Star.
London, England, 1807-04-24 00:00:00

the gat principles or civil liberty, as *ell as igaiati
all the commercial maxims which had hitherto been
received. The firft claufe of it was to prevent mar-
tens from taking more than a certain number of ap-
prentices. This was a regulation which had never
before been demanded from Parliament. Every man
had an undoubted right to teach his trade to as
many people as he chafe. He thought the cry
againft the numbers coming into the trade was as ri-
diculous as if he or others, old gourrieymen in the pro-
fellion of the law (a laugh), thould come to Parlia-
ment to complain of the number of young men of
talents that were educating for that profetllon, and
beg that the Houfe would (hut the door againft them
for tear they would interfere with the old pradli-
tioners. As to the wages given, he thought that
that, as well as the price of the article, would of
themfelves find their level. He therefore was deci-
dedly in oppohtion to the Bill, and fhould vote for
the motion of the Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peele).
Mr. SHERIDAN defended the Bill. He faid it
would have been well if his Right Hon. and Learned
Friend (Mr. Erfkine) had condefcended to read the
Report of the Committee upon which this Bill was
founded, before he exercifed fo much of his ingenuity
in condemning it. If he had read that Report, he
would have found that, fo far from being a meafure
for the encouragement df combinations amongft the
Journeymen Calico-printers, it was one for the relief
and protection of the induflrious and opprefred. His
Right Hon. and Learned Friend had declared, that,
whatever was the nature of the diforder complained
of, he would not give this Bill as a cure, becaufe he
confidered it abfolute poifon. But he flqr. Sheridan)
believed it was the prarlice of all regularbred phyri.
cians to confult-a little the nature of the diforder,
before they rejaeted one remedy to prefcribe another;
and, in this cafe, he certainly felt that he had the
advantage of his Right Hon. and Learned Friend.
What was the cafe of the complainants in this in-
fiance ? For a feries of rucceffive years, they had been
mendicant fuppliants at the Bar of that Houle, of-
fering petition after petition, praying relief, but in
vain. The moment, however, they found their pe-
tition entertained, and felt any ground of hope that
their grievances would be fairly confidered, all com-
bination ceafed, and their reliance for redrefs was en-
tirely founded upon the jullice and liberality of Par-
liament. What was their complaint ? Why, that
after having fcrved feven years to a bufinefs confer-
redly injurious to their health, and which rendered
them unfit for any other occupation, they were to be
turned loofe upon the world, fupplanted in their
employments by whole legions of apprentices, at
twelve or fourteen years of age, for wages of four
(billings, fix (billings, or eight (billings per week,
inftead of 11. 55. the ufual average of the journeymen,
by whole previous (kill and ingenuity the operations
of the manor:rehire were Co amplified, that children
could do the work as well as journeymen. And what
was the alternative propofed to thole unfortunate
men? To be ratified with the average wages of nine
(billings per week, ufually paid to common daily
labourers throughout their diftrias, or left to become
fuldiers or failors, occupations for which their Hate of
body, after devoting feven years to an unwholefome
Winds, rendered them totally unfit ! Would the
Houle confent to a propofition fo monltrons, as that
thole young men, after having devoted feven years to
learn a trade, to the ruin of their health, by which
their indultry had fo eminently contributed to the
wealth of their mailers and their country, were to be
deprived of all employment, and to he turned look
upon fociety, as burthenc to the charity, or freeboo-
ters upon the property of their neighbourhood ? He
never was a profelyte to the dothines of Adam Smith
upon the flibjeet. It was the wifett policy of a nation
to provide employment for the matured vigour of its
population ; and thofe mannfaethrers who derived
immenfe fortunes by the early incluftry of thole
journeymen, would ill deferve the encouragement of
the Legiflature and of the State, if-they were ready
to facrifice the comforts of their men to their own
avarice, and confign them to beggary the moment
they became entitled to receive the wages of journey-
nun. He inftanced one particular houfe, which
entertained above fifty apprentices, and only two
journeymen ; and he begged to elk how many thou-
fands of artizans mull be devoted to famine, if this
fyflem was to become general. His Right Hon.
and Learned Friend had compared the Hate of the
Bar to that of the calico printers, and (aid, what
might be very true, that many of the members of
that learned profeflion were much ditireired. It might
be fo, and was to be lamented. But if it were potable,
by the operations that machinery, philolophy, or
chemiftry, which had been fo learnedly fpoken of that
night, fo to amplify the bonnet's of the Bar, as to
render it practicable to little buys or girls, at twelve
or fourteen, he believed there would be more clamour
from the Gentlemen of the Long Robe in Weliminfter
Hall, than from all the combining manufacturers of
Lancafkire put together. Mr. Sheridan mentioned
Come other inftances of oppreffion from the mailers to
their apprentices, and their illegal modes of reclining
their fervices, fometimes for nine or ten years, by a
bond from the parent, in fl ead of a (tamped indenture.
He concluded by fupporting the Bill, and declaring
at the fame time that he difciaimed all countenance
to combination ; that he fhould belie the uniform
tenour of his whole political life, if, while he had a
feat in that Houle, the caufe of the weak fhould
want an advocate againfl the ftrong, who revelled in
wealth and luxury upon the fruits of their hard in-
duftry.
Mr. HORNER raid, that he had been at Tome pains
to confider this fubjeet. He had read the minutes of
evidence, an 1 the Report of the Committee, which
affeeled to be founded upon that evidence, by which,
in fait, it was by no means fullained. The Hon.
Member commented upon the A,Et of Elizabeth, and
adverted to the Report of the Woollen Committee
with refpeet to that AEI, in order to (hew that its
provifions were inapplicable to the prefent (late of
trade, but he maintained that the Calico Printing
Trade, which was not in exiltence at the time of the
pal ling. that Mt was not at all comprehended in the
reftrietions which it prefctibed.
After a few words from Mr. D. GIDDY and Mr.
DENT, the Gallery was cleared for the divifion—
but we underftand that no divilion took place upon
the motion.--The Bill was therefore thrown out.
Purfuant to order Counfel attended, Mr. ALF XAN
use and Mr. HAILRISON for the Petition of the Mal
tern ; Mr. CAMPIALL for the Journeymen, and againft
the Petitlon.—Adjourned.