The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-06 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE IN PAISLEY.

(From the Glasgow Chronicle.)
The unexampled depression which pervades
every town, and almost every branch of trade in
the kingdom, is felt doubly severe in Paisley.
For some years past, Canton crape shawls have
formed the principal part of the goods manufac-
tured in Paisley and the neighbouring villages.
The other branches of manufacture carried on
in that district, were in a very languishing state
for many months past, and the principal support
of the inhabitants there rested on the Canton
shawls, when an extensive sale at the India-
house (about two months back) of from 40, to
50,000 of these articles, at about 50 per cent.
below the price they could be made at by the
British manufacturer, at one fell swoop reduced
the stocks of these goods in the hands of the
Paisley manufacturers to that amount, brought
the whole of the silk factories there to a stand,
and by throwing all the weavers and others en-
gaged in that line idle, brought the business of
that town to as complete a stagnation as if it had
been visited by a plague or encompassed by a
foreign enemy.
As the real state of Paisley at present, is un-
known to those who do not reside in its imme-
diate neighbourhood, we have had it surveyed
in three different quarters, to ascertain what pro-
portion those who are employed bear to those
who are idle. The result is, that out of 391
weavers, there are 208 employed, and 183 idle.
In the space surveyed, there were 35 loomsteads
unlet, which were formerly occupied ; which, if
added to the gross number, makes 426, out of
which there are the large number of 218 (more
than the half) of the weavers who have either
left the town or are going idle. This may be
taken as a fair specim• of the present state of
the whole town. Paisley used to contain about
6,000 weavers ; therefore, when we state that at
present there will be about 2,500 weavers idle,
and about 500 loomsteads unlet, we are certain
we are within the mark. We have been led to
make this survey and statement, for from the
manner in which the unemployed are supplied,
and the want of method otherwise, which exists
in the department at present, compared with
1826, we have found it impossible to obtain any
thing like accurate information as to the numlaer
depending on the Relief Committee for exist-
ence. There has been no account of the num-
ber idle, or of the state of the town otherwise,
taken for some months past. To relieve as few
as possible, and to confine the relief granted to
these few to the smallest amount, appears to be
the aim of those at present in authority. Per-
sons who are on the point of starvation apply-
ing for assistance, are often bandied from the
Relief Committee to the District Committees for
looking after the ordinary poor, and from these
back to the Relief Committee, for days before
anv assistance is obtained. In many cases those
employed breaking stones (which is the only
work now given up to those who apply) are sent
home with 3d. or 4d. after their day's labour ;
and the result of this is, that although the idle
have increased for weeks past, and still continue
to increase daily, the number of those employed
by the Relief Committee is much about the same
as it was a month back. How different this
from the manner in which the poor people were
used by the praiseworthy and memorable exer-
tions of Provost Farquharson, in 1826. That
gentleman exerted himself in such a manner as
to procure and distribute money nearly to the
amount of thousands for hundreds of what is
done at present, although the distress now far
exceeds what it was at that period. And that
gentleman very properly did not confine himself
to the distribution of money, for he procured and
distributed clothing of every description to a
great amount. It cannot be expected but those
who have now been for months only obtaining
as much as will barely keep them in existence,
will be greatly in want of clothing. It is no un-
common thing to see numbers of full-grown men
going completely barefooted ; and the greater
part of those employed by the Relief Committee
have their feet covered with what is only the
imitation of shoes ; and their other clothing is
literally in rags—many of the poor fellows being
reduced to the begging
.of these articles from the
passing stranger. It is, therefore, no wonder
that those who have hitherto supported them-
selves independently, should pine away in secret
rather than work publicly under the circumstances
we have described.

In a town such as Paisley, where the greater
part of the inhabitants are so situatedi the gro-
cers, landlords, and other classes who used to
depend on them, are likewise suffering severely.
The greater part of the landlords have their