Star.
London, England, 1825-11-28 00:00:00

SILK MANUFACTURERS.

PROM Till COVENTRY HERALD.
According to • the evidence given before the -Lords'
Committee by Mr. Durant, silk is not thrown in
France, but chiefly- at, Piedmont and Turin, at Ss. 6.1.
the pound of twelve ounces, and with less waste than
in England. The smallness in the quantity of :he waste
must be ascribedits the superiority in the quality of the
rows, as our throwing machinery is confessedly equal,
at least, to that -of the Italians. Taking, then, 4s. Bd.
as the cost for throwing the pound of sixteen ounces,
we may consider 2s. 6d. dtity on the pound as a suffi-
cient protection for the English throwster. If, then,
equal quantities in value of warp and shoot be used,
And the winding, warping, and weaving be one-third of
the cost of the riband, the disadvantage to the English
manufacturer would be about 21 per cent. ifs hoot wet e
20s. and warp SOs. the pound. We will also suppose
the advantage to the foreigner in the dying to be 2}
pet cent. making together 5 per cent, which we think
will he more than sufficiently met by the expense in the
carriage of the goods from Lyons to Lund ,n, the in-
terest on the time Inst in th:ir conveyance, the Costom-
ltou,e charges, and the extra profit required by the
Ft ench manufacturer.

We have now to examine what will be the disadvan-
trge to our countrymen from the low pi iceof labour in
France? We have been informed, and, as we think, by
good authority, that then ench weaver, earn, by 12 lyiurs
latsour a day, in English cm rency,more than 20s. a.week.
—Now we will ta,:e half the sum, and say 10s. is their
average a eekly earnings. We have now before us a
lisr, containing the pi ices of making almost every
kind of tiband. with the selling prices affixed ; and
in rich satins and lustrings we find the weaving to be
abtut 20 per c, nt, of the selling prices; in purled swills
and sarsnets, '25 per cent. in plain cheap satins, 30 per
ce it. and in che.ip sarsnets, 33 per cent. As both the
' (lurking and telling prices of figures depend altogether
upon the richness of the riband and the nature of the
pattern, which are exceedingly variable, we can state no
specific proportion in the two prices. We know, how-
ever, of no reason why a figure-weaver should be paid
more for his labour than a weaver of pl tin goods,
except as a frit- compensation for his extra skill, and we
therefore do not hesitate to estimate the weaving of
figures at 30 per cent. of their selling prices.
We have made these calculations with the grassiest
care, aud we firmly believe them to be correct; and if
they be so, it is obvious that the proposed duty would
place us on equal terms with the French manufacturer,
eve!' it their weavers received nothing for their labour.
But it li said the smugglers will guarantee the safe
drlivr,y of the goods in London fur 15 per cent. Ad-
mitting this to be the ca e, the 30 per cent. duty would
only be an inducement to smuggling. Suppose, then,
the duty to be reduced to '2O per cent. the gain would be
but 5 per ceitt. which would not be d email a sufficient
remuneration for the risk which must ever attend a
smuggling transaction. Bit if our statement be not
erroneous, even 20 per cent. is obviously a most ample
protection. In making our calculations, we have sup-
posed the ribinds to be wove in looms of the best
construction now in use, for in any case defective ma-
chinery must necessarily fill into disuse.
It is said that the trade will be injured by the prefer-
en.e that will be given by the consumers to French
ribands, merely from * prejudice in their favour. Now •
we have peat satisfacilon in knowing, that rittands are
made in Coventry that the most experienced manmatc-
weer cannot distinguish from the Fiend, f and how-
ever anxious our fair countrywomen may be to add to
their native charms the exotic productions of the French
loom, we can most positively assure them, that with
the greatest possible discrimination, they will be utterly
unable to select the favourite ointment.

In taking leave of this subject, we again recriest our
Readers to point out to us any important matter that
may have escaped our notice ; a►►d thinking, as we now
do, that no permanent injury to the trade need be appi e-
hended, we wish to address our fellOw.citizens in lan-
guage of hearty encouragement. We bid them be of
good cheer, for the ingenuity, the enterprise, and perse-
verance of Englishmen must ever meet w:th pte-emi-
tient success.
A Public Meeting of the Silk-weavers of Coventry
was held there on Monday, when a series of Resolu-
tion and a Petition to Parliament were agreed upon,
praying that the Act of 1824 should be repealed, per-
mitting the importation of foreign wrought silks at a
duty of thirty per Cent.

At the meeting of sportsmen with the Hayes harriers
on Monday, a dispute arose between two Gentlemen of the names
of BROADHURST and ilvinemon, and some personal apptiagiom
took place which led to a meeting. The ponies exchanged two
Am, Witte second of which Mr. BanADnusar was wounded in
the left arm, but not dangerously; and the business thus coded
amicably, and the parties retired from a Acid contiguous to Small.
berry-green to dinner.

ST. ANDREW'S DAY.

.-.....,0,...- ''''

Warr = 'OR THE ANNITMLIARY. or 7111 SCOTTISU COZPORATION.

BY btita. ht`MULLAN.
Thongh far from Caledonia's bins,
The friendly cup the Exile fills,
Though far from all he loved lams, tse
YetLere St. Andrew's Day decline
He'll summon Memory's store •

He'll pledge the health of ftlends still dear,
And bid bright hope their prospects cheer,
Whereer his wand'ring foritstrps roam,
He'll bless his native Highland hone,

And think on days of yore !
If vast Atlantic's waves he meet,
If India's tropic suns he greet,
Or if he press the polar snow,
Or see Colont'aian rivers flow,
Or trace Pactoles' sands,
Still, Sautia, still thy mountains bare,
Thy rocks, thy hra,s, thy lasses Lir,
Are dearer to the nsile's mind,
Than sU his varied search can find

To love in foreign lands
Wlrai war's loud bugle wakes the plain,
Whin fields are drench'd with foemen
When Britain's standard, soaring high,
Bears Victory's plumage to the sky,
Then shines St. Andrew's Isle !
'Twas thus in Wai.t.Ace olden time,
'Twas thus in Algi-rs' despot clime,
'Twas thus when Bacot his falchion drew,
'Twas thus immortal Waterloo,
Thus Camperdown and Nile !
Now blithesome o'er his native heath,
The wsri ior weaves an olive wreath,
Fills high the peat-rick for the sakes
Of haggis and the Lind Cakes,

. .
And toasts his berme bride :
But should the pipe and pibroch's swell,
Again awake the peaceful dell,
The kilt, the trews, the bonnet blue,
Auld Reekie's ale and mountain dew,
Will shew the Tartan pride !
The hero's eye is quick to shed
The tear of angui.li o'er the dead—
The hero's heart is Pity's throne,
The hero's soul is Mercy's own,

And bountiful his hand ;
And whilst St. Andrew's halls shall ring
With Fauns to Britannia's lE,ng,
The sinking, helpless, woe worn Scot,
/iced only say," Forget me not,"

To Scotia's noble band!
The rows bloom, the thistle's seen,
And Erin's shamrock peeps between,
All thew adorn the British oak—
Then where's the land wiU dare provoke
Britannia's wooden walls
The sail Is spread o'er distant seas,
And prosperous Commerce woos the breeze;
In peace fair plenty spreads her store,
Prince, Peer, and Peasant, rich and poor,
Enjoy your festive halls!