The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-11 00:00:00

• Out-door Weavers.--In respeet to :their condition,
as regard:, the rate of wages, it had biezi found-that a
diminution of fully 25 per cent. had taken place since 1836:-
In consequence their, earnings are barely adequate to
procure the most pressing necessaries of life. At pre-'
sent butchers' meat is seldom seen in their families,—
sometimes a little on Saturday night, and that of the
worst quality ; the greater part of the married women
have neither shoes nor stockings, and their children are
in the same condition. The present rate of. weavers'
wages is barely sufficient to provide food; and the'- great'
bulk Of the families of 'weavers are in rags. Very feW
weavers are able to educate -their children, and hardly
any Who subsist. solely by weaving, pay for a seat in
-church. In 1836 weavers' wages were 40 per cent.
highet than they are at present. Wages were about 25
per cent. higher in 1836 than they .are now ; the fall
has been gradual. Wages in 1836 were. 25. per cent. ;
in 1837, 183$, 18 per cent. ; 1839, 10 per cent. higher
than at present.
Mechanics employed, in Machine-making Works.
Number of workinen employed, on' an average; during
two or three past years, 1;638 ; total number now em-,
ployed, 758 ; unemployed, 880.
Masons Employed in the' Quarries in the Neighbour-
hood, and by Six of the most extensive _Contractors.--
Number employed average, during past two or three
years, 405 ; number recently employed, 66 ; unem-
ployed, 339.
House Carpenters ; returns from' Six of the most ex-
tensive Contractors.—Employed average of two or three
past \Tars, 137; presently employed, 34; unemployed, 103.
Slaters, Plumbers, and Plasterers.—ln the same pro-
portion as masons and wrighth.
Shipwrights, Carpenters, and Blacksmiths, employed
in Ship-building Yards, exclush'e of Apprentices.—
Average of two or three past years, 302 ; presently em-
ployed, 156 ; ,unemployed, 146.
Journeymen Tailors.—Fully employed, 5 ; partially
employed, averaging half work, 124 ; unemployed, 30 ;
total, 159.

During the four years from 1833 to 1836, the average
price of wheat was 465. 9d., and during the three years
from 1839 to 1841 the average price was -695. During
the former period the average wages paid to the follow.
ing operatives were as follows :—Hecklers, 2s. 7id. per
cwt. 3 lib. dressing ; spinners, Bs. ; reelers, 7s. ;Ad. ;
preparers, ss. 2d. ; weavers, for 24 porter osnaburgt, Bs.
During the latter period the average rate was—Hecklers,
2s. ; spinners, 7s. 2d. ; reelers, 6s. sd. ; preparers,
4s. 10d. ; weavers, Gs. 10d. The only remedy for such a
serious state of things was a total repeal, not only of the
Corn and Provision-laws, but of all monopolies.
(Cheers.) During the last five years the great mass of
the working population had suffered the greatest distress
from inadequate wages and high-priced food, and, were
not these pernicious restrictions speedily repealed, the
amount of suffering would go on increasing. Mr. Baxter
concluded by reading the motion.
Mr. TIIOMAS SAUNDiRS seconded the resolution in an
eloquent speech.
Mr. LANDALE, of Rirkahly, moved the. second resolu-
tion; 'denouncing the Corn and Provision-laws. He ob-
served, that the present was not a question of party
politics, nor was it a- movement to cry down one
party at the expense of the-other; bnt a question, the set-
tlement of which, under the present Government, would
either raise us from our difficulties, or sink the nation
at large into .deeper poverty and wretchedness.—(Hear.)
He was sure that he spoke the sentiments of this meet-
ing
in saying that he cared not what Government gave
us an:effectual system of free trade, and the Minister
who did so would receive the gratitude of the people.—
(Cheers.) Looking at the answers of the manufacturers
to the questions in the list, he found that almost all sta-
ted that at-least one-third of the manufacturing popula-
tion were at present out of employment, and this he
found more .than confirmed by taking the number of
warping mills employed at present by, five of the princi-
pal manufacturers of linen in his district. These five
manufacturers were in the habit of keeping thirty warp-
ing mills in constant employment, but at present they had
only twelve at work ; and, taking on 74n average that
each mill.prepared warps for sixty weavers, there were
no less than ten hundred and eighty workmen throWn
idle by these five manufacturers alone, and the average
wages of those employed was about five shillings per
week. Such was the distress in the parish of Largo, that
the heritors had found it necessary to raise a consider-
able sum of money to purchase yarns to keep the starving
weavers: in employment, the manufacturers in general
finding theinselves unable to take advantage of their offer
of service, even at greatly reduced wages.—(Hear.) The
ameliorations to be proposed next Session of Parliament,
in our provision laws, • might not be worth our accept-
ance ; but let them firmly and- perseveringly call for jus-
tice being done us, and declare that class legislation shall
no longer be submitted to.
Mr. KINLOCH of Kinloch, who was received with
cheers, moved the sixth resolution.

Mr. W. F. L. CARNEGIE, of Boysack, seconded the re-
solution. He said that it was scarcely necessary to ob-
serve he was one of those referred to by his friend Sir
*John Ogilvy, as belonging to one-part of the great na-
tional family, and professing the sentiments of the other
on this vital subject. He concurred cordially in -the pro,
position's of the motion!he had been invited to second.
Mr. CANNING' of Arbroath,• proposed the third reso-
lution, and read a table showing the average weekly rate
of wages paid to canvass and linen weavers at Arbroath,
from 4836 to 1841, both inclusive, of which the following
is .an abstract,

Canvass
Weaver S.

Sheeting
Weavers.

Don lag
Wrea\•Frs.

1836 10s. 3,4.
1837 8 6+
1838 8 61

.9s. Hid.
8 4
7 9

Bs. ld.
6 9M
-.1
5. 9

8 03
7 9-

21
5 7;

1841

7 9

5 5i