
place aster the first peace. bethre the return of Napoleon from
Elba. lie opposer{ his Right lion. Friend then nod was in te
very stnall minority ; but although he was not in much favour
with the House at that time, the vote he gave was not one. as
might be supposed that he Wlifi now much ashamed of. His Right
Ilem. Friend was then the strenuous supporter of thut ineueure,
.so contrary to all his principles ; and .he would ask him whe-
ther he would now stand by such a proposition ? Then, as to
the consistency upon which his Right .110 n. Friend claimed the
confidence of the House,. what had it been with respect to this
very Sill Bill ? When it was brought forward two years alma,
he (Mr. Baring) said, that if it were carried into effect, the Silk
manufacturer would be sacrificed to the throwster. Ile, who
usually had the bad fortune of being in small minorities in that
House, was then in, a more unfortunate minority titan ever.
plea Right lion. Friend maintained thut the duty of 7s. thl, was
the proper protteaion of the manufacturer, anti what was the
conseqeence? lie was .afterwards obliged to reduce it, not by
authority of that Howie, but by a Treasury Minute, to 4.8,
the whole of his epeeeh of last night, there was a total absence
of any informatiun as to what the Government meant to doe—, (Hear, hear o—They bad heard not it word as to whether
it wee meant to protect the throweter at all, and no informed don was afforded their, by which they could know what seas to
be done with any
.branch of the trade. fie would now ask
whether the provlsion in the act of year which fixed this Pr!"
tecting duty of 7s. fld.e was not most cerelessly. anti iemOrant'Y
e e
dopted ? Why, then, he could not see in his Riithtflor4 F. 1411
that eteadintes of eonduct, that knowledge or -his, own ,"
which would lettuce him to follow such
give up his own opinions which he conceivater itiOn
the bestinformetion. In mentioning tegeittlltc Pelaian o'
it was due to the Government to say that tney readily gave it
their attention, 1 UM. referred ato a E..!OrDlliitte:4`,,Whose able re.
commendations had been followeet up berjthe itlitlitelloft. Gene
tleman, now !Master of the Mint, with great ata
Wets retreads to
hey, with Lees euceeee The resulAt''ltt tell•asdi, thfilahlt of,'
measures had been introduced by the Government, which bath emeneee a benefit ereeo the commerce of this country, much as
it had never experienced beibre. And if the merchants, not
only of London, but of the whole country,

Anewledge 04 they must be the most Ungrateful men in the to ascertain what were the disadvantages really attendant on
world. Those measures had relieved the Navigation Laws from the measure. The measure had passed with the cortetirreneeper.
utany vexations and -mien regulations, they had relieved ham of some of the manufacturers t
ahemselves, wh
n! disregard
the Custom Dues from many exeteresive charges, from the its evil effects if put off fso long period us two yßut
Transit Dative from the highly injurious system of been- a great mate of the population were inconsequence at a stand,
ties and drawLelts, and many other hindrances.. to the and the house was bound to consider the question as it affected
progress of counnertial prosperity. The, reduction of Port the country at large, and not with reference to any partieular set
Charges had mad the port of London, 'into whioh foreigh 'of manufacturers. It was well deserving of attention that very
vessels' could Scarcely cotiee before from the vexatious serious apprehensions were just now.entertained by the public,
nature of the churges, now the poet, perhaps in all Eu. as to the fearful consequenees which might probably attend the
rope, where the . least possible charge and obstruction ex- terninga great number of operatives loose froth employment at
itod. It WnB Itinfossible to KAY toe winch of what was owed such a period as the present. Such dapgerous results might not.
to the Ministers try wadi:ans. fbr these measures; and he for he dreaded from mistaken measures, if idler the destruction of
one, W(ti-ivittly and anxious to make every acknowledgment in the silk trade its operatives could resort to .any ether branch,
his poWer, lhelouteedly sonic of such measures must depend as for instance the cotton trade, for the means of support. But
expo') trial, and there was one part of them which required to be unfortunately no such resource existed, for the mum marittlac.
.matched:on flexitime of the great increase of American carrying turers were already obliged to (Recharge many of their work.
weasel), to be seen in our pone. Thie required the watchful eye men. One great error he perceived in the tnetentres of the
of his Right Hon. Friend, and he was sure it would receive the Right lion. Gentleman, that he made all his experiments tote.
attention it deserved. He was not aware that it was imputable titer. Being mistaken, as be certainly mittht be, whi' tnisehief
to what had been done by the' Government, but at all events it most Government, flow from such a mode of peoceeding. The Hight Hon.
required looking to. Upon these points, thereiore, he thought . Gentleman had said, that be anticipated a charge upon his tnea.
the course of the Ministers highly latidable.
