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

twre caovcd that the Petition be referred tea Committee.
Ordered.

Mr. BANKS, after Itating the advantages of fueh a National
Colletftion as that of the Britith Mufeum, moved that there be laid
before the Houfe an account of the regulations eitabliihed fine
rebruary 1805, for the prefer vation and arrangement of the Col-
leaks, and for the more free and eafy aced' of the public ; and
ilk se account of the numbers admi•ted from the 9th of February
2205 to the relent time, fpecifying the numbers in each month of
that perioct—Ordered.

The Refolutions of the Committee of Supply refpetting the ad-
Iranees for the Britilh Mufeutu were brought up and agreed to.
Mr. PAR NEL poftponed his kills Finance Refolutions tiX this
day fennight.
A new Writ was ordered to be iffued for the County of Louth,
fa the room of the Right Hon. John Foriter. who had accepted
the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer for Ireland.
The commitment of the Office Rect.:Son Bill was poftponed
gin tomorrow.

The Refolutions of the Committee of Ways and Means, refprc-
dng the pay and clothing of the Militia, were alto brought up,
send to, and Bills ordered accordingly.
The committal of the Smuggling Bill was put a till tomorrow.

th.LUSHINGTON adverted to reports that were circulated
refrains diiturbances at Madras, which had oceafioned confider-
ab le alarm. He wilted to know from the Noble Lord oppolite,
(Caftlereagh) wheher there reports were well founded ? If they
were not, it was proper that the fears of perfons thould be removed.

Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, that there had been ditturb
SAM in the foutbern parts of the Pentnfula,but that there had been
none at the feat of the Madras Government.

General Fl TZPATRICK brought up the Bill for plying the
Penf,uns of Half Psy Officers, their Widows, and Perfons on the
Cornpaffionate Lift. at their Central places of Refidence. He Ra-
ted, that the 818 was approved of by his fucceffor, who would
follow up the arrangement.

The SECRE lARY at WAR Paid, that the objet of the Bill
was highly proper ; that he entirely approved of it; and would
contribute every thing In his power to carry it into effeet. The
Bill was then read a hilt time, and ordered, to be printed and read
a fecund time on this day fennight.
The Salt Bill was commi:ted. Report to-morrow.

The Exeife Regulation Bill was ordered to be committed on
Tuefday, and the Cuitorns Bill to be read a third time on this day
(c'nnight.

CALICO IPIIIIITIRS9 BILL.
Mr. SHERIDAN moved the fccond reading of the
Journeymen Calico Printers' Bill.
Sir ROBERT PEE LE faid, that although, on
account of his ill health, he, had been given leave to
abfent himfelf from his duty in Parliament, yet he
Mould feel great Pelf reproach, if he Ihould allow a
Bill fo mifchievous, as he conceived this to be, to
pall, without giving it his decided oppofition. hie
was Wulf-elf a friend to the journeymen calico prin•
tors, and he conceived that he and the other matter
printers had done them more fervice than they would
ever receive from the fpeeches of the Right Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Sheridan). The journeymen, in
their firft demand of limiting the number of appren
tices, teemed to aft upon the principle, that they
were able by combination to give the law to the mat-
ters. This Icheme, however, failed, and only occa-
toned the matters to bring many new hands into the
trade. There were many matters who fetiouily
thought of removing themfelves and their capitals to
Come other country, where their properties would be
better proteEted, and their trade be more free from
rellriaion, for a man of property could never bear
the idea of receiving the law, in every innance,from
his journeymen. If it could be proved that this Bill
would be foethe advantage of the journeymen, he
should not oppofe it, as he confidered that the ince-
refts of the greater number (horrid be attended to in
preference to the interefts of the few ; but he was
convinced that a Bill like the prefent would be inju-
rious to the whole trade, and confequently to the
lourneymen. He concluded by moving, that this
-Bill be read a fecund time on this day three mouths.

- -
Mr. D. GIDDY fupported this motion. He con
fsdered that, in the prefent Rate of toddy, it was
not fo much the tyranny of kings' and great men
that was to be apprehended, as the tyranny of the
many over the few. He confidered that nothing was
more dangerous than combinations among journey-
men. If the agricultural labourers were to combine
in a fimilar manner, and demand for their labour
more than their fair proportion of the land, the coun-
try mull rapidly fall to ruin.
Mr. JACOB began by obferving, that in 1791,
this coeutry only exported to the value of one mil-
lion annually in cotton goods ; but now, in fixteen
.years after that period, the quantity exported
ant-mots to 9,750,c001. being more than one third
of the whole amount of our exports. This great in-
creak was owing to the (kill and talents of calico
printers. In the infancy of this trade fume degree'
of phildophy was neceffary, and a confiderable
knowledge of chemillry ; but sow, by the divifion of
labour, bulinefs of a calico printer did not re•
quire more &ill than any other handicraft tirade, and
therefore the prefent race of italic° printers were not
entitled to better wages than moll other mechanics.
It was alloy ed that a boy of fourteen could, in a few
months, learn the whole b.ufinefs, and yet the ave-
nge wages were twenty five drillings a week, al-
though the workmen lived for the molt part in the
tlorthern counties, where thofe wages would go
much farther than they would in a Southern county.
He did not fee that the journeymen calico printers
had any let anus fubjeEt of complaint, and therefore he
fhbuld orpofe the prefent Bill.
Mr. P. MOORE declared, that the anxious with
of the Committee was, that the madders and journey-
men Mould regulate the matter among themfelves,
without bringing it before Pat liAment. The complaint
of the journeymen was this ; that a large number of
loyal, dutiful, and faithfulfubjeas were now with-
out employment and without bread, in confequence
of the grievances of which they complained. lie
conceived it the firlt duty of Government to fee that
the fabjeas of the realm had bread. He felt a good
steal tor the rights of journeymen : his condiments
vitt:: either journeymen, or had been journeymen,'
and he had therefore confidered, that kind of right
which is derived from having fetved an apprentice-
6ip. He ccniHeted that from the fy Rem of appren-
tieethips was &lived, not only the fuperior !kill of
our workmen in every department, but a great part
of the prsBical morality of the 11, hi& nation. He
admitted, that on account of the divilion of labour,
a boy could be taught to do the Wind's in a very
film time, as well as a journeyman. The conic-
gnome was, that, as loon as the boy was out of his
appranticelltip, he alfo found hintfelf out of bread. It
was, therefore, in this branch of trade, more than in
any other, that Come regulations were wanting to in-
lure a fubfiffence to the journeymen.
The Hon. H. ERSKII•IE confidered, that whatever
:night be the grievances of the journeymen, the pre-
fent Bill would not afford the remedy. It was againft