The Sun.
London, England, 1826-02-09 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Special Court of Common Council
, was held for the J urpose of considering of a vote Oa sum of
' money in • aid of the. Subscription fOr the Ruerta• of the
SerrAertross WEAVfItS4.
A requisition, signed by Mr. Hick, and others, requesting
the Lord MAyor to convene a Court, for the ;purpose above
stated, was then read.
Mr. HICK said he had no connection whatever with soy
portion of the community in whose behalf he thought it
his duty to ask the aid of the Court ; but, from the accounts
which had appeared its the public papers, from the returns
which had been made from .the several parishes, by which
it appeared that no less than Thirty Thousand. weavers were
its a state of the greatest auffisring, he thought there was a
strong case made out fin- the chinitahle aid of this Court. 'lre
had, as one of the committee for the management of the funds,
subscribed to the relief of the houseless poor. Ile had seen
nearly 1,000 of the weavers OM had applied fur relief, to whom
it peney loef and a cup water per day was all they could give,
and be could declare that their 'sufferings were extreme. It.
would be for the Court to say What sum they would give,
whilst their finances were in so depressed a condition. lle
thought of asking them for about 3001. -
Mr. Deputy Dam seconded a motion for giving this spin.
Mr. S. Dixoti. was for givina moderate suns. .Tlie Court
Should not forget that they would have other elaims upon them
and lie was induced to recommend this course because the
master silk-Manulacturers, who had the Lest knowledge.of the
circumstances, had not subscribed by any means so largely as
they were bound to dofor their men, who had•the strongest
claims upon them, if the distress were so severe as had been
represented, .
, Mr. sl urr said the extent and severity of the distress was un.
questionable. He hoped the Corporation would not be back.
ward, when the King had set them so-nohle an example of
liberality.. He moved, as an amendment, that the suns orSOOl,
should be given.
Mr. STXPRIZ NO, of Blshorgate-street, seconded the motion.
The Corporation hud subscribedt 2001. to the 'suffering Bus-
' shins, 1,0001. telhe suffiling_ Germans, OW. to the poor Irish,
nod he thought they should-not give less to those who resided
so much nearer home. The Spttaliieldi pobr had claims be-
yond any other class. They mostly resided out of the city, and
the burden ,of maintaining their poor fell upon the ont-parishes,
whilst the profits derived iron, the sale -of their labours was re-
ceived by. the wholesale dealer, who resided in the city, and
paid no share of the poor-rates in the out-parishes. The appeal
to the public had not, in his opinien, been answered in a man-
ner equal to the fair expectations.
Mr. Alderman • Tuoursox agreed that the appeal to
the public had fallen. far short of the expectations formed
front what had. been done in other, cases.' Ile did not
think it necessary to--go into an inquiry as to the causes
by which the distress had been produced ;—it was quite
sufficient for him that it existed. But he might say, .it
was his opinion that the distress was occasioned by the ap-
prehension of competition, arising from the opening of the
foreign market.—((ries of " No, no I") That apprehension
had been increased in various ways; yet he believed it would
be found that British skill and ingenuity, when fairly exer.
cised, would ultimately triumph. He supported the motion for
larwq sups.

Air. Alderman Wainfafax begged to remind the Court
that, some years ago, a very considerable sum was raised for
the.relief of the houseless poor, and that a surplus of About
10,0001. remained in the hands of Somebody after all disburse.
ment. Now he asked why at this time this sum was allowed to
be dormant ? Why was it not returned, Since there was no
further use for it, or if to return-it, were not practicable, why
were not the proprietors called, ogether to deckle as 40 its ap-
plication. 'flee master silk-weaveri were censured for not hay.
ing been conspicuous on the Est of subscribers ; but .it was for.
gotten that the distress had fallen trot, on the jeurneymen,
but on the musters, upwards of 100 of'Whoin were, he believed,
DOW in a state of the greatest alarta 'Rid uncertainly. The
pressure oeistress were so great in other directions us to ren-
der it matter of no surprise, that the subscription had not bees,
greater. A worthy Alderman had stated it as his opinion that
the distress was but temporary.
Mr. Alderman Titompsure-1 hope autrtitist that it is no
more than temporary.