-But what he cone. pores from whatever mischiefs might subsequently arise, but
plained of wee that they. were pushing the abstract principles of that he wee prepared to shew. that it did not originate withMtn.
the theeriets beyond their proper bounds, end that it was obvi- He could tell the Right Ilori. Gentleman' that trade was now
ously the leading feature of the Government raeasures to carry languishing, and that if ineasures were not adord to prevent
those principles to eittremea, without a due consideration for such a consequence, that it
,would expiee'altoge er within tvo
.execipteti !torn their application. If years. It had been said that the misfortunes ill the silk menu.
VMS which oUght to be,e , • ,
their conduct were viewed with reference- to the 11. notes, it lecturers followed from their °ecru:Wing. e his overtradmr, he
eevinced a determination to adopt the measure upon principle did not look upon to be so great a fault as it was usually is.
alone, and without listening to the opinions of practical men teemed. lie thought the name of unsuccessful trading would
as to the eircurtestances, -under which the change, was about have been more Appropriate. The fact was, there WAR no
to be effected. If they came to the Silk question, there was such thing as overtrading tit all. It was admitted on all sides,
the same disposition to incur all risks, and act opon theo. that the manufaeturere had 110 great stocks of goods upon their
Tenni principles at the danger of throwing: he labourer hands. But apprehending the effects of the law, they feared
out of his breed, anti bringing entire ruin upon the ma. to risk their capital, and so busineee was at a leant. it die
nufacturer. If they went on to the subject of Exchequer House would not put off the question that night, they would
Bills—where relief was asked by the merchants of England find that there was no such thing as overtrading. The Right
in a eitee of remarkable distress, it was not to be 'done, Hon. Gentleman had proceeded without sufficient information,
according to the doctrine of the Government, because it would and that was good cause for appointing a Committeeeo roves.
be .against the principles of political economy. Those tigatethe subject. A letter which he held in hie band front
principles mug nut bend before the . suffering of utmost the Mayor of 51acclesfield would shew how much the state of
all classes of the cootruunity.-:there must be no mitigation of business in that town had been tnieunderstood. In 11125 there
that suffering, no relief for that distress, because.it could not, be was a great want of hands in 31accleefield. The men availed
..done after cite. LlCK:trine of the theoriets ; and that was the gene. themselves of the Combination haws, anti struck for wages ;
gal principle of action by which hie -Majesty'S' Government was sortie children too who were articled for' three years quitted
evidently guided. Now he apprehended this to be a mistaken their employment. As an expedient two or dine: eilk.throw.
application of the principles of which they ,were so much.. en. ster advertised in the public papers that 5,000 men were wanted,
amourcii., Wu !Intl in-a state of society, where so many cony- and this proceeding, with a: resolution among the masters not
plicated anti extensive interests bad grown up under it different to employ each other's men, had' the &Feet of putting down
system, end to which it was impossible to imply these prin. the cotnbination, and bringing, back the men to their duty.
chiles in their exteeme rigour. Deft it the country was to be Theadvertisement was merely deeigneel to answer that purpose,
delivered over to those prtnelplei, in contempt of unfitness and it was successful. es to the mode 'in which it had been
to receive cheat, it was catty to ?thew that those who supported stated, the two French Gentlemen were treated by sonic maa
and put-them forwarti,enth with the boost theories in the world, milacturers, the fact was that an informer came to"tlie.mantn.
won. got, into the, greateet difficulties of themselves. If he lecturers who described the Frenchmen as smugglers of silk,
were to refer to a lute friend of his, and a Man of eminent mind the manufacturers were naturally jealous of shell an encroach.
tint inger.uityaehe noting the lute 21 e. Ricardo—they would see titerinand on examination the silk appeared to them to, have, been
nwexample of this in his theory of einimensation between the manufactured in prance, though it way :subsequently proved
property of the country anti the debt, which was one of the most to have been 'manufactured at Spitalffehle anti Manchester.
