Star.
London, England, 1823-07-17 00:00:00

during the year 1820, who were of opinion that what
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tequently had come regularly up to their Lordships,
who were about to dispose of it. Here he must de-
clare, from the best attention he could give to• this
subject, that it was desirable no longer to continue, in
regard to this manufacture, a system of regulation and
restraint which other trades were nix subject to. if
it were required to chew the necessity that appeared
for relaxing our system with regard to the Metropo-
lis, it ought to be stated that while the consumption
of silk had risen from eight hundred thousand lbs.
to two million lbs. a year, that increase had, how-
ever, been much less in London than in other parta;
and, therefore, the silk trade of London was ma-
nifestly at a disadvantageous point of comparison.--
One reason which induced the Committee to recom-
mend the taking off the Spitalfields Acts was because
they contained no limitation as to the time for bring-.
ing actions and recovering costs; but this was not
the only point on which neither the petitioners nor
their masters could agree. It was, besides, the
firm opinion of the masters that the trade could no
longer be carried on as hitherto in Spitalfields, with-
out great detriment to all capital that might hereof ter
be embarked in it. Under these circumstances there
appeared to be no fairer ground than compromise, if
that could have been effected. If the manufacturer
should transfer his trade to a distant part, it would
enable him to evade the regulations with regard to
wages ; but this sheaved the great inconvenience
arising from a restrictive system. There was another
point in the differences of wages for plain goods and
figured goods; for though in the manufacture of
plain silks the remuneration was pretty plain, yet
there was no standard of payment for the manufac-
ture of figured silk:. Whatever view he took, the
manner of regulating the wages of the workmen
was complicated and unsatisfactory to all parties. It
happened that at one period two hundred new articles
were manufactured, when disputes arose as to the
amount of payment,and the Magistrates were appeal_d
to; yet, alter five days' hearing of Counsel, the
Magistrates were unable to deternsirie and order the
proper rate fur paying the men. Here, indeed, he
would refer to the evidence of Mr. Hailes before the
Committee, when asked with respect to the fluctua-
tions in the payment for the manufacture of fancy
articles ;—what was that gentleman's answer ? He
avowed that it would require a Standing Committee
for the year to regulate the prices for fancy work.
Was such a proposition to disencumber the difficulty
fit to be adopted as a regulation for any free trade?
Had he himself heard nothing else, that single answer
would have fixed his opinion in the present case. Now
the great defect with respect to all figure and fancy
articles was, under this system, that the manufacturer
of both was leaving the metropolis, at a time when
nearly one-fourth of the looms were employed' in
getting -up articles not subject to the regulation
prices. It had been alleged by Noble Lords who dis-
approved of the Bill now proposed, that the silk trade
had been quiet, and the workmen in perfect order.
since the passing of the existing Acts ; but here it
should be observed, that although some disturbances
were on record in earlier times, those were got over
four years before the passing of the Regulation Acts.
He considered that he was consulting the real inte-
rests of the weavers, though not perhaps their present
feelings, by supporting this Bill; for in the absence
of that beneficial .compromise so much wished for, it
was desirable to relax such regulations as appeared
to be mischievous to the trade; and he conceived that
the Acts now in existence were not necessary for the
protection of the workmen, in an unfettered state of the
trade; bat he was sorry to say from all the experience
he had, that it was impossible to reconcile the parties
to the least relaxation of what they conceived to be
their charter. Their Lordships were reduced to this
—that the existing Acts must either stated or fall; and
they could not stand as they were, without driving
the trade out of London altogether. Was it better,
that the masters should, instead of lowering the
wages, limit the work of the weavers—an alternative
by which the latter would be as effectually reduced,
as if the Acts were repealed at once? All these irre-
gularities and anomalies could not consort with the
system of free trade. It would be better to open more
freedom for the article, as it respected the raw mate-
rial. Let the duty on the importation be reduced,
and that on the foreign manufactured commodity be
raised, and he entertained no fear as to the result. It
was gratifying to state upon this subject, that the Com-
mittee had before them specimens of British menu-
factured silks far, very far superior to those of France,
both in appearance and utility; and this was one rea-
son that :hewed the impropriety of ;Ere system of
non-regulaticn for the manufacture of fancy goods,
as to the payment of the workmen, under the exist-
ing Acts. We had at present no foreign muslias, no
foreign calicoes, no foreign cotton; and were our
wasbt to
his
opinion
on
the
manufacture carried to the extent of its capability,
we might very shortly have no foreign silks. Pe
(Lord B.) had only to regret, in now moving the
third reading of the Bill, that the measure should be
supposed one likely to aggrieve so praiseworthy a
body of men; but he hoped time would remove the
delusion under which they laboured in this respect.
The Earl of HA R ROWBY was sorry to be obliged
to differ from' his Noble Friends near him ; but , the
present'ilips qu
Billght was t otonep,aisas.hisPerhaps, opinion,
ugni;w in,ee aat which ch
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t-
s
otilige dghtt oft
ttoenootn havingthcr Committee
mention t
hhaeetehaehte ;
lauestion was-formed in a great degree from circum-
stancespurnecicatitht ofink:hfoosreinssutabree,
atdtathethier
LoCnrdaishiitcipteesuio.teuligialeidtdenot to coocludet that the presence
of a great body of manufacturer*, though differing
in some respects Isom the society 'they /nixed with,
was in itself an evil. IVhen they considered she flue-

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