The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-04 00:00:00

I STATE OF THE 1101SICY AND
LACE TRADES.
(Froea ; :e'vetiezt;eeie
Mle ilea:end ter pi .;;.+ iTehiii ace by no iii ic4IIS keeps
pace with the • supply, whicb is itic:-e isinte, it is said iiv
persons who have the best ineaus of kiioxing, to an
extent which is pregnant with ruinous consequencee.
Tile number of machines worked by power are about
equal in the Wcs:ern and Midland counties ; and we
believe both are suffering from the want of demand.
In this state of affairs common prudence says that to
avoid an extensive stoppage, it would be wise for the
factory owners to work only half hours. A total
stoppage would be fatal indeed to the workmen, espe-
cially in the Midland counties, who have in general no
other employment to resort to. We have heard as yet
but of four power factories on the Continent, viz, one
tel St. Quentin, consisting of sixty-seven machines, one
et Douay, employing twenty-three machine?, one at
Hattlia, in Saxony, employing eleven machines, and
one at Litterwitz, in Moravia, containing about 14.5
machines. These factories do not require English
hands, only as setters-up, or overlookers, women being
employed in many of them.
A considerable hosiery firm in this town, have given
notice to their workmen that they intend to reduce the
prices for making full-wrought cotton hose from six-
pence to two shillings per dozen, according to quality.
This has caused a considerable sensation in the villages
north of Nottingham. A meeting was held at Arneld
on Monday, which appointed a deputation to wait upon
the house in question, as many of the hands, contrary
t expectation, seemed determined to strike, and, ac-
cording to the usual custom in that branch, bring in
their frames to the warehouse. Upon hearing this
the hesier retroeradel from his original purpose, and
proposed to only' abate one description of hose 3d.
per dozen, but the wary manufacturer artfully pro-
posed that the workmen should increase their hose in
width half a size, which is nearly equal to a shilling per
dozen in fine stockings. Such is the state of excitement
that a meeting of delgates from the numerous villages
in which this manufacture is carried on, is called to meet
next Monday at noon, at the Cross Keys, in Bayard-
lane. Another meeting, we understand, is called at the
Nag's Head, Mansfiell-road, at the same time of the
hands who work for the house proposing the reduction.
So great has been the gradual encroaching peeulations of
the hosiers in respect of the size and width, than three
whole sizes have been imposed on the workmen since 1821
A report has reached us, of the intention of establish-
ing a power lace factory in the United States, and we
have heard that some parties have an intention of form-
ing a joint-stock-lace manufactory at Patterson, where
there are already some considerable cotton factories, the
capital to consist of 600,000 dollars, to be subscribed
in shares. The project is to build 200 power bobbin-
net machines, a factory to contain them, and a spinning
and doubling establishment, to supply the machines with
thread ; the whole is to be propelled by water, Patter-
son being admirably situated, having a constant supply
and fall of water for any purpose. It is certain, that a
master smith in this town has stated that he has been
°Geed 4004 per annum to superintend the erection
of the lace machinery.
It is grievous to state, that there is no visible im-
provement iu the drawer, glove, plain silk hose, or
knotted branches. It is as mysterious to know what
has become of one part of the workmen, as to conjecture
haw the others manage to exist.
A very singular lot of frames was offered by auction,
by Mr. W. Wright, at the Plough and Harrow, con-
sisting of a number of frames from Godalming, in
Surrey ; many of them arc more than 120 years old.
Among the rest, we were sorry to observe the cele-
brated frame " Magog," the widest stocking-fraMe in
the world, it being 54 inches on the needles. This
giant frame was built by Mr. Horton, the noted pa-
tentee, in London, about the year 1777. It was ori-
ginally a knotted frame, and was calculated to make
silk breeches, then in the height of fashion. About the
year 1790, Mr. Horton being a partner, it was removed
to the Keeley factory, Godalming, where it made
fleecy blankets and great coats until the year 1838,
a period of 48 years. So great was the width, that the
London giant frightened all the Nottingham purchasers.
and there was never a bid for poor old Magog. When.
this is known, " half Godalming will be in tears," as he
is known to be a " reglar good-un." The sale of these
frames shows the vicissitude of human affairs. Though
the stocking-frame was invented at Calverton, yet
stocking-frames were worked in Godalming before they
were in Nottingham, as in 1665 there was only ono
shop in the place. In the reign of Anne there were
nearly as many stocking-frames in Godalming, Guild-
ford, and 17 villages round, as in London.