Mr. Alderman WAITITIVIAN said he hoped so ton, bat he
feared that they wets of a more permanent nature than was ge-
nerally couceived. One cause had been ascribed to rash specu.
tions ; now it was really astonishing to see the menner in which
men in' the House of Commons pretended to know more of the
nature of men's business than men knew themselves. It was
doubtless true that much distress had been occasioned by rash
schemes and joint stock ccimpanies, brought out with the
names of Members of Parliament at the head of' them.—
(Hear, hear I)—But there had been none of this in the,eilk
trade. There had been speculations which had drawn vast
quantities of money out of the country, for which paper had
been substituted, and they were now about to feel the conse.
queues. He apprehended that the distress would be permit-
nneenwt.syslteleultlbioyugollt
repeal
evsall iontistriersesohronutlalwiasv,eacnomenrce,eitilictteoinr
of .tile Aseessul Taxes. The largest subscription would. do
little to remedy the wide spreading distress which die tiartial
system had created. Look at Manchester, Macclesfield, and
the West of England, and the suffering that was spreading
there. Ile concluded by expressing his opinion that the Court
ought to give the larger sum.
Mr. GALLOWAY was of opinion that thelow state of the sub.
se.ription was attributable to the general distress. He contend.
al, that the Corn Laws ought first to have been repealed.
Mr. B. TAYLO it felt himself obliged to state hie conviction
that the distress of the silk trade arose not from the act alluded
to, but fivm other causes which equally affected other trades
such as the stuff trade and the woollen. trade. lie supported
the vote for the smaller sum.
Mr. Oi.ntiast lamented that questions of this nature were
treated as political questions. Ile was of opinion that they
should give the smaller sum, they might hereafter be called upon
to relieve the distress of the operative part of the community in
other districts.
Mr. Alderman WooD said it was perfectly fair to consider
the cause of the distress ;. fur if dee Corn Laws were to be con•
tinued, there was no knowing when it would terminate. He
had supported Ministers in their plans for a free trade, hut it
was upon a pledge they gaye that the Cern Laws should be
speedily repealed. Pothole( the apprehension of the general
electionhadsome effect with Ministers with respect to the Corn
Lew&
eMr. 9rltirreost spoke to order; and said the course pursued
by the Worthy Alderman was irrelevant.
The Loam) MAYOR said the Court must hate observed that
he lied permitted to the various speakers in this debate a larger
scope of argument titan perhaps in strictness he ought •to have
done, ti?eit cse he thought there would he considerable in("'n"
venience in restrain gentlemen from 'adverting to the cause of
the distress they were about to relieve; and lie was the more
dined to this indel&ente, because tall reationing MUM necessae
rily lead the minds of then to that enormous and overivhelming
ing monopoly in the . first neceesary othfelirfeei;ntoirilti:oilleo*ttineeixit:iicesettiint:g!gi
which was the principaVreason why
truessttrni,coriiisnuoptoinnjtursitt(ilecec...„.rencltiluri:l,l)be effected
Mr. UUTTERWOUTO anti several other. Members supported
the motion for the larger slim.
with respect toetidietoFaulaq'd4fort;tll4e.flulriondseto-
r. ca, in 'reply,
slepseseilfite'°pr'urtildsesti,latittiltdhtahadtWweintba"tlignview to such application.
Twiny of, the origtiluleal:ptii,bus:tiib:isolt7ll4.leminsodneertyti,drieti:unlitairsaucticsocurniptm-
tions. All tht. bad a right to attend the Cemmistea,
anti ouperintend
of which were alwayst4te4r,;4ll%i jy.en otititcheeeolinis wtlerindcairti
tleti.t.leceia‘t;
tended there and
against its applieittion. le (Mr. Hick), as a incinter of the
Co` mmittee, was Ilesitotts that dte mate of the niamigeniciit
should p'a brought before the ptiblie.- It was contemeleted with
the fund Colleeted to form a magnificent charitable institution,
which the' subscribers, he vies mire, would sanction, and the
public warmly
otiuti fur the
support.
The
vote of lAOI. was carried by a very con-
Alembic
Fav E Lt. gave notice that he should, at the next,Court,,
being forward the ',object of a petition to both ilouses el l'er—
liament fir the repeal of the Clotiie LAWS, the removal (if,.the •
Assessed Taxes, and the' adoption of Such 'other inctoures'iis
would enable the 'British trader to compete 'fairly uith the
foreign dealer.—(Loud cries of Hear!)—`The Court then
broke up.