beautiful sYetents in theory that 'the ineaginetion of man ever The grounds of suspicion were, however, very strong, and one
devised. Bart evcrj man now kneW dint it was totally itn. of the Frenchmen was still a manufacturer in •Paers, 'anti at
practicable treattempt bringing ;it into operation. Then again Lyons. He could bring a witness to prove that that atone (I en-
hie system of e Bitok was now entirely exploded.— titian had offered goods on the Continent to lie conveyed to
lie said. this to.Sitcw, what was the nature or the lights by which England, and said that they might easily be smuggled. Ile
they were ttekte guitied.. Ile recollected that when his Right then 'made some observations on the defective mode in which
lion. Friend wait advocatingthe high price or corn, lie quoted the charge of the manufacturers had been investigated. The
it book wrote) at the Zirne by 31r..Alalthus, to prove' that the Right Hon. Gentlemen, lie said, had cautioned the House
price of coro . lied nothing to do with rent.'And now they egatnst adopting retrograde measures, and urged that If they
had • another eminent Doctor who undertook to write a bsok should now relinquish their principles of trade, it would have
to sheik Met _Absenteeism in Ireland wee no evil. If ever the effect of making Europe. /shrink from ever joining thew
there was WI ithiilati doctrine put forth by an tilde and in- inn a similar measure at any future period, But lie (31r.
,telligent, mind. ,tipon other . subjects,' it was this. (Hear, Baring) would ask what would be the coneequenee if they
)rerrn hear 1)-41e :dated these hunt' to NNW what was to about(' ? *ln that event, what .encouragement would ISu.
become of them if they =seined to be' guided by these rope be likely to conceive from their measures ? If the step
theorista arid attended to nothing which fell from pre& they were abeut to take wee a prover one, they ought to pro.
tical toen. lit: did not mean :to say that practical men ceed ; but, if there were a things rof 'failtheeit wottld be infi.
were free from error. Ile knew very well that they mein. tritely more dangerous to the' cause of free trade than no step
twined opinions as, absurd as could be well conceived. But if at all. It' the measure were right,. in God's name let diem
the two parties would'excluitige some of their knowledge, and put it in execution ; but, it they had the slighteet doubt of its
heee,a loge less contetept,,for each other, they would both come
,StleCeS3,' let Mein consider the ;number and distress.. of the
to eOl-IC4tiiOnts inneh Mott likOtOnntiOn sense than those at which parties, who would be injured by its operation.. They ought
they now arrived. Ilia Right Hon. Friend had culled upon to be able to say at what certain price the poor could live, 'anti
the flouSe to, try these principles for the first time upon it now they' could be supported,' or were they working in the dark..
brooch of our tnentilaiitures whieli had been encouraged under The Right Honourable Gentleman was working in the dark,
it different system, and which had grown up to :an important and he could not help it. The property or the counity, in.
eitent. Thee were 'tow, however, to dirow down the protec. eluding its landed interest, W 45 now in a suite of ettspenee.
Lion to this trade, in which France, notoriously excelled tot; conclusion, he read an extract from a letter, which urged the
with, uotioulittelly, the exception of a duty of 30 per cent. necessity of conibiningpractical intiwniation with the soundest
Until this uteesete Was rewolved upon, eiti had been labouring general blots in order to avoid schemes of thearragement in
under greet igitoraitee es to the mate of the Silk Trade in public acts.
foreign *mut:rite. It warns alweys thought that our great skill Mr. HINEISSON, in explanation,' said, that he hnd never
and superior capital would soon give us a 'superiority over known, or even :teen the French Uentleman alluded to by the
the manuteettirce of othee States. Persons cur aerie in the lion. Member. It was a mistake to say that he had never con.
trade had been equally igtiorant upon this point with the 00. feived with the parties, who made the charge' or, smuggling,—
vernmeitt. But new it turned outeefor travellers had been sent He had conferred with them, and he expressed in their presence
t., all pate of l'airope;-:-that'ilic niatitifecturers of ether mum. his opinion of their conduct on failing in such a charge.
tries loot abilittittnce Of capitali in tioroo pliteee more then we Mr. D AVENPORT objected to the cluirge of inconsistency
had., and that iihresitect to skill, every thing %vela-Jew lied been made upon those who called for inquiry. . fled they indeed
copied from, liten, and we were still greatly behind. So that, called for a repeal of the law, there would be some colour for
insteadortneatitat them 'in the market with the advantage 'of the charge; but there could he no inconsistency in examining
shill ancf capital, it was found that wit pow:teed less skill and whether their measure tended to the de:ono:Mtn of thirteen
no superiorety in opted at ell. The emend employed in the thousand individuals, who, before the'enactinent. of the preeent
tette-fete Paste, it was blondwottlil buy Coveetry out and out. fatal laws, enjoyed a prosperous suite' of trade. He thought that
He, contended that it ~rows Mbar satishireorily Matte out, that wit only two clasees of persons would be benefitted by the Ittiv''sts it
were,hna etch' ofelisedvantege whit regure to titiß:r countries, stood—mitnely the haeiOn mattufecturerti anti atunggleria ;For
nnder which we were Dot able to enter into competition with his part he had but one opinion on the subject from thebegits.
