Star.
London, England, 1830-06-04 00:00:00

GENERAL MOURNINGS.

It appears, that in January, 1829—the whole of the
Royal Family being then in good health—a public meet-
ing was held to consider the best means of alleviating the
distress occasioned by general mourning, when a com-
mittee was chosen, and a great deal of information col-
lected by them on this subject was laid before Mr. Peel.
'I he object of the committee was to impress on the minds of
the King's Ministers the ruinous effects of general mourn-
ing on a commercial country like this, and if possible to
410 away with them altogether, for they considered that
were they to be shortened to a fortnight, the effects of a
j ietrastinated illness of any of the Royal Family would
prove a very serious injury. The committee were able
to support their appeal by a fact which is far from being
generally known—that this is the only country in which
general mourning. are ordered.
Some extracts from the correspondence collected by
this committee will show the mode in which this question
iF viewed in the great manufacturing districts, and the
I• .lent to which their interests are affected by it.
I.xtract of Declarations passed at Huddersfield, at a Meeting of the
principal Manufacturers engaged in the fancy trade in the Town
and Neighbourhood :

Being deeply impressed with the evil effects resulting from ge-
neral mournings on the trade and manufacture of this extensive dis-
trict, we hereby declare that, from put experience, we have found
them to be highly injurious to the interests and welfare of its dense
population, as they invariably lead to the suspension and counter-
manding of orders and purchases, causing great and serious loss to
the manufacturer, who, having prepared complicated patterns, after
much time and expense, loses thereby the sale thereof during the
season for which they were exclusively prepared and suited; the
consequence of which is, the discharge of large bodies of workmen,
whereby various classes of tradesmen depending on the preparations
of materials to be wrought up in manufacture, as well as on the
circulation of wages, are also greatly affected.
" The evils produced by general mournings are moreover increased
by the anticipation thereof, their duration being thereby lengthened
to an indefinite extent.

" The effect of wages upon the general trade of the fancy cloth
district is such, that immediately on the workmen being thrown out
of employment, all other trades partake of the general calamity, and
a scarcity of money is the consequence, and a great dulness prevails
therefore it is very desirable to keep the trade as regular and steady
as possible on all these accounts.
Extract of a letter from Coventry :

" The consequences of the last general mourning were most dis-
astrous, both to the manufacturer and the weaver : it came upon us
just at the time we had all prepared an unusuallg expensive stock
of fancy ribands for the winter trade, and before many had effected
the sale of a single piece : the consequence was, most of the fancy
weavers were immediately thrown out of employment, as the demand
to: fancy goods ceased, at the moment ; the call for black goods was
po inconsiderable, and the mourning ordered for so short a time,
cat there was no inducement for us to manufacture them :
it is an undisputed fact, that three-fourths of the winter ribands
raade, remain in the hands of the manufacturers, for to have dis-
posed of them, such a sacrifice must have been made, that the sale
cf a large parcel, had it transpired, would have been ruin to the
credit of the party. Of course it would not be prudent to mention
names ; but I can assure you, the number of our manufacturers is
considerable who have not been able to meet their silk bills, in con-
F _quence of their stocks remaining on hand.
" The greater part of the fancy weavers have been unemployed,
cr nearly so, ever since October. Manufacturers who usually com-
mence making for the spring trade in November, or the early part
of December, having their winter stocks left on hand, have not yet
(February) given out silk. You ask me what would be the con-
srquence of a general mourning in April?' I should say, the de-
st-action of half the manufacturers here; its effects upon the retail
trade, you know better than 1 can describe to you."

Extract of a letter from a Spitalfields manufacturer:—

" In answer to your inquiries respecting the effects of the late
rnourninp, and of public moumings generally, on the silk trade of
Spitalticlds, I have only to state that we attribute much of the dia.
tress which now exists in that district to that unfortunate event.
The silk trade was, from other causes on which some difference of
opinion exists, in a very depressed state before the mourning was
ordered ; but from that moment all chance of improvement was
gone, and thousands of weavers were immediately thrown out of
employment. If, however, the mourning had not continued longer
than the six weeks ordered by the Earl Marshal, there might have
been a partial recovery of bushiest; ; but occurring as it did just at
the beginning of the winter, when it is always convenient, in an
economical point of view, to continue in black, and followed as it
was by the most alarming reports respecting his Majesty's health,
no coloured or fancy goods were bought by the ladies during the
whole season, and until very lately the greater part have remained
in black.

•° We have no reason to believe we are in a worse condition
than our neighbours in the silk trade ; but it is our misfortune
to have on hand a very large stock of gods suitable only for
whiter consumption, on the plain part of which we could not
now realize more than two-thirds of the cost, and on the fancy
part, particularly rich ribands made in Spitalfields, not more than
one-half."

Extract of a Letter from a Silk.merm and Haberdasher, Regent.

" As a silk.mercer and haberdasher I have the opportunity
of seeing that the general mournings of this country are serious
evils. All my brother tradesmen most heartily wish them abo-
lished : they have been, and will be, very injurious to us ; none can
be beneficial, but must, if continued, be ruinous to tradesmen of
small capital. The late general mourning suddenly stopped the
current sale of coloured Bilks and other coloured goods, while the
greatest portion of customers retained their black until the spring.
It was my intention to have given a large order to a Spitalfields
manufacturer, in December, for figured silks, to be delivered in
April ; but the risk of an illness or a death decided me to wait until
April, and purchase them ready made at Lyons. Extensive prepa-
rations were made by many to bring forward coloured velvets,
as the winter' fashion £for dresses ; but the late mourning effec-
tually nipped that attempt.
" You ask me if general mournings benefit the bombasin or crape
trade ? Yes, in the case of the King's death ; but in the late mourn-
ing we did not sell a single bonibuin dress, or a piece of crape, that
fashion having long subsided, unless for a near relative."