DREADFUL SITUATION OF THE

COUNTRY.
(From the British Queen.)
Our readers must be aware that we do not rank
among those who, since the late change in the Go-
vernment of this country, have been proclaiming
distress and starvation throughout the land, from
mere party motives, in order to accomplish party
purposes. On the contrary, we have been willing to
believe that distress was not generally prevalent, and
that although money might bear a high rate of in-
terest, still there eras work as well as wages for the
working man. We were sorrowfully mistaken in the
sober view which we took of the matter ; for if we
may trust to the personal information of a gentleman
who has had ample means of knowledge upon the
subject, the country was never in a more distressed
condition, nor the working man more shorn, not of the
comforts, but of the necessaries, of life. In Paisley
and in Glasgow, the weaver is cut down, with a
wife and family of eight children, to 4s. per week—
in Stockport, one-third of the shops are to be led--
four thousand houses arid cottages are in the same
plight ; while, four years ago, there was neither house
nor shop to be had ! The mills are shut up, and the
cotton-spinning, the skirting, the printing, and the
yarn trades, are almost extinguished. Of Black-
burn, Bolton, and Rochdale (a great flannel manu-
foctory), we can give no better account. Their facto-
ries are either a matter of great loss, or they are shut
up—tire same expenses being incurred ; but, instead of
a profit of 50/. per week, there being a loss of 2001. !
Of course, we speak of firms of considerable import-
ance ; hut, as an additional confirmation of what we
have stated upon the best authority, we may add that a
large house in the city was compelled, in consequence
of the oppressed state of trade, to sell at 3d. a yard
under prima cost, and at the same time to give notice
to the manuf2cturer that they could not furnish any
further orders for goods, unless the price was reduced
billow that amount of loss!

In other inbtinces, where the benevolence of the
manufacturer induces him to keep his mill open, three
days' work only are allowed ; but even these three days
are allowed simply because the manufacturer hopes for
better times, and the machinery in his mills would
rust and be rendered valueless by a cessation of its em-
ployment.

We have gathered these facts, as we have men-
tioned, not from exaggerated newspaper reports, but
from practical men, who are fully aware of the truth
of what they have stated to us ; and what, we ask, is
the cause of this dreadful state of things, and what the
remedy ? The cause is easily to be found in the laws
which impose unnecessary taxes upon the people, and
injudicious restrictions upon our domestic and foreign
trade ; the remedy, in the reduction of tie
one, and modification or abolition of the other. It
is therefore with an earnestness which we trust will
not be undervalued, that we aro anxious to press
upon Sir Robert Peel's attention an inquiry into
every portion of our commercial code, and the most
judicious mode of making such alterations in it, as
without materially damaging existing interests, may
give that free course to trade which is the only
foundation of its prosperity. We are not the advocates
of violent changes either in the Constitution or in
the liws which regulate either our external or internal
trade ; but it is as clear as the sun at noonday that this
country is in a most distressed condition, and that great
changes must be made, in order to enable us to meet
the dangerous competition of foreigners. In our island
position—in our coal and iron and other mines—in our
facilities of internal and external communications, we
hate means of wealth unsurpassed in the world, and it
only requires a ma9ter mind to encourage them not only
to retrieve past errors, but still to maintain &gland in
the
whichpos hastion existedof being
the greatest commercial emporium
either in ancient or modern times.
i