;hem. lie wonlif not trouble the 1 ttante by the details by which ping, and therefore the charge of inconsistence coulditot ;triply
;Iris was proved, but sta t the result of all the examinations upon to him. The pounce' ecoetwelste might indeed be againet him,
the subject. A het of pricosintnil been obtained from Lyons, but the country was on his side ; and he could assure the for_
aS,UtiOileeeei )lassie ; but for the porpoise of proving the fact,' iner, that what grew in broke did not always grow in gardens;
got)4 bad bet:h purchased at the prices, and with `the per- Mr. C. GRANT admitted great purity of motive to the reae
miesion of the novernment brought to this country. The con. coning of the Hon. Gentleman who preceded Mtn., Ile believe
elusion: to which they came was, that at Lyons the difference'. ed that the manufacturers were perfectly sincere in the cetres- !
of pricee. Wee. fOrtY•dive her cent. In Switzerland, the difference Ilion of their• feeling on a subject in which they were so interest;
wee (rein filtaalive to sixty per ceen, upon plain goods, and from ed. It WAS source of regret to hito that the House must of
sixty
tO one hundred upon others. Tide was the reeult of all necessity encounter the opinions of the misinfortned,
in what.
:the inquiry the 'partied were able to
make, and to meet this dis. ever measures they•would adopt. An Hon. Gentleman hail
advateteige, our inenufecturere Were to be protected by a duty charged his Right Hon. Friend with wandering' from the reel
of 311 per cent., 'which in reelity' would be reduced to twenty point in question: hut he should have recollected that the dee
Ile knew nothing at' the Silk Trade himself, but he received perture was occasioned by the topics Introduced in the course
thiainfbriteition frotti Sleetlemen 'of undotibteel reepeciability of the preceding speech, end Grant) would migraine
.There ,Wete, Some tacte, IMWever, upon Which the llottebeould late the country that those topics afforded his Right Honourable
judge.'forsitselt they found that this Ml:fence in Friend the opportunity of stating the principle% on which he
prises' was The gement (Ito difference him the. cost of subsistence, acted, and the remelts tin those principles, in the luminous style
.thequeadett reerdeed,itteiff into the inereie of subsistence hi the of eloquence which characterised r his tuddress. When the Hon.
differeneeeontries. Wages at Basle were said to be good when Gentleman hati denied that a charge of insensibility .was made
me men earned 4e, tt Week. Vile manufacturers of Lyons and upon his Wight Honourable Friend, he must have forgotten
Switietlandhadetlie Wits of Provence and Italy at their backs, the language of the speech in 'wide!, that imputation was Clint.
And Meet therefore produce the article cheaper than *here such untied. itN to die charge of wandering from the question, the
.etivaniagee 'did not exist. )71.tit With regard to the question or tionaurelde (lentleman hod himself committed a more in.
subsistence, the lehourer in' those countries not only had his excusable departure, What .possible connection could be
bread cheaper, but rtepaireti lees of it, than the hthOttrer, eonrehicd; between the mime); of eleeeullough, Malibu'', or
here. His c.atilition wits much lower than the condition. Ricardo, and the question which they were now discussing'?
or the F:rigtiett labourer, end the value of his labour was there. --lie was sorry that the Honourable Gentleman could be
fore se much the lees. The' enquiry at Lyons led to the 'die. induced to add the weight of his talents and his eloquence
covery that one menu factueer lodged and fed tile labourers., to the hide of those who were so inferior to hint in both
'lt . was Mend diet they were lodged in a large garret over his respects, and who were anxious for the importance which they
filetory, 'where they slept upon straw, With all the ability .or acquired by the aceeseion of such an ally. Ile boil stated that
his flight lion. Friend's speech, it had never touchedupen the his 'Right Hon. Friend had evaded the point in issue. New
point of how, or whether ot/r, silk trade could be earned on this was just whet he did himself. What was the point in issue?
• against that of France, under thew circumstances. He was can. What alternative -a-what remedy had he suggested ? lje chid.
senced it must be driven out even of the home market, and that lunged him to point out a single one, as offered in the course
what was noW the case with the silk manufacturer, would here. of his address to 'the Meese. The question at itiStltt was 1101,
after Implicit to tlet cotton trade, the woollen trade, and the other whether' there should be a competition or not, but whether
great branches 'of the industry of the country, if these prina there .shouid be competition of the best, or of the worst
eipleis were to be Intel-m(110 extremes, and with an utter dim. possible kind. Did the Prohibition Laws secure the trade
of thin country from competition e By
glad of emit vast and alarming consequetices. •If should' ,beno means— compe.
titian exletett under that system,and t
recollected that the' silk trade' had already passed from one of the meet injurious
cannery to another, and might easily be • driven from this, character. The present was a prueticA measure of tiovern..
diwttiantages,— !tient, designed to remedy a practical grievance,
where it was shewn to virtu Under so many and introduced.
