The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-13 00:00:00

SPITALFIELDS WEAVERS.

Mr. E. DAVENPORT presented a petition from a
class of poor, but industrious inhabitants of the Metropolis,
the operative Silk Weavers of Spitalfields, praying for re-
lief from the greatest grievance under which any portion of
the community could labour ; namely, inadequate remune-
ration for their labour. They admitted that there was an
improvement in the trade generally ; but expressed their
doubts of its continuance, and their conviction of the little,
benefit which that improvement would occasion to the
working classes, while the masters, by combination, had
the power of diminishing the rate of wages. They solicited,
Parliament to enact a law, making agreements with respect,
to wages between the masters and the journeymen, duly
convened, imperative on both parties. For his own part
he thought that any measure of that kind would be,
merely a palliative, and not a corrective of the evil, which,,
in his opinion (as we understood the Honourable Gen.
tleman), principally resided in the state of the cur-
rency. He could never understand how it was possible
to withdraw a considerable portion of the currency in the
manner in which it had been withdrawn, without para-
lyzing all the industry of the country. The Act provid-,
ing for the abolition of one-pound notes bad already pro-
duced the greatest distress, and eighteen months, were still
to elapse before the whole of the evil would be rendered
manifest. If that evil were not neutralized by some mea-
sure of a counteracting tendency, lie was persuaded that
it would arrive at a most alarming height. It was extra-
ordinary to heat• the contradictory opinions on this impor-
tant subject. While, in the memorable debate which,
three years ago, took place respecting it, one of the Mi-
nisters of the Crown asserted that the question of the cur-
rency was settled, a Bank Director, a man of great ability
and experience, declared that so far was the question from
being settled, that the manner in which, it was left was
fraught with the utmost danger, and would speedily re-
quire some alteration in the law. Was it not incumbent
on the House to sift to the bottom such opposite opinions
on a subject of such vital importance ? Various reasons
had been pressed upon him, but in rain, to induce him to
withdraw his notice of a motion for Thursday next, for
the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the
causes of the severe distress which had afflicted the corn-
mercial and industrious classes of the community during
the last and present years. However unwillingly, in some
respects, he was determined to do his duty, by persevering
in that motion. In taking this course, he was not actuated
by the slightest hostility to his Majesty's Government.
For some years past, the conduct of that Government had
been such as to conciliate his support. It was his intention
to support the measures of his Majesty's present Govern-
ment, whenever his reason and his conscience enabled him
to do so. _ _ _ _

—..
The Petition was brought up, read, and ordered to b•
printed.
TEST AND CORPORATION ACTS.

Petitions from Protestant Dissenters, praying for the
Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, were presentedi
by Lord Milton, from Halifax, Sudbury, and various other
places; by Mr. Western (who said he joined most cordially
in the prayer of the petitioners), from twelve districts in
Essex ; by Mr. W. Horton, from Newcastle-under-Line ;
by Lord Stanley, from Manchester; by Lord William Ben..
tinck, from King's Lynn, and five other places in Norfolk;
by Mr. Lluskisson, from Bethseda Chapel, and seven other
congregations in Liverpool; and by Mr. Heathcote (whp
also expressed his cordial concurrence in the prayer of th
petitioners), from Boston. The last Gentleman also prep
sented a petition from a most respectable body of the Prof-
testant inhabitants of Boston, to the same effect.

•
WOOL.
Mr. WESTERN presented a petition from the owners
and occupiers of land,in the neighbourhood of Marlborough?
complaining that English Wool was unsaleable at a

rerating price; and praying the House to re-impose such
duties on Foreign Wool as, while they would not injure the
manufacturer, would protect the grower. The Hon.
Member said a few words in support of the prayer of the
petition ; which was then brought up, read, and ordered to
be printed.