The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-17 00:00:00

THE BOOT AND SHOE TRADE.

A Meeting of the Master Ladies' Boot and Shoe•
makers, Curriers, and others concerned in the leather
trade was held on Monday evening last at the Crown
and Anchor Tavern, for the purpose of receiving
the report of the Committee, appointed on the 12th
of February, to endeavour to obtain some relief for
trade, from the depression it was suffering in con-
sequence of the enormous importation of French
shoes since the Free Trude Bill had come into opera-
tion.

Mr. tfooK, ladies' shoemaker of Bond-street, wac
called to the Chair.

Mr. GEORGE SMITH, Jun., the Secretary, read
the report, which stated that the Committee, after
having received assurances of support from those
connected with the trade throughout the kingdom,
directed their attention, in the first instance, to ob-
taining official returns of the quantity of boots and
shoes imported into this country from France for
the last nine years, in order to shew to the Board
of Trade, to whom application was primarily in-
tended to be made, the extraordinary increase which
had taken place since the passing of the Free Trade
Bill in 1826. These returns were made on the
motion of Sir F. Burdett, in the House of Com-
mons, on the 7th of April; but they proved unsatis-
factoiy, as boots and shoes were found to have been
indiscriminately entered with all other articles made
of leather. The Committee next inquired if pau-
perism had increased amongst the shoemakers in con-
quence of the importation of French shoes. In the
parish of St. James's, Westminster, it appeared that
there were no fewer than one hundred and twenty-
seven shoemakers in the workhouse, whereas in
1824, the date of the Free Trade Bill, there were
only three. Their next effort was to ascertain as
nearly as possible the extent of the sale of French
shoes. On inquiry, they found that one house was
in the habit of ordering 1000 dozens at a time--
that another sold 90/. worth of a day, and thttt a
third had sold not less than 30,000 pairs in six
weeks. The importation of French boots and shoes
into London alone during the past year they stated
to be 800,000 pairs, which, they added, had de-
pressed the trade more than one-third of usual em-
ployment. The Committee, after these inquiries,
proceeded to memorialise the Board of Trade to
sanction an alteration in the existing law, so as to
afford an adequate protection for capital. They
pointed out the injuries the trade sustained from the
admission of foreign boots and shoes at so low a
rate of duty as 30 per cent. The Committee subse-
quently obtained an interview with the Members of
the Board of Trade, when they learned that it was
the firm intention of the Goverment to adhere to
the principle of free trade, as established in 1826.
Upon which the Committee entreated that the duty
might be altered from an ad valorem to a rated duty
of so much the dozen pairs, and that the duty would
be ordered to be enforced with more exactness than
was then put in execution. In the reasonableness of
both of these requests the Board of Trade con-
curred, and in order that the first might be ef-
fective, requested the Committee to prepare a
schedule of prices upon that principle, which was
accordingly made out and acceded to by the Board
of Trade.

The reading of the Report was followed by ap-
plause.
Mr. SKINNER, of Oxford-street, in moving that
the Report be adopted, observed, that instead of
paying 30 per cent. upon imported goods, the dealer
was, by either the relaxed manner in which the duty
was enforced, or the means taken by the importer,
enabled to get his goods into this country at a cost
of not more than 12, or at the most 15 per cent.
In order to make the matter clear to the members
of the Board of Trade, they classed the manufac-
ture of this country under six different heads, and
that of France under four, for there were two classes
of articles manufactured in this country, by Mr.
Taylor and Mr. Green, that could not be attempted
in France. The first class of France, which was
only equal to the third in England, stood the manu-
facturer in, between wages and materials, 2s. 10/d.,
and were sold here for 75.; the second 2s. 6d., and
retailed at ss. Gd. ; the third Is. 10d., arid retailed
at 4s. 6d.; and the fourth Is. 4-1-d., retailed at
2s. ld. Could any man in England make or sell
such, at such prices ? No, the same advantages
were not to be had in England that were to be
obtained in France; and Englishmen were, in
consequence, unable to compete with foreigners.
Well, the third class of English manufactured
articles, which was equal to the first of France,
stood the manufacturer in Gs. 9d., and were
retailed at 9s. 6d. ; the fourth ss. Gd., re-
tailed at 75.; the fifth 4s. 9d., retailed at 65. ; the
last 45., retailed at ss. The Board of Trade were
evidently struck with the comparative difference
here pointed out, and the difficulty that the English
manufacturer had to contend with, in consequence of
the operation of the Free Trade Bill, and expressed
themselves ready to do every thing in their power,
short of increasing the duty or infringing upon the
Bill, that would be likely to alleviate the distressed
state of the trade. Mr. Skinner then observed, that
while in 1820, when the duty upon imported goods
was 75 per cent., the quantity of French shoes im-
ported into this country did not amount to more
than 4501. a year, in 1828, they exceeded 12,000/.
a year nominal value, whereas the actual value was
much beyond this amount. Mr. Skinner concluded
by moving that the report be adopted, which being
seconded, was put from the Chair.—Carried.
Thanks were then voted to the Committee, to the '
Secretary, and to the Chairman, after which the
meeting separated.
A handsome sum was collected at the door to meet
the expenses of the Committee.

Serjeant \\TILDE, asked his brother Serjeant,
TADDY, the other morning, how Lord WYNFORD (the
C. J.) looked upon his elevation. Serjeant TAnDY re-
plied, " That for some time he had thought him common
pleas-el, but that now he looked un-common pleas-d."
We understand it is intended by a number of
professional
and other friends of Mr. THERRY, whose
judicial appointment to preside over the Court of Requests
at Sidney we lately noticed, to give that gentleman a public
dinner in this city previous to his departure for New South
Wales. This tribute to the worth and talents of Mr.
THERRY must be exceedingly gratifying to its object, and
whilst it affords pleasure to his numerous friends and rela-
tions must be considered an acknowledgment of the pro-
priety of the selection of a high judicial officer by the Go-
vernment.—Dublin Freeman's Journal.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT.—Yesterday
Barkham Coney, Eq. Appeared before the Court to take
the benefit of the Act ; and was opposed nn behalf of
Messrs. PALLEN and FARTHING. Mr. HEATH objected
to his being heard on his present petition, on the ground
that he had not paid the bill on his former attorney, 11r.
SHEPPARD. The insolvent said that Mr. SHEPPARD was
in Brussels, and had sent his bill in only within the last
few days. The Court ordered the insolvent to he re-
mnnded till he settled with Mr. SIIEPI:ARD, when he
will he brought up, and the opposition of his creditors pro-
ceeded on.

CANNIBAL OF SUMATRA.—A stout feroci-
ous-looking fellow came in as I was conversing on the sub-
ject of cannibalism, and was pointed Out to me as a cele-
brated marksman and man-eater. He had a most deter-
mined look, and my draughtsman took a remarkably strik-
ing likeness of him. I made particular inquiries of him,
and he gave me the following horrid details of canni-
balism. He said that young men were soft, and their
flesh watery. The most agreeable and delicate eating was
that of a man whose hair had begun to turn gray, .—.4n-
dsrffn'i Sumatra.