• Another of proemitagmonga our manufacturer* :twee
to -three evils thereby removed. The first wit. the duty on raw by nracticel inen. Ile would point-the attention of the House
Trims the naval power orarititin.. While Europe was for many
years engaged in War, it WS* tf3turid that the nation which had and thrown silk, the second the Spitaltiehis Act, and the
power to eommand die sea should also have A COMMAnd of the third the Prohibition Act. As to the fire, it aggrayated the
foreign markets; Such were the 'adeanneoper. which this .country price* on raw silk by 30 or 40 per cent., and on both raw and
exclusively possetoted in consequence of its naval auperlority.— thrown silk it raised the cost 70 or 80 per cent. to the con.
The matitthicturer* of Rouen and other parts of France entered sumer. The drawback was suite an insufficient relief, and.
into speculations of trade with great hesitation, lest they should it .frequently aggravated the evil. The Spitallields and
put thou capital in leopardy. The advantege of markets, which Prohibition Acts were also grievances in a practical view.-•.
twr Navy enabled Iritain to command, was not one which he When it was alleged that the measures of Govenunent :were
coneeiced very desirable for any nation exclusively to possess-a- berried, it would *cent as if they were now, for the first
and it wits one which every day's optintieneeof ptieSe was a care introduced to the notice of the House, and had nut been folly
ing sway. liesidea, its benefits were more available to our cotton discussed two years since. lie denied dud those measures in.
:trade, and to ievend other branehea thau to the silk trade.— ttueneed the silk trade, so as to cause its present depression ;
The Manufacture of had. at all dines been -a favourite at. because that depression was not confined to the silk trade
.tieleaol'Prineltecommerce; end, if other circumstances were. alone, nor to .any of those trades which humid formed the sub.'
wanted- to,dissnade the' British Parliament.from commencing jeCt of .1 gielation. It certainly, extended to many trades,
their alterations with the,silk trade, the superiority Attained by with which the law had not at all Interfered, as for instance to-
the French manufecturers should be sufficient. It was 040 to be the timber tradea-to, the tallow trade; and: to several others.—
:.,observed, that, when ,otictt a country had got the start of othets, Could it be considered a just .concleeion to assign a, particular
. and pottecesed the vantage i'. ground n arty one department of cause for a general effect? Unfortunately instate of depression
commerce, it was difficult.in the extreme-.-81MOSt imposelble to we, by no mean* unusual with the silk trade. It occurred
• drive them from it by tama. petition. France now possessed the moat every three years. in 1819: the silk ,trade
of Coventry
•vantsg
eground with regard to the *ilk trade, and England had .leboured under peculiar depression, so tnueli so, that the Mem-
the superiority in ilk, coq9p. 'trade. Hut how tong, he would. ber for Coventry,. thought it necessary to' int/chime a Ilid for
ask, would that etiperiority corit yore ? fine Right llonotteable the -regulation of wages there, Five shillingv week h'srs
cite° each, workniani and vete,. many trt'
.. Gen deletion ire the course ••01. toe ii.ad complete. it no,
w,
evaded die mein points of the questton, bud Opt uteeresa. a ha,litay.c teeouree periehrilief. Steck
he hjeCt Of the rem Laws, though Met we I
Li°o* 6euticnuth then cited tin extract halm the eftittats
lit would call tenon the House Coarrneeee, wl 'ea • rewoled b' • '
a I the num er or' loonis tdb.
"I'v4ll P41'171") "' "1 bo classes of in timid wits he:trendy the ease.
.tot dpi„,,o, by tteer enectenente t poor . urineel eltise et, the you :1703e .and the distress ivhielt
The
womunil., in their pewer. to. prevaile4.in 17n, when dens manufacturing weavers athireSsed
degl whim them
as 014, enn oit watt Ont Of their p4)sver a letter to the Court or 'Lest India Directors, requestingbilk
tho
to wool., the corn haws, Having gone so fair, he thought they itlTl:dortation of thrown silk. Iti 11101 the tliotTatot , the
could not eonsiittentle refuse to go further ; and if the 'tight e wag extreme, and a moat lamentable period occurred in
llottourable tientiernan were to persist in pressing his Bill, it It la. A meeting was held at die Mansion Houee, which.
would surely be necessary for the House to go into a Committee complained orate vest importations of smuggled silk